Yet another batch of questions to answer! The first couple from Josh Ray, FW's resident soldier overseas:
Will Sergeant ever find the time to step back into the ring, and if so, who the hell would care? :)
Just two people, me and Franklin, since you two still haven't finished that feud you started :p
What about that Drunken Tiger fellow
No one cares about Drunken Tiger :p
Actually, to answer both questions seriously, I think that if you had time to run both characters, that means you'd be home, safe and sound, and everyone in the extended FW/Blog-following community would love that.
And now, onto the main event. Jarret Aubry, of A1E and EPW fame, submitted these questions:
1) What's left for Tom Holzerman to accomplish in eWrestling?
Well, I think there's still a lot to do. I've said before that I hate it when someone ends a first-run with a character after they've captured their first World Championship, saying "there isn't anything left to do with the character". Biggest cop-out I can think of. But anyway...
First thing's first, remember the cups of coffee I had with the A1E and EPW World Championships, respectively as JA? Well, I do like me some coffee, but that usually means that there's something of more substance to go with it. I would love to get another shot at holding both belts (possibly at the same time?) and going more than just one PPV title defense with them. JA is my flagship character. Although Maggot was always 1a at the very least, it was a character concept my cousin actually came up with that I had just fleshed out. JA really is me and everything that I've done with him, from the gimmick infringement to the far-reaching family tree to the moveset has been driven by my ideas. I want to see that go as far as it can go and I want people to remember me not just for the blog or for TEAM, but for the stuff I did in RP and as an active e-wrestler, especially with JA.
As a handler, I'd also like to reach the top of the mountain in a non-NFW PTC fed and in an angle fed. Both are territories where I've dabbled in to various degrees, and I was probably on my way to reaching big heights in PTC as a member of AWC. Sadly, the fed closed just as I was hitting my stride. Both those kinds of feds present different challenges than in a FW-styled RP fed.
Another thing I'd like to do is spearhead a renaissance in tag team wrestling. I've signed up in NFW as Vive Le Quebec, and when I'm not trying to challenge for the World Championship as JA, I'd like for him to become someone people mention as a quintessential tag wrestler.
I'd also like to win a major tournament, be it the TiT, a GTT or something else that comes up. And of course, as a handler, I'd like to perform excellently in any fed that I join.
Outside handling, I still feel like I have to prove myself on the blog every time I post, be it in opinion pieces like this, show reviews or even breaking news.
2) If you were running A1E or EPW, who would be your Champions (or given the voting nature of A1E, who would you want to push towards being your Champions)?
A1E
World - Troy Douglas
I think the belt's on the right person now. The main focus in A1E right now is the gang war between the AoC and HPSC, but I don't think the World Championship should always be a prop in the main angle. Right now, it's good to have an outsider to the feud have it and then let the World Championship have its own story.
Cyber - Big Wreck
I really think it's time for him to move up the card.
Challenge - Angel of Death
He's a guy whom I think can shine with the different stipulations from week to week.
Tag Team - Various AoC and HPSC members
Right now, A1E really doesn't have a strong tag division, so the belts would be best served being a cog in the stable wars. Make them a central focus in the feud and you push not only the feud but the belts too.
EPW
World - Sean Stevens
Surprisingly, EPW really doesn't have a lot of guys who are bonafide main eventers right now. There's me, but I'm not Godbooking myself the title here :p. There's Westcott, but he's tied up in an angle with Miles, or at least he was. Stevens right now is the biggest main event name that EPW has, and I think if he were to drop it, it should be to the next big name, like say a Jared Wells or a The First or even a Fusenshoff.
Intercontinental - Fusenshoff
He just won the CoC in TEAM for crying out loud. The TV title's a nice belt to have, but I think he's gotta move up the card. The IC title is a good thing to have for an on-the-cusp star, and he could elevate the title in the process.
TV - Omega
Great new character from a seasoned angle fed character getting his feet wet in the FW world. I'm a big fan of Omega, and I think he should have some gold.
Tag - Larry Tact and Cameron Cruise
Again, the tag scene in EPW isn't that strong, but that's why Brunk put the call out. Tact and Cruise would be good anchors for the tag division while it enters a sort of rebirth/rebuilding.
3) What would your A1E and EPW dream matches/feuds be given the current rosters?
a) not involving your characters
b) involving your characters
A1E
a) Troy Windham vs. Marcus Westcott - It hasn't happened before, and it would pit two of the most legendary characters from the CSWA and A1E respectively.
b) Jericoholic Anonymous vs. Marcus Westcott - This feud needs a proper reflaring and blowing off
EPW
a) Shawn Hart vs. Felix Red - That would be the most surreal feud ever
b) Jericoholic Anonymous vs. Olvir Arsvinnar - I think I would have so much fun with this I would never want it to end!
4) Who's got the best theme music in relation to their character?
Nothing is ever going to beat Big Dog, "Bad to the Bone"
5) Predict the next move in the HPSC/AOC feud
Hmm, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that Troy Windham isn't really a member of the HPSC and is probably going to reveal that he's either in business for himself or was aligned with Westcott and the AoC all along.
Again, KEEP THE QUESTIONS COMING! And thanks to everyone who's asked so far!
Showing posts with label tag teams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tag teams. Show all posts
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Your Blogger Answers, Pt. 3
This batch from people who don't know how to follow directions and posted it in the thread at FW instead of in reply here :p
First up is Scott Franklin, the hard-luck but solid mainstay of such feds as EPW and LVW:
1- What do you think/feel a tag team should do to get noticed in FW today?
Well, the first thing they/he/she have to do is be good. RP well, write good segments, get into decent stories. Second thing is cohesion. Anyone can just get into a tag match and RP separately, but it takes a certain amount of teamwork to really get yourself noticed. Take for example the Cameron Cruise Project. It wasn't successful because both members did well in RP; they were both committed to the concept of team and worked together in nearly every aspect of the game. That's why they could very well be the best e-fed tag team of all-time, and if not at the top, in the top five at least.
2- Which would be better... a new gimmicked team or two veterans getting together for a run at something new?
Both can do well, but quicker success is usually attained with two veterans getting together, just because both of the characters are already established. While a newish team would have to both establish chemistry and character, the veteran team would only have to get the chemistry going if the characters are already mainstays.
3- Any ideas for guys out there looking for a good team gimmick to use?
There are almost as many team concepts to use as there molecules of nitrogen in the atmosphere. That is to say the possibilities are almost infinite. To tell you the truth, I'd love to see a sort of Communist revival stable featuring a lead man and a backing tag team. Those are the kinds of gimmicks that I think work so well in wrestling, obvious send-ups of foreign boogeymen. While the Arab villain might still be somewhat sensitive, the Russian (and Chinese or Cuban) heel still has enough material to draw from to work, and people still do try it. Hell, even in the WWE, Vladimir Kozlov was over as a Russian monster heel.
4- What teams of two veterans would you like to see team up?
Spoiler, Dan Ryan and Kodiak Vic Creed in a triad
No, seriously, right now I'd probably go for Ravager and Fusenshoff. They'd have a good in-ring chemistry of contrasting styles, while out of the ring, a stern, no-nonsense Ravager would provide a good foil for the reckless, alcoholic Fuse.
5- Frankie Scott was wondering, once he can settle his life down and is able to make a major push toward a title run in the tag ranks... Who would be an ideal partner for him to make a title run?
If we can put out an APB on Shane Carnes, find him and drag him back to e-fedding, a Steven Shane/Frankie Scott tag team called "Phenomenally Sensational" would be pretty cool.
Next up, it's James Varga:
1. Who do you think will be the next big star or stars in NFW?
Well, if Randall Knox isn't considered a big star yet, I'll go with him. If he is, then Brand New Day has a good chance to shake up the tag division and put Jamar and Gregg on notice. Also, this new guy signing up called Unicorn Mask sounds like he could be interesting. I've got my eye on him.
2. What do you think of the sudden influx of tag teams in NFW?
I think it's great, because tag team wrestling can be a very, very fun part of the game, especially for those looking to respark their interest after they've "achieved it all" in the singles ranks. For NFW to be the tag team hub of FWC is a good thing, and if EPW gets its tag division kick started, maybe an interpromotional tag team tournament involving those two, A1E, the PTC feds and whomever else wants in could be in order?
3. Who are the hottest stars now on FW?
Joe the Plumber comes to mind first, seeing as he's at the top of the heap in NFW and doesn't look to be going anywhere. Sean Stevens as well, since he's the EPW Champion and just won the #1 contendership to the CSWA UNIFIED Championship. Jared Wells seems to be the featured star in Anthology, and finally, I like Randall Knox after capturing the TV title and taking off the Impulse mask in NFW.
4. Any match predictions for round one of the TiT?
Can't really say until I see who shows up and who doesn't. However, I'll give you predictions as to the matches I think will steal the show should both guys RP:
Big Wreck vs. Mittens T. Cat - This one should be comedic gold given both the characters involved. I'm interested to see how Wreck reacts to Mittens the most.
Duke Williams vs. Chris Bagwell - Two of the best shit-talkers from PTC squaring off.
Impulse vs. DC Stark - It'll be interesting to see this matchup, the reserved RK against the bombastic Stark. Should be a good contrast in styles.
Shawn Hart vs. Horace Tully - Again, I'm interested to see how Tully handles the FW arena, and his first test isn't an easy one. Hart has gotten a 1 seed in this tournament before, and he could go a long way before he's knocked out.
Again, thanks for the questions so far, but please, KEEP 'EM COMING!
First up is Scott Franklin, the hard-luck but solid mainstay of such feds as EPW and LVW:
1- What do you think/feel a tag team should do to get noticed in FW today?
Well, the first thing they/he/she have to do is be good. RP well, write good segments, get into decent stories. Second thing is cohesion. Anyone can just get into a tag match and RP separately, but it takes a certain amount of teamwork to really get yourself noticed. Take for example the Cameron Cruise Project. It wasn't successful because both members did well in RP; they were both committed to the concept of team and worked together in nearly every aspect of the game. That's why they could very well be the best e-fed tag team of all-time, and if not at the top, in the top five at least.
2- Which would be better... a new gimmicked team or two veterans getting together for a run at something new?
Both can do well, but quicker success is usually attained with two veterans getting together, just because both of the characters are already established. While a newish team would have to both establish chemistry and character, the veteran team would only have to get the chemistry going if the characters are already mainstays.
3- Any ideas for guys out there looking for a good team gimmick to use?
There are almost as many team concepts to use as there molecules of nitrogen in the atmosphere. That is to say the possibilities are almost infinite. To tell you the truth, I'd love to see a sort of Communist revival stable featuring a lead man and a backing tag team. Those are the kinds of gimmicks that I think work so well in wrestling, obvious send-ups of foreign boogeymen. While the Arab villain might still be somewhat sensitive, the Russian (and Chinese or Cuban) heel still has enough material to draw from to work, and people still do try it. Hell, even in the WWE, Vladimir Kozlov was over as a Russian monster heel.
4- What teams of two veterans would you like to see team up?
Spoiler, Dan Ryan and Kodiak Vic Creed in a triad
No, seriously, right now I'd probably go for Ravager and Fusenshoff. They'd have a good in-ring chemistry of contrasting styles, while out of the ring, a stern, no-nonsense Ravager would provide a good foil for the reckless, alcoholic Fuse.
5- Frankie Scott was wondering, once he can settle his life down and is able to make a major push toward a title run in the tag ranks... Who would be an ideal partner for him to make a title run?
If we can put out an APB on Shane Carnes, find him and drag him back to e-fedding, a Steven Shane/Frankie Scott tag team called "Phenomenally Sensational" would be pretty cool.
Next up, it's James Varga:
1. Who do you think will be the next big star or stars in NFW?
Well, if Randall Knox isn't considered a big star yet, I'll go with him. If he is, then Brand New Day has a good chance to shake up the tag division and put Jamar and Gregg on notice. Also, this new guy signing up called Unicorn Mask sounds like he could be interesting. I've got my eye on him.
2. What do you think of the sudden influx of tag teams in NFW?
I think it's great, because tag team wrestling can be a very, very fun part of the game, especially for those looking to respark their interest after they've "achieved it all" in the singles ranks. For NFW to be the tag team hub of FWC is a good thing, and if EPW gets its tag division kick started, maybe an interpromotional tag team tournament involving those two, A1E, the PTC feds and whomever else wants in could be in order?
3. Who are the hottest stars now on FW?
Joe the Plumber comes to mind first, seeing as he's at the top of the heap in NFW and doesn't look to be going anywhere. Sean Stevens as well, since he's the EPW Champion and just won the #1 contendership to the CSWA UNIFIED Championship. Jared Wells seems to be the featured star in Anthology, and finally, I like Randall Knox after capturing the TV title and taking off the Impulse mask in NFW.
4. Any match predictions for round one of the TiT?
Can't really say until I see who shows up and who doesn't. However, I'll give you predictions as to the matches I think will steal the show should both guys RP:
Big Wreck vs. Mittens T. Cat - This one should be comedic gold given both the characters involved. I'm interested to see how Wreck reacts to Mittens the most.
Duke Williams vs. Chris Bagwell - Two of the best shit-talkers from PTC squaring off.
Impulse vs. DC Stark - It'll be interesting to see this matchup, the reserved RK against the bombastic Stark. Should be a good contrast in styles.
Shawn Hart vs. Horace Tully - Again, I'm interested to see how Tully handles the FW arena, and his first test isn't an easy one. Hart has gotten a 1 seed in this tournament before, and he could go a long way before he's knocked out.
Again, thanks for the questions so far, but please, KEEP 'EM COMING!
Thursday, April 02, 2009
TEAM Invitational Tournament Thoughts and Preview
Before we get to the meat of the post, some news. EPW is looking for tag teams. You know how highly I've spoken of the fed in the past, and you know how high esteem I hold Brunk as a fedhead, so you don't need to question the quality of the fed. Also, EPW has always had a strong tag division, even if there have been a dearth of teams, because Brunk is dedicated to having it and putting effort into getting it over. And if you join now, there's a good chance you'll get a Tag Title program sooner rather than later.
Alright, now that that's out of the way, TEAM's fourth annual Inviational Tournament has kicked off. The brackets were announced last night, and play-in matches start today.
I have to say, it's so weird being on this side of things for the first time. I've always been the one organizing, shilling, writing, judging and basically doing everything but RPing. Of course, I helped Shinder shill for it, because even though I'm not the head anymore, I still want people to participate like it's the hottest thing on the block. This will be a good new experience for me though. I can't wait to dig in, especially since comitting to the FFA~! match in the first event he booked and flaming out there.
Onto the field itself, I'm not surprised at the 1 seeds at all. Ryan, Rayne, Nova and Ravager all have impeccable TEAM credentials. I'm surprised that Brunk entered Dan Ryan into this tournament though. I thought that Ryan was all but finished, and that Brunk would try to get Jeffrey Roberts over a little bit more. Roberts has been flourishing in A1E, capturing the Cyber Championship at Sudden Death.
I'm also extremely pleased with my seed. With everyone in the tournament, I think The Phantom Republican at a 3 is about right. I will say though that Doc Silver and Shawn Hart were probably more deserving to get a 2 than Cameron Cruise, although Cruise's success in A1E and EPW recently do give him some cache over the other two, who have more historical successes than recent ones.
Speaking of Hart, I'm very interested to see how his first round match with Horace Tully is going to turn out. Tully is handled by the same guy who does Violence Jack (forget the handler's name), and while he's acclaimed as a writer, I'm not sure how well he'll adapt to the FW style. Still, that's a great match on paper. Same could be said for Impulse against DC Stark. Obi is another narrative-RP mainstay, but I have seen some of his promo-RPs and he's damn good. I think if anyone can give RK a run for his money in this match, it's the Stark-man.
Despite the smaller turnout, I think this year's tournament will be a great success [/Borat voice]. The first tourney only had 32, and I thought that went extremely well. As for who's going to win? Well, I'd be remiss if I didn't think I had more than a decent shot of winning, but being objective, I think this could be Ravager's year to break through and win a tourney. You can never count out Dan Ryan, and it's not like Ryan's been inactive either (I believe he's still competing in NAPW). Nova may be the victim of ring rust here, actually. Jared Wells will also be a big contender if you're looking outside the 1 seeds.
However, I just have a gut feeling. Ravager will claim the first TEAM tournament mantle since D! came out of nowhere and took the first ToC. Of course, given my track record with predictions, I would like to apologize to Allan in advance for jinxing him.
Alright, now that that's out of the way, TEAM's fourth annual Inviational Tournament has kicked off. The brackets were announced last night, and play-in matches start today.
I have to say, it's so weird being on this side of things for the first time. I've always been the one organizing, shilling, writing, judging and basically doing everything but RPing. Of course, I helped Shinder shill for it, because even though I'm not the head anymore, I still want people to participate like it's the hottest thing on the block. This will be a good new experience for me though. I can't wait to dig in, especially since comitting to the FFA~! match in the first event he booked and flaming out there.
Onto the field itself, I'm not surprised at the 1 seeds at all. Ryan, Rayne, Nova and Ravager all have impeccable TEAM credentials. I'm surprised that Brunk entered Dan Ryan into this tournament though. I thought that Ryan was all but finished, and that Brunk would try to get Jeffrey Roberts over a little bit more. Roberts has been flourishing in A1E, capturing the Cyber Championship at Sudden Death.
I'm also extremely pleased with my seed. With everyone in the tournament, I think The Phantom Republican at a 3 is about right. I will say though that Doc Silver and Shawn Hart were probably more deserving to get a 2 than Cameron Cruise, although Cruise's success in A1E and EPW recently do give him some cache over the other two, who have more historical successes than recent ones.
Speaking of Hart, I'm very interested to see how his first round match with Horace Tully is going to turn out. Tully is handled by the same guy who does Violence Jack (forget the handler's name), and while he's acclaimed as a writer, I'm not sure how well he'll adapt to the FW style. Still, that's a great match on paper. Same could be said for Impulse against DC Stark. Obi is another narrative-RP mainstay, but I have seen some of his promo-RPs and he's damn good. I think if anyone can give RK a run for his money in this match, it's the Stark-man.
Despite the smaller turnout, I think this year's tournament will be a great success [/Borat voice]. The first tourney only had 32, and I thought that went extremely well. As for who's going to win? Well, I'd be remiss if I didn't think I had more than a decent shot of winning, but being objective, I think this could be Ravager's year to break through and win a tourney. You can never count out Dan Ryan, and it's not like Ryan's been inactive either (I believe he's still competing in NAPW). Nova may be the victim of ring rust here, actually. Jared Wells will also be a big contender if you're looking outside the 1 seeds.
However, I just have a gut feeling. Ravager will claim the first TEAM tournament mantle since D! came out of nowhere and took the first ToC. Of course, given my track record with predictions, I would like to apologize to Allan in advance for jinxing him.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
The Dream Roster, Mk. II
It's a snow day here, so that means not a whole lot of work getting done at the office and more time for blogging. Since I'm a huge believer in symmetry, I thought that I'd do something now that the blog is back that I did when I first started the blog... craft a fantasy roster. Some of the names will be different. Some will remain the same. That all goes with the territory of both expanding my view of the eW world at the same time as retaining a lot of my old, sentimental favorites. This roster was made out of a mix of characters I really liked and handlers I feel I'd want on any fed's roster that I was running. So, here goes:
The Main Event
Heel
"The Ego Buster" Dan Ryan - Could he be the best character in the history of FWC? Maybe, maybe not, but no one can deny the impact he's had on that family of feds as well as his reach-outs to other feds like A1E, NAPW and MBE. Add in Brunk's gift of being able to cut some of the best heel promos ever for him, and any fed would want him to the first pick to be on the roster.
Troy Windham - Windham is FW's Ric Flair, Superstar Billy Graham and heel Rock all rolled up into one. One of the more ostentatious characters in eW history, Windham has a history with nearly everyone important in the FW circle. Those he doesn't? Well, they're probably new or foreign to the circuit and would provide good new ground for the Epitome to cover. Plus, Gethard in any fed is a plus.
Beast/Marcus Westcott - Beast/MW was on this list before as a face, but he's been playing the heel for so long, and effectively at that, that he needs to be here in the heel section. Plus, you get a three-for-one here with Beast. One, you get an effective top-of-the-card heel. Two, with Jarrett, you get an experienced staffer with big-time matchwriting experience, and three, you get an able webmaster. Great success!
Prisoner #187 - Of all the Dan West characters, I chose #187 mainly because of the untapped potential. The second run Dan had with him (the one beginning with the Slambo swerve and ending some time before the first official Golden Dreams) was among the most dominant runs I have ever seen in e-fedding. How he wasn't able to parlay that into multiple World Championships I'll never know. Maybe the rise of Chip Friendly, whom I think we can all agree is a first ballot A1E Hall of Famer now, was a big part of that, but I'll take the first DW A1E character and see what he'd be able to do given a prolonged run at the top.
Face
Big Dog - The quintessential face. There was no other character in eW that I felt would be as wrong to turn heel as Big Dog was. So when Phil decided he was going to turn Dog heel during the Euclid feud, I was skeptical. I don't know if I ever told him that, nor did I think I told him that I was glad that Dog never took off heel and remained a face for the bulk of his career, but the point stands now. Dog would be a perfect foil for any of the above main event heels, and actually, there's bountiful amounts of evidence to support that as he was in main event programs with three out of four of them above to great acclaim.
"The Queen of the Ring" Lindsay Troy - Back when I did the first one, Lindz had not yet reached the apexes she has since. I said that she was ready to break through, and I dedicated more than a few blog posts about how women characters shouldn't be held back because of their gender if the writing was there. Lindz has proven that point more than anyone could properly explain. Her ascension to the premiere handler and character in either community was one of the most surprising yet deserved runs in history. I have her face instead of heel here because I feel like her character has become someone you cheer no matter what her actions. An almost unheelable character.
"The Final Fantasy" Seymour Almasy - Because this character's been everywhere, so why not here? :p In all seriousness, I was stricken by how well Sean played the underdog face role in the epic build to his World Championship win in ACW. 187/Almasy would be a ridiculously good feud, potentially better than the 187/Housefly feud back in the day in A1E.
Nova - What Lindz did bridging from the FWC over to PTC and angle fed communities, Nova did to a smaller extent in reverse. Mostly concentrating his exploits in TEAM, NFW and CSWA. Obviously, I'll take the shaggy, pot-smoking face variant over EEEEVIL FUCK YOU~! Nova for this endeavor, as he's far more entertaining as a face, and would work well with some of the above guys, especially ones he has history with like Ryan and maybe Troy Diddy.
The Upper Mid-card
Heel
Shawn Jessica Bubbles Hart, PhD - Most feds would kill to have SJH at the top of their card. Why do I have him here? It's no disrespect, really, but I think he's got the versatility to work nearly anywhere on the card with anyone. He can be serious when he wants to and challenge the main event (where Lindsay Troy and Nova would be PERFECT foils for him) or stay in the secondary title area where he could have classic feuds with guys like GBJ and D!
Yori Yakamo, Jr. - While I'm a huge fan of Hida, I'll take the other Yakamo brother here for the sheer insanity and the more recent cred he has from being an NFW Season 2 finalist. Plus, I think Jeff would have an easier time writing him as opposed to Hida.
The Codemaster - After the gimmick post, how could I not have him on this list? Another character with versatile card mobility like SJH, Codemaster could really work with anyone on the card. He's another candidate for a hot, entertaining feud with Almasy, just because of the nature of both their characters.
Ravager - He's the no-nonsense enforcer in the group to balance out the goofiness of the first three. But don't let that fool you. Allan is a versatile and creative RPer, and he can certainly add an element of levity that would belie Ravager's serious persona if given the chance.
Face
James Irish - When you have James on the roster, you know you're going to get a solid effort, week in and week out. He's a good comedic handler who works well with everyone unlike some other comedic characters who only mesh well with a few types of characters.
D! - I know D!'s been heel forever now, but I look at the run he had in the first ToC, and I'm still amazed today. The charisma is animal, it's off the charts and something that any fedhead should want. I really think that in a wrestling-promo/trash-talk styled RP fed, D! would be the best counterpuncher on the roster.
Troy Douglas - Megatron is that workmanlike character that everyone seems to take for granted until he's not there as a reliable anchor. He's now getting his chance to shine in A1E, and probably soon enough in EPW as well, and I think that he's a good fit on any dream roster.
Garbage Bag Johnny - One of the best parts of AWC towards the end was GBJ, whose quirks (along with Adam Dick's) added a fun dimension to the otherwise srs bsnss of the main event. I can see him having a good contrast-of-styles feud with 187 and a mind-blowingly weird feud with Yori.
Mid-card
Heel
Slambo the Clown - Almost a given with 187 on the roster. He can do multiple things, like join 187 in the tag ranks, be an anchor for the secondary title division, even set up an angle down the line where he breaks from 187 and turns face.
Lowell Dot Com - I know I have a shit-ton of comedic heels already, but how could I pass up the opportunity to get Devin's best character on the roster?
The Wraith - He's a rising star in A1E, and before long, I think he could be in main events there. He fills the role of monster heel well without RPing like a generic variant. A lot of thought for a big guy character.
Donovan Astros - He started out great in A1E, but kinda disappeared. I know he's back in NAPW, but admittedly, I haven't been following it enough lately to comment on what he is now. Regardless, he can play a great cerebral and cocky heel, and he has a good handle on how to present a character.
Face
Olvir Arsvinnar - C'mon, how could I have a fed and NOT include the Butt Dominator?
Fusenshoff - I really do feel that Fuse is the future of the FWC circuit at the very least. He's the first new guy from a new handler to come along and really electrify in his first couple of years. Once he breaks through and wins a major World title - which could be as soon as TEAM SuperShow X - he won't stop. I'd love to see Fuse go up against some of the more established stars at any point in the process.
Fanatic - At first, Fanatic would continue his feud with Wraith that he has going in A1E, but I feel like he could segue into any number of feuds, especially with the amount of cerebral heels in the mid- and upper midcard that are present in the fed. Plus, I gotta have Pena on the roster, and I figured I'd rather see more of Fanatic than Tact for now.
Impulse - A great new character from a seasoned and possibly still secret-identitied handler, Impulse is the kind of guy you want to catch while he's still on the ground floor.
Tag Teams
Heel
The Unfuckables (The Illustrious Face-Eater, Mike Wade) - Either one of these guys could break off and make a great main event run like Facey did in AWC and like Wadey could have done had he not left for a bit. However, their antics together are too tantalizing to pass up for tag team mayhem.
The Professionals (Craig Miles, Eddie Mayfield) - Again, either of these guys could be heel anchors for the company, but together, the heel forces would be so awesome that if I didn't team them, I'd be doing the world a great disservice.
The Enigmas (Michael Manson, Felix Red) - This was never an established tag team, I don't think, but I think they'd play off each other well both in RPs and in the write-ups.
Face
The New and Improved d-X ("The Beast" Bruce Richards, Stylin' Kyle Roberts) - The most dominant tag team in NAPW history is here to show people how it's done. Even though they're probably better as heels, I think they can play the iconic or even cool heel-style face with aplomb.
The Cameron Cruise Project (Joey Melton, Cameron Cruise) - Again, they spent most of their run straddling the fine line between heel and face, but this team was made to be cheered. Plus, Tard always brought out the best in Siegel. These guys would have a classic feud with any number of established or makeshift teams on the roster.
The Dogs of War (Jason Payne, Chris McMillian) - Had to include my boy Jason Payne on here, so why not with McMillian in the tag ranks? Good intense tag team to contrast the other two more light-hearted face tag teams in the ranks here.
The Main Event
Heel
"The Ego Buster" Dan Ryan - Could he be the best character in the history of FWC? Maybe, maybe not, but no one can deny the impact he's had on that family of feds as well as his reach-outs to other feds like A1E, NAPW and MBE. Add in Brunk's gift of being able to cut some of the best heel promos ever for him, and any fed would want him to the first pick to be on the roster.
Troy Windham - Windham is FW's Ric Flair, Superstar Billy Graham and heel Rock all rolled up into one. One of the more ostentatious characters in eW history, Windham has a history with nearly everyone important in the FW circle. Those he doesn't? Well, they're probably new or foreign to the circuit and would provide good new ground for the Epitome to cover. Plus, Gethard in any fed is a plus.
Beast/Marcus Westcott - Beast/MW was on this list before as a face, but he's been playing the heel for so long, and effectively at that, that he needs to be here in the heel section. Plus, you get a three-for-one here with Beast. One, you get an effective top-of-the-card heel. Two, with Jarrett, you get an experienced staffer with big-time matchwriting experience, and three, you get an able webmaster. Great success!
Prisoner #187 - Of all the Dan West characters, I chose #187 mainly because of the untapped potential. The second run Dan had with him (the one beginning with the Slambo swerve and ending some time before the first official Golden Dreams) was among the most dominant runs I have ever seen in e-fedding. How he wasn't able to parlay that into multiple World Championships I'll never know. Maybe the rise of Chip Friendly, whom I think we can all agree is a first ballot A1E Hall of Famer now, was a big part of that, but I'll take the first DW A1E character and see what he'd be able to do given a prolonged run at the top.
Face
Big Dog - The quintessential face. There was no other character in eW that I felt would be as wrong to turn heel as Big Dog was. So when Phil decided he was going to turn Dog heel during the Euclid feud, I was skeptical. I don't know if I ever told him that, nor did I think I told him that I was glad that Dog never took off heel and remained a face for the bulk of his career, but the point stands now. Dog would be a perfect foil for any of the above main event heels, and actually, there's bountiful amounts of evidence to support that as he was in main event programs with three out of four of them above to great acclaim.
"The Queen of the Ring" Lindsay Troy - Back when I did the first one, Lindz had not yet reached the apexes she has since. I said that she was ready to break through, and I dedicated more than a few blog posts about how women characters shouldn't be held back because of their gender if the writing was there. Lindz has proven that point more than anyone could properly explain. Her ascension to the premiere handler and character in either community was one of the most surprising yet deserved runs in history. I have her face instead of heel here because I feel like her character has become someone you cheer no matter what her actions. An almost unheelable character.
"The Final Fantasy" Seymour Almasy - Because this character's been everywhere, so why not here? :p In all seriousness, I was stricken by how well Sean played the underdog face role in the epic build to his World Championship win in ACW. 187/Almasy would be a ridiculously good feud, potentially better than the 187/Housefly feud back in the day in A1E.
Nova - What Lindz did bridging from the FWC over to PTC and angle fed communities, Nova did to a smaller extent in reverse. Mostly concentrating his exploits in TEAM, NFW and CSWA. Obviously, I'll take the shaggy, pot-smoking face variant over EEEEVIL FUCK YOU~! Nova for this endeavor, as he's far more entertaining as a face, and would work well with some of the above guys, especially ones he has history with like Ryan and maybe Troy Diddy.
The Upper Mid-card
Heel
Shawn Jessica Bubbles Hart, PhD - Most feds would kill to have SJH at the top of their card. Why do I have him here? It's no disrespect, really, but I think he's got the versatility to work nearly anywhere on the card with anyone. He can be serious when he wants to and challenge the main event (where Lindsay Troy and Nova would be PERFECT foils for him) or stay in the secondary title area where he could have classic feuds with guys like GBJ and D!
Yori Yakamo, Jr. - While I'm a huge fan of Hida, I'll take the other Yakamo brother here for the sheer insanity and the more recent cred he has from being an NFW Season 2 finalist. Plus, I think Jeff would have an easier time writing him as opposed to Hida.
The Codemaster - After the gimmick post, how could I not have him on this list? Another character with versatile card mobility like SJH, Codemaster could really work with anyone on the card. He's another candidate for a hot, entertaining feud with Almasy, just because of the nature of both their characters.
Ravager - He's the no-nonsense enforcer in the group to balance out the goofiness of the first three. But don't let that fool you. Allan is a versatile and creative RPer, and he can certainly add an element of levity that would belie Ravager's serious persona if given the chance.
Face
James Irish - When you have James on the roster, you know you're going to get a solid effort, week in and week out. He's a good comedic handler who works well with everyone unlike some other comedic characters who only mesh well with a few types of characters.
D! - I know D!'s been heel forever now, but I look at the run he had in the first ToC, and I'm still amazed today. The charisma is animal, it's off the charts and something that any fedhead should want. I really think that in a wrestling-promo/trash-talk styled RP fed, D! would be the best counterpuncher on the roster.
Troy Douglas - Megatron is that workmanlike character that everyone seems to take for granted until he's not there as a reliable anchor. He's now getting his chance to shine in A1E, and probably soon enough in EPW as well, and I think that he's a good fit on any dream roster.
Garbage Bag Johnny - One of the best parts of AWC towards the end was GBJ, whose quirks (along with Adam Dick's) added a fun dimension to the otherwise srs bsnss of the main event. I can see him having a good contrast-of-styles feud with 187 and a mind-blowingly weird feud with Yori.
Mid-card
Heel
Slambo the Clown - Almost a given with 187 on the roster. He can do multiple things, like join 187 in the tag ranks, be an anchor for the secondary title division, even set up an angle down the line where he breaks from 187 and turns face.
Lowell Dot Com - I know I have a shit-ton of comedic heels already, but how could I pass up the opportunity to get Devin's best character on the roster?
The Wraith - He's a rising star in A1E, and before long, I think he could be in main events there. He fills the role of monster heel well without RPing like a generic variant. A lot of thought for a big guy character.
Donovan Astros - He started out great in A1E, but kinda disappeared. I know he's back in NAPW, but admittedly, I haven't been following it enough lately to comment on what he is now. Regardless, he can play a great cerebral and cocky heel, and he has a good handle on how to present a character.
Face
Olvir Arsvinnar - C'mon, how could I have a fed and NOT include the Butt Dominator?
Fusenshoff - I really do feel that Fuse is the future of the FWC circuit at the very least. He's the first new guy from a new handler to come along and really electrify in his first couple of years. Once he breaks through and wins a major World title - which could be as soon as TEAM SuperShow X - he won't stop. I'd love to see Fuse go up against some of the more established stars at any point in the process.
Fanatic - At first, Fanatic would continue his feud with Wraith that he has going in A1E, but I feel like he could segue into any number of feuds, especially with the amount of cerebral heels in the mid- and upper midcard that are present in the fed. Plus, I gotta have Pena on the roster, and I figured I'd rather see more of Fanatic than Tact for now.
Impulse - A great new character from a seasoned and possibly still secret-identitied handler, Impulse is the kind of guy you want to catch while he's still on the ground floor.
Tag Teams
Heel
The Unfuckables (The Illustrious Face-Eater, Mike Wade) - Either one of these guys could break off and make a great main event run like Facey did in AWC and like Wadey could have done had he not left for a bit. However, their antics together are too tantalizing to pass up for tag team mayhem.
The Professionals (Craig Miles, Eddie Mayfield) - Again, either of these guys could be heel anchors for the company, but together, the heel forces would be so awesome that if I didn't team them, I'd be doing the world a great disservice.
The Enigmas (Michael Manson, Felix Red) - This was never an established tag team, I don't think, but I think they'd play off each other well both in RPs and in the write-ups.
Face
The New and Improved d-X ("The Beast" Bruce Richards, Stylin' Kyle Roberts) - The most dominant tag team in NAPW history is here to show people how it's done. Even though they're probably better as heels, I think they can play the iconic or even cool heel-style face with aplomb.
The Cameron Cruise Project (Joey Melton, Cameron Cruise) - Again, they spent most of their run straddling the fine line between heel and face, but this team was made to be cheered. Plus, Tard always brought out the best in Siegel. These guys would have a classic feud with any number of established or makeshift teams on the roster.
The Dogs of War (Jason Payne, Chris McMillian) - Had to include my boy Jason Payne on here, so why not with McMillian in the tag ranks? Good intense tag team to contrast the other two more light-hearted face tag teams in the ranks here.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
The Return of Random Notes
Because it's been a long time since I did these... too long.
- First up, some shameless self-promotion:
Read the EPICENTER for TEAM SuperShow III!
Leave me feedback for said show!
Then sign up for a match on the next SuperShow and if you really liked me, volunteer to write a match!
Yep, the finals are set for TiT, we have a new Champion of Champions, and once again, an NAPW guy is the first to hold a TEAM Championship. It's important that you leave honest feedback, because once again, I have no idea what I'm doing wrong if you guys don't call me out on it.
Speaking of the next SuperShow, right now, I have a bunch of unanswered challenges going on over there. So before you go making challenges, see if you're being called out. I'm probably going to cap it at some point, but once again, you can always participate in the FREE FOR ALL~! match. Now that that's out of the way...
- Speaking of NAPW, a bit of news out of their camp. The talk in the eW world is that tag team wrestling is back, but in the Canadian indie fed, you could argue that it never left to begin with. NAPW's tag team division was one of the best in the land, and now, they'd like for you to partake in it. It's an event called TAGSTRAVAGANZA II! It happens 5/22, and the details are there as you follow the link.
- Staying with that family of feds, NAPW's sister fed REBEL Pro, they're having an open invitational event of their own. This one is geared towards singles wrestlers and is a battle royale for a shot at their Championship. Open-invitational battle royale... groovy! Once again, follow the link for more details. The event happens 5/8, so throw your hat in the ring now.
- I'm pleased to announce some additions to the blog family of feds. First off, we've got Problem Solver South Park Wrestling, a fed that's loosely based off the hit show South Park (duh). I had some reservations about it, but it seems alright from glancing over it. Plus, Kevin Healy, Fusenhoff/Ace Mason's handler, gives it a glowing review, and I hear they're timely with all their shows, which is rare in the world of eW these days. Second up, it's the Superstar Wrestling Circuit, a new RP fed in the world of angle feds. I'm not certain, but I think it's run by Antoine of Malik Roland fame, although I could be mistaken. There are some familiar names and heavy hitters on the roster, and I think it could be a force in the W316 world.
- Keeping with things in South Park land, Mr. Healy also has a blog, the Damn Yankee blog. Give it a whirl if you're thinking about following or if you do follow PSSPW.
- Here's a random question... when are they going to announce the PTC Wrestler of the Year for 2006? It's getting a bit late in the year, and I hope that Ross and Pete didn't forget about things. If they did, it's understandable, seeing both of them have been very busy lately with real life stuff. If they need some help organizing things, I'll volunteer. PTC needs its WotY, dammit!
- Finally, I'm going to end with a surprise of sorts. It looks like WFW is FINALLY getting back on track after more than a year of inactivity. Normally, I'd say that with the combination of inactivity and the general fall from grace that its fedhead took in the last year or so, this fed wouldn't have a chance of surviving. However, there's something to be said about the loyalty of the roster. Guys love this fed for whatever reason. Miller has guys in there that won't even touch other FW feds let alone anything outside of that shell, and the roster regulars have an undying devotion to the fed, even if some of them (like Aston and Edmunds) have had pretty bad dust-ups with Miller in the past. It just goes to show that having a great nucleus of handlers can go a long way and can make up for other deficiencies. For the roster's sake, I hope this is for real. Say what you want about Miller (and believe me, we all have), but I truly believe that FW is a better place when WFW is active.
- First up, some shameless self-promotion:
Read the EPICENTER for TEAM SuperShow III!
Leave me feedback for said show!
Then sign up for a match on the next SuperShow and if you really liked me, volunteer to write a match!
Yep, the finals are set for TiT, we have a new Champion of Champions, and once again, an NAPW guy is the first to hold a TEAM Championship. It's important that you leave honest feedback, because once again, I have no idea what I'm doing wrong if you guys don't call me out on it.
Speaking of the next SuperShow, right now, I have a bunch of unanswered challenges going on over there. So before you go making challenges, see if you're being called out. I'm probably going to cap it at some point, but once again, you can always participate in the FREE FOR ALL~! match. Now that that's out of the way...
- Speaking of NAPW, a bit of news out of their camp. The talk in the eW world is that tag team wrestling is back, but in the Canadian indie fed, you could argue that it never left to begin with. NAPW's tag team division was one of the best in the land, and now, they'd like for you to partake in it. It's an event called TAGSTRAVAGANZA II! It happens 5/22, and the details are there as you follow the link.
- Staying with that family of feds, NAPW's sister fed REBEL Pro, they're having an open invitational event of their own. This one is geared towards singles wrestlers and is a battle royale for a shot at their Championship. Open-invitational battle royale... groovy! Once again, follow the link for more details. The event happens 5/8, so throw your hat in the ring now.
- I'm pleased to announce some additions to the blog family of feds. First off, we've got Problem Solver South Park Wrestling, a fed that's loosely based off the hit show South Park (duh). I had some reservations about it, but it seems alright from glancing over it. Plus, Kevin Healy, Fusenhoff/Ace Mason's handler, gives it a glowing review, and I hear they're timely with all their shows, which is rare in the world of eW these days. Second up, it's the Superstar Wrestling Circuit, a new RP fed in the world of angle feds. I'm not certain, but I think it's run by Antoine of Malik Roland fame, although I could be mistaken. There are some familiar names and heavy hitters on the roster, and I think it could be a force in the W316 world.
- Keeping with things in South Park land, Mr. Healy also has a blog, the Damn Yankee blog. Give it a whirl if you're thinking about following or if you do follow PSSPW.
- Here's a random question... when are they going to announce the PTC Wrestler of the Year for 2006? It's getting a bit late in the year, and I hope that Ross and Pete didn't forget about things. If they did, it's understandable, seeing both of them have been very busy lately with real life stuff. If they need some help organizing things, I'll volunteer. PTC needs its WotY, dammit!
- Finally, I'm going to end with a surprise of sorts. It looks like WFW is FINALLY getting back on track after more than a year of inactivity. Normally, I'd say that with the combination of inactivity and the general fall from grace that its fedhead took in the last year or so, this fed wouldn't have a chance of surviving. However, there's something to be said about the loyalty of the roster. Guys love this fed for whatever reason. Miller has guys in there that won't even touch other FW feds let alone anything outside of that shell, and the roster regulars have an undying devotion to the fed, even if some of them (like Aston and Edmunds) have had pretty bad dust-ups with Miller in the past. It just goes to show that having a great nucleus of handlers can go a long way and can make up for other deficiencies. For the roster's sake, I hope this is for real. Say what you want about Miller (and believe me, we all have), but I truly believe that FW is a better place when WFW is active.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
The Tag Rope Repaired
Just when you think you have a trend down cold, it has to go and reverse itself. In some cases, this is a bad thing, like growth on the stock market that suddenly makes a u-turn and crashes. In other cases, you're left pleasantly surprised. The apparent resurgence of tag wrestling in eW is one of these cases.
About a year-and-a-half ago, I bemoaned the dwindlage of tag team divisions. (To show how dated that post is, WFW still had pretensions of being an active fed then :p) Up until even a few months ago, that post rang true. The only fed that I knew of that had anything resembling a healthy, thriving tag team division was NAPW. Mind you, NAPW's division could stack up with any great tag division in the history of eW, but the truth was that even feds that did have a tag division ran it on life-support.
Then, something happened. People started giving a shit about tag teams again and made efforts to handle them as one handler or, the best part, palled together with other handlers to form tag teams. As a result, you had a great turnout for the MCW Tag Team Tournament, a concerted effort from Jarret and A1E to re-establish the tag division and the overflow in PRIME's newest roster expansion to enthusiastically enter the division and make it viable once more.
Does this mean there's been a sea change in the way people feel about tag teams? I would say no, because I feel that deep down inside, everyone wants to have a tag division. I would say that there's a sea change in the effort put forth to have a tag division, at least initially. It's very, very important to note that with PRIME and A1E, this re-expansion of the tag divisions is still in the infant stages. Who knows if and when people will get bored of it and go back to their selfish singles division exploits. For now though, things are looking up, and I feel that's a good thing.
When you have an active tag team division, you have a battleground for people to enter and do battle with other characters regardless of standing on the card. It's the only true place on the card where position really doesn't matter all that much. It's also the best avenue to show the collaborative side of eW, which is what I feel makes eW so great and sets it apart from other forms of writing.
Hopefully, the interest in tag teams stays up. I have a good feeling that it will though.
About a year-and-a-half ago, I bemoaned the dwindlage of tag team divisions. (To show how dated that post is, WFW still had pretensions of being an active fed then :p) Up until even a few months ago, that post rang true. The only fed that I knew of that had anything resembling a healthy, thriving tag team division was NAPW. Mind you, NAPW's division could stack up with any great tag division in the history of eW, but the truth was that even feds that did have a tag division ran it on life-support.
Then, something happened. People started giving a shit about tag teams again and made efforts to handle them as one handler or, the best part, palled together with other handlers to form tag teams. As a result, you had a great turnout for the MCW Tag Team Tournament, a concerted effort from Jarret and A1E to re-establish the tag division and the overflow in PRIME's newest roster expansion to enthusiastically enter the division and make it viable once more.
Does this mean there's been a sea change in the way people feel about tag teams? I would say no, because I feel that deep down inside, everyone wants to have a tag division. I would say that there's a sea change in the effort put forth to have a tag division, at least initially. It's very, very important to note that with PRIME and A1E, this re-expansion of the tag divisions is still in the infant stages. Who knows if and when people will get bored of it and go back to their selfish singles division exploits. For now though, things are looking up, and I feel that's a good thing.
When you have an active tag team division, you have a battleground for people to enter and do battle with other characters regardless of standing on the card. It's the only true place on the card where position really doesn't matter all that much. It's also the best avenue to show the collaborative side of eW, which is what I feel makes eW so great and sets it apart from other forms of writing.
Hopefully, the interest in tag teams stays up. I have a good feeling that it will though.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
A1E's Tag Team Tournament Challenge
Remember way back when I blogged about Jarret taking over A1E and said he had a big announcement on the first Warfare after Bloody New Year? Well...
Here it is.
For the benefit of those who don't like the clicky-clicky treatment, basically A1E has thrown out there an open challenge to any tag team in the eW universe, regardless of the fed you're in. Big Dog and Dan Ryan, the current Tag Team Champions, have held the titles for almost (over?) a year now, and the challengers are getting pretty thin. Although the announcement included a decree allowing all wrestlers to hold singles gold and the Tag Titles at the same time, this is still one of the best ways short of doing a fed-wide Lethal Lottery to jumpstart the division. Any team is eligible. Any team. That's right, your tag team is eligible if you want it to be :p
Now, to keep this from being an out-and-out shill for the home company, I'm going to list a few teams that I'd like to see come out of the woodwork for this event.
The New and Improved DX - Yes, I know they're broken up by rule in NAPW, but that doesn't mean they can't team elsewhere ;). They've been the dominant tag team of the last 6 months in eW, and I think they'd be at the very least co-favorites to win should they enter.
The Cameron Cruise Project - Cruise is already in A1E, and Melton's been there before. Despite Steve leaving on somewhat bad terms, I'm sure that Jarret and co. would be more than receptive to a reconciliation and such.
Silver and GOLD - Even though this means Lindz would have to answer the yearly call for her to re-enter A1E :p, I think this would be a fun pairing. Lindz has history with the Tag Straps, and Seth's probably one of the best pure promo guys in the business.
The Furious Fists of God - Seeing that I just recently turned Sam on to the Dark Side of Wrestling Promo RPs :p and that the Fists were natural trash-talkers in segments in the departed AWC, I think this might be a good idea. Sure, their gimmick is a bit controversial, and the A1 world has bristled at outwardly racist characters before (I got more flak about letting Johnny Morgan run in UXW than Bryon probably got, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't do it again if I had the chance), but I still think they'd be better welcomed than not.
Rob and Jacob Franklin - Rob's been one of the newer additions to eW in the last year, and he's shown some promise. Don't believe me? Read this. He's giving Dan Ryan a much more stiff challenge than anyone would have expected. I think he should give this a run.
The Sheffield Wednesday Lot - Don't let the fact that they're not terribly over in MBE fool you. They're booker run characters. This is one of the funnest, most creative gimmicks I've seen in awhile, and if Bill and Jeff really put their minds to it, they could walk out the A1E Tag Team Champions
Here it is.
For the benefit of those who don't like the clicky-clicky treatment, basically A1E has thrown out there an open challenge to any tag team in the eW universe, regardless of the fed you're in. Big Dog and Dan Ryan, the current Tag Team Champions, have held the titles for almost (over?) a year now, and the challengers are getting pretty thin. Although the announcement included a decree allowing all wrestlers to hold singles gold and the Tag Titles at the same time, this is still one of the best ways short of doing a fed-wide Lethal Lottery to jumpstart the division. Any team is eligible. Any team. That's right, your tag team is eligible if you want it to be :p
Now, to keep this from being an out-and-out shill for the home company, I'm going to list a few teams that I'd like to see come out of the woodwork for this event.
The New and Improved DX - Yes, I know they're broken up by rule in NAPW, but that doesn't mean they can't team elsewhere ;). They've been the dominant tag team of the last 6 months in eW, and I think they'd be at the very least co-favorites to win should they enter.
The Cameron Cruise Project - Cruise is already in A1E, and Melton's been there before. Despite Steve leaving on somewhat bad terms, I'm sure that Jarret and co. would be more than receptive to a reconciliation and such.
Silver and GOLD - Even though this means Lindz would have to answer the yearly call for her to re-enter A1E :p, I think this would be a fun pairing. Lindz has history with the Tag Straps, and Seth's probably one of the best pure promo guys in the business.
The Furious Fists of God - Seeing that I just recently turned Sam on to the Dark Side of Wrestling Promo RPs :p and that the Fists were natural trash-talkers in segments in the departed AWC, I think this might be a good idea. Sure, their gimmick is a bit controversial, and the A1 world has bristled at outwardly racist characters before (I got more flak about letting Johnny Morgan run in UXW than Bryon probably got, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't do it again if I had the chance), but I still think they'd be better welcomed than not.
Rob and Jacob Franklin - Rob's been one of the newer additions to eW in the last year, and he's shown some promise. Don't believe me? Read this. He's giving Dan Ryan a much more stiff challenge than anyone would have expected. I think he should give this a run.
The Sheffield Wednesday Lot - Don't let the fact that they're not terribly over in MBE fool you. They're booker run characters. This is one of the funnest, most creative gimmicks I've seen in awhile, and if Bill and Jeff really put their minds to it, they could walk out the A1E Tag Team Champions
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Rethinking the Tag Division
Much has been made about the state of tag team wrestling in e-feds over the years. It happens upon the same cycle. People get excited about the tag team division, and there's a spike in activity. After a little bit of action, the division dies back down again after everyone realizes that there's no "glory" involved and you actually have to *gasp* work with other people or handling an entire tag team by yourself can be taxing. Then it dies again, often with your fed's variant of the Tag Team Championship perishing with it. It happens in cycles all the time until people just stop caring and the cycles cease to begin again.
You'd think that it'd be best to leave well enough, right? If people don't want the tag division, why bother? Well, I don't think that people don't want the tag division. Deep down, I believe people like the idea of wrestlers teaming up. Why else would there be a push for it every once in awhile? The interest is there, but there's no incentive to keep going. Tag Team Championships are often treated like second class titles, used to build up-and-comers, to shunt acts into after their progress in the singles ranks has been retarded, to put characters when the booking committee or the fedhead has no other ideas for them. There's no "prestige." There's nothing to suggest that the Tag Team Titles are on the plateau right below the World Championship like they should be in theory. Forget about write-ups, too. Tag matches are much harder to write than singles matches are. You're talking about a no-win situation as is.
So how do you put that prestige back? How do you make the tag division a selling point? Well, you have to put some prestige back into it. You have to make the tag division, at least at the Championship level, main event caliber. How do you do that, you ask? Well, two things:
1. Stock your tag division with main eventers
A division is only as prestigious as the wrestlers in it. If you stock your tag division with nothing but newbies, then it'll be the rookie division. If you stock it with midcarders whose push to the main event didn't quite work out so well, then you'll effectively make it the retread division. But if you make a concerted effort to put people in the division who are talented and who are over, then you'll have a division people will want to compete in, thus making your Tag Titles coveted.
How would you go about selling that to people who think they might be above tag wrestling though? Well, not everyone can go for the World Championship at once. So, while you have, say, Troy Windham challenging for Lindsay Troy's EPW World Heavyweight Championship and you have guys like Beast, Joey Melton, Karl Brown and Steven Shane lurking around the main event scene, you can make a concerted effort to put two of them together and believably go for the Tag Titles. Then, when you have Shane and Melton challenging Farnswirth and Friendly for the EPW Tag Titles, you automatically put cache behind the division. Here you have four of the best talents in the game going for these titles. They have to be important.
But what happens if say, Shane and Melton win the Tag Titles at the next PPV, but you've lined up Melton as your next number one contender? Well, to circumvent that, you make it so that you can hold singles belts as well as the Tag Titles. That might hurt the tag division in theory, but if done correctly, it can certainly be turned into a positive. For example, you can have Lindsay Troy, not satisfied with just dominating the singles ranks, step into the tag ranks and become EPW's ultimate wrestler. It could also be used as an elevation tool. Let's say that Troy's the World Champion, and she co-holds the Tag Titles with Melton. Then Blitz comes along, and they beat the Tag Champions. They not only win the Tag Titles, but they also beat the World Champion's team to do it, thus adding more luster behind the titles and their win.
There are infinite possibilities with booking, and that leads me to the second point:
2. Build hot feuds around the Tag Titles
This should be a no-brainer, right? However, you'd be surprised at how many times feds just have number one contenders' matches with slapped together teams to build a PPV Tag Title match. The best replacement for star power in any feud or fed is always going to be the heat surrounding it. Once again, the tag titles can be incorporated into angles in ways you can't work singles belts. A great example of this from real life was when Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels won the WWF Tag Belts when they were feuding. Or perhaps you could have two high contenders to the World Championship become Tag Champions have those tensions split them apart.
If you put a little work into anything, you can make it happen. A good tag team division can be a great asset to any fed, and it can provide opportunities to work with other gifted handlers in a collaborative sense as well as a competitive sense without having to join an angle fed.
Just think about it. Before you scrap your Tag Division, just think of the possibilities of, say, Gabriel Afeaki and Pierce Lavelle running roughshod over the Tag Division.
Just some food for thought, to no one in particular ;)
You'd think that it'd be best to leave well enough, right? If people don't want the tag division, why bother? Well, I don't think that people don't want the tag division. Deep down, I believe people like the idea of wrestlers teaming up. Why else would there be a push for it every once in awhile? The interest is there, but there's no incentive to keep going. Tag Team Championships are often treated like second class titles, used to build up-and-comers, to shunt acts into after their progress in the singles ranks has been retarded, to put characters when the booking committee or the fedhead has no other ideas for them. There's no "prestige." There's nothing to suggest that the Tag Team Titles are on the plateau right below the World Championship like they should be in theory. Forget about write-ups, too. Tag matches are much harder to write than singles matches are. You're talking about a no-win situation as is.
So how do you put that prestige back? How do you make the tag division a selling point? Well, you have to put some prestige back into it. You have to make the tag division, at least at the Championship level, main event caliber. How do you do that, you ask? Well, two things:
1. Stock your tag division with main eventers
A division is only as prestigious as the wrestlers in it. If you stock your tag division with nothing but newbies, then it'll be the rookie division. If you stock it with midcarders whose push to the main event didn't quite work out so well, then you'll effectively make it the retread division. But if you make a concerted effort to put people in the division who are talented and who are over, then you'll have a division people will want to compete in, thus making your Tag Titles coveted.
How would you go about selling that to people who think they might be above tag wrestling though? Well, not everyone can go for the World Championship at once. So, while you have, say, Troy Windham challenging for Lindsay Troy's EPW World Heavyweight Championship and you have guys like Beast, Joey Melton, Karl Brown and Steven Shane lurking around the main event scene, you can make a concerted effort to put two of them together and believably go for the Tag Titles. Then, when you have Shane and Melton challenging Farnswirth and Friendly for the EPW Tag Titles, you automatically put cache behind the division. Here you have four of the best talents in the game going for these titles. They have to be important.
But what happens if say, Shane and Melton win the Tag Titles at the next PPV, but you've lined up Melton as your next number one contender? Well, to circumvent that, you make it so that you can hold singles belts as well as the Tag Titles. That might hurt the tag division in theory, but if done correctly, it can certainly be turned into a positive. For example, you can have Lindsay Troy, not satisfied with just dominating the singles ranks, step into the tag ranks and become EPW's ultimate wrestler. It could also be used as an elevation tool. Let's say that Troy's the World Champion, and she co-holds the Tag Titles with Melton. Then Blitz comes along, and they beat the Tag Champions. They not only win the Tag Titles, but they also beat the World Champion's team to do it, thus adding more luster behind the titles and their win.
There are infinite possibilities with booking, and that leads me to the second point:
2. Build hot feuds around the Tag Titles
This should be a no-brainer, right? However, you'd be surprised at how many times feds just have number one contenders' matches with slapped together teams to build a PPV Tag Title match. The best replacement for star power in any feud or fed is always going to be the heat surrounding it. Once again, the tag titles can be incorporated into angles in ways you can't work singles belts. A great example of this from real life was when Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels won the WWF Tag Belts when they were feuding. Or perhaps you could have two high contenders to the World Championship become Tag Champions have those tensions split them apart.
If you put a little work into anything, you can make it happen. A good tag team division can be a great asset to any fed, and it can provide opportunities to work with other gifted handlers in a collaborative sense as well as a competitive sense without having to join an angle fed.
Just think about it. Before you scrap your Tag Division, just think of the possibilities of, say, Gabriel Afeaki and Pierce Lavelle running roughshod over the Tag Division.
Just some food for thought, to no one in particular ;)
Friday, February 17, 2006
The A1E Tag Team scene
It used to be that A1E had bar-none, the best tag team scene around. From the division's inception all the way up through and including the hot, three-way tag feud with Euclid/Druid, Chip/Bellview and Big Dog/Gladiator, there wasn't a tag division that was hotter.
Things have changed drastically since then, and especially recently, there hasn't been much action in the division and not a whole lot of credible challengers to the Champions, Torment and Haven. Honestly, I have to give them their props, because anyone who holds onto a championship that long is/are a deserving champ(s). But title reigns don't normally last this long anymore, especially when you have so many handlers putting out really good stuff.
So why have Torment and Haven been able to hang onto the Tag Belts for this long? I think it's two-fold. First, the A1E Tag Division hasn't been hopping exactly with the lack of solid, regular teams. It got so bad that the only team that was there to challenge them, the MidWest Mafia, had to be continually fed to Torment and Haven for a prolonged amount of time because no other team had stepped forward. Aside from the MwM, there were only mongrel teams that were just thrown together at the last second to be put in contendership matches. That's not a good way to groom challengers for the Tag Titles.
That method actually might work for singles titles, but let's be real here, singles divisions and tag divisions have totally different dynamics to them. You basically only have to rely on yourself in a singles division, but in a tag division, you're going to have two handlers on a team needing to connect for the most part, especially in A1E. Most of the teams I've seen come through have been two-handler teams, especially when holding the Tag Team titles. If you asked me off-hand what single handler team has won the straps, I can only give you the Weston Outlaws. After looking it up, only two other single handler teams have won the A1E Tag Titles out out about 20, I guess? (They were the Fallen Angels and the Collective)
The second reason is sort of tangent to the first reason. Because they've been able to hold the titles for so long, they've built up this inertia you get with a long title reign. I'll explain more clearly. They have so much momentum behind them that you can't just be better than them in one match to beat them for the title. You have to be SUBSTANTIALLY better than them to beat them. I think that's a big reason why the MwM couldn't get the job done. I thought they were better than the Champs in at least one of their matches towards the end of the feud. But I always thought it was close. Now, I voted for the MwM in the last match of their feud (or at least I would have if I did vote... I can't really recall whether I voted in that match or not right now), but I know some people will side with the Champion in a close match.
When you're a team that's just gotten together and started tagging together within the last one or two cards, it's going to take a lot to get over that inertia. I think that's a big reason why Big Dog and Dan Ryan didn't win the titles at BNY. They haven't been tagging together for very long, and even if they were better than the Champs (which I thought they were and reflected as such in my votes), I'm bettign there were voters who couldn't give the titles to a "mongrel" team just like that. It's too WWEish, and the one thign we know about e-fedders is that sometimes, they don't want anything to do with those crackpots in Stamford.
Still though, I can't help but think that a title switch right now would be the bestt hing possible for the tag division. Be it to Dog and Ryan or The Best Friends, it would do wonders to inject some life into the tag division and maybe draw some more folks in when they see that, hey, maybe the Tag Titles aren't impossible to win.
Now what I'm not advocating is irresponsible voting. If you honestly think that Torment and Haven are RPing better than both Dog and Ryan and Chip and Slambo, then by all means, vote for them. But what I would discourage is voting for the Champs just because the match is too close and you can't decide.
Vote on the side of change if it's close. I mean, if Torment and Haven lost their titles now, they wouldn't be out of the scene, and I wouldn't advocate they should be out either. If anything, it might inject some life into a stagnant tag division and maybe bring about a renaissance of Euclidian (and Doggian and Chippian) proportions.
Things have changed drastically since then, and especially recently, there hasn't been much action in the division and not a whole lot of credible challengers to the Champions, Torment and Haven. Honestly, I have to give them their props, because anyone who holds onto a championship that long is/are a deserving champ(s). But title reigns don't normally last this long anymore, especially when you have so many handlers putting out really good stuff.
So why have Torment and Haven been able to hang onto the Tag Belts for this long? I think it's two-fold. First, the A1E Tag Division hasn't been hopping exactly with the lack of solid, regular teams. It got so bad that the only team that was there to challenge them, the MidWest Mafia, had to be continually fed to Torment and Haven for a prolonged amount of time because no other team had stepped forward. Aside from the MwM, there were only mongrel teams that were just thrown together at the last second to be put in contendership matches. That's not a good way to groom challengers for the Tag Titles.
That method actually might work for singles titles, but let's be real here, singles divisions and tag divisions have totally different dynamics to them. You basically only have to rely on yourself in a singles division, but in a tag division, you're going to have two handlers on a team needing to connect for the most part, especially in A1E. Most of the teams I've seen come through have been two-handler teams, especially when holding the Tag Team titles. If you asked me off-hand what single handler team has won the straps, I can only give you the Weston Outlaws. After looking it up, only two other single handler teams have won the A1E Tag Titles out out about 20, I guess? (They were the Fallen Angels and the Collective)
The second reason is sort of tangent to the first reason. Because they've been able to hold the titles for so long, they've built up this inertia you get with a long title reign. I'll explain more clearly. They have so much momentum behind them that you can't just be better than them in one match to beat them for the title. You have to be SUBSTANTIALLY better than them to beat them. I think that's a big reason why the MwM couldn't get the job done. I thought they were better than the Champs in at least one of their matches towards the end of the feud. But I always thought it was close. Now, I voted for the MwM in the last match of their feud (or at least I would have if I did vote... I can't really recall whether I voted in that match or not right now), but I know some people will side with the Champion in a close match.
When you're a team that's just gotten together and started tagging together within the last one or two cards, it's going to take a lot to get over that inertia. I think that's a big reason why Big Dog and Dan Ryan didn't win the titles at BNY. They haven't been tagging together for very long, and even if they were better than the Champs (which I thought they were and reflected as such in my votes), I'm bettign there were voters who couldn't give the titles to a "mongrel" team just like that. It's too WWEish, and the one thign we know about e-fedders is that sometimes, they don't want anything to do with those crackpots in Stamford.
Still though, I can't help but think that a title switch right now would be the bestt hing possible for the tag division. Be it to Dog and Ryan or The Best Friends, it would do wonders to inject some life into the tag division and maybe draw some more folks in when they see that, hey, maybe the Tag Titles aren't impossible to win.
Now what I'm not advocating is irresponsible voting. If you honestly think that Torment and Haven are RPing better than both Dog and Ryan and Chip and Slambo, then by all means, vote for them. But what I would discourage is voting for the Champs just because the match is too close and you can't decide.
Vote on the side of change if it's close. I mean, if Torment and Haven lost their titles now, they wouldn't be out of the scene, and I wouldn't advocate they should be out either. If anything, it might inject some life into a stagnant tag division and maybe bring about a renaissance of Euclidian (and Doggian and Chippian) proportions.
Monday, August 15, 2005
Cutting the Tag Rope
For all the shortcomings that WFW has, there's one thing Paul's done that I thought was a brilliant idea in the last few months. He added Tag Team Championships and is in the process of crowning them, he's got a big tournament running.
I for one like tag team tournaments, especially large ones where you don't have a enough established teams to fill them and you get pairings that you don't see every day. Sometimes, these pairings stick, and you get healthy new additions to the tag division.
Every good fed needs a healthy tag division, mainly because tag matches can be the funnest matches around. More fun = the better your fed has of sticking around for awhile. Tag teams can also help with OOC relations too, seeing that it spurs cooperation between two different handlers to coordinate on both match promos and out-of-match segments. E-fedding isn't a solo hobby, regardless of what you might think, Mr. I-Wanna-Win-As-Many-Titles-As-Possible-And-Post-My-Win-Loss-Record-In-My-Sig-At-PTC-To-Show-Off-For-Everyone.
Which is why it distresses me to see that tag divisions are dwindling, and that many new tag teams are both characters handled by the same guy.
Don't get me wrong; tag teams handled by one person can be good to great characters. I mean, The Collective in A1E and The Original ShowStoppers at FW are two good examples. However, it's kinda sad that the only real two tag teams comprised of two different handlers that tag on a regular basis are Torment and Haven and The Cameron Cruise Project (and the latter's even breaking up!).
I mean, what, has everyone just gone so ego-wild that they don't want to bother with anyone else, or is it just apathy? I can understand wanting to go after singles pursuits, but you can do the same and still be in a tag team. In fact, I'd really like to find someone for JA to tag with in both Empire and A1E.
There are some really fun combinations that could be had out there. Hopefully people will pick up on that and we can see viable tag divisions again.
I for one like tag team tournaments, especially large ones where you don't have a enough established teams to fill them and you get pairings that you don't see every day. Sometimes, these pairings stick, and you get healthy new additions to the tag division.
Every good fed needs a healthy tag division, mainly because tag matches can be the funnest matches around. More fun = the better your fed has of sticking around for awhile. Tag teams can also help with OOC relations too, seeing that it spurs cooperation between two different handlers to coordinate on both match promos and out-of-match segments. E-fedding isn't a solo hobby, regardless of what you might think, Mr. I-Wanna-Win-As-Many-Titles-As-Possible-And-Post-My-Win-Loss-Record-In-My-Sig-At-PTC-To-Show-Off-For-Everyone.
Which is why it distresses me to see that tag divisions are dwindling, and that many new tag teams are both characters handled by the same guy.
Don't get me wrong; tag teams handled by one person can be good to great characters. I mean, The Collective in A1E and The Original ShowStoppers at FW are two good examples. However, it's kinda sad that the only real two tag teams comprised of two different handlers that tag on a regular basis are Torment and Haven and The Cameron Cruise Project (and the latter's even breaking up!).
I mean, what, has everyone just gone so ego-wild that they don't want to bother with anyone else, or is it just apathy? I can understand wanting to go after singles pursuits, but you can do the same and still be in a tag team. In fact, I'd really like to find someone for JA to tag with in both Empire and A1E.
There are some really fun combinations that could be had out there. Hopefully people will pick up on that and we can see viable tag divisions again.
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