Tom "Angry" Gilmore: Diary of a Rising Star

[BriFidelity]

[I][B]My name is Tom Gilmore, and I'm a professional wrestler.[/B][/I] If you're reading this, you probably already know that. If, by chance, you're reading this and you don't know who I am, here's a crash course. I was born and raised in Quebec, learned my trade in Canada. Growing up in the French Province, there was only one name synonomous with wrestling -- Stone. I worked quite a bit in Canada before moving on to Japan, where I first started to get attention around the world. My win over The Awesome Kiyaru, one of the best high fliers in wrestling, for the Burning Junior Championship was, to that point, the highlight of my career. People were taking notice, and Tom Gilmore was one of the first names mentioned on anyone's list of top young prospects. It was only natural that I come to America, under the employ of Richard Eisen's legendary Supreme Wrestling Federation. Dropping Tom for the more marketable "Angry," the Eisens took advantage of my charisma more than any other employer ever had. Many of my fans preferred when I worked for the more wrestling driven companies, but I have enjoyed working with the Eisens. My time in the SWF has been very good to me -- I've learned quite a bit of English, met the love of my life, and made a lot of money, but if the word of the "experts" is to be believed, the best is yet to come. I'm starting to write this account today, the first of June, 2005. Will it ever see the light of day? I don't know, I may shop this diary around when my career is all said and done, I may not. If you're reading this, I guess you know the answer to that question already, so here it goes -- a no-holds barred look at the world of wrestling: onstage and backstage. [B]WEEK 1 - June 2005[/B] I'm the reigning SWF North American Champion, second only to Runaway Train in the eyes of SWF fans. Despite being in such an enviable position, many -- myself included -- think the best is yet to come. A lot of observers think it's only a matter of time before the Eisens decide to give Angry Gilmore the gold. In trying to work toward that goal, I've focused my energy on building up the fundamental skills -- power, speed, and technique -- that I need to put on a good match. The SWF Champion, in my mind, should be able to cut a great promo (which I can, by anyone's criteria) and work a great match with anyone. You can't make it in America at 226 pounds as just an aerial or technical wrestler -- you need to do everything well. SWF bolstered their roster a bit this week, signing indy journeywoman Farrah Hesketh, NYCW's Marv Earnest, and PGHW's Stuart Ferdinand. TCW kept pace, taking Rock Downpour from NYCW while also signing the previously unemployed Bret Graveson. Hesketh joins fellow Canadian Ana Garcia and my wife Jessie as the SWF's third female manager. Renegade indy DAVE picked up some indy guys too. [B]Friday -- SWF Assault TV[/B] Anyone who follows American wrestling knows about the Friday Night Wars. Our Supreme Assault TV airs opposite Tommy Cornell's Total Championship Wrestling and their Total TFI Friday. We faced stiff competion from TFI Friday, and both shows have been prosperous as of late. Many point to the young, talented SWF guys like me, Steve Frehley, and High Concept as the difference makers. While TCW favors older guys like Rip Chord and Sam Strong, we're pumping Supreme Assault full of young, hungry talent looking to make a mark. I started off this week by dropping in to say hello to a few of my coworkers -- Ana Garcia, Robbie Retro, and tag team legend Warlord Pain. My opponent for this edition of Assault was a legend in every sense of the word -- the incomparable Christian Faith, the man tied with Sam Strong and Sam Keith for the most World title reigns in SWF History. Faith, locked in a program with Runaway Train over the SWF World Title, was attacked with a ball bat by Train before the bell, setting the stage for one of the biggest wins of my career. After trying in vein to secure an STF, I finally caught a crippled Faith with a Glittering Magician Knee, taking full advantage of my speed and his immobile state. The knee, dubbed by announcer Jerry Eisen as The Angry Rush, was enough for the pin. (Rating: C+) That night, the geniuses on the Internet spread a rumor that the Eisens were putting me over big because my contract was up in three months, and they were offering up Faith as a goodwill gesture, a sign of big wins to come. I guess that's true, and lot could happen between now and then. Maybe it's time to go back home for one more tour with the Stone family, I could always see what the DeColts have to offer too. BHOTWG was a nice place to work as well, and PGHW is nipping at their heels -- chances are I'd be welcome at either place with open arms. And I always did have a lot of respect for Tommy Cornell...

[Midnightnick]

This looks to be a good diary man. If you do leave SWF... You gotta go to TCW. TCW=Ratings

[Goldberg]

I played with Gilmore, he is no rising star... he already is a star. Within 3 months, Gilmore was a maineventer in SWF. During these 3 months, I lost the title at 2nd defense, won it back within a few weeks, then went on a 16 title defense, until I lost it by starting at 'danger' level. Then won the world title a month later. But if you do leave SWF and go to TCW, CGC, NOTBPW, or BHOTWG, then that would make this dynasty very intesresting! Good luck!

[Guest Weden]

Hell, get a PPA contract with the lot :)

[BriFidelity]

JUNE 2005 -- WEEK 2 The second week of June was the biggest of the month for SWF, as our big event "Times of Trouble" hit the air. I was put in an interesting position on this show, a North American Title defense in the opener against talented up and comer Elmo Benson. Elmo was getting over well as a tag wrestler, and this was a test to see how he could handle himself as a single. I didn't spot Elmo backstage, but I got a chance to talk to his partner Groucho Bling, as well as bookerman Eric Eisen and a few others. Eric and I agreed that Elmo should start hot, as an early advantage could get fans to buy into the face that Benson, the underdog, could win the match. Elmo got the early edge with some chain wrestling, but then paid the price for going to the top when I crotched him and threw him off. We went back and forth for a while, as I thought it very important to give Elmo some offense, but the outcome was never really in doubt. After a Super Kick sixteen minutes in, Elmo Benson was banished back to the tag ranks. (Rating: C) At the next night's Supreme Assault, I was put up against the macabre masked man Skull DeBones. Skull's a good guy, and as stand-up as they come, but he's a little one-dimensional in the ring. There was only one way to lay this one out -- Skull threw his weight around, I tried to run circles around him. The cat won this round against the mouse, as Skull buried me with an Elevated Powerbomb for the pin and the title. The same smarks who said that the win over Faith was to convince me to stay claimed this loss was punishment for keeping my options open. The truth? It's somewhere in the middle. (Rating: C+) When Skull and I got backstage, we noticed that William Hayes from PGHW was backstage. Apparently, the ink was drying on a deal that was going to bring him back to the States as the newest member of the SWF roster. Good move. While he isn't very over, Hayes is an excellent all-around worker, good at all facets of the ring, and he's extremely good on the mic as well. That sounds familiar... sounds like me. Is William Hayes coming in as a co-worker, or a contingency plan in case I leave. Even worse, is he my replacement? JUNE 2005 -- WEEK 3 Maybe I'm being paranoid about this whole thing. William Hayes' signing is a good thing, showing that the SWF cares about wrestling skill, not just size. Then I got to the arena, and saw that I wasn't even part of the show this week. I made a mental note to ask for Tommy Cornell's phone number. I spent most of the show hanging around with Jessie and Sam Keith. To call Sam a legend would be an understatement, and any time with him is well spent. He even pointed out that I should have stuck to working the leg a bit more against Faith. I'll take that as gospel. (Relationship Gained -- Sam Keith, Friendship) More signings this week, as SWF gave deals to CGC's Harry Bennett, as well as Jez McArtheur, Craig Prince, and Micky Starr, all of whom had worked for the big two in Canada to this point. TCW made an attempt to bolster their announce team by signing Ted Ross. It's obvious they haven't made as much of an effort to sign new talent as we have. Maybe they're waiting for the right guy.

[Adam Ryland]

Good start to the diary, I like your writing style.

[BriFidelity]

JUNE 2005 -- WEEK 4 Supreme Assault TV had twice the anger it usually does this week, as I was booked in both a match and an interview. My opponent on the mic was North American Champion Skull DeBones. I managed to get over with the crowd how much that North American Title meant to me, and DeBones didn't have the artilery to respond. If I can't beat him in the ring, I'll beat him on the mic. Apparently, the Eisens liked my match with Elmo Benson so much, they decided to try me out with the other member of High Concept, Groucho Bling, arguably the more talented of the pair. I tried to play the evil technician, keeping the popular flier on the ground with a litany of holds, takedowns, and submissions. I thought back to how everyone said Dan Stone and George DeColt wrestled in the old days, then threw in a little of the modern day style practiced by Sean McFly and the like. As the match progressed, and it became apparent that Groucho wasn't going out without a fight, I got a little... angry. The crowd booed like crazy as I took the fight outside, then drove Mr. Bling through a table with a flying elbow. Unfortunately, things just didn't click tonight, and the match was way off. The finish was hot though, as I evaded the Bling Thing, and hit Anger Management for the three count 21 minutes in. (Rating - D) JULY 2005 -- WEEK 1 Two weeks ago, I was practically packing my bags and waiting for an offer from TCW, NOTBPW, BHOTWG... I would've even considered DAVE. I felt as low as I ever had in SWF after dropping the North American title, only to follow up the next week by being written out of the show. This week, I was on double duty again with interview time as well as big of a match as I could've asked for. The interview was interrupted by Skull DeBones once more, and once again, I tore him a new one. The big news? My opponent this week was the most popular wrestler in the SWF, and quite possibly in all of the United States --Enygma. Enygma got a nearfall at the beginning of the match, falling on top of an attempted bodyslam for two. Enygma. for all of his appeal, is somewhat limited in the ring, so I turned to violence once more. After a ref bump, I brought a table into the ring and drove him through with a back suplex. However, the ref had come to by then and admonished me as I pled innocence, saying that I didn't know the table was behind me. I slipped out of a side headlock, and Anger Management was enough to put Enygma away, and I was more hated than ever. Not my best match, but possibly my most important (Rating - D) My victory over Enygma would soon be overshadowed, as Christian Faith won a record setting fifth SWF World Title that night, defeating Runaway Train in the main event. More signings of predominantly Canadian workers -- Shane Sneer, Gil Thomas, Dewey Libertine, and Terry Smith. TCW responded by inking NOTBPW's Chad Brent. [I][B]Up Next: Can Angry break his slump of subpar matches? He better, as the stakes will be high.[/B][/I]

[BriFidelity]

JULY 2005 -- WEEK 2 PPV Week, and that meant two shows. At The Supreme Challenge, I was pulling double duty again, in an interview, then a match with Steve Frehley. We were going on next to last, followed only by the big Christian Faith-Runaway Train rematch. During the interview, I fiercely stated that I'd use him as a stepping stone tonight, just as he did with Sam Keith. During the match, I took an edge early, working in a nice spot where I whipped Steve into the ropes, then caught him with an Enzugiri, timing everything perfectly so that my foot hit the back of his head as he ran by. After that, it was time to go aerial. Corkscrew Leg Lariat followed by a flip legdrop, then a Sunset Flip for two. The only thing a little off kilter was the finish, as I hit Frehley with a Fame Dropper for a somewhat anticlimatic three. We were supposed to go another five minutes, but things ran long in other spots on the show (Rating - C) As good as the PPV went, Assault TV looked like it could be even better. I got interview time again, as well as a high profile opponent. Who? The SWF World Champion, Christian Faith. This was shaping up to be a big day for Angry Gilmore. Before I could get to the main event, I had to cut a promo with Steve Frehley once more. I've been gaining a reputation over the past few weeks as a great promo man, and this one was one of my most intense, and greatest interviews yet. I spent the early stages trying to keep Faith on the ground with some of that old school Canadian mat wrestling. After tying Christian up in kneebars and surfboards, throwing in the occasional stomp and elbow, I picked him up and tried to deliver some major pain with a backbreaker, but Faith slipped out and hit a running clothesline, after which I fought out of a chinlock to hit a headbutt, dropkick, and snap suplex. With the champion reeling, I went to the top for a double axe handle, which caught Faith right between the eyes. Faith fought his way out of a fireman's carry, hit me with a knife edge, then tried to follow up with a shoulder block, only to eat mat thanks to a drop toe hold. The first nearfall of the match was mine, as I hit a Corkscrew Leg Lariat off the top for two at 11 minutes. We went back and forth for a while, pushing ourselves to the limit. I got heat by throwing Faith out of the ring, hitting him with a baseball slide, then DDT'ing him on a chair. It got me a warning, but that warning was worth its wait in boos. The crowd held their breath at 21 minutes, when I hit the Angry Rush for a CLOSE two. An S.T.O. right thereafter got a second consecutive nearfall. Faith got back an edge as the match neared a half hour, plastering me with a forearm that drew blood. At thirty-one minutes, I maneuvered out of another rear chinlock, then leveled Faith with Anger Management. ONE! TWO! [B][I]Be continued. Get it? Two be continued! BAH![/I][/B]

[BriFidelity]

KICKOUT!!! I followed up immediately with an Implant DDT for two, then ate a shoulder tackle. Soon thereafter, I took a Snake Eyes that Faith followed up with a double underhook facebuster. Three seconds later, people were still talking about me as a potential future World Champion. Christian Faith had retained. (Rating: C+) JULY 2005 -- WEEK 3 Interview time again, and this week's target was Jack Bruce. I was a bit off tonight, and Jack hit me on every level. After the loss to Faith, he dropped the choke artist bomb, and that was enough to put the crowd in the palm of his hands. I was better off in the ring this week, where I got a big edge early against Enygma, keeping him guessing by mixing up aerial and technical attacks, with some of the old punch-kick thrown in to boot. Fifteen minutes in, things looked bleak after I missed a flying elbow, with Enygma making me pay with a seemingly endless procession of stomps mixed up with elbow and knee drops. I got back into things after slipping out of a rear chinlock and catching him with a rolling leg lock. Enygma would rally later, as I came off the top with a corkscrew leg lariat, but he caught me in the air with a Samoan Drop. I took control after escaping a front face lock and hitting a belly to back suplex. Enygma got a near fall after more back and forth fighting when he fell on top of an attempted Superplex, but would find himself in trouble. He couldn't pull off the kneeling jaw breaker, and I took control after hitting a gutbuster. As Enygma was getting up, I popped him with The Angry Rush for the pinfall. (C+) The competition would have a busy night, as Tommy Cornell defeated Liberty to win the TCW World Title. Hmmm... Tom Gilmore (SWF owned the rights to the Angry name) against Tommy Cornell. It'd be a classic. Then again, things are going great in the SWF, where I'm knocking on the door of the main event, and there's always Japan and Canada... I could build a legend working with guys like McFly and Kikkawa. [I][B]Next Time: SWF offers Angry a contract extension, will he take it or test the open market?[/B][/I]

[BriFidelity]

JULY 2005 -- WEEK 4 Stemming from last week's verbal beatdown of yours truly, I was matched up with Jack Bruce. The charismatic New Yorker fell victim to the trademark Gilmore chain wrestling/quick strikes combination to start.It was about six minutes into the match before Jack could chain two moves together without me finding a counter. Bruce fought back, and looked dominant for a few minutes, scoring a nearfall with a roll-up. At twenty minutes, we exchanged nearfalls -- me with a back superplex, Bruce with a schoolboy. 22 minutes in, and Bruce managed to kick out of the Gilmore Rush. A half dozen nearfalls later, Bruce was still hanging in there, and bloodied from a superkick. Bruce got a close call of his own after planting me into the mat with a leaping piledriver. The match finally ended at 38 minutes, when Jack Bruce succumbed to an Implant DDT. (Rating: B-) Next Friday was going to be one of the busiest days of my career. Not only was I scheduled to work SWF's Assault TV, but it'd mark 30 days left on my contract, and Richard Eisen would want to negotiate. AUGUST 2005 --- WEEK 1 Richard Eisen said everything I wanted him to. He trimmed the contract down by six months, then I haggled the price up by six grand a month. And after all that, I said no thanks. It's not that I don't like the SWF, or Eisen himself, but I want to test the open market. It's like when a hockey or football player has a good thing going with a team, but still declares for Free Agency because he wants to get the best deal. And with that, the Angry Gilmore farewell tour begins. And boy, does it begin in style. I'm first booked in an interview with reigning champion Christian Faith, but Christian got the better of me (what can I say, my mind was elsewhere after those negotiations). To top things off, I got a rematch with Skull DeBones for the North American Title. We went back to the styles clash, where I tried to overcome the power of DeBones, while he had to deal with my speed and awe inspiring Canadian technique. Thirteen minutes and an Implant DDT later, and Angry Gilmore was the two time SWF North American Champion. Eric Eisen knows that I turned the contract down, right? (Rating: C) [I][B]Up Next: So far, Angry has been punished for leaving by... winning the North American Title. Now he has to defend it.[/B][/I]

[BriFidelity]

AUGUST 2005 -- WEEK 2 Welcome to The Jungle, the big show this month, saw me doing promo work with and defending the North American Title against Jack Bruce. This time, I got the better of Jack on the stick when some crude jokes of his bombed. Things weren't so easy in the ring. Bruce hit me early with a Fireman's carry, then hit one of his favorites, the posing elbow drop. After Bruce missed an elbow, I caught him with a European uppercut, dropped him with a clothesline, then came off the top with a double axe handle. Later on, Bruce blocked a suplex, then hit me with the bionic elbow... now that I think of it, Bruce would lose about 85% of his offense if he couldn't throw elbows. Bruce absolutely dominated with his strikes late, but would find himself on the business end of a German Suplex for a nearfall, followed by an Implant DDT for another two. Anger Management was enough for a win at 27 minutes. (Rating: C) The next night, I got the better of Bruce verbally again, then went up against Enygma in a non-title match. I took advantage of an early ref bump by throwing Enygma out of the ring and slamming him through the table, following up by making him kiss chair via a drop toe hold. A German Suplex earned me a near fall at 14 minutes, a sitdown powerbomb did the same two minutes later. The Angry Rush got another near fall at 22 minutes, as Enygma kicked out of everything I threw at him. After many, many nearfalls, Enygma finally stayed down after another Angry Rush. (Rating: C+) AUGUST 2005 -- WEEK 3 Another week, another match with Enygma. This time, it was a Table match. The brawl suited Enygma, who beat me from pillar to post early before I scooped him up with a Fireman's Carry Slam on the arena floor. I almost had an early night, as Enygma was on the table nine minutes in, but I couldn't get to the ropes quick enough to deliver a Flying Elbow. The end would come for real thirteen minutes later, when I gave Enygma a back suplex through the hardwood. (Rating: C) With two weeks left until my contract expired, SWF wasn't exactly jobbing me out, and I can respect that. Maybe the grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence after all. AUGUST 2005 -- WEEK 4 My rivalry with Enygma culminated tonight in a non-title cage match (Jeez Eisen, just let me take the title with me). This time, Enygma dominated the opening minutes, as I didn't get an offensive move in until a European uppercut three minutes in. I rallied, even catching Enygma with a dropkick as he came off the top with a double axe handle. It looked like I was out after hitting Anger Management near 30 minutes, but Enygma caught me as I was swinging over to escape. Not long after, Enygma locked on his Enygma Variation for a while, leaving me too immobile to stop him from escaping for the win. (Rating: C) Next week, it's the end of Angry Gilmore. [I][B]Next Time: Angry's SWF swan song.[/B][/I]

[BriFidelity]

SEPTEMBER 2005 -- WEEK 1 My final match would me memorable -- a non-title affair against SWF World Champion Christian Faith. Eric Eisen and I had devised a way to make Faith sympathetic, keep his heat, and let me go out with my head held high. I was markedly more aggressive, taking the fight outside and using everything at my disposal. I tried to batter Faith, doing all sorts of moves onto chairs and through tables, the referee constantly warning me before finally calling for the DQ after Faith was rendered bloody and unconscious by Anger Management on a chair. The show closed with Richard Eisen announcing that Angry Gilmore pushed things too far, and has been stripped of the North American Title and banned from the SWF for unprofessional conduct. (C-) [B]***OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM SUPREMEWRESTLING.COM***[/B] The SWF regretfully announces that it has parted company with Tom Gilmore. Gilmore, known as "Angry" to SWF's fans, and the Supreme Wrestling Federation have mutually agreed to part company. The Eisen Family and the rest of the SWF wish Mr. Gilmore the best of luck in future endeavors. [B]***OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM TOMGILMORE.NET***[/B] The rumors are true, Angry is leaving the SWF. Stay tuned for news as it breaks. SEPTEMBER 2005 -- WEEK 2 [B]***OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM TOMGILMORE.NET***[/B] Big things are coming. Stay tuned. [B]***OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM DANGERVIOLENCEEXTREME.COM***[/B] Did we just pull off a move that'll have Richie Eisen and Tommy Cornell crying their little eyes out? You'll find out soon. Let's just hope that Rich and Tommy don't get too [U]angry[/U]... [B]***OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM TCWRESTLING.COM***[/B] Total Championship Wrestling will neither confirm nor deny reports that we have offered a contract with Thomas "Angry" Gilmore, formerly of the Supreme Wrestling Federation. [B]***RUMOR MONGERING FROM WRESTLINGHEAT.COM***[/B] Angry Gilmore to BHOTWG? Most people are reporting that Angry Gilmore is going to either DAVE, NOTBPW, or TCW, but my sources tell me that he could be headed for the land of the rising sun. I have it on good authority that Angry (real name Tom Gilmore) has signed a deal with Burning Hammer of the Wrestling Gods for a deal worth less than offers from TCW and Canada's North of the Border Pro Wrestling. Gilmore reportedly resents the sports entertainment style prevelent in America, and wishes to work for a more wrestling driven promotion. [I][B]Next Time: Gilmore shows up in his new home.[/B][/I]

[BriFidelity]

The questions were answered that Friday. When TCW's TFI Friday came back from commercial, I was standing mid-ring, the crowd around me going absolutely insane. A friend of mine runs the DAVE website, and I got him to throw everyone off of my scent. I have a lot of respect for Phil Vibert, but he's not giving me a $13,000 raise over what I was making with SWF. When I showed up on TFI Friday, chants of "Angry! Angry!" immediately broke out, even though I was wrestling under my given name once more. My grand entrance was interrupted by the hated Tommy Cornell, absolutely one of the best mic workers in the industry (and my new boss). The fans were more accustomed to Cornell, and seemed to favor his interview. However, the night was young, and I was in the main event against the legendary Rip Chord in a first blood match. Chord's lost a step or twenty eight over the years, so I led the dance, working the technical angle to keep him on the mat, where he just had to lay there. I worked my usual spots -- the kneebars, surfboards, etc, and the crowd ate it up, making good on the plans Tommy and I had of turning me babyface. The show was running long, so we ended rather suddenly eight minutes in, when Rip came up bleeding after I planted him with a DDT. It wasn't an epic, nor was it my best effort, but I just beat one of the biggest legends in the history of the sport, so it's a good start with a new company. (Rating: C) Over at my old home, Christian Faith retained the SWF World Heavyweight Title against my old partner Joe Sexy. As for my old belt, of all people, aging tag team specialist Warlord Pain won the North American Title, defeating Groucho Bling for the vacant gold. I guess that's why they let me keep the belt, they're devaluing the hell out of it. [I][B]Next time: The TCW World Title is on the line, it's Tom Gilmore vs Tommy Cornell![/B][/I]