Yet another set of questions. First we start out with Ryan Aston, who asks:
I'm probably becoming a broken record in this community on this issue, but I'm curious - Do you think we'll ever have a Hall of Fame on FW Central?
Eventually, yes. All it really needs is for someone to spearhead it. It won't be me, mainly because FWC's history predates me by a large margin, so I'll let someone else handle it.
I will say that if it comes to fruition though, that I hope it's a handler Hall of Fame and not a character-based one. I'd rather honor both the person and the character rather than just the character.
Has the CSWA 'gotten its groove back?'
It's very hard to say, because every time you want to count Chad and Co. out, Chad comes back and posts an excellent read. The problem, as it has been the last five years or so, has been Chad's work schedule. I'm not sure how that affects his thought process, but it certainly blocks him from being able to write out most of the material.
Even if the rest of the handlers wrote large portions of the other material, the Hacker storyline is such that Chad and the erstwhile and AWOL Steve are the only ones who really know the flow and all the intricacies of it. The only way I can really think that the CSWA really has its groove back for good is if Chad just takes all his free time and writes out the segments that compose the backbone of the Hacker storyline and let the rest of the roster flesh out their own tales. That wouldn't be fair to Chad though to make himself a slave to e-wrestling when he's not a slave to his job.
That leaves the CSWA in a very interesting position: so close to the finish line yet so far away. Hopefully Chad finds a way to make it all work with less time between cards, as he told me, in his own words, that if there were two years between this most recent card and the next one, that the CSWA would pretty much be closed for good.
I've got that FMLL itch again, but is lucha libre something that will ever work on these boards? Do people have an aversion to lucha and, if so, why?
Lucha will be a very difficult proposition because people misunderstand the tradition so much. Most think of lucha and WCW/WWE Rey Mysterio comes to mind. It's all flippy shit and none of the story. Meanwhile, lucha is much more layered and complex than that American perception. Hell, I don't even have the best idea as to how it works. You'd have to have a bunch of dedicated lucha fanatics get together and run two or three test cards before people even knew what it was all about.
Another thing that probably keeps people away is the language barrier, as it's hard to understand tradition when you don't speak Spanish.
To close out this one, Barry Clark, Jr. asked this question about the forum activity:
According to FW.com under the......
What's Going On?
Currently Active Users: (members and guests)
Most users ever online was 544, 05-06-06 at 09:08 PM.
Q: Do you think 544 online at the same time will ever be broken?
Not unless there's a mass invasion of search bots or slurp spiders.
Thanks for the questions, and as always, KEEP ASKING!
Showing posts with label the CSDub. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the CSDub. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 14, 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!
Monday, April 06, 2009
Hell Freezes Over... Part 2
The CSWA posted a show
No, seriously, check the timestamp on today. It's the 7th, not the 1st. No April Fool. This is the real magilla.
No, seriously, check the timestamp on today. It's the 7th, not the 1st. No April Fool. This is the real magilla.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
October's Wrestler of the Month
Yes, there's still one day left in the month, but other than the TEAM results, which have no bearing on the winner or runner-up for this month, I don't foresee any other results going up. So without further ado...
October's WotM takes this award for an unprecdented third time in a year, and it's mainly for an event that happened in the CSWA. Hell is freezing over as we speak, now that Gold Rush is finished, and at the end we saw an AMAZING swerve with Gold Rush winner Troy Windham being challenged to a match... and defeated by this month's winner, Dan Ryan. He's the new UNIFIED Champion, adding that to the A1E World Championship he won last month. Congrats, Brunk, and let's hope there isn't another 18 months between CSDub cards ;)
This month's runner-up is Vivica J. Valentine. Valentine capped off her month in GCW with winning the Dangerous Games battle royale to claim the number one contendership to Lia Ambrosi's World Championship. Job well done!
Honorable mentions - Fusenshoff (TEAM Events), The Sergeant (EPW), Jason Snow (PRIME, PTC Events), Eron the Relentless (CSWA), Bruce Richards (NAPW), Mike Randalls (TEAM Events)
Previous Winners
January: Dan Ryan (A1E, NFW)
February: Clinton Sage (FUSE, PTC Events)
March: Nova (NFW, PRIME)
April: Dan Ryan (2) (A1E, NEW, TEAM Events)
May: Big Dog (A1E)
June: Lindsay Troy (PRIME, EPW, NFW, TEAM Events)
July: Nova (2) (PRIME, TEAM Events, NFW)
August: Lindsay Troy (2) (PRIME, EPW, TEAM Events)
September: The Illustrious Face-Eater (PTC Events, PRIME)
October's WotM takes this award for an unprecdented third time in a year, and it's mainly for an event that happened in the CSWA. Hell is freezing over as we speak, now that Gold Rush is finished, and at the end we saw an AMAZING swerve with Gold Rush winner Troy Windham being challenged to a match... and defeated by this month's winner, Dan Ryan. He's the new UNIFIED Champion, adding that to the A1E World Championship he won last month. Congrats, Brunk, and let's hope there isn't another 18 months between CSDub cards ;)
This month's runner-up is Vivica J. Valentine. Valentine capped off her month in GCW with winning the Dangerous Games battle royale to claim the number one contendership to Lia Ambrosi's World Championship. Job well done!
Honorable mentions - Fusenshoff (TEAM Events), The Sergeant (EPW), Jason Snow (PRIME, PTC Events), Eron the Relentless (CSWA), Bruce Richards (NAPW), Mike Randalls (TEAM Events)
Previous Winners
January: Dan Ryan (A1E, NFW)
February: Clinton Sage (FUSE, PTC Events)
March: Nova (NFW, PRIME)
April: Dan Ryan (2) (A1E, NEW, TEAM Events)
May: Big Dog (A1E)
June: Lindsay Troy (PRIME, EPW, NFW, TEAM Events)
July: Nova (2) (PRIME, TEAM Events, NFW)
August: Lindsay Troy (2) (PRIME, EPW, TEAM Events)
September: The Illustrious Face-Eater (PTC Events, PRIME)
Sunday, July 23, 2006
You want old school?
This message goes out to EVERYONE, but...
It seems that the buzz on both EWN and especially on PTC is that people wanna go back to the old school. Back when RPing meant trash talking and not writing page after page of storyline stuff. I keep trying to say that there's a whole world out there dedicated to old school, where in their minds, time has stood still, right here at FW Central.
Well, if you guys really want to hit up the old school, there isn't any better time to do it than now. Chad Merritt and Sean Edmunds are giving out the chances of a lifetime in their respective feds, the granddaddy of them all, the CSWA and the newer school NEW. They're holding ALL COMERS WELCOME events with gold and shots at gold on the line. I hate to sound like a used car salesman, but that's right, you can walk right off the proverbial street and come away with a piece of CSWA gold or a shot at the NEW World Heavyweight Championship.
On the CSWA front, it was announced that the fed's landmark event, Anniversary would have only two matches, but these two matches would comprise of an event called the Gold Rush. The in-character description of this is that there's going to be five rings, set up so that there are four outer rings and one inner ring. It's basically going to look like the five on a die. In the middle ring, UNIFIED Champion Troy Windham stands alone. On the four outer rings, any and all comers will compete. In three of the outer rings, there will be the three CSWA singles Champions below the UNIFIED holder (Jericoholic Anonymous, Greensboro; Jay Phoenix, Presidential; Kin Hiroshi, United States). In the fourth ring, there will be no Champion. Now the winners of each battle royale in each of the outer rings will advance to the midle ring. In each of the three rings that has one of the secondary Champions, the winner will also come away with that title belt. In the ring with no Champion in it, the winner will receive a sort of "Money in the Bank" that he can use as a shot to ANY CSWA Championship if he doesn't succeed in the second part of the match.
Now, in that aforementioned second part of the match, it's a five-way dance amongst Windham and the four winners for the biggest prize in all of e-wrestling, the UNIFIED Championship, which represents not only the CSWA but about 50 other leagues from the old-school Prodigy days.
Does that sound tempting enough for you? No? You want something a little mor straightforward? Well then, have I got the solution for you!
NEW's BattleBRAWL, which is like their Royal Rumble, has opened entries to all-comers as well. If you win, you get a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship, currently held by Jonathan Marx. It'll be you vs. 29 other competitors, some of the best the FW world has to offer. Add that to the fact that Edmunds is a terriffic fedhead who's gotten some pretty big name talent from across the spectrum to compete for him. Not only does he have the FW elite, he's also got Kyle handling Turk, the LoC Underground Champion, there in the short term as well as Sean Williams, who you may know better as Seymour Almasy, Thanatos, Kenjiro Ito or Logic, handling a sumo named Ozeki.
And on top of that, Edmunds will be doing something that I think takes a lot of patience and passion for the game to do. He's going to a "live broadcast" of the BattleBRAWL results via an AIM chat room. He's set up seperate screen names for all of his announcers and he's going to do it like it's a real live wrestling show in a chat room. I think this is woth joining and following just for that.
Seriously folks, you can't go wrong entering either event. I know I'm going to have a ball with the Gold Rush, and I would be having one with BattleBRAWL, but I'm not participating. Why? Because I'm going to be in the NEW World Title match at BattleBRAWL. So there's another added bonus. If you win BattleBRAWL, there's a good chance you might be facing ME for the NEW World Championship, and I know there's more than a few of you out there who'd like to take me down a peg or two ;)
So if you really want to go old school and you want a chance to win some gold, try Gold Rush, BattleBRAWL, or what I strongly recommend, both! Trust me, you'll have a blast.
It seems that the buzz on both EWN and especially on PTC is that people wanna go back to the old school. Back when RPing meant trash talking and not writing page after page of storyline stuff. I keep trying to say that there's a whole world out there dedicated to old school, where in their minds, time has stood still, right here at FW Central.
Well, if you guys really want to hit up the old school, there isn't any better time to do it than now. Chad Merritt and Sean Edmunds are giving out the chances of a lifetime in their respective feds, the granddaddy of them all, the CSWA and the newer school NEW. They're holding ALL COMERS WELCOME events with gold and shots at gold on the line. I hate to sound like a used car salesman, but that's right, you can walk right off the proverbial street and come away with a piece of CSWA gold or a shot at the NEW World Heavyweight Championship.
On the CSWA front, it was announced that the fed's landmark event, Anniversary would have only two matches, but these two matches would comprise of an event called the Gold Rush. The in-character description of this is that there's going to be five rings, set up so that there are four outer rings and one inner ring. It's basically going to look like the five on a die. In the middle ring, UNIFIED Champion Troy Windham stands alone. On the four outer rings, any and all comers will compete. In three of the outer rings, there will be the three CSWA singles Champions below the UNIFIED holder (Jericoholic Anonymous, Greensboro; Jay Phoenix, Presidential; Kin Hiroshi, United States). In the fourth ring, there will be no Champion. Now the winners of each battle royale in each of the outer rings will advance to the midle ring. In each of the three rings that has one of the secondary Champions, the winner will also come away with that title belt. In the ring with no Champion in it, the winner will receive a sort of "Money in the Bank" that he can use as a shot to ANY CSWA Championship if he doesn't succeed in the second part of the match.
Now, in that aforementioned second part of the match, it's a five-way dance amongst Windham and the four winners for the biggest prize in all of e-wrestling, the UNIFIED Championship, which represents not only the CSWA but about 50 other leagues from the old-school Prodigy days.
Does that sound tempting enough for you? No? You want something a little mor straightforward? Well then, have I got the solution for you!
NEW's BattleBRAWL, which is like their Royal Rumble, has opened entries to all-comers as well. If you win, you get a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship, currently held by Jonathan Marx. It'll be you vs. 29 other competitors, some of the best the FW world has to offer. Add that to the fact that Edmunds is a terriffic fedhead who's gotten some pretty big name talent from across the spectrum to compete for him. Not only does he have the FW elite, he's also got Kyle handling Turk, the LoC Underground Champion, there in the short term as well as Sean Williams, who you may know better as Seymour Almasy, Thanatos, Kenjiro Ito or Logic, handling a sumo named Ozeki.
And on top of that, Edmunds will be doing something that I think takes a lot of patience and passion for the game to do. He's going to a "live broadcast" of the BattleBRAWL results via an AIM chat room. He's set up seperate screen names for all of his announcers and he's going to do it like it's a real live wrestling show in a chat room. I think this is woth joining and following just for that.
Seriously folks, you can't go wrong entering either event. I know I'm going to have a ball with the Gold Rush, and I would be having one with BattleBRAWL, but I'm not participating. Why? Because I'm going to be in the NEW World Title match at BattleBRAWL. So there's another added bonus. If you win BattleBRAWL, there's a good chance you might be facing ME for the NEW World Championship, and I know there's more than a few of you out there who'd like to take me down a peg or two ;)
So if you really want to go old school and you want a chance to win some gold, try Gold Rush, BattleBRAWL, or what I strongly recommend, both! Trust me, you'll have a blast.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
CSWA LIVES~! and a new league to cover
First things first, PRIMETIME POOLJAM from Miami is finally up. Chad posted a note in the CSWA fan forum explaining things, and hopefully, this at least leads to a semblance of a comeback with a degree of permanence.
The show itself was pretty good. The swerve at the end of the Randalls/TIMMAH~! match was pretty good, and HOLY CLUSTERFUCKAGE~! with the main event, lots and lots of stuff going on here. But one thing's for certain. Congratulations are in order for Kin Hiroshi on becoming the CSWA United States Champion! Good to see one of the underrated stars on the circuit get some recognition.
Also accompanying this was the debut edition of Versus, which is the proposed RP card. For now, it's just the RPs in the forum put together in show format, but hopefully, if they can get this thing running like they want it to, I think it'll actually be a great thing.
Finally in the queue today, New Alberta Pro Wrestling is the newest addition to the blog family of feds. They're not a brand new fed, but they are the first fed to get some play on here that isn't part of the A1/FW/ENN, EWN or PTC spheres of influence, although they do make great use of the FW front page. I actually checked them out, and they have some pretty good RPers, a good short-form results system going for them, and they're sending two guys to the ToC... D! and Ravager. So check 'em out if you get the chance, they get the thumbs up.
The show itself was pretty good. The swerve at the end of the Randalls/TIMMAH~! match was pretty good, and HOLY CLUSTERFUCKAGE~! with the main event, lots and lots of stuff going on here. But one thing's for certain. Congratulations are in order for Kin Hiroshi on becoming the CSWA United States Champion! Good to see one of the underrated stars on the circuit get some recognition.
Also accompanying this was the debut edition of Versus, which is the proposed RP card. For now, it's just the RPs in the forum put together in show format, but hopefully, if they can get this thing running like they want it to, I think it'll actually be a great thing.
Finally in the queue today, New Alberta Pro Wrestling is the newest addition to the blog family of feds. They're not a brand new fed, but they are the first fed to get some play on here that isn't part of the A1/FW/ENN, EWN or PTC spheres of influence, although they do make great use of the FW front page. I actually checked them out, and they have some pretty good RPers, a good short-form results system going for them, and they're sending two guys to the ToC... D! and Ravager. So check 'em out if you get the chance, they get the thumbs up.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
The CSWA's next rebirth
If there's a benchmark, at least the all-time benchmark, in the e-wrestling world, it's the CSWA. No matter how well Katz and JN continue to run NFW, no matter how much the folks in the PTC world promote PRIME, no matter how big the fWo was or even is, I truly think there isn't a more recognizable name across the board than the Grandfather fed. The name will certainly strike a chord with most knowledgable folks in the hobby, and when they open applications, they'll get people sending them in.
But while the prestige surrounding Greensboro is undeniable, it's also undeniable that their inactivity has hurt them over the past couple of years. It's also undeniable that the feds I mentioned in the previous paragraph have taken the spotlight away from Greensboro as the benchmark feds of the present. This is all nothing new, and it's been documented here and on OOC boards.
The solution to those lag problems has been documented here before as well; take the onus away from Chad and spread it around, a solution that Chad agrees with wholeheartedly. Therefore, he's pretty much taking the CSWA away from its roots and sending it into a more angle-fed direction. There will still be a distinct RP fed flavor to it, but I think it's clear to everyone that the way it's run now will lead to several more months of inactivity.
So what are these changes? How will they affect the way things are done in the CSWA?
The CSWA's transformation centers around changing the way RPing is done. Instead of in threads on the FW.com message boards, it will be done on special "RP cards." The name might make it seem nebulous, but it's really old-school (in terms of actual wrestling) and innovative at the same time (in terms of e-fedding).
Remember back in the day, when you had WWF Superstars or WCW Worldwide? They had a bunch of squash matches, promos and recaps. It was a day when the recap/squash show was a very important, because great matches were rarely ever given away on free TV, let alone every week on free TV like what is done today.
The RP card idea is like that. And to tell you the truth, it makes things a lot more realistic. Instead of promoing for a RAW/Nitro/SmackDown type show on a fantasy style TV network, you'd write your promos, or squash matches if you'd like, and they would be compiled on a recap style TV show that leads up to the next PRIMETIME or pay-per-view. There'd still be room for the traditional trash talk promos we see in the FW.com/A1 style e-feds, but (and this is where we start getting into angle fed territory) there'd be a lot more room for cooperation. Shows would also become more of a responsibility for the handlers to post and such, thus apparently solving the problem of the fed going on hiatus every time Chad goes out of town for business.
Now, here's the real meat of the post. Is this idea going to work?
Well, I wouldn't be throwing my support behind it if I didn't think it was a good idea, and I wouldn't be gung-ho about it if I didn't think it had a puncher's chance. I actually think that with the core of handlers we have in the CSWA now, were very much conducive for this kind of transformation. We have a lot of angle fedders (or at least guys who tried angle fedding or who are conducive to it) on the roster, and at the same time, we have some of the best trash talkers in the hobby on the roster too. I think if any other fed on FW.com was going to try this concept, it would be a mistake (except NFW, because they have a lot of angle fedders on board too).
But I also think that there are certain caveats too. Like relying too much on the non-bookers to get things done. Then again, at least one of the four bookers (Chad, Steve, GreggG, Pete) should be around. And if most of the heavy lifting is done by the roster, then their administrative duties should be easier to go through with.
I don't know how it will all turn out in the end, but I have to say I'm optimistic. And I do say, it's a far better plan than the one we've been going on for the last six months.
But while the prestige surrounding Greensboro is undeniable, it's also undeniable that their inactivity has hurt them over the past couple of years. It's also undeniable that the feds I mentioned in the previous paragraph have taken the spotlight away from Greensboro as the benchmark feds of the present. This is all nothing new, and it's been documented here and on OOC boards.
The solution to those lag problems has been documented here before as well; take the onus away from Chad and spread it around, a solution that Chad agrees with wholeheartedly. Therefore, he's pretty much taking the CSWA away from its roots and sending it into a more angle-fed direction. There will still be a distinct RP fed flavor to it, but I think it's clear to everyone that the way it's run now will lead to several more months of inactivity.
So what are these changes? How will they affect the way things are done in the CSWA?
The CSWA's transformation centers around changing the way RPing is done. Instead of in threads on the FW.com message boards, it will be done on special "RP cards." The name might make it seem nebulous, but it's really old-school (in terms of actual wrestling) and innovative at the same time (in terms of e-fedding).
Remember back in the day, when you had WWF Superstars or WCW Worldwide? They had a bunch of squash matches, promos and recaps. It was a day when the recap/squash show was a very important, because great matches were rarely ever given away on free TV, let alone every week on free TV like what is done today.
The RP card idea is like that. And to tell you the truth, it makes things a lot more realistic. Instead of promoing for a RAW/Nitro/SmackDown type show on a fantasy style TV network, you'd write your promos, or squash matches if you'd like, and they would be compiled on a recap style TV show that leads up to the next PRIMETIME or pay-per-view. There'd still be room for the traditional trash talk promos we see in the FW.com/A1 style e-feds, but (and this is where we start getting into angle fed territory) there'd be a lot more room for cooperation. Shows would also become more of a responsibility for the handlers to post and such, thus apparently solving the problem of the fed going on hiatus every time Chad goes out of town for business.
Now, here's the real meat of the post. Is this idea going to work?
Well, I wouldn't be throwing my support behind it if I didn't think it was a good idea, and I wouldn't be gung-ho about it if I didn't think it had a puncher's chance. I actually think that with the core of handlers we have in the CSWA now, were very much conducive for this kind of transformation. We have a lot of angle fedders (or at least guys who tried angle fedding or who are conducive to it) on the roster, and at the same time, we have some of the best trash talkers in the hobby on the roster too. I think if any other fed on FW.com was going to try this concept, it would be a mistake (except NFW, because they have a lot of angle fedders on board too).
But I also think that there are certain caveats too. Like relying too much on the non-bookers to get things done. Then again, at least one of the four bookers (Chad, Steve, GreggG, Pete) should be around. And if most of the heavy lifting is done by the roster, then their administrative duties should be easier to go through with.
I don't know how it will all turn out in the end, but I have to say I'm optimistic. And I do say, it's a far better plan than the one we've been going on for the last six months.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Thoughts on CSWA 17
Internet shittiness prevented me from reading CSWA 17 yesterday like I had planned, so I got to it today and read through it. It was a good-to-great show, befitting of being the company's top show all year.
The highlights (besides me winning the Greensboro Championship :p) were definitely teh two big matches: Ryan/Windham for the UNIFIED Championship and Flair/Hornet in the farewell match. Let's start with the latter.
To be honest, I was quite confused at the booking. Honestly, I thought Flair should have gone out on top, especially given that his last opponent was Hornet and not say, Alias or Steve Radder... someone who's on the brink of hitting the major big time in CS and who could have used a win like that for a gigantic rub. (and yes, I'm aware that Radder is a former CSWA Champion) Honestly though, it was still a compelling match and big props to the writers (Chad, Pete, or whoever wrote it if it wasn't you two).
The title match was everything I expected and more. And I'm also happy for Gregg that I didn't jinx him by picking him to win beforehand. Although I was a bit perturbed at the faceyness of Troy-diddy after Mark Windham came out. Troy, to me, is Jebus as an über-heel, and it doesn't set as well that he'd be the face in an encounter with big brother, but hey, the angle's just starting.
Ivy/Teri was fun, as was the Mattie Cundiff in a cage match. I'm also very interested to see who comes out of the fray as the Number One Contender in the next few weeks, especially seeing that Alias/Flyer was booked no-contest. I know they're building Windham2 again, but with that many high-caliber guys in the fed (Boogie Smallz, Hornet, SVJ, Alias, Flyer, maybe even Evan Aho? and of course, Dan Ryan), you know that the World Title scene will be unpredictable.
I was disappointed at who Vacant turned out to be, if only because of my unfamiliarity with fWo, which I may have to rectify seeing that I'm interested in joining.
All in all though, it was a solid card. One of the top three cards I was involved in this year, along with A1E Vengeance and EPW Russian Roulette.
Four and a half out of five stars.
The highlights (besides me winning the Greensboro Championship :p) were definitely teh two big matches: Ryan/Windham for the UNIFIED Championship and Flair/Hornet in the farewell match. Let's start with the latter.
To be honest, I was quite confused at the booking. Honestly, I thought Flair should have gone out on top, especially given that his last opponent was Hornet and not say, Alias or Steve Radder... someone who's on the brink of hitting the major big time in CS and who could have used a win like that for a gigantic rub. (and yes, I'm aware that Radder is a former CSWA Champion) Honestly though, it was still a compelling match and big props to the writers (Chad, Pete, or whoever wrote it if it wasn't you two).
The title match was everything I expected and more. And I'm also happy for Gregg that I didn't jinx him by picking him to win beforehand. Although I was a bit perturbed at the faceyness of Troy-diddy after Mark Windham came out. Troy, to me, is Jebus as an über-heel, and it doesn't set as well that he'd be the face in an encounter with big brother, but hey, the angle's just starting.
Ivy/Teri was fun, as was the Mattie Cundiff in a cage match. I'm also very interested to see who comes out of the fray as the Number One Contender in the next few weeks, especially seeing that Alias/Flyer was booked no-contest. I know they're building Windham2 again, but with that many high-caliber guys in the fed (Boogie Smallz, Hornet, SVJ, Alias, Flyer, maybe even Evan Aho? and of course, Dan Ryan), you know that the World Title scene will be unpredictable.
I was disappointed at who Vacant turned out to be, if only because of my unfamiliarity with fWo, which I may have to rectify seeing that I'm interested in joining.
All in all though, it was a solid card. One of the top three cards I was involved in this year, along with A1E Vengeance and EPW Russian Roulette.
Four and a half out of five stars.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
CSWA 17
CSWA's Anniversary show is in promos now. It's generally considered the biggest show on the oldest fed's calendar. I don't feel it yet, but that's because I'm relatively new to the whole FW circuit, but this is the sort of lynchpin to their whole reboot. New Presidential and UNIFIED World Champions, Eli Flair's retirement match against THAT DAMN HORNET, a fraudulent cancer patient in a cage, and of course, myself going for Greensboro gold.
But looking at the main event, I can't help but be reminded of A1E's biggest show last year, at least in the main event. A four-way World Championship match that's happening because the Champion vacated. Only this time, there's no facsimile for Torment, who was the A1E Champion going into Golden Dreams IV. The title very well might have been vacant.
I've come to grips with that after a long time. It's not Justin's fault that he was in the right place in the right time. But it doesn't really change the fact that there was no way he was making it out of that match the Champ. Even if there wasn't a distaste for his style at the time among the voters, from my observations, the voters in A1E respond to more than just the promos you put up. I'm a firm believer that Cross' A1E title reign was a clear sign of that. Not that he wasn't a deserving Champion, but there were political undercurrents that went into his defeating of Gladiator in my opinion, and once he went up against Euclid, who was pretty much not going to be denied the World Championship, well, it was all over.
And just like that, Torment was doomed from the start. But it was all for the best anyway. Ken Cloverleaf's title reign brought balance and stability to the A1E Title, and now this year, I'm getting my shot to take it at Golden Dreams with little controversy (knock on wood).
But enough about me and A1E.
There is a lot less turmoil surrounding the CS-Dub situation. Although Jason, much like Dave in A1E, had to vacate all his spots in e-fedding due to real life pressures, there wasn't an immediate question of succession, if only because the CSWA was somewhat dormant.
But now, Chad and Steve got the ship running again, and we're finally here at CSWA17. This Final Four is an intriguing lot, and it's pretty hard to handicap who's gonna come out with possibly the most prestigious belt in all the hobby. We have...
"Superstar" Vince Jacobs - No offense to SVJ's handler here, but I think this is the weakest link in the final four. I thought Boogie had him beat at the last PRIMETIME, but he's here and he's got a chance. I'm thinking though that he has to pull a really good effort out of his rear end to come out on top.
Vacant - He has an interesting enough gimmick, and I'm really interested to see who's behind the mask. However, I don't think he's gonna pull it out either.
To me, it's between Dan Ryan and Troy Windham. Both have had great tournaments so far, and both are CSWA lifers. Troy's got some more momentum behind him, but Ryan also has a built in storyline having been stripped of the CSWA title without ever losing it.
This match is too tough to call. Much like the A1E match last year was too tough to call. Last year, I thought James Irish was going to win, but it was Cloverleaf. So I guess whoever I pick this year will have my kiss of death, eh? But there's not stopping destiny.
So I'm sorry Gregg, but I'm picking Troy Windham to win this match. Hopefully for you, I'm less jinxy than last year.
But regardless of any outcome, CSWA 17 should be a great card. And who knows, maybe we'll get an ID on this hacker...
But looking at the main event, I can't help but be reminded of A1E's biggest show last year, at least in the main event. A four-way World Championship match that's happening because the Champion vacated. Only this time, there's no facsimile for Torment, who was the A1E Champion going into Golden Dreams IV. The title very well might have been vacant.
I've come to grips with that after a long time. It's not Justin's fault that he was in the right place in the right time. But it doesn't really change the fact that there was no way he was making it out of that match the Champ. Even if there wasn't a distaste for his style at the time among the voters, from my observations, the voters in A1E respond to more than just the promos you put up. I'm a firm believer that Cross' A1E title reign was a clear sign of that. Not that he wasn't a deserving Champion, but there were political undercurrents that went into his defeating of Gladiator in my opinion, and once he went up against Euclid, who was pretty much not going to be denied the World Championship, well, it was all over.
And just like that, Torment was doomed from the start. But it was all for the best anyway. Ken Cloverleaf's title reign brought balance and stability to the A1E Title, and now this year, I'm getting my shot to take it at Golden Dreams with little controversy (knock on wood).
But enough about me and A1E.
There is a lot less turmoil surrounding the CS-Dub situation. Although Jason, much like Dave in A1E, had to vacate all his spots in e-fedding due to real life pressures, there wasn't an immediate question of succession, if only because the CSWA was somewhat dormant.
But now, Chad and Steve got the ship running again, and we're finally here at CSWA17. This Final Four is an intriguing lot, and it's pretty hard to handicap who's gonna come out with possibly the most prestigious belt in all the hobby. We have...
"Superstar" Vince Jacobs - No offense to SVJ's handler here, but I think this is the weakest link in the final four. I thought Boogie had him beat at the last PRIMETIME, but he's here and he's got a chance. I'm thinking though that he has to pull a really good effort out of his rear end to come out on top.
Vacant - He has an interesting enough gimmick, and I'm really interested to see who's behind the mask. However, I don't think he's gonna pull it out either.
To me, it's between Dan Ryan and Troy Windham. Both have had great tournaments so far, and both are CSWA lifers. Troy's got some more momentum behind him, but Ryan also has a built in storyline having been stripped of the CSWA title without ever losing it.
This match is too tough to call. Much like the A1E match last year was too tough to call. Last year, I thought James Irish was going to win, but it was Cloverleaf. So I guess whoever I pick this year will have my kiss of death, eh? But there's not stopping destiny.
So I'm sorry Gregg, but I'm picking Troy Windham to win this match. Hopefully for you, I'm less jinxy than last year.
But regardless of any outcome, CSWA 17 should be a great card. And who knows, maybe we'll get an ID on this hacker...
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