Cleveland Championship Wrestling-The Great Lakes Gamble (Cverse 2020)

[rnoble59]

THE SHOW MUST GO ON

 

Some early snow in the Great Lakes area kept Frank and I from doing our regular face-to-face meeting early on in the month. Instead, we scheduled a couple of video conference calls between ourselves and a few of the wrestlers we would be working up in our year end storylines.

 

After speaking with Chris and Nathan on where we were thinking of going with the tag titles, the next meeting was just Frank and myself. “Despite the terrible downturn in the industry, we still managed to make decent money last month,” I said, “as you can see by the numbers on our financial report.”

 

Frank looked over the report and smiled. “I’d like to say I’m surprised, but I think you seem to have a good mind for business overall, so I’m not,” he said with a smile. “The thing that’s most interesting to me is thinking about where the company would be if the industry was stronger.”

 

“I’ve thought about that myself,” I replied. “I’d like to think we’d be in a good enough position financially to bring in a few more higher-level guys to work monthly shows.” Frank nodded in agreement. “We’ll just have to see how things pan out in the coming months,” I added.

 

“Speaking of hiring,” Frank began, “I noticed on one of the wrestling blogs that Austin Smooth has left PSW. I think he’d be a solid hire for us, if you’re interested.”

 

“I saw something about that as well,” I noted. “Do you have an idea of what to do with him if he is interested in signing with us?”

 

“The kid’s a solid worker and knows his way around the ring,” Frank explained. “He’s not one of the great ones on the mic, but he does have decent charisma and plays the arrogant kind of heel very well.” Frank paused for a moment. “He’d be a great mid-card guy while building momentum. I could see him working well with Roger or The Kid.” Frank thought for a few seconds. “Teaming him with Archi might work as well.”

 

“I like that tag team idea,” I said. The Architect had been coming up a lot when we talked about who’s getting hot and who we should be pushing for the title. “Building a strong tag division is definitely on my ‘to-do’ list for the next year.” I flipped through some paperwork. “If we bring him in, we might have to cut one of the low-end guys.”

 

“Agreed,” said Frank. “We might be able to trim some of the roster here towards the end of the year to open up spots for new guys in ’21,” Frank said. I didn’t disagree with him, but I also didn’t know who to consider as a cut.

 

“Did you have a thought on who should go?” I asked.

 

“Off the top of my head, not really. We’d have to go through some tape and match notes we’ve made,” he replied. “There’s no one that really stands out to me as ‘bad,’ just a couple who might be questionable as reliable workers in the ring.”

 

“Although I like the kid, I’d have to suggest that Zippy is a candidate for cutting,” I said quietly. “We haven’t seen too much of what he can do though.”

 

“I hear ya, but the kid is just chock full of charisma. Even though he’s on the heel side, a lot of the fans just love him,” Frank commented. “I’d hate to see us lose someone that we can work into a solid talent who’s still that young.”

 

“My main problem with something like this is that I really like all the guys we’ve hired,” I said as I rubbed my temples. “That’s why I like working with you on these things; you have a great insight into our locker room and how people are doing.” I paused and took a drink of my coffee. “Any of the more experienced guys that seem to be a weak link?”

 

“Well, even though he’s part of the tag champs, Nathan is really showing his age in the ring, but I think we both agree that he’s too much of an asset in the locker room to cut him,” Frank said.

 

“It sounds like we need to do a bit of research before making a decision on this,” I said. “I’ll find some video online for Austin Smooth too and give him a look. I’m not very familiar with him right now.”

 

“Sounds like a good plan,” Frank said. “I’ll go through our videos and notes to see if I can come up with any ideas.” He took off his glasses and wiped the lenses on his shirt. “The toughest part of this business sometimes is having to make cuts when it isn’t a disciplinary action. I’ve been a part of that on both sides; it’s not fun, but business seldom is.”

 

“Good point, buddy,” I said with a smile. “I’m not worried much about it. We always seem to figure something out. I feel like we are doing most things right currently. We just need the industry as a whole to pick up to really start making some noise.” Frank nodded and put his glasses back on. “Let’s talk again in a few days and see where we’re at on it all,” I added.

 

“Sounds good, boss,” Frank said. He waved at his laptop camera. “Talk soon,” he said and then his image was gone from my screen.

 

I opened my browser and typed in “Austin Smooth wrestling video” then hit return to see what Frank was talking about.

 

(NOTE): I've never had a save where the U.S. wrestling industry hit "0." It's an interesting situation to be working with, especially with the economy dropping into the low-30's as well. I don't know exactly how it will play out, but it makes a decent realistic storyline to work with.

[rnoble59]

CCW’s TRIPLE THREAT

 

“I think the plan with Austin will be a good surprise for the fans,” Frank said as we both drank a late afternoon cup of coffee.

 

“No doubt,” I agreed. “Adding him into a triple threat tag match gives us the opportunity to see how he works with a few of our guys. Might even give us an idea or two for future rivalries.”

 

“I think you’ll be pleased with his ring work. Plus,” Frank added, “keeping him off of the mic tonight will help too. Kid’s not much of a talker.” Frank chuckled and took a drink of his coffee.

 

We looked over a bit of paperwork regarding finances and discussed some possible upgrades to our building. It wasn’t too bad in the summer since the building is mostly concrete, but it does get fairly cold in the winter. Enough that we’ve brought in a plumber to wrap some of the exposed pipes near the walls and do some other needed maintenance.

 

“You got my email the other day?” I asked.

 

“The one with the banner concept? Yep, got it. I really like that it’s created by a fan,” Frank said with a smile. “That shows we’re doing something right.”

 

I took a look at the clock and stood up. “I’m sending the image to the guys who do our programs to se what they can come up with. A banner for the ring would be nice, especially when we’re doing something away from the gym here.” Frank nodded as he too stood up and walked to the door. We left the office and walked toward the ring. The crowd seemed to be about the regular size and I smiled and waved to a few of our regulars.

 

 

“Welcome to CCW’s Triple Threat show,” I began, “where you’ll see plenty of act…” I was interrupted as the locker room curtain was thrown open to reveal Rich and Famous walked to the ring. The boos and jeers began immediately. I tried my best to not look nervous but nervous just the same, if that makes any sense.

 

Jackpot Jordan and Jake Idol climbed into the ring. Jordan looked at me with a smile and then held up his hands. “Just talking tonight, boss, just talking.” I handed him the mic and he grinned, “We’re not done yet, it’s just that tonight we have some other business to attend to.”

 

Jake took the mic. “Yeah, like, how many times do we have to beat Kip Keenan and Josh Jacobs? And tonight we have them in a three-by-three match with Masked Stranger? What the hell?”

 

“We don’t even have a partner,” Jordan added.

 

“Like we need one against the likes of those three morons,” quipped Idol.

 

“So, you’re saying you want a handicap match?” Frank asked. The crowd cheered at that idea but were interrupted by Jordan.

 

“While we would clearly be the dominant force in that kind of match, we have a better idea.” The two men looked at each other with big smiles on their faces. “We’ll bring in a partner to go against those three.”

 

“Not that we need it,” Idol added quickly.

 

“Yes, not that we need it,” Jordan agreed. “But we’re going to keep it a secret until it’s time for the match.”

 

“Who could it be now?” sang Idol. He stopped abruptly and laughed. “Sorry licensing companies.” Both men laughed as they left the ring. The crowd reigned down boos and various other unflattering comments as the two walked back to the locker room. ANGLE RATING: 33

 

In a decent match, No Mercy Michaels defeated Garry the Entertainer and Reilly Patton in 14:29 when No Mercy Michaels pinned Reilly Patton with a Texas DDT. RATING: 30

 

In a bout that had great wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Captain Fantastic, Miller Fforde and Roger Monteiro defeated Acid II, Xavier Reckless and Mercutio Sleep in 15:29 when Roger Monteiro pinned Xavier Reckless with an Eagle Chop. RATING: 42

 

I grabbed a mic and stepped into the ring. “Please welcome…The Architect!” I shouted. The fans began shouting and booing immediately. The Architect popped through the curtain and walked self-assuredly to the ring. He waved at a few of the fans at ringside who began giving him the “thumbs down,” which he laughed at as he passed.

 

He held out his hand for the mic, which I gave to him. “Step back, little man, it’s time to let the big boys talk.” The crowd booed even louder. “A triple threat match tonight, huh?” he asked. He looked to the crowd. “Won’t be my first; won’t be my last.”

 

He paced the ring a couple of times to let the sound die down a bit. “Nelson Callum,” he began, “’The Main Event’. I remember watching you as a green rookie in the ring when I was just a kid. You’ve gotten better, that’s for sure.” He paused. “Do you really think that you’re the main event here in CCW?” He paused. “Who do you think is the hottest wrestler in this company right now?” he asked. He paused again. “That would be me, bug guy, and tonight you and that slouch Remmy Honeyman will find out just how hot I am.” He raised his fists in victory as the crowd booed. He handed me the mic left the ring, returning to the locker room. ANGLE RATING: 38

 

In a decent match, Jerry Pepper and DeMarcus & Gray defeated Zippy Deverell and Generation Xtreme in 12:51 when Tyrone Gray pinned Hammer Hadley with a Tumbleweed Splash. RATING: 32

 

Kip Keenan and Fantastic and Stranger come to the ring, get a microphone and rant about Jackpot Jordan and Idol and their “mystery partner.” ANGLE RATING: 41

 

In a bout that had great wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Austin Smooth and Rich and Famous defeated Masked Stranger and Can-Am Connection in 21:48 when Austin Smooth submitted Kip Keenan with a Smooth Hold. RATING: 45

 

Ozzie Goldstein, Quentin Queen and Jack Pryde come to the ring. Goldstein grabs a mic and tries to speak over the loud chorus of boos. “Chris Caulfield!” he yells. “Frankie Perez!” He pauses as the crowd cheers for Perez. “Garry the Entertainer?” He laughs. “One of these things is not like the other.”

 

Queen takes the mic. “So true, Oz,” he said. “It’s like going against Dumb and Dumber, except then there’s Garry too.” The men all laughed. Queen handed the mic to Pryde. The crowd continued booing.

 

“Shut up!” Pryde screamed. Goldstein and Queen both pretended to comfort the young wrestler. As the three men in the ring huddled and whispered to one another, Frank came out from the locker room.

 

He had a mic in his hands. “Excuse me, but I have an announcement.” Some of the crowd continued booing as they didn’t care much for Frank’s alliances with the heel wrestlers. “In the earlier match, Garry the Entertainer sustained a minor injury. After consulting a doctor, it was recommended that he not return to the ring this evening. Thank you.” Frank returned to the locker room.

 

The three men in the ring looked at each other and smiled. Pryde lifted the mic up and prepared to say something. Suddenly, all three men began clucking like chickens. The crowd booed loudly but the three men continued for several seconds before breaking up into laughter. “Tonight you all will see the power of teamwork with The Machine and ‘Prime Time’!” The crowd continued booing as the three men stood in the ring awaiting their opponents. ANGLE RATING: 35

 

In a superb match, Chris Caulfield and Frankie Perez defeated Prime Time Jack Pryde and The Machine in a Handicap match in 21:26 when Chris Caulfield pinned Prime Time Jack Pryde with a Danger Drop. RATING: 45

 

Nelson Callum comes out of the locker room and passes Caulfield and Perez on his way to the ring. All three scowl at one another but nothing else happens. “Let me address something that was said earlier by one of my opponents this evening,” he began. “Rest assured, Mr. Architect, I am indeed still ‘The Main Event’.” The crowd yelled so loudly that Callum had to pause. “Honeyman, I’ve beaten you so many times it’s almost become boring,” he said, “almost.” He paused again briefly. “But you, Architect, you haven’t yet had the displeasure of being in the ring against me. We’ll rectify that very soon.”

 

He paced the ring a couple of times as the fans continued yelling. He stopped and raised the mic. “Rest assured, Architect,” he warned, “tonight you will see why I am ‘The Main Event’ and you are not! If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay the hell out of my way while I destroy Honeyman once again!” With that, Callum gave the mic to a ringside worker and waited for Honeyman and The Architect to come to the ring. ANGLE RATING: 39

 

In a bout that had superb wrestling and good heat, The Architect defeated Nelson "The Main Event" Callum and Remmy Honeyman in 20:07 when The Architect submitted Remmy Honeyman with a Blueprint. RATING: 50

 

“And our main event tonight,” I said as I stepped into the ring, “is sure to be a great one.” The crowd applauded and cheered. “This will be the first time that our CCW Great Lakes Champion Connor Threepwood has defended his title in a triple threat match.” More yells and cheers from the crowd.

 

“Coming to the ring now, one half of the current CCW Great Lakes Tag Team Champions, The Pioneer, Nathan Coleman!” The crowd erupted into even more cheers and applause. Coleman walked to the ring slowly, high-fiving fans and waving. I wasn’t sure if he was moving slowly to milk the entrance or if he was injured.

 

“One of his opponents, possibly the most athletic man on our roster, give it up for Riley McManus!” McManus pushed through the curtain and waved his hands at the fans as he walked to the ring. He smiled and stopped to pat a few of the younger children on the head, much to their thrill. Then he stepped on the apron and did a flip over the ropes to enter the ring.

 

“And their opponent, current CCW Great Lakes Champion, Connor Threepwood!” Threepwood steps through the curtain wearing his championship belt. There is still a good deal of fans who cheer for Threepwood even though he is portrayed through his gimmick and through storylines as a heel. He basically ignores the crowd and is focused on getting into the ring and beginning his next defense of the championship. ANGLE RATING: 42

 

In a bout that had great wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Conner Threepwood defeated Nathan Coleman and Riley McManus in 22:16 when Conner Threepwood submitted Riley McManus with a Stretch Plum. Conner Threepwood makes defense number six of the CCW Great Lakes Championship title. RATING: 42

 

ATTENDANCE: 79

OVERALL RATING: 44

 

I asked Nathan, Chris, and Frank to come into the office after the final match. We all sat and I poured us each a small, neat glass of bourbon. “Cheers!” I said, holding up my glass. Each man followed suit and sipped their bourbon.

 

“You looked a little off tonight, Nathan. Is everything okay?” I asked, truly concerned that he might be nursing an injury.

 

“I’m fine; just feeling some of the early winter aches and pains,” he responded.

 

“I get those too,” Chris agreed, “but this helps out a lot.” He lifted his glass and took another sip. We laughed.

 

“Frank and I have been talking about the tag titles and whether we should move them or not,” I said.

 

“We have no problem with you two wearing the titles,” Frank added, “but we do wonder if pushing a couple of the younger guys wouldn’t help draw more fans during this downturn.”

 

Chris nodded. “I can see that being helpful,” he said, “and I’m sure Nathan will agree that it needs to be what’s best for the company rather than for us two old fogies.” He smiled and sipped his bourbon.

 

“We don’t really want to lose either of you,” Frank said.

 

“Definitely not,” I agreed. “You both are such good mentors to everyone in the locker room, and even to me. I’ve already learned a lot from talking to each of you.” It was true that we didn’t want to lose these two veteran minds, but as their bodies aged, even they knew that they couldn’t keep up with the younger guys in the ring.

 

“I know it was Ozzie who had the idea to bring Chris in and team him with me, and I really appreciated the buzz we generated, but I do agree that we should move the belts to one of the younger teams.” Nathan sipped his bourbon. “Honestly, I don’t know how much more I have left.”

 

We all nodded and lost ourselves in our own thoughts for a few minutes. “When do you two want to do it?” I asked. “We have options; it doesn’t have to be immediate; you know?”

 

Chris and Nathan looked at each other. “Make it next month at Final Justice,” Chris said. “That makes the most sense to me.”

 

“Me too,” Nathan said. “And give it to Ozzie and Queen,” he added. “I know they’re both pretty popular, but this might give them a good push and open things up for the tag team division.”

 

Frank raised his glass. “You two will always be champs in my book!”

 

I raised my glass as well. “And you will always have a place here in Cleveland Championship Wrestling.” We each finished our bourbon and said our goodbyes before leaving for the night.

[rnoble59]

IF WE MAKE IT THROUGH DECEMBER

 

With this being my first officially “full” winter in Cleveland, I found it a bit odd. There would be several days of howling winds blowing snow all over the place, then for several more days the weather would clear up and it would just be cold, then back to the wind and snow. I enjoyed the snow; the wind not so much.

 

The week before December’s Final Justice show was a wild one. The Great Lakes got hit hard with a significant amount of snow, and then the cold front moved east dropping a couple of feet all the way to the Atlantic coastline. There were a lot of the guys who were concerned about driving to Cleveland, and since many of them didn’t live here, I really couldn’t blame them. I had verified that Chris and Nathan would be here to defend the tag titles and their opponents, Ozzie and Quinten would be here. Several of the undercard guys were making their way to town as well. I didn’t have any firm news about Nelson or Connor being able to make it or not though.

 

Frank was definitely stuck at home so I would rely on Chris and Nathan to help with booking the matches and keeping things running smoothly. I really doubted that Frankie would make it out from the west coast and there honestly wasn’t a great need for him to. There were several solid matches lined up already so we weren’t really hurting for talent.

 

I had managed to get some extra space heaters approved for the locker room and the main ring area. We needed to keep a close eye on things so nothing overheated, but we had enough people helping for each show that I wasn’t worried about that too much. My phone buzzed letting me know I had a text message. “Will be there for show-Nelson.” That made me feel better. His match with The Architect was one I was actually looking forward to.

 

As the time neared for the show, I received a few more confirmations. I was confident that we’d be able to put on a regular show, although we might have to cut 30 minutes or so off the tail end if the weather threatened to get worse or we had people who weren’t going to make it. I was concerned about the weather and the people traveling, but I was also excited as this would be our final show of 2020.

[rnoble59]

CCW’s FINAL JUSTICE 2020

 

Things were very hectic the afternoon of the show. A pipe had broken in the locker room shower and it had taken the plumber almost all day to get here to fix it. There were a lot of serious issues with pipes freezing and such this winter, but everything was cleaned up by mid-afternoon.

 

We had enough wrestlers available to put on a full show, or at least we had confirmation from enough of them earlier in the day. The weather seemed to be changing every few hours so I wasn’t really sure what would happen. I only hoped that our crew got here safely as well as the fans.

 

Nathan, Chris, and I had gone over the major matches and worked out all the spots and where they would go. Both had a natural knack for building a show. I wasn’t really surprised since they had so many years of experience. They’d been around through bad bookings and good bookings and knew what worked and what didn’t. We were shooting from the hip on some of the matches; just seeing who was going to be here and trying to make decent matches that could have some kind of story behind them. The title matches were solid, as was the Callum/Architect match. Building off of those three wasn’t too difficult.

 

 

As I prepared to leave the office and go to the ring to get the show started, I heard a loud outpouring of boos coming from the ring area. I opened the office door and saw that The Architect had already climbed into the ring and was beginning to speak to the crowd.

 

“Go ahead; boo all you want,” he yelled, “it won’t stop me from what I am going to do tonight to Nelson Callum!” Architect stood in the middle of the ring and looked around at the small crowd. “You’ve all seen what I am capable of,” he continued. “You’ve all seen what Callum is capable of. One of us is the hottest wrestler on the CCW roster, the other is the so-called ‘Main Event’.” He looked around. “I know who I’d put my money on to walk out victorious tonight.” He paused as the crowd got louder. “And it ain’t someone who thinks he’s ‘The Main Event’; it’s someone who has a plan to destroy his opponents each and every time he enters the ring!” With that he tossed the mic onto the mat and stormed out of the ring to the locker room. The boos filled the small gym and continued for a short time until the referee came out for the first match. ANGLE RATING: 42

 

In a bout that had decent wrestling but little heat, Reilly Patton defeated Zippy Deverell in 12:35 by pinfall with a Cradle Slam. RATING: 23

 

In a bout that had great wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Austin Smooth defeated Tyrone Gray in 13:24 by submission with a Smooth Hold. RATING: 43

 

In a bout that had great wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Remmy Honeyman defeated Jackpot Jordan in 14:09 by pinfall with a Flying Legdrop. RATING: 45

 

In a bout that had great wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Xavier Reckless defeated Miller Fforde in 12:36 by pinfall with a Slingshot DDT. RATING: 41

 

Nelson Callum stepped out from the locker room curtain flanked by Rich and Famous. The sound the crowd made was louder than anything else I had heard in this building before. It felt like the rafters were shaking. I could indeed hear the small office window facing the ring area shaking. Callum climbed into the ring with a mic as Jordan and Idol stood by at ringside, watching for anyone coming from the locker room area.

 

Callum shook his head and smiled. “Architect, you seem to underestimate my abilities,” he said. “I have proven time and time again how great I am. Everywhere I’ve wrestled, I’ve been the star attraction.” The crowd sent waves of jeers toward Callum. He paused. “Even you idiots here in Cleveland should realize that.” Even more yelling. Jordan and Idol turned briefly toward Callum and applauded him.

 

“You may thing tonight is just the beginning,” he pointed around the room at the people. “I’m sure Architect thinks that. He probably thinks he’ll get a handful of matches where he tries, unsuccessfully, to beat me in this very ring.” He paused as the crowd cheered a bit for that thought. “But face it, Architect, you don’t have what it takes to beat me. I’m more experienced, I’m better looking, and I sure as hell am more intelligent than you.” The crowd raised their level of yells and jeers. “Tonight, you’ll see what it’s like to be a victim of ‘The Main Event’!” He walked around the ring a couple of times before exiting with Rich and Famous. ANGLE RATING: 55

 

In a bout that had good wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Acid II defeated Captain Fantastic, Clutch McKane and Mercutio Sleep in 12:38 when Acid II pinned Mercutio Sleep with an Acid Rain Bomb. RATING: 42

 

In a bout that had great wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Jake Idol defeated Roger Monteiro in 13:17 by pinfall with a Reality Check. RATING: 42

 

Ozzie Goldstein and Quinten Queen make their way to the ring amid a loud chorus of boos and other jeers. Queen has the mic and begins to say something, then stops as the crowd becomes louder. Goldstein leans in and whispers something to him and they both smile. Queen clears his throat and says, “Welcome, my friends,” he looks around at the people and smiles. Most of them are still yelling and booing at the team. “Tonight we enter a new era in the history of tag team wrestling and CCW. Tonight, we enter the era of The Machine!” The people continue to boo as Goldstein takes the mic.

 

“You all don’t need to be afraid,” he started, “the era of The Machine will be the greatest era you will experience in this or any other company.” He smiled; the people booed. “There is no tag team in this company that can matchup to us.” He pulled out a piece of paper from the waistband of his trunks and handed it to Queen. “Let’s check the list,” he suggested. “All-out brawling.”

 

“Check,” Queen responded.

 

“High-flying moves,” Goldstein said.

 

“Check,” Queen replied.

 

“In-ring knowledge and showmanship?” Goldstein questioned.

 

“Check and check,” Queen answered.

 

“And technical wrestling mastery,” Goldstein stated.

 

“Huge check,” Queen said as he crumpled up the list and tossed it toward the crowd.

 

“You see,” Goldstein continued, “no one can match up with us as a tag team. Especially not the ‘over-the-hill gang’ of Chris Caulfield and Nathan Coleman!” The crowd cheered at the mention of the tag team champions. Goldstein shook his head in disapproval. “Your cheers won’t help the old-timers. Tonight, they both run head long into The Machine!” The crowd’s loudness grew as Goldstein and Queen finished their bit and left the ring. ANGLE RATING: 45

 

In a bout that had superb wrestling and good heat, Nelson "The Main Event" Callum drew with The Architect in 15:33 following a double disqualification. RATING: 55

 

In a superb match, The Machine defeated Total Domination in a Two Out Of Three Falls match in 21:32 by two straight falls, with the final fall happening when Ozzie Goldstein pinned Nathan Coleman with a Golden Shower. The Machine win the CCW Great Lakes Tag Team Championship titles. RATING: 43

 

In a bout that had superb wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Conner Threepwood defeated Masked Stranger in 29:30 by submission with a Stretch Plum. Conner Threepwood makes defense number seven of the CCW Great Lakes Championship title. RATING: 52

 

ATTENDANCE: 80

OVERALL RATING: 50

 

I jumped into the ring as Threepwood walked to the locker room after his victory. “Just a brief moment to say ‘thank you’ to all of you fans and everyone back behind that curtain who makes this possible. Be safe out there and have a great Christmas season! We’ll be back in January!”

 

As the ring crew helped people exit the building, I popped into the dressing room and thanked all the wrestlers for the awesome job this evening and throughout the year. “Frank and I will be in touch soon with some new information for the coming year. Until then, be safe in your travels and everyone please stop by the office before you leave.”

 

I returned to the office and opened one of the desk drawers. There was a stack of envelopes there, wrapped in a rubber band, with a wrestler’s name on each. I hadn’t told anyone, but I was giving out Christmas bonuses to everyone. The four wrestlers who hadn’t been able to travel would receive theirs in the mail, as would Frank. But the rest would get them here tonight before they left for the rest of the month.

 

(NOTE): Not three minutes after writing the angle with The Machine, Pink Floyd's "Welcome to the Machine" came on my radio. Karma? I think so.

[rnoble59]

Random Musings: 2020

 

I felt this was a fairly successful first year for CCW. As I mentioned in one of the notes, this was the first time I’ve played and had the U.S. wrestling industry drop to zero. As expected, it did affect profit overall, but only because of a decrease in revenue from sponsors; the attendance level was very consistent throughout the year. Average show rating was 45 and average attendance was 79. I won't complain about that with a new start-up company.

 

Many have probably noticed I like having guys with decent psychology to build around. Also, I really enjoy those charismatic mic workers, especially when it comes to heels. I think there are probably a half dozen guys like this on the roster right now, maybe a few more. That’s the style I try and work with a company: solid in-ring workers with a decent number of guys who can work promos/angles really well. I see Nelson Callum leading the way here but also have some future plans for Rich and Famous to eventually get their own interview segment (Piper’s Pit style) and maybe some kind of off-beat thing with Garry the Entertainer. I’ve also used Garry as a backstage interviewer and occasional broadcast table guy with some success.

 

Next on the agenda is building up the tag team division while trying to gain popularity at home (Great Lakes) and in some surrounding areas (Tri-State, Mid Atlantic, Mid West). This is the slowest I’ve ever seen popularity grow, but then again, in other saves, I’ve run at least two events per month. Building slower is frustrating as far as getting into a broadcast deal but it helps me build the roster, gimmicks, and storylines to be stronger, in my opinion.

 

My hope is that when Chris Caulfield and Nathan Coleman retire, I’ll be able to get them on the payroll as road agents. If the company builds popularity over the next couple of years enough, then it will be nice to have a couple of extra people available to alternate booking shows. I’ll add more shows in 2021 though right now, Caulfield’s contract is a bit heavy to use more than once per month. Masked Stranger, Xavier Reckless, and Riley McManus also have booking skills that could be utilized.

 

I still am searching for a possible figurehead. Not sure if I need one or not, but I’ve never had one successfully stay on for a whole year-they are always signed away by some bigger company. I suppose being insignificant right now the company doesn’t really need a figurehead anyway, but I’m trying to build up someone for the future. My best-looking guys right now are Kid (Captain) Fantastic and Garry. I could see Fantastic doing the job nicely since he is solid in the ring, but Garry? I just don’t know. Maybe if there were a gimmick change of some kind in the future, he might be an option.

 

Overall I feel it’s been an interesting opening year. Despite the music licensing fine, the company still has enough money to offset the odd month or two of losses. As the industry begins to move back up (which it already has), it will be interesting to see how that matches up with holding extra events each month. The economy is down, so that will play in to everything early on in ’21, but I’m hopeful of ending next year with a positive cash flow and an increase in popularity. It would be nice to move up to “small” as a company, but it’s been a slow build this year, so I’m not holding my breath.

[rnoble59]

(JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER

 

“I look at it as kind of like starting the whole thing over,” I explained to Frank as he sat with me in the office. “The only difference is we’re adding approximately two more hours each month for the fans.”

 

“I understand that,” he said, “and while I don’t disagree with the idea, I think you might be stepping things up a bit too soon.” He looked over some of the paperwork I had given him. “I see the numbers and I see what the projections are, but if the business stays in decline for much longer, it’s going to have even more negative effects.”

 

While I wasn’t really frustrated by Frank’s lack of enthusiasm for my idea of adding more wrestling to the schedule, I was a bit baffled by his pessimism about the wrestling industry. Did he have some kind of inside knowledge I didn’t as the something deeper going on? “The latest numbers I’ve seen show popularity beginning to rise,” I said.

 

“Yes, that’s true,” Frank agreed, “but the economy is dropping coast-to-coast once again. If we see a recession, even a minor one, that’s going to be almost as bad as the dropping sponsorship has been.” He looked at a few more lines of numbers. “Sponsorship money dropped about $2000 from March through December. That will pick up a bit as the industry regains its status, but if the economy bottoms out, people are going to stop coming to the shows and the sponsors will find somewhere else to put their money; somewhere people can see their company logos and products.”

 

I thought for a few minutes. I understood business and how the sponsors wanted to have their companies displayed to as many people as possible, but I think Frank was a bit too steeped in the “old business” strategies of wrestling promotions. “I think what you’re missing here is that we’ll have an audience no matter what,” I said. “Sure, they may not show up in person, but we have followers on our social media platforms, and that’s where we get the majority of those sponsorship dollars. Every time someone clicks one of those sponsor’s banners, we get paid.”

 

“True,” Frank said, “but if people don’t have money, or are having to spend less due to a bad economy or higher prices or whatever, we’re still going to see those dollars drop.”

 

“Fair enough,” I said. “I know you’re invested in what’s going on here. I wouldn’t have it any other way, but let me worry about the money side of it for a few months. Let’s see if this will work. We can always make changes as we go.” I could tell things were getting a little more tense than need be so I was going to try and get Frank’s focus back to the ring and the wrestlers and away from the finances.

 

“Okay, okay,” he said. “You asked for my thoughts and I gave them to you. Let’s see how it goes for a few months and reevaluate.”

 

“Great! On to the next piece of business: did you find a few more guys to add to the roster?” I asked. Frank smiled. When he smiled like that, I know he’d found someone he really liked and thought would do well for us.

 

He pulled out his laptop and loaded several videos. I watched about 3 hours of various matches from about a half dozen different wrestlers, a few of whom I had heard of through PSW and NYCW. By the end of our meeting, I had sent contract offers to 5 wrestlers, a couple of which would be helpful additions to bolster the tag team division. I had already offered a contract to another up-and-coming Canadian wrestler who I really liked. Hiring wrestlers, setting up shows; it really was kind of like starting the whole thing over.

[rnoble59]

Thursday Throwdown #1, Week 1, January 2021

 

Nelson & Honest Frank hype show and interview Roger Monteiro & Joffy Laine. ANGLE RATING: 37

 

In a bout that had terrible wrestling and non-existent crowd heat, Zippy Deverell defeated Blue Dragon in 9:46 by pinfall with a Spinning Bulldog. RATING: 14

 

In a bout that had great wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Excessive Force defeated Monteiro & Laine in 12:26 when Xavier Reckless pinned Roger Monteiro with a Slingshot DDT. RATING: 41

 

In a bout that had great wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Cowboy Buck Winchester defeated No Mercy Michaels in 9:01 by pinfall with a Neckbreaker. RATING: 41

 

In a decent match, Prime Time Jack Pryde defeated Clutch McKane in 11:44 by pinfall with a PrydeFall. RATING: 24

 

R.A. Nelson is talking to Captain Fantastic when Ozzie Goldstein comes out to the ring and interrupts. Fantastic and Ozzie argue, with R.A. Nelson setting up a match between the two. ANGLE RATING: 38

 

In a bout that had superb wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Captain Fantastic defeated Ozzie Goldstein in 12:10 by pinfall with a Fantasm. RATING: 46

 

In a bout that had superb wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Austin Smooth defeated Kip Keenan in 14:16 by submission with a Smooth Hold. RATING: 47

 

ATTENDANCE: 78

OVERALL RATING: 44

 

(NOTE): these short extra shows will probably be just the basics, as above, possibly with a few small additions. If I can ever get the company onto television, I'll drop these and have a weekly TV show with a better recap.

[rnoble59]

CCW’s SOMETHING TO PROVE II

 

Frank was down with the flu so I sat in the office before the show alone, going over the card and making sure our small event crew was keeping the portable heaters working around the exposed pipes in the locker room. I didn’t want to have to call someone to try and fix things during a show. It was cold outside, but we were managing to keep a steady warmth in the building. I was hopeful that would be enough.

 

Despite the weather, most everyone was available for tonight’s show. I was happy about that. Even though we had cut the show length down to two hours, it was still good to know we had enough people to fill in if an emergency came up.

 

We had a few more new faces debuting on the show and I thought we had a good show put together. As this was the anniversary of our very first show, I was excited to see if our fan turnout increased or if we would stay right around the number we’d been pulling in throughout the first year. Adding some new faces might help bring in a few new fans, especially since the new wrestlers were mostly from the eastern regions and were already fairly known to the fans.

 

 

Soon it was time to go out and start the show. I’d rarely worked without Frank and while I wasn’t nervous, I still hoped that everything went well with the show. I grabbed the mic and stepped into the ring. Quite a few of the fans applauded as they were ready to get things started. “Hello, everyone. Welcome to year two of Cleveland Championship Wrestling!” A great deal more applause and shouts of acceptance from the crowd. “All of us here at CCW thank you for your support over the past year,” I said. “Without you, we wouldn’t be here.”

 

“What a load of crap!” a voice yelled over the PA system as Jake Idol walks out from the locker room. The crowd immediately begins booing and yelling as Idol strolls cockily toward the ring. “These fans are nothing!” he yells. “They deserve nothing!” Idol climbs into the ring with the jeers and yells filling the building.

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, Jake Idol,” I say half-heartedly.

 

“Yeah, they know who I am, but do they know why I’m out here right now?” Idol yells. He pauses, as if waiting for an answer, but when I lift my mic to respond he cuts me off quickly. “I’m here because I don’t have a match tonight! What! The! Hell?” he yells, looking at me. “Do you still not understand that Jackpot and I are the backbone of this two-bit promotion? We need to be on every show!” The crowd continued yelling at Idol, but he ignored them.

 

“The card is already set, Mr. Idol. We have no room for you tonight.” I said matter-of-factly.

 

Idol’s face turned red and he stepped toward me. He leaned in to me and stood face-to-face. “Then make room!” he yelled furiously.

 

I pretended to be scared and took a small step backward. “Okay, okay. You can have a match, Go back to the locker room and get ready. Someone will let you know when it’s time.”

 

Idol stepped back and smiled. “See,” he said softly, “that wasn’t so hard!” He shoved his mic into my chest, which pushed me back into the ropes, then he turned and stomped triumphantly back to the locker room, fans yelling and booing all the while. ANGLE RATING: 38

 

In a bout that had good wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Roger Monteiro defeated Preston "The Enforcer" Fuller in 10:11 by pinfall with an Eagle Chop. RATING: 37

 

In a bout that had good wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Acid II defeated Johnnie Perez in 11:52 by pinfall with an Acid Rain Bomb. RATING: 46

 

In a bout that had great wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Jake Idol defeated Bradley Blaze in 11:45 by pinfall with a Reality Check. RATING: 38

 

"Once again, ‘The Main Event’ isn’t actually in the main event,” a voice shouts through the PA system. Nelson Callum comes to the ring as the crowd fills the small room with noise. “I can’t say I’m too surprised at the booking though,” he smirks. “If anyone actually knew what they were doing here, I’d already have the CCW championship belt around my waist.” He paces in the ring as the crowd yells even more loudly. “The next victim to fall will be Masked Stranger, some guy who hides behind a mask because he’s probably as ugly as most of you people here in Cleveland.” The crowd yells hysterically at Callum’s statement, but he is undeterred. “It’s time for me to show all of you idiots why I am called ‘The Main Event’. Send out my alleged opponent,” he demands. ANGLE RATING: 63

 

In a bout that had superb wrestling and good heat, Nelson "The Main Event" Callum defeated Masked Stranger in 15:52 by submission with a Honey Trap. RATING: 53

 

In a bout that had great wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, The Machine defeated Can-Am Connection in a Two Out Of Three Falls match in 21:17 by two falls to one after winning the first, with the final fall happening when Quentin Queen pinned Josh Jacobs with a Q-Ball. The Machine make defense number one of the CCW Great Lakes Tag Team Championship titles. RATING: 45

 

Jackpot Jordan steps out from behind the curtain and walks to the ring to a rousing round of boos and yells. Microphone in hand, he steps into the ring. “Conner Threepwood!” he shouts. The fans begin cheering. Jordan pauses to let the crowd quiet down a bit. “You have a lot of respect around this area. For whatever reason, these stupid Cleveland fans love you.” A mixture of cheers and boos. “Hell, even I respect you for what you’ve already done here.” He pauses again. “But your time as champion is nearing its end, old friend.’ The crowd begins booing louder. “If not tonight, very soon.”

 

Suddenly, Threepwood steps out from behind the curtain. The fans go nuts cheering him. Jordan raises the mic to his mouth. “Your time is coming. Let’s see if tonight is that time.” He tosses the mic out and waves Threepwood to the ring. ANGLE RATING: 50

 

In a bout that had superb wrestling and good heat, Conner Threepwood defeated Jackpot Jordan in 23:32 by two straight falls, with the final fall happening by submission with a Stretch Plum. Conner Threepwood makes defense number eight of the CCW Great Lakes Championship title. RATING: 47

 

ATTENDANCE: 81

OVERALL RATING: 49

 

All was quiet after the show. No pipes had burst, the building had remained warm, and there were no other problems with the show. I was just organizing a few things on my desk before leaving when I got a text message from Frank. I looked at my phone and blinked several times, surprised at what I was seeing. I immediately punched in Frank’s number and when he answered I asked, “Is this real?”

 

He dully replied, “Yes. Chris Caulfield is missing.”

[rnoble59]

Thursday Throwdown #2, Week 3, January, 2021

 

Nelson hypes show and interviews Rich and Famous about DeMarcus & Gray ANGLE RATING: 42

 

In a decent match, Prime Time Jack Pryde defeated Joffy Laine in 10:24 by pinfall with a PrydeFall. RATING: 34

 

In a bout that had great wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Rich and Famous defeated DeMarcus & Gray in 15:25 when Jake Idol pinned Tyrone Gray with a Reality Check. RATING: 43

 

Captain Fantastic comes to the ring, gets a microphone and talks about Austin Smooth. ANGLE RATING: 49

 

In a bout that had superb wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Captain Fantastic defeated Austin Smooth in 10:41 by pinfall with a Fantasm. RATING: 47

 

In a bout that had superb wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, The Architect defeated Miller Fforde in 13:58 by submission with a Blueprint. RATING: 45

 

Quentin Queen comes to the ring, gets a microphone and rants about Remmy Honeyman. ANGLE RATING: 47

In a bout that had superb wrestling and good heat, Remmy Honeyman defeated Quentin Queen in 16:58 by pinfall with a Flying Legdrop. RATING: 45

 

ATTENDANCE: 65

OVERALL RATING: 46

 

(NOTE): I had forgotten to change Thursday Throwdown #1 intent to "lesser," hence the difference in attendance.

[rnoble59]

DESTINATION UNKNOWN

 

Several police agencies were involved in searching for Chris Caulfield, including Cleveland’s own detectives. They had come a couple of times already to talk to Frank and I and were in the process of setting up interviews with our whole roster and ring crew.

 

It had come to light that Chris was growing increasingly frustrated with his lack or in-ring time, not only here at CCW, but elsewhere as well. Nathan Coleman, probably his closest ally in our small company, had told the detectives that Chris had often talked about just calling it quits and retiring to Florida. However, no one could envision him doing that without leaving word with those closest to him, especially his family. “It just isn’t like him to leave and not say anything,” Coleman had told the detective in charge here in Cleveland.

 

The thought of foul play had come up and none of us could think of anyone who would want to hurt Chris. He’d been around the business a long time and had made some enemies along the way, but a lot of the guys he had feuded with who disliked him were older and had long ago let bygones be bygones. Some of those guys were crippled up from their ring time or had even died (far too early). No one had ever heard anyone come right out and say anything suspicious regarding Chris while he was around here and, supposedly, it was that way in every other company where the police were questioning people.

 

The interviews here would be carried out over the next couple of weeks before our two shows, Thursday Throwdown and Valentine’s Day Massacre II. Some of the guys who were local or close enough to make it over for an interview had already done so.

 

While Caulfield hadn’t been overly warm to many of the guys, it was well known that his demeaner was more professional than some. He was here to do a job and if friendships formed because of that, it was fine. He didn’t go out of his way to make friends, or enemies, with anyone in our locker room.

[rnoble59]

Thursday Throwdown #1, Week 1, February 2021

 

Nelson hypes show and interviews Roger Monteiro. ANGLE RATING: 38

 

In a decent match, Clutch McKane defeated Preston "The Enforcer" Fuller in 9:36 by pinfall with a Pedal to The Metal. RATING: 32

 

Excessive Force and Texas Tough brawl backstage and are separated by other wrestlers. A match is made for later in the night. ANGLE RATING: 36

 

In a bout that had great wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Austin Smooth defeated Roger Monteiro in 14:30 by submission with a Smooth Hold. RATING: 44

 

R.A. Nelson is talking to Prime Time Jack Pryde when Garry the Entertainer interrupts. Pryde and Garry argue, with R.A. Nelson asking questions and serving as the mediator. ANGLE RATING: 39

 

In a decent match, Prime Time Jack Pryde defeated Garry The Entertainer in 9:42 by pinfall with a PrydeFall. RATING: 33

 

In a bout that had great wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Texas Tough defeated Excessive Force in 15:22 when Cowboy Buck Winchester pinned Acid II with a Neckbreaker. RATING: 44

 

Jackpot Jordan comes to the ring, gets a microphone and rants about Tyrone Gray. ANGLE RATING: 38

 

In a bout that had great wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Jackpot Jordan defeated Tyrone Gray in 12:46 by pinfall with a Cash In. RATING: 38

 

ATTENDANCE: 67

OVERALL RATING: 41