Thriving, Surviving or Failing: The UCR Story

[polK]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][CENTER][B][SIZE="7"]Thriving, Surviving or Failing: The UCR Story[/SIZE] [SIZE="5"]The History of the first big Wrestling Promotion on the European Continent[/SIZE][/B] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/UCR.jpg[/IMG] [/CENTER] [B][SIZE="5"]Table of Contents[/SIZE][/B] [B]Part I - Introduction[/B] Chapter 1: [URL="http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=199093&postcount=3"]A Primer in European Wrestling History[/URL] Chapter 2: [URL="http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=199094&postcount=4"]A Short History of Ultimate Combat Ring[/URL] Chapter 3: [URL="http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=199095&postcount=5"]2006 - A Booking Odessy[/URL] Chapter 4: [URL="http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=199096&postcount=6"]Introducing a Man to the Reader[/URL] Chapter 5: [URL="http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=199097&postcount=7"]A new Year, a new Direction?[/URL] Chapter 6: [URL="http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=199100&postcount=8"]Ultimate Combat Ring for Starters[/URL] Chapter 7: [URL="http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=199102&postcount=9"]UCR Championship Histories[/URL] [B]Part II - A new Year...[/B] Chapter 8: [URL="http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=199114&postcount=11"]New Year, New Challengers [/URL] To Be Continued[/FONT]

[polK]

Some might remember my first attempt at a UCR diary and the familiar look of the first post. Since that attempt was troubled from the start - mainly due to technical difficulties and the booking being not thought through - I decided to do a reboot. So here we are, with a new thread, new ideas and finally enough free time to keep this going. I will repost the first few posts and edit them to fit with the new game. The first show already went down in the game and the basic write up is done, but still needs some polish. It should be up later today, however. That's what I have to say about this diary. Oh, I forgot one thing: Enjoy! :D

[polK]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][B]Thriving, Surviving or Failing: The UCR Story- Chapter 1[/B] [SIZE="6"][B]A Primer in European Wrestling History[/B][/SIZE][/FONT] Seeing how the general interest in professional wrestling in continental Europe is considerably lower than in its modern-day centers - North America, Japan and Great Britain - it comes to no surprise that the history of our sport on the European continent is less well studied than elsewhere. Thanks to wrestling magazines, internet coverage and our own memories, the post-World War II history can be reconstructed pretty easily. For the time before the war, however, research is heavily reliant on oral reports and searching for printed evidence in newspaper archives. Thankfully, many fans of our great sport and wrestling journalists have made great efforts in the last years and contributed greatly to our collective knowledge of the times long pasts. This primer, intended to set your mood for the rest of our story and serve as a backdrop to it, compresses this knowledge into only few paragraphs, but should serve its purpose of passing it to you nontheless. It may surprise, but the roots of professional wrestling can be traced back to the middle of the 19th century. During that time, British wrestlers were featured in so-called exhibition matches without any competitive background, but for decent pay. In 1868, a group of wrestlers from Austria-Hungary were invited to a series of "international exhibitions", pitting them against British wrestlers. Impressed by the success of these events, they decided to promote similar exhibition matches in their home country. Starting with a tournament in Prague in September 1868, the "exhibition wrestling" era broke loose on the continent. The wrestlers, grouped around their most talented members, Ferenc Kameny, a small, but muscular man of Hungarian descent, regularly drew crowds of 500 men anywhere from Budapest to Paris. Their concept was simple: the regular members of the group would go against local wrestlers. The main attraction, however, was Kameny. Of average height, but impressive muscles, paired with a cat-like agility, he was almost impossible to defeat in any environment. In fact, he remained unbeaten in eleven years, from the tournament in Prague until his tragic death in 1879. In summer he had wrestled a big match against the Brit Palmer Jenson who had been unbeaten in five years. The match, billed as the fight between the best wrestlers of continent and the Isles, ended in a controversial no contest when Kameny started bleeding after coming in contact with Jenson's elbow. A rematch was scheduled for fall and was to take place in London. Unfortunately, a drunk man stabbed Kameny to death after getting into an argument with him in a pub. Kameny's death also meant the loss of the biggest draw Europe's exhibition wrestling had to offer. This was a huge blow and along with the trouble caused by the rising tension between the European nations prior to World War I, it ended the era of "exhibition wrestling". In few years, wrestlers were relegated from drawing hundreds of people to their own shows to wrestling in front of a handful men as sideshow attraction at fairs. The "circuit wrestling" era had arrived and with it the demise of the old "wrestling corridor", ranging from Paris to Budapest, which was replaced by regional territories in which wrestlers would travel from opportunity to opportunity. This era is badly documented, but seeing the status these fine athletes had during that time, we can be happy we actually know a few names from that time: Helmut Wagner, a Bavarian blacksmith-turned-wrestler who dominated Southern Germany, Gerard Boulanger, a French wrestler who has a long history of petty theft and illegitimate children, Thierry Longue, a Belgian who is reported with a four-year undefeated streak or Jakob Steltzer, a burly wrestler from Austria with a reputation of fighting dirty. World War I cost a lot of lives and caused a lot of destruction. The post-war years, dominated by the hardship of economic recovery, proved to be surprisingly successful for wrestlers who were well received as a distraction from everyday life. While not breaking out of their sideshow status, it was an important time for wrestling, as the entertainment factor was put into the foreground, first traces of "gimmick" appeared and fixing matches became widespread practice. This development would affect wrestling internationally, through the influcence of wrestler emigrating to the United States, especially Ugur Hacheney, a wrestler of Hungarian descent, who adopted the stage name "Ugur Kameny" and claimed to be the grandson of the famous Ferenc Kameny, who later emigrated to New York and became an important part of wrestling in the Northeast of the United States. Tragically, war again swept across Europe in form of World War II, costing the lives of millions and among them almost an entire generation of men. Unlike after the first World War, the times did not favor wrestling. The destruction caused by the war and the resulting poverty were much more severe and after long years of war, fighting men were not what people wanted to see as a distraction. This time European wrestling needed help from the outside. It came, naturally, from the United States in form of wrestling show held for soldiers stationed in post-war Europe. While initially unnoticed, the trend of being "americanized", particularly strong in West Germany, led to shows held for the general public in the Sixties. Although opposed by vocal "concerned citizens" who were repulsed by the "display of brutality", wrestling very slowly, but surly, was growing new root in European soil. The era of "American wrestling" started as nothing more than American promoters doing a few shows abroad, but soon ambitious European youngsters paid to receive training from the Americans. As far as we can tell, the first post-war wrestling show promoted by an European took place in Hannover, West Germany, in September 1972. The Netherlands, West Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy were the areas where wrestling was received well while France, Belgium, Portugal, Scandinavia and - for political reasons - Eastern Europe did not. (The special history of wrestling in Spain will be covered below.) Besides the already mentioned Hannover, Amsterdam (Netherlands), Vienna (Austria) and Milan (Italy) became the "hotbeds" of originally European wrestling. The reader should not think that these hotbeds were running a regular schedule of monthly or weekly shows like modern day promotions. Instead, the traditional schedule of the "Austrian era" was dominated by big multi-day festivals and tournaments held in the cities, which also attracted international superstars, and only a handful of shows in between. Starting in Genoa in March, the small community of wrestlers would travel northwards slowly, eventually reaching Hannover, Hamburg and Amsterdam, then turn south again until the factual "season finale", the Ferenc Kameny Memorial Cup, held in Vienna in September. Defining figure of this era, spanning from the mid-1970s until 1990, was Ulrich Feilschneller, a heavy Austrian with a background in amateur wrestling and judo who entered wrestling in the early Seventies, spending the first years of his career in the United States where he was known as the red-masked "Austrian Giant". Of course, he was a regular at European shows and even earned quite a reputation in Japan where he worked for GCG. In the Eighties he eventually took control of the Vienna territory and later bought out the Hannover and Hamburg territories. Just as Feilschneller seemed to be on his way to establish a promotion with an American-style full schedule, the changes of 1989 and 1990, the collapse of the Communist block of nations in Eastern Europe, suddenly seemed to offer endless opportunities. So instead of focussing on developing his territories - already under pressure as TV was offering the more up-to-date product of American promotions - he spent a fortune, his fortune, on trying to establish a foothold in Eastern Europe. Feilschneller's promotion was broke by late 1992, effectively leaving Europe as a playing field of indies which came and went quickly. Feilschneller would seek a final run as wrestler in Japan at age 47, retiring not before 1998 and passing away only a few months later. With the end of the classic system of wrestling brought by Feilschneller's business decisions proven wrong, the - now greater - Europe was on the feeding tube of the tube: American wrestling from SWF and Japanese wrestling from BHOTWG. Independent promotions existed, experimented with styles, attracted a small cult following, but never lasted. It was not until April 1998 when Louis Figo, called "Mainco" (the Maniac), followed the steps of his forefathers and founded UCR which eventually should become the biggest promotion Europe has ever seen. The Figo family actually are a dynasty of "wrestling" promoters as long as you count "Lucha Català", the distinct style of wrestling original to [Cornellverse] Catalonia, a region in Northeastern Spain. Judging from old film recordings of those fights in possesion of the Figo family, traditional Lucha Català (translating into Catalonian Fighting) was mixture of greco-roman wrestling, some elements of sumo and some ideas of bull-fighting. It's most unique aspect is the distinction between an attacker and a defender, both of which are specifically restricted to particular moves to push the opponent out of bounds or pin him (attacker) or evading the opponent until time expires or wrestling him into passivity (defender). Once a big part of [Cornellverse] Catalonian culture, with many promoters, particularly the Figo family, making money with it, Lucha Català fell out of favor during the Sixties when the Fascist government of Franco banned the sport. The sport survived in the underground, however, and to this day plays a - much smaller - role in [Cornellverse] Catalonia. This concludes our primer on the history of wrestling in continental Europe, as far as 1998. While to this day countless independent wrestling promotions are running shows across Europe, the main focus of genuinly European wrestling lies on the history of Ultimate Combat Ring which will be covered in our next chapter.

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[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][B]Thriving, Surviving or Failing: The UCR Story - Chapter 2 [SIZE="6"]A Short History of Ultimate Combat Ring[/SIZE][/B][/FONT] As we have learned from the previous chapter, wrestling in Europe has never seen one big promotion, running a full schedule in a greater region until UCR came along. While Ulrich Feilschneller's Vienna-based promotion looked poised to become one in the late 1980s/early 1990s, bad business decisions quickly ended this trend and the promotion as a whole. So Ultimate Combat Ring was the first company to grow to such a size, but it's way there was quite the struggle. This chapter will compile the troubled history of UCR from its inaugural show in April 1998 until 2006. Louis Figo is the descendant of what could be called Lucha Català's premier family. His great grandfather Carlos was a multi-time Middleweight Grand Champion (the most prestigeous weight class in that sport) who later turned to organizing Lucha events. His son Raúl started as a Luchadore, too, but he never even came close to his father's success and soon turned to the business side of things. Following the rule that talents often skip one generation, Raúl's three sons Frederico, Hidalgo and Juan Enrique again were exceptional competitors. Their carreers were cut short by the government ban of Lucha Català. When the ban was removed after the end of the Franco dictatorship, Frederico was the one to pick up the family tradition again as a promoter. Louis Figo, son of Hidalgo, was introduced to Lucha Català at age 16 in 1984. He was seen as a prospect, but during a time when Italian pro wrestling promoters tried to establish a foothold in Spain, Louis Figo became far more interested in American-style wrestling. He started wrestling in the central European circuit and quickly earned his nickname "Manico" for his distinct in-ring style still heavily influenced by the principles of Lucha Català. After the decline of the classic European system, Figo became a traveller, wrestling in many different places and styles, including a short stint in DAVE and two longer runs in MOSC and GCG (where he earned his "The Pain from Spain" moinker). Eventually, he decided to return to Europe and to establish his own promotion. The first show under the Ultimate Combat Ring banner was held in April 1998 in Barcelona. Figo tried to establish his product as a less regulated, more hard-hitting version of Lucha Català, heavily influence by Puroresu. But the Catalonian audience rejected the handful shows ran in Spain as an insult to traditional Lucha and to the Figo family name. Having a host of German and Austrian wrestlers on his roster, he relocated UCR to Essen in the Ruhr Area of Germany and, given the urban character of the region, tried to establish a DAVE-like hardcore cult promotion. It would have been successful, if not for the meddling city authorities who continously harrassed the promotion, finally banning them from the city in summer of 2000. UCR tried to move into Bochum, a few kilometers east, but local authorities were alarmed and declined to allow them to run a show in the city. They tried to gain a foothold in the notoriously hardcore Amsterdam market, but it was already saturated by two local promoters. Consequently, went on a six-month hiatus in 2001, during which Louis Figo tried to come up with a new formula and find a place where he could make it work. In January 2002, a completely revamped UCR promoted their first show out of Paris. In the main event, Stig Svenson, now revamped as "Captain Hero", took the UCR World Combat Championship off Scheming Behemot and thus ushered the new, family friendly product. With cartoonish gimmicks and over-the-top storylines, the promotion quickly became popular with the French crowd and in late 2002, UCR started their first tour through the countryside. Eventually, the network executives from the Continental Sports X1 headquarters in Paris noticed the "new" promotion and put them on their network in spring 2003. Starting with 30 minutes on Tuesday nights, UCR International Wrestling Superstars would impress with its ratings week after week until it became the one and a half hour fixture at 7PM on Wednesday evenings it is today. Things looked good going into 2006, but internal turmoil would do significant damage to what was a winning formula found after a long search. With this outlook we conclude our look at the history of Ultimate Combat Ring before 2006, a year that almost spelt doom for the company and that will be covered in the next chapter.

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[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][B]Thriving, Surviving or Failing: The UCR Story - Chapter 3 [SIZE="6"]2006 - A Booking Odessy[/SIZE][/B] [/FONT] After its troubled beginnings, Ultimate Combat Ring seemed to have finally found their winning formula. Live attendances all across Europe and TV ratings were on a slow, but steady rise, business was going fine and the future looked bright. From the outside. Internally, there was much tension over Louis Figo Manico's booking in the second half of 2004 when nobody seemed to be able to end Figo's fourth championship reign. To quiet the voices that were upset with his egoistical booking, Figo surprisingly dropped the World Combat Championship to the young Sergei Kalashnov who suddenly was pushed to Main Event duties. Things looked good again until Louis Figo Manico again pushed himself towards the title in a big feud against champion UK Dragon in late 2005. Tensions rose again and Manico decided to have a triangle match where Kalashnov won the title for a second time by pinning him. At this point, Figo was planning to take himself off the air for a while and booked an injury angle that would take him off the show after a rematch against Kalashnov. Figo retreated to his house in Barcelona to heal some nagging injuries and come up with some new ideas for booking, starting January 2006. During that time, Doctor Insane was to take over the booking duties. But instead of continuing to run UCR on cruise control, the Doctor ordered that the company needed to get more edgy. His main focus was characters and in-ring action (a point many of the wrestlers had long demanded). However, it became not what people expected. In the character department, the comic book characters suddenly had superpowers: Captain Hero's had super-strength, Dark Falcon a mesmerizing stare and Inky The Squid Boy's trademark black mist now was sold as being poisonous. Worst thing was the makeover for The Force. The tag team of Toby Juan Kenobi and Jed High which became a fan favorite as sci-fi geeks dressing up in Jedi garb and spouting out Star Wars catchphrases suddenly became "real" Jedis, using the force choke against opponents and made opposing teams fight each other with the Jedi Mind Trick. While these changes were not popular with the fanbase, the makeover for the in-ring actions was even more questionable. Doctor Insane wanted to modernize the 80s-style booking and (re-)introduced hardcore to UCR. After years of comical and harmless family friendly entertainment, suddenly blood was spilled on UCR International Wrestling Superstars, in arena-wide brawls with lots of weapons, most infamously the "lightsabres" used by The Force (painted kendo sticks). The changes infuriated the fanbase majorally as well as the network. Protests showered Continental Sports X1 and UCR as the fans flocked away from the new product with no new hardcore fans attracted (due to the over the top gimmicks). After only three and a half months, Figo rushed out of his hiatus and tried to salvage the situation. Doctor Insane was released from his booking duties, but for unknown reasons not fired altogether. In his place now was a new booking commitee, made up of Herschel The Hammer, Captain Hero and Louis Figo Manico. The new booking commitee made a storyline out of the situation by having Figo surprisingly return on International Wrestling Superstars on March 29th 2006. There, he declared that he was on a quest to throw the filth out of UCR and after one month, he had succeeded on-screen. Under the new booking commitee, the product had been turned around again, but not quite reverted back. The shows now had a strong focus on in-ring action without abandoning the comedy and gimmicks; called "Traditional Entertainment", one cannot deny the obvious influences of TCW's "Tradition Updated" style. It also seems that the new booking commitee is aiming to slowly phase out some of the over-the-top aspects of the gimmicks. They also started to get rid of some "roster overweight": Bigger Dan Ewe, Bully Benrubi (after the Kosher Nostra stable was disbanded), Cannonball Logan, Ian Vincible and announcer Salty Larry. While busy cost-cutting, Herschel The Hammer demanded as reward for his booking work, but instead got a pink slip, too, and was replaced on the booking commitee with Jonathan C. Kerner. So after a year of trouble, 2006 ended on a high note for UCR. The "Reign of Insane" (as dubbed by the internet wrestling community) almost drove away the existing fanbase and nearly cost them their television deal. But out of the bad came good. Loius Figo Manico's return and feud against hardcore was successfully both businesswise and in realigning the product into a more Traditional formula which was an instant success. With a trimmed down roster, a new winning formula and a reconciled fanbase, UCR seemed to be set alright going into 2007.

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[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][B]Thriving, Surviving or Failing: The UCR Story - Chapter 4 [SIZE="6"]Introducing a Man to the Reader[/SIZE][/B][/FONT] Jonathan C. Kerner, born on October 9th 1982, grew up just like any other kid in Germany, except that he was a wrestling fan. That wouldn't have made much of a difference, hadn't he met Horst Braun at school. Horst was four years older than him, but also a wrestling fan. After finishing school, Horst started training to become a wrestler and eventually made his first steps on the German indy circuit. In 2002, Jonathan also graduated from school and had some months time for partying during summer before going to university. Horst contacted him and invited him to attend some shows and help him out as a manager, thinking that Kerner just might have some natural talent for that role. And he was right. Kerner's debut and microphone skills did not go unnoticed. Quickly, he found himself booked again and again, making good money, so he decided to don't go university right away and earn some money before, especially since he had one additional year in his carreer planning, opposed to those who had to do Military Service or "Zivildienst". During this time, he also started training to become a wrestler, but soon realized that his lack of natural athleticism wouldn't take him far, so he stuck with the basics and competing in the odd comedy match once in a while. But soon he found another gig besides managing: a promoter who wanted to tape one of his shows and release it on DVD asked him to do commentary. Kerner liked it and found his niche. He started a small company that would tape shows for indy promoters, produce and release them. With this, he quickly became one of the most important and well-known men on the German wrestling scene while making decent money off his company. Quickly, he earned a reputation as "the German voice of wrestling", thanks to being on virtual every release of local shows and being the first German-speaking announcer in a long time who didn't come from a background in journalism and actually cared about wrestling. His skills didn't go unnoticed and in 2004 he started working for UCR, doing German voiceovers and a German commentary for their DVD releases. In 2006, he became increasingly involved in actual UCR business backstage as his company was contracted to take care of their DVD releases completely. Seeing his talent for the business side of wrestling, Louis Figo Manico promoted him into the booking commitee after Herschel The Hammer was fired. Going into 2007, he, alongside Stig "Captain Hero" Svenson and Louis Figo, would be in charge of UCR. [b]User Character: Jonathan C. Kerner[/b] Nationality: German (European), Based in: Europe Male, born in October 1982 Status: Non-Wrestler, Style: Regular Wrestler, Size: Heavyweight Favorite Roles: Announcer, Manager (usually), Wrestler, Occasional Wrestler, Color Commentator, Personality (sometimes) Language Skills: German, English (fluent), French (basic) Reputation: Lowest [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/kerner0106.png[/IMG]

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[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][B]Thriving, Surviving or Failing: The UCR Story - Chapter 5 [SIZE="6"]A new Year, a new Direction?[/SIZE][/B][/FONT] Since no tapings had been scheduled in the week between Christmas and New Year, UCR would hold it's first event of the year on January 2nd, taping International Wrestling Superstars just one day before the airing; this is not intended to become the norm, however. Originally, UCR had intended to air a "Best of 2007", but Jonathan C. Kerner pushed the idea of a regular show to get some new storylines going for the big event of the month: UCR Meltdown, currently scheduled for January 27th. When the booking commitee agreed to this idea, they also made the decision to make Jonathan C. Kerner a color commentator and let him help fleshen out the booking on the air. Another concern for the bookers was the lack of a real road agent and they quickly agreed to contact "Sick" Nick Adams for the job. Also, concerns over some worker's gimmicks were brought up. Ali Bloxsome's and Dark Falcon's characters were in desperate need of a makeover. It was quickly agreed that Bloxsome could be made a member of the Rogues Gallery stable of heels and get an Acolyte gimmick and that Dark Falcon's gimmick should be switched from over-the-top Comic Book Villain to somewhat generic Masked Grappler. This was pretty much in line with the general idea to tone down the gimmicks a bit as the roster seemed to be stacked with Comic Book Heroes and over-the-top Evil Doers. On the business side of things, Jonathan C. Kerner received the permission to scout for some talented workers willing to work cheap to add to the mid- and undercard ranks and the tag team division. At the same time, the payroll should be cut down further and that not even big names should be extempt from contract review. A big concern was the fact that the television deal with Continental Sports X1 would expire after the current season. It was agreed that the network would be approached about negotiations later that month. Louis Figo also enforced some ground rules for running business: in the next two years, UCR must have more money than now [CRITICAL: must have more money than the current $750,000 when time expires, 24 months] and even when there's need to invest money, they may not spend it all [CRITICAL: cannot drop below $0 at any time, 12 months]; also they will not sign under-trained wrestlers [BLOCK: cannot sign wrestlers with less than D in Basics, 24 months].

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[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][B]Thriving, Surviving or Failing: The UCR Story - Chapter 6 [SIZE="6"]Ultimate Combat Ring for Starters[/SIZE][/B][/FONT] [B]Ultimate Combat Ring (UCR)[/B] Founded April 1998 Owner: Louis Figo Manico Based in: Barcelona, Spain (Western Europe) Money: $750,000 Size: Regional Popularity: Western Europe: 55% (C-) Central Europe, Eastern Europe: 45% (D) South UK, Midlands, North UK: 15% (F+) Scotland: 10% (F) Product Style: Traditional Entertainment Match Ratio: 80% Expected Match Lengths: 10/15/22 min Match Intensity: 40% Match Danger: 40% Womens' Wrestling: Division T&A Level: Low Face/Heel Divide: Strong Key Features: Traditional Heavy: Mainstream, Realism Medium: Comedy, Cult, Modern Low: Hardcore, Pure, Daredevil Very Low: Risque None: Hyper Realism, Lucha Libre [B]European Economy[/B] Economy: D+ and rising Wrestling Industry: B+ and falling [b]The Roster[/b] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Byron.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Captain Hero.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Louis Figo Manico.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Scheming Behemot.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Sergei Kalashnov.jpg[/IMG] Main Eventers (from left to right): Byron, Captain Hero, Louis Figo Manico, Scheming Behemot, Sergei Kalashnov. [B]Byron[/B] (30 yo, British, Entertainer, Middleweight, Heel, Rich Snob): After years of going up and down in the ranks of UCR, Byron has solidified his position as a Main Eventer ever since starting his third World Combat Championship reign in October 2006. Just as good wine gets better with age, so does Byron, having substituted his former teen idol persona with that of a rich snob which he plays to perfection. In combination with good looks, natural charisma and great in-ring skills, he should be a fixture on top of UCR for the next years. [B]Captain Hero [/B](35 yo, Norwegian, Regular Wrestler, Middleweight, Face, Comic Book Hero): A mainstay and two-time former World Combat Champion in UCR since the beginnings, Stig Svensson adopted the gimmick of Captain Hero during his first feud against the Scheming Behemot in 2001/2002. An able all-round competitor with charisma and good looks, he interpreted the gimmick in a not-too-serious way that made him a huge fan favorite. In 2005, he was one of the key players in the crusade against the filth of the "Reign of Insane" and thus enters 2007 with a lot of momentum. [B]Louis Figo Manico[/B] (38 yo, Spanish, Technician, Middleweight, Face, Old School Face): The owner of UCR, unlike many others in his position, is never questioned for his position as a Main Eventer in his company. "The Pain from Spain" is known for consitently great performances inside and outside of the ring. Over the past years, he stepped a bit out of the spotlight and let people like Byron or Sergei Kalashnov shine. His quest to clean up the promotion after the "Reign of Insane" catapulted him back into the center of attention and as of December 2007, he is chasing the World Combat Championship again, looking to add a fifth reign to his record. [B]Scheming Behemot[/B] (38 yo, German, Entertainer, Super Heavyweight, Heel, Demon): From the beginning in 1998, the German 460-pounder has been an integral part of UCR's roster. During the family friendly era, Christian Jahnke became the Scheming Behemot, the demonic leader of the Rogues Gallery stable. His appearance (especially his trademark entrance in a black armor-style suit) and aura usually make up for his mediocre in-ring work, holding him solidly on top as one UCR's main heels. [B]Sergei Kalashnov[/B] (27 yo, Belorussian, Entertainer, Lightweight, Face, Dude): "The Fresh Prince of Belarus" is one of UCR's biggest success stories. Originally thought of a high-flyer with the potential to become a solid midcarder, Kalashnov impressed everyone with his performances and natural charisma. This "fonz factor" would eventually propelled him to the top and made him a two-time World Combat Champion. [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Bam Bam Johansson.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Dr Insane.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Joey Beauchamp.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Mr Evilness.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/White Knight.jpg[/IMG] Upper Midcarders (from left to right): Bam Bam Johansson, Doctor Insane, Joey Beauchamp, Mr. Evilness, White Knight. [b]Bam Bam Johansson[/b] (22 yo, Norwegian, Entertainer, Large Heavyweight, Heel, Monster): Discovered by fellow Norwegian Captain Hero, Johansson is an awe-commanding human specimen. Debuting in 2006 after what many feel was not enough training, he quickly tore his way through the roster, although his in-ring performance is still far from solid. But he is successful and accepted by the fans at his current push as his 80s-throwback powerhouse style seems to work well for them. [b]Doctor Insane[/b] (39 yo, Spanish, Entertainer, Middleweight, Heel, Weirdo): Nobody remembers who had the idea for the crazy scientist gimmick, but who cares when Doctor Insane's great portrayal of the character again and again reinstates his status as UCR's most over-the-top character and probably most dangerous heel. While his in-ring work never amazes, his character did for years. 2006 marked the low point of his career when his stint as UCR head booker went awfully wrong. Finally out of the doghouse again, Doctor Insane seems to be poised to bounce back in 2007. [b]Joey Beauchamp[/b] (30 yo, British, Cruiserweight, Lightweight, Heel, C0cky Youth): Only few doubt that Joey's current stint as UCR European Champion is only a step on his way to greater things. Great looks, great charisma, flashy wrestling style and a memorable heel character make him the guy that fans currently enjoy to hate most. Coming out of 2006 with a big win over the White Knight, 2007 might be the breakout year for the reigning two-time European Champion. [b]Mr. Evilness[/b] (31 yo, German, Entertainer, Middleweight, Heel, Evil Doer): Mr. Evilness may not be the best wrestler, most intimidating character or a captivating entertainer, but he commands one's respect. His eyepatch isn't merely a gimmick, but Thomas Kowalski is genuinely blind on one eye. Despite this handicap, he managed to become a solid competitor as Doctor Insane's partner-in-crime, teaming with him as The Dark Side and member of the Rogues Gallery stable. [b]White Knight[/b] (31 yo, Swedish, Entertainer, Heavyweight, Face, Knight): The Swedish bodybuilder and powerhouse is best known in the wrestling world as perpetual nemesis of Scheming Behemot. With his entrance in a full suit of armor, they have been called to be seperated at birth by fans and they have put on some memorable stuff together over the years. Despite his great looks and solid performances, he never managed to break through the glass ceiling and to the top. [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Evil Henchman 1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Inky The Squid.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Jed High.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Abraham Slam.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Puffy.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Toby Juan Kenobi.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Wonder Boy.jpg[/IMG] Midcarders (from left to right): Evil Henchman #1, Inky The Squid Boy, Jed High, Poppa Punisher, Puffy The Sand Iron Player, Toby Juan Kenobi, Wonder Boy. [b]Evil Henchman #1[/b] (23 yo, British, Brawler, Lightweight, Heel, Lackey): One half of the epinymous tag team "Evil Henchmen" with his twin brother, both Henchmen have not much to offer in terms of performance, but still have a lot of time to improve. The gimmick of the lackeys who actually do the dirty work for the Rogues Gallery is not spectacular, but seems to work. [b]Inky The Squid Boy[/b] (29 yo, American, Cruiserweight, Lightweight, Face, Comic Book Hero): Inky has always been a fan favorite on the European Circuit, backing up his somewhat comical gimmick with solid high-flying performances. His tradmark is the Black Mist, dubbed the Ink Squirt. Although many fans think he is, Inky is not (yet) officially a member of the Super Crew stable. [b]Jed High[/b] (26 yo, Australian, Cruiserweight, Lightweight, Face, Sci-Fi Geek): One half of "The Force", Jason Cole has played his role as Star Wars geek well for years now. Having improved his in-ring skills along the way, many think he could overcome the gimmick any time now. Until then, his team with fellow Star Trek fan Toby Juan Kenobi might add a third title reign to their record. [b]Poppa Punisher[/b] (34 yo, Austrian, Brawler, Heavyweight, Heel, Bully): The only member of the dissolved Kosher Nostra stable to stay employed with UCR, the former Abraham Slam has reverted to his old ring name Poppa Punisher. Still struggling to find a new role in UCR, his decent brawling skills keep him a viable foe for any face on the roster. [b]Puffy The Sand Iron Player[/b] (26 yo, Dutch, Brawler, Middleweight, Heel, Frustrated Golfer): Originally a hardcore worker out of the Amsterdam circuit, Puffy entered UCR during their hardcore era. When the company turned around 180 degrees, Puffy surprisingly stayed with them, toning down his in-ring style. Inspired by his trademark weapon, a golf club, he created the memorable gimmick of a frustrated golfer that earned him his share of fame despite never being more than a jobber to the stars. [b]Toby Juan Kenobi[/b] (28 yo, Italian, Cruiserweight, Lightweight, Face, Sci-Fi Geek): The other half of The Force, Toby is lagging slightly behind his partner Jed in terms of skill development. Nontheless, he is a solid worker and the popular gimmick continues to keep him a fixture on the midcard and the tag team division. [b]Wonder Boy[/b] (26 yo, Italian, Cruiserweight, Small, Face, Comic Book Hero): A decent young high-flier, Wonder Boy with his gimmick inspired by Batman's Robin is a member of the Super Crew stable and tag team partner of Super Falcon. [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Beast.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Dark Falcon.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Evil Henchman 2.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Super Falcon.jpg[/IMG] Lower Midcarders (from left to right): Beast Bantom, Dark Falcon, Evil Henchman #2, Super Falcon. [b]Beast Bantom[/b] (20 yo, British, Brawler, Large Heavyweight, Heel, Monster): Orignally wrestling under his real name Martyn Staddon, "the Master of the Powerbomb" renamed himself to reflect his savage ring style. Since his debut for UCR in November 2006, he impressed with his potential; many already see him as a better version of Bam Bam Johansson. [b]Dark Falcon[/b] (26 yo, Portugese, Cruiserweight, Lightweight, Heel, Masked Grappler): Archnemesis and training partner of Super Falcon, he is the "evil" part of the duo. His high-flying style makes him a fixture in the undercard as he's the only matching opponent for the likes of Inky, The Force and the other face high-flyers. [b]Evil Henchman #2[/b] (23 yo, British, Brawler, Lightweight, Heel, Lackey): The other part of the "Evil Henchmen" duo, Number 2 is an unspectacular, but reliable worker. Should his skills continue to improve, he could become a solid performer. [b]Super Falcon[/b] (28 yo, Portugese, Super Junior, Lightweight, Face, Comic Book Hero): With his better rounded in-ring skills, Super Falcon is to be considered the better half of the Falcon duo who spent many years training together and fighting each other. A former two-time European Champion, many fans want to see him get back into the title picture soon. [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Ali Bloxsome.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Geoff Borne.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Ruud Van Anger.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Frank De Pain_alt.jpg[/IMG] Openers: Ali Bloxsome (actually enhancement talent), Geoff Borne, Ruud Van Anger, Frank De Pain [b]Ali Bloxsome[/b] (38 yo, British, Technician, Middleweight, Heel, Acolyte): With a long career under his belt, "The Demoltion Druid" is still looking for his big breakthrough. Being a solid performer in every aspect, his planned association with the Rogues Gallery could help him. [b]Geoff Borne[/b] (20 yo, American, Cruiserweight, Lightweight, Face, no gimmick): Originally working in his native USA, Borne moved to Europe to develop his skills in a more relaxed environment. Still very young, he has lots of time to improve over the already acceptable basics he posseses. [b]Ruud Van Anger[/b] (25 yo, Dutch, Spot Monkey, Small, Face, Underdog): One half of the current Tag Team Champions, Van Anger plays the role of the underdog who is on a lucky streak with winning and defending the title to perfection. Despite having already won the titles thrice, the fans still accept their underdog roles. [b]Frank De Pain[/b] (24 yo, Dutch, Spot Monkey, Small, Face, Underdog): The other half of the "Double Dutch" team who currently are tag team champions is a Spot Monkey who is best used as underdog against bigger workers. [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Alpha Female.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Anna Ki.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Geena Princess.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Jeri Behr.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Miss Information.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Speedy Marie.jpg[/IMG] Womens' Division (from left to right): Alpha Female, Anna Ki, Geena The Warrior Princess, Jeri Behr, Miss Information, Speedy Marie. [b]Alpha Female[/b] (36 yo, German, Puroresu Style, Lightweight, Heel, Old School Heel): A veteran worker, Vera "Alpha Female" Grimm is the backbone and backstage leader of UCR's Womens' Division as well as a three-time champion. Her muscular build and hard-hitting in-ring style distinguish her well from the other female competitors and make her an efficient heel. [b]Anna Ki[/b] (26 yo, Russian, Entertainer, Small, Face, Tomboy): Joey Beauchamp's girlfriend followed his lead and won gold in 2006. While still in need of developing her skills across the board, her good looks and great potential will make her an important part of UCR's Womens' Division for years to come. Needs to improve her English, though. [b]Geena The Warrior Princess[/b] (28 yo, American, Brawler, Lightweight, Face, Amazonian): With her unique gimmick, based on savage brawling in the ring and angry interviews outside, Geena has made herself a big name in Europe's womens' wrestling. Needless to say, she's a mainstay in UCR as well, having three title reigns in her record. [b]Jeri Behr[/b] (23 yo, Swedish, Cruiserweight, Lightweight, Face, Old School Face): A young stunning woman with a background in competitive gymnastics, Jeri is continously improving. Already a solid worker, she surely will go places in a few years time. [b]Miss Information[/b] (28 yo, British, Technician, Small, Heel, Secretary): Trained by British Samurai, Laura McKenna is noted for her excellent grasp of the basics and her outstanding consistency. While still in need of improving her actual in-ring skills, she already is a viable competitor in UCR. [b]Speedy Marie[/b] (31 yo, French, Regular Wrestler, Lightweight, Heel, Egomaniac): An expierienced and skilled high-flyer, Marie is better known for her distinctive bright red hair and her arrogant heel persona. This mix made her a fixture in the Womens' Division for quite a while now. [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Gary Garrett.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/The Player.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Matthew Morris.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Patrick Garrett.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Stetson Hatt.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/ucr/Simona Cox_alt1.jpg[/IMG] Non-Competitors (from left to right): Gary Garrett (Referee), Jonathan C. Kerner (Color Commentator), Matthew Morris (Announcer), Patrick Garrett (Referee), Stetson Hatt (Manager), The Princess (Manager). [b]Gary Garrett[/b] (34 yo, Swiss, Never Wrestles, Lightweight, Heel, no gimmick): The "evil twin" of Patrick, Gary Garrett is a referee just like his brother. [b]Jonathan C. Kerner[/b] (24 yo, German, Regular Wrestler,Heavyweight, Heel, set to debut as Troublemaker): After building his reputation as manager and announcer on the indy circuit, Kerner has recently been called up by UCR as a regular. He will debut in 2007 as new color commentator on their show, although there is the possibility that he will also work in a managing capacity. [b]Matthew Morris[/b] (41 yo, British, Never Wrestles, Heavyweight, Face, no gimmick): After years as MOSC's secondary announcer, Morris was brought into UCR to become their lead announcer in 2007. Recognizable by his ability to convincingly sell stories to the crowd as well as his enormous height, standing at 6'6". [b]Patrick Garrett[/b] (34 yo, Swiss, Never Wrestles, Lightweight, Face, no gimmick): A respected referee on the European scene, Patrick is currently senior official of UCR. He is the good twin. [b]Stetson Hatt[/b] (40 yo, American, Never Wrestles, Lightweight, Heel, Cowboy): Originally a Texan , the "Jewish Cowboy" has seen most of his success in Europe. Formerly manager of the disbanded Kosher Nostra stable, he hasn't been seen much since then as he has not been paired with new clients yet. [b]The Princess[/b] (26 yo, British, Never Wrestles, Small, Face, Sci-Fi Geek): Simona Cox is better known as "The Princess", manager of The Force. Her trademark outfit is a golden bikini, reminiscent of Princess Leia in "Return of the Jedi". This is, however, not the only key to her success as she just plays her gimmick as well as her clients. [B]Tag Teams[/B] Double Dutch (Ruud Van Anger & Frank De Pain), Full Time, Experience: C The Dark Side (Doctor Insane & Mr. Evilness), Semi Active, Experience: D- The Evil Henchmen (Evil Henchman #1 & Evil Henchman #2), Full Time, Experience: B The Force (Toby Juan Kenobi & Jed High), Full Time, Experience: D- The Rescue Rangers (Super Falcon & Wonder Boy), Semi Active, Experience: D- [b]Stables[/b] The Rogues Gallery: Dark Falcon, Doctor Insane, Evil Henchman #1, Evil Henchman#2, Mr. Evilness, Scheming Behemot. The Super Crew: Captain Hero, Super Falcon, White Knight, Wonder Boy.

[polK]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][B]Thriving, Surviving or Failing: The UCR Story- Chapter 7[/B] [SIZE="6"][B]UCR Championship Histories[/B][/SIZE][/FONT] [CENTER][IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/Generic14.jpg[/IMG] [B]UCR World Combat Championship: Byron (3) (Main Event Title, 78.0% Prestige) Title History:[/B] May 98 - Mar 99: Louis Figo Manico Mar 99 - Dec 99: Scheming Behemot Dec 99 - Sep 00: Louis Figo Manico (2) Sep 00 - Apr 01: Doctor Insane Apr 01 - Jul 01: Byron Jul 01 - Jan 02: Scheming Behemot (2) Jan 02 - Aug 02: Captain Hero Aug 02 - Mar 03: Louis Figo Manico (3) Mar 03 - Feb 04: Byron (2) Feb 04 - Nov 04: Louis Figo Manico (4) Nov 04 - Jul 05: Sergei Kalashnov Jul 05 - Nov 05: UK Dragon Nov 05 - Feb 06: Sergei Kalashnov (2) Feb 06 - Oct 06: Captain Hero (2) Since Oct 06: Byron (3) [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/AJPW Jr Heavyweight.jpg[/IMG] [B]UCR European Championship: Joey Beauchamp (2) (Midcard Title, 50.0% Prestige) Title History:[/B] Jul 02 - Jan 03: Herschel The Hammer Jan 03 - Mar 03: Wonder Boy Mar 03 - Nov 03: Doctor Insane Nov 03 - Apr 04: White Knight Apr 04 - Jul 04: Abraham Slam Jul 04 - Oct 04: Super Falcon Oct 04 - Feb 05: Dark Falcon Feb 05 - Sep 05: Super Falcon (2) Sep 05 - May 06: Joey Beauchamp May 06 - Oct 06: Super Falcon (3) Since Oct 06: Joey Beauchamp (2) [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/Generic Tag Team02.jpg[/IMG] [B]UCR Tag Team Championship: Double Dutch (Ruud Van Anger & Frank De Pain) (Low Level Title, 32.0% Prestige) Title History:[/B] Feb 99 - Nov 99: Scheming Behemot & The Big Bad Nov 99 - Apr 00: Otto Hammerschmidt & Wolfgang Klose Apr 00 - Aug 00: The Dark Side (Doctor Insane & Mr. Evilness) Aug 00 - Feb 01: Otto Hammerschmidt & Wolfgang Klose (2) Feb 01 - Aug 01: Scheming Behemot & The Big Bad (2) Aug 01 - Feb 02: Captain Hero & White Knight Feb 02 - Jul 02: Scheming Behemot & The Big Bad (3) Jul 02 - Nov 02: The United Nations (Kirk The Turk & Herman The German) Nov 02 - Feb 03: Kosher Nostra (Abraham Slam & Bully Benrubi) Feb 03 - Jun 03: The Rescue Rangers (Super Falcon & Wonder Boy) Jun 03 - Nov 03: Kosher Nostra (2) Nov 03 - Apr 04: The Force (Jed High & Toby Juan Kenobi) Apr 04 - Oct 04: Double Dutch (Ruud Van Anger & Frank De Pain) Oct 04 - Jul 05: The United Nations (2) Jul 05 - Feb 06: Double Dutch (2) Feb 06 - Aug 06: The Force (2) Since Aug 06: Double Dutch (3) [IMG]http://www.fuxfell.de/pic/AAA Reina de Reinas.jpg[/IMG] [B]UCR Female Championship: Anna Ki (Low Level Title, 32.0% Prestige) Title History:[/B] Aug 02 - Nov 02: Alpha Female Nov 02 - Feb 03: Eva Berlin Feb 03 - Jul 03: Geena The Warrior Princess Jul 03 - Oct 03: Eva Berlin (2) Oct 03 - May 04: Geena The Warrior Princess (2) May 04 - Nov 04: Alpha Female (2) Nov 04 - May 05: Speedy Marie May 05 - Feb 06: Geena The Warrior Princess (3) Feb 06 - Aug 06: Alpha Female (3) Since Aug 06: Anna Ki [/center]

[Marshall]

Wow. Excellent backstory. Europe doesn't really get too much attention so this should be an interesting read. Good work!

[polK]

[FONT="Palatino Linotype"][B]Thriving, Surviving or Failing: The UCR Story- Chapter 8[/B] [SIZE="6"][B]New Year, New Challengers[/B][/SIZE][/FONT] [SIZE="4"][b]UCR International Wrestling Superstars Taping Report[/b][/SIZE] Date: Tuesday, Week 1, January 2007 Location: Torino Esposizioni, Turin, Italy (Tiny, Central Europe) Attendance: 1,000 paid (Sell-out) Televised: Wednesday, Week 1, January 2007 on Continental Sports X1 [b]Dark Matches[/b] Starting off the new year, Jonathan C. Kerner comes to the ring in wrestling gear to kick off the pre-show, introducing himself as UCR's new color commentator. To prove that he knows what he'll be talking about, he issues an open challenge to any of the wrestlers backstage. [E] Out comes Geena The Warrior Princess and Kerner is shocked. In few words, she tells Kerner that his first lesson in UCR will be to learn how tough its wrestlers, especially the women, are. [E] Their match starts with Kerner still irritated, allowing Geena to embarrass him in a couple of spots. Eventually, her opponent recomposes and gains superiority with some basic holds for a short while before Geena switches gears and easily overpowers Kerner. The Amazon Plunge finishes him offin this comedy match that got the crowd going. [E+] The second dark match saw even more girl power as Jeri Behr steps into the ring with Miss Information. In a standard UCR Womens' match, Behr and Miss get equal shares of offense, but eventually Jeri picks up a pinfall victory. [D-] [b]Televised Show[/b] International Wrestling Superstars kicks off with a brand new opening video and the new announce team of Matthew Morris and Jonathan C. Kerner welcome us from Turin, Italy. Anna Ki's music kicks in as they run down the card and the Female Champion enters the ring. In broken English, she reminds us that ever since winning the title in August 2006, she has been a fighting champion and reveals that her new year's resolution is to accept every challenge for the title. Enter Speedy Marie who with a thick French accent claims that despite being the only women to be championship material, she never got a real chance to regain the title after she lost it over one and a half year ago. Anna says that according to her resolution, she will give Marie a title shot and that she doesn't fear her. The two have a staredown and we have a title match later tonight. [D-] [b]Super Falcon -vs- Dark Falcon[/b] The first match of the show pits two long-time rivals against each other as Super Falcon and Dark Falcon square off in the ring. While both hit their high-flying, high-impact offense, they also throw in enough restholds to allow the announcers to tell the long story of the two men who trained together only to become bitter rivals engaging in many matches over the years. The end comes a bit anticlimactic when Super Falcon scores the pinfall after a Hurrancanrana after nearly ten minutes. [E+] With Dark Falcon far from beaten, the heel quickly is back on his feet, clearly upset by the loss. He takes out his frustration on the victor, attacking him and beating him down. He even tries to tear off Super Falcon's mask, but he can slip out of his nemesis' grab before it happens. [E-] We cut backstage, into the locker room of the Tag Team Champions, Double Dutch. Ruud Van Anger tells his partner that he's afraid of their upcoming title defense against the Evil Henchmen. But Frank De Pain calms him down, telling him that despite always being the underdogs, they have managed to become champions three times and they don't have to fear anyone, because they're suvivors. [D-] A graphic is shown, hyping the match which will take place after a commercial break. [E-] [b]UCR Tag Team Championship: The Evil Henchmen -vs- Double Dutch (c)[/b] Back from the break, the Henchmen are already in the ring and the champs make their entrance. The match itself is standard fare as the Henchmen use their slight physical advantage to dominate the champions who eventually rebound with their superior speed and flying skills. Only six and a half minutes into the match, the fight spills to the outside and even with Ruud and Henchy #2 brawling in the ring, referee Gary Garrett has the overview to see they're not the legal men and counts out Frank and Henchman #1 to end this match with a Double Count Out. Realizing what happened, Double Dutch scramble to grab the belts and quickly leave the arena, leaving the somewhat confused Henchmen behind. [E+] Backstage, we see that UCR European Champion Joey Beauchamp is cornered by the White Knight and Bam Bam Johansson who are obviously arguing over who shall be challenger number 1 to Beauchamp's title. Impressed by the two physical specimens facing him, Joey wants to settle the argument before the two stop talking and start fighting. In that moment, Jed High walks by and says that he could also claim that shot just due to being here by chance. Beauchamp has enough, saying that they shall settle it between themselves, each against another and who comes out of the series as the best man shall have a title match at Meltdown. While Bam Bam and the Knight seem satisfied, Jed is surprised that his remark was taken serious, but also seemingly enjoys the thought of becoming challenger number one. [D] The backstage segment is followed by a short video, highlighting Joey Beauchamp's career in UCR and hyping the reigning European Champion. [D] Elsewhere in the backstage area, Captain Hero tells Inky The Squid Boy that he knows that Inky wants to be a member of the Super Crew and that tonight's match will be the final test. Acknowledging that Inky is going one on one against the monster Beast Bantom, he says he just has to hold himself well out there to be accepted into the stable. [D] A graphic is shown and the announcers hype the match. [E-] Cut to yet another place backstage: Beast Bantom is cutting a promo on how he has no doubt he will defeat Inky easily tonight, because he's so much bigger and so much stronger. [E] Don't go anywhere. Inky vs. Beast right after a short commercial break. [b]Inky The Squid Boy -vs- Beast Bantom[/b] The odd pairing of Inky and Bantom is up next. The match seemed to the obvious way with Beast dominating his much smaller opponent physically and painfully for a long time, seemingly enjoying lashing out punishment. Inky manages to get some offensive maneuvers now and then, but it's not even close to holding himself well in this lopsided fight. Eventually, Bantom picks up Inky for a powerbomb. Inky uses the opportunity to spit his black mist into Bantom's face. Blinded, he lets the Squid Boy go who hits a Tornado DDT on the big man and scores the upset 1-2-3. [E+] Inky can't believe he did it and celebrates, but Bantom already has cleaned his eyes from the "ink" and focuses them on the masked man. Not wasting any time, he extracts his revenge, pounding away on Inky. He takes him to the outside where he powerbombs him through the timekeeper's table. Leaving Inky in a pile of plywood, Bantom leaves the arena only partly completely satisfied. [E-] In their locker room, the Evil Henchmen are arguing why their match earlier ended how it did. First they blame each other, then the referee and finally they settle their differences, agreeing that they should simply extract revenge on Double Dutch for tricking them into that double count out. [E] [b]Geoff Borne & Wonder Boy -vs- The Dark Side[/b] Back to the arena where the makeshift tag team of Geoff Borne and Wonder Boy are waiting for their opponents tonight: Mr. Evilness and Doctor Insane, the Dark Side. After the first minutes are a surprisingly even matchup, the Dark Side are eventually able to isolate and dominate Borne. After a commercial break, we see Borne manage to make the hot tag to Wonder Boy who gains a shortlived advantage over Mr. Evilness, but after demonstrating their dominance over their opponents some more, the Dark Side take Wonder Boy down and Doctor Insane pins him for the victory. [D-] [b]UCR Female Championship: Speedy Marie -vs- Anna Ki (c)[/b] No time to catch a breath as we continue with the UCR Female Championship match. Speedy Marie, the challenger, is able to surprise championesse Anna Ki with a offensive flurry. Once she got a hold of Marie who truly is living up to her name tonight, the pace slows down as Anna is scientifically working over her opponent's neck. The challenger is able to mount a small comeback, but in the end, the champ's work paid off as she knocks out her opponent with the Ki-D-T to retain her title. [D-] After the Female Champion leaves the arena with the belt still on her shoulder, another champion makes his entrance as World Combat Champion Byron is introduced as guest commentator for tonight's main event. After strutting to the announce table and putting on a headset, he immediately starts to put himself over, playing his Rich Snob persona as perfect as always. [D+] [b]Poppa Punisher -vs- Louis Figo Manico[/b] The main event is Poppa Punisher versus Louis Figo Manico who during his entrance makes clear that he intends to go after Byron's title. Manico starts out strong, but Poppa uses his experience in fighting dirty to keep the match balanced. Eventually, their fight spills to the outside where Louis not only is thrown into a ringpost, but with Punisher distracting referee Gary Garrett, he also gets choked with a cable by Byron. The champ justifies his action by saying he just wants to send a message to Manico not to mess with him. Back in the ring, it seems as if Poppa could pull off the upset when he hits his Punishing Pop, but Figo kicks out of the cover. Now it's all Manico and soon it comes to an end when he hits the Madrid Maul and scores the pinfall. [C] Manico and Byron have a staredown as suddenly the lights go out. When they turn back on, Scheming Behemot is standing in the ring and immediately attacks Figo. He pounds away on him and throws him out of the ring as Byron cheers him. Suddenly, the bulky Behemot turns around and stares at the champion who immediately goes mute. Obviously the demonic Super Heavyweight wants to get involved in the title scene, too. [C-] As Byron, Figo and Behemot stare at and taunt each other, the show goes off air. [b]Quick Results and Facts:[/b] [LIST] [*]Dark Match: Geena The Warrior Princess pins Jonathan C. Kerner at 6:14 after the Amazon Plunge [*]Dark Match: Jeri Behr pins Miss Information at 6:31 after a High Kick [*]Super Falcon pins Dark Falcon at 7:12 after the Falcon Splash [*]Double Dutch retain the UCR Tag Team Championship against the Evil Henchmen with a Double Count Out at 6:41 [*]Inky The Squid Boy pins Beast Bantom at 10:54 after a Tornado DDT [*]The Dark Side defeat Geoff Borne & Wonder Boy when Doctor Insane pins Wonder Boy at 6:58 after a Double Chokeslam [*]Anna Ki retains the UCR Female Championship by pinning Speedy Marie at 9:40 after the Ki-D-T [*]Louis Figo Manico pins Poppa Punisher at 11:55 after the Madrid Maul [/LIST] [LIST] [*]The arena was completely sold out with 1000 fans in attendance. [*]Anna Ki and Speedy Marie didn't have much chemistry in the ring, but wrestled a decent match nontheless. [*]In contrast, Poppa Punisher and Louis Figo Manico had great chemistry and Figo's performance really stood out. [*]Internet writers' ratings averaged a D+. In general, the show was considered standard fare, but still successful, even though it lacked a high profile main event. [*]The show drew a solid 0.12 rating on Continental Sports X1. [/LIST]