All in all, I thought the A1 Draft was a success up through the end of the free agent period. There weren't very many flake-outs, people were generally enthused and it was a good time for most. Of course, there were bumps on the road, most specifically the handling of guys who were put back in the draft after their owners struck/dropped out for whatever reason. It's something that could easily be fixed for next year.
What I'm most disappointed in though is the lack of booking. I know that I'm partially to blame for that because I started my booking and never finished it. I think I got a little ambitious doing a whole four/five show arc. I do plan on finishing it one of these days just to get the spark going again, but the number of people who didn't even try to book their rosters really are the ones who I'm most bummed at. Maybe they couldn't book their cards cuz of time constraints, and that's understandable, but there were some really good rosters drafted, and also some really interesting/questionable ones that might have benefitted from creative booking.
Now, you may be wondering why three of the original teams were left out of the analysis. Those were mine, Fordyce's and James Irish's. Well, in good conscience, I couldn't objectively rate my draft because every pick, to me, made sense, so of course I'd give me an A+. Fordyce and James both dropped out and had incomplete drafts, so I couldn't rate them. I could probably have rated James' because he had 16 out of 18 picks completed, but really, it wouldn't have been the same.
You also might have read a lot of stuff about "reaches" and "steals," but I know things are all relative. To put it in perspective, I'm going to go with how I thought the first two rounds should have gone:
1. Spoiler
2. Freakfish
3. Housefly
4. Big Dog
5. Beast
6. Maggot
7. Euclid
8. Hida Yakamo
9. PILE
10. Mr. Hyde
11. Ken Cloverleaf
12. Dan Ryan
13. Professor Tremendous
14. Gladiator
15. Chip Friendly
16. Prisoner 187
17. Promo
18. Jericoholic Anonymous
19. Cross
20. Paco The Wetback
21. Sensational Steven Shane
22. Torment
23. James Irish
24. Lindsay Troy
25. Richard Farnswirth
26. Andrew Gilkison
As opposed to how it really went
1. Spoiler
2. Chip Friendly
3. Freakfish
4. Dan Ryan
5. Housefly
6. GUNS
7. Big Dog
8. Mr. Hyde
9. Euclid
10. Hida Yakamo
11. James Irish
12. Jericoholic Anonymous
13. Duchess
14. IrishRed
15. Beast
16. Richard Farnswirth
17. Professor Tremendous
18. Kodiak Vic Creed
19. Gladiator
20. Ken Cloverleaf
21. Maggot
22. Sensational Steven Shane
23. Prisoner 187
24. PILE
25. Freakshow
26. Andrew Gilkison
As you can see, a world of difference between what I thought should have happened and what really happened. I guess the other drafter's philosophies were different than mine, but hey, variety is the spice of life. All I know is, I got two first round caliber talents and a second round caliber one in my first three rounds, so that's why I'm happy with my draft.
Showing posts with label drafts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drafts. Show all posts
Thursday, November 03, 2005
A1 Draft Analysis, Part The Fifth
Last round of "team" breakdowns.
Jarret Aubry's Canadian Championship Wrestling Federation
Jericoholic Anonymous, Andrew Gilkison, Cross, Christian Sands, Chip Friendly*, Canadian Hitman, Canuck, Jogi Fresh*, Tariq Ismail, Mindkiller, Vladimir Vlachinko, Suicide, Johnny Morgan, Porter, Rob Sampson, Jared Justice, Tom Adler, El Tremendo*
Traded Away
Chip Friendly, Jogi Fresh, El Tremendo
Gotten in Return
Prisoner 187, BC Steele, Mikey F'n W
Free Agents
Craven, Kid Canada
Quite the draft haul for Mr. Beast here. A very solid draft all around.
Best Pick Cross is definitely the best pick here at the top of the third round. He's won the top two A1E titles and getting him in round 3 is a pretty good bargain.
Sleeper Picks Johnny Morgan was definitely my favorite UXW character ever and a very underrated, controversial character as well. Great pick where Jarret took him. Tom Adler is another fine pick, and I'm actually surprised Jarret knew who the hell he was ;)
Questionable Picks Well, never let it be known that I'm too much of an egomaniac, because taking Jericoholic Anonymous in the first round is not a very good choice. I'm a mark for myself as much as anyone is without becoming dangerously and Triple H-ly obsessed, but JA wasn't even my best character. Maggot was. I think Ken Cloverleaf would have been a better pick here, and I don't even think anyone would have objected to an ego-pick of Beast here either. Tariq Ismail is another guy taken just a bit too high. Good character, but hasn't really done anything of note yet (and now with Jeff retiring AGAIN, he probably won't), so a 9th round pick was a bit expensive on him.
Overall Grade B... One of the better drafts, a lot of value in many rounds. The lack of a credible A1E/MBE main eventer outside of Cross is made up by the strong upper mid-card/fringe main event A1 and main event FW guys taken at strategic spots.
Jon Boice's Trusted Warriors and Teammates
Duchess, IrishRed, Lindsay Troy, Craig Miles, Kanna Kirishima, Necromancer, Londonboy, Diva, Akiko Kanazawa, Vreck Stone, Druid, Jim Dandy, Jeffery Bellview, Donald James Havok, Quentin Beck IV, Benoitholic Anonymous, Suicidal Killer, Two
Free Agents
Allen Thomas, The Hummer Driver
Definitely an intriguing draft, especially after the shaky first two picks.
Best Pick The best pick in this draft happened in round 3 with Lindsay Troy. Thought she might have gone in round 2, but round 3's a very good round to get a former Triple Star and Cyber Champion in A1E, as well as a World Champion in the unofficial third A1 e-fed, EPW.
Sleeper Picks Definitely Craig Miles, who's a star on two circuits and even made an impact in the MBE Cup. Vreck Stone has always been a cult favorite of mine as well.
Questionable Picks Well, the Duchess/IrishRed sandwich picks were pretty out there, but it was already established that Jon had misunderstood what the draft concept was, so he gets a pass on those. Akiko Kanazawa might have been gotten a little later, and Jim Dandy probably would have lasted to free agency.
Overall Grade B-... Just based on how he set things up, it's a solid roster. No main eventers, but given the style of booking that was set forth, I don't think main eventers are needed.
Jarret Aubry's Canadian Championship Wrestling Federation
Jericoholic Anonymous, Andrew Gilkison, Cross, Christian Sands, Chip Friendly*, Canadian Hitman, Canuck, Jogi Fresh*, Tariq Ismail, Mindkiller, Vladimir Vlachinko, Suicide, Johnny Morgan, Porter, Rob Sampson, Jared Justice, Tom Adler, El Tremendo*
Traded Away
Chip Friendly, Jogi Fresh, El Tremendo
Gotten in Return
Prisoner 187, BC Steele, Mikey F'n W
Free Agents
Craven, Kid Canada
Quite the draft haul for Mr. Beast here. A very solid draft all around.
Best Pick Cross is definitely the best pick here at the top of the third round. He's won the top two A1E titles and getting him in round 3 is a pretty good bargain.
Sleeper Picks Johnny Morgan was definitely my favorite UXW character ever and a very underrated, controversial character as well. Great pick where Jarret took him. Tom Adler is another fine pick, and I'm actually surprised Jarret knew who the hell he was ;)
Questionable Picks Well, never let it be known that I'm too much of an egomaniac, because taking Jericoholic Anonymous in the first round is not a very good choice. I'm a mark for myself as much as anyone is without becoming dangerously and Triple H-ly obsessed, but JA wasn't even my best character. Maggot was. I think Ken Cloverleaf would have been a better pick here, and I don't even think anyone would have objected to an ego-pick of Beast here either. Tariq Ismail is another guy taken just a bit too high. Good character, but hasn't really done anything of note yet (and now with Jeff retiring AGAIN, he probably won't), so a 9th round pick was a bit expensive on him.
Overall Grade B... One of the better drafts, a lot of value in many rounds. The lack of a credible A1E/MBE main eventer outside of Cross is made up by the strong upper mid-card/fringe main event A1 and main event FW guys taken at strategic spots.
Jon Boice's Trusted Warriors and Teammates
Duchess, IrishRed, Lindsay Troy, Craig Miles, Kanna Kirishima, Necromancer, Londonboy, Diva, Akiko Kanazawa, Vreck Stone, Druid, Jim Dandy, Jeffery Bellview, Donald James Havok, Quentin Beck IV, Benoitholic Anonymous, Suicidal Killer, Two
Free Agents
Allen Thomas, The Hummer Driver
Definitely an intriguing draft, especially after the shaky first two picks.
Best Pick The best pick in this draft happened in round 3 with Lindsay Troy. Thought she might have gone in round 2, but round 3's a very good round to get a former Triple Star and Cyber Champion in A1E, as well as a World Champion in the unofficial third A1 e-fed, EPW.
Sleeper Picks Definitely Craig Miles, who's a star on two circuits and even made an impact in the MBE Cup. Vreck Stone has always been a cult favorite of mine as well.
Questionable Picks Well, the Duchess/IrishRed sandwich picks were pretty out there, but it was already established that Jon had misunderstood what the draft concept was, so he gets a pass on those. Akiko Kanazawa might have been gotten a little later, and Jim Dandy probably would have lasted to free agency.
Overall Grade B-... Just based on how he set things up, it's a solid roster. No main eventers, but given the style of booking that was set forth, I don't think main eventers are needed.
Monday, October 24, 2005
A1 Draft Analysis, Part FOURRRRRR(D)!
Brian Jenkins' Glass Ceiling Wrestling Federation
GUNS, Ken Cloverleaf, Paco the Wetback, Damon Blackburn, Shane Southern, Boogie Smallz, Mr. Incredible, Cain, Abel, Jean Rabesque, Adam Benjamin, Maelstrom, Reign, Nathan Houston, Scotty Michaels, Karl Brown, Max, Jecht
Free Agents
Copycat, Lethal Lex Taylor
Jenkins' draft was to FW as Lindz's was to the fWo. I guess they were right when they IMed me and told me they were in a competition to pick the most obscure characters out there...
Best Pick Definitely Ken Cloverleaf. The long-reigning A1E Champion should have gone in the first round, but due to some questionable picks, he fell. Smart pick to take him here.
Sleeper Picks I really like the Twins (Cain and Abel) and Blitz (Max and Jecht) here for his tag division. They were taken at the right spots too. The Twins were really underrated in MBE, and Blitz is taking care of business in the EPW tag scene. You could say it's because of lack of competition, but let's call a spade a spade here. They won the belt in a very tough match, and Karl's been doing good things with him. Paco in the third round is really, really good value as well.
Questionable Picks Perhaps the most questionable pick in the draft was the first round pick here... GUNS. Now, I don't know what Jenkins was thinking here. GUNS didn't make a great impact in A1E. Hell, I think he was more known for being in Stanton's bloc than anything else. He had a good CSWA run, but then again, he didn't go until the fifth round in the FW draft. Baffling, but hey, he's the guy Jenkins wants to anchor the fed. Still, he probably could have nabbed GUNS late and had another main event caliber A1er (Beast, Maggot, Hida, PILE) to go with the two he'd get in the next two rounds. Among his other FW picks, Rabesque and Benjamin were taken much too soon, especially considering they were both undrafted through ten rounds in the FW draft. And Nathan Houston... you know my feelings on NPCs.
Overall Grade C-... I was tempted to dip into the Ds here, but the fact that he drafted Cloverleaf and Paco and also has a good tag division to start gives more worth than a barely passing grade. The FW overload was a bit much though.
Shane G.'s Midwest Mafia
James Irish, Freakshow, Lady Rebellion, Xavier Storm, Ravage, DocAwesome, Meatbag, Tillrules, Lance Thunder, OuTLaW, Star Rider, Notamex, Eliminat0r, Heathen, Drifter, Torment
Free Agents
Chancewolf, Vulture
This was a draft of characters taken a round before they should have been.
Best Pick It's hard to say here, as each pick wasn't technically bad, but each pick was also a reach of a various degree, at least in the early rounds. I'll flip a coin though and say that DocAwesome presented good value in the sixth round. A very controversial character, which in wrestling, means he's a good character.
Sleeper Picks Tillrules in the eighth round was a minor steal. Till was always solid, and probably should have gone a tad bit earlier. Torment in the last round of course is a great steal, but this was a James Irish drop-out special.
Questionable Picks James Irish is a great character who should have been the A1E Champion last year at Golden Dreams. James Irish, however, is not a first round pick, though in the second, he would have been a great pick. Freakshow is a third to fourth round pick (I'd lean towards third). Xavier Storm, despite being an A1E Champion, was not worth a fifth round pick. X was the first Champion and he held the title for all of one week before dropping it. Plus it was back when the competition wasn't as stiff.
Overall Grade C+... judging by the players, this isn't the strongest field, but it's also not a crapfest. However, Red was one of the few who had booked his fed, and it shows that it's not just who you draft, but how you book them.
GUNS, Ken Cloverleaf, Paco the Wetback, Damon Blackburn, Shane Southern, Boogie Smallz, Mr. Incredible, Cain, Abel, Jean Rabesque, Adam Benjamin, Maelstrom, Reign, Nathan Houston, Scotty Michaels, Karl Brown, Max, Jecht
Free Agents
Copycat, Lethal Lex Taylor
Jenkins' draft was to FW as Lindz's was to the fWo. I guess they were right when they IMed me and told me they were in a competition to pick the most obscure characters out there...
Best Pick Definitely Ken Cloverleaf. The long-reigning A1E Champion should have gone in the first round, but due to some questionable picks, he fell. Smart pick to take him here.
Sleeper Picks I really like the Twins (Cain and Abel) and Blitz (Max and Jecht) here for his tag division. They were taken at the right spots too. The Twins were really underrated in MBE, and Blitz is taking care of business in the EPW tag scene. You could say it's because of lack of competition, but let's call a spade a spade here. They won the belt in a very tough match, and Karl's been doing good things with him. Paco in the third round is really, really good value as well.
Questionable Picks Perhaps the most questionable pick in the draft was the first round pick here... GUNS. Now, I don't know what Jenkins was thinking here. GUNS didn't make a great impact in A1E. Hell, I think he was more known for being in Stanton's bloc than anything else. He had a good CSWA run, but then again, he didn't go until the fifth round in the FW draft. Baffling, but hey, he's the guy Jenkins wants to anchor the fed. Still, he probably could have nabbed GUNS late and had another main event caliber A1er (Beast, Maggot, Hida, PILE) to go with the two he'd get in the next two rounds. Among his other FW picks, Rabesque and Benjamin were taken much too soon, especially considering they were both undrafted through ten rounds in the FW draft. And Nathan Houston... you know my feelings on NPCs.
Overall Grade C-... I was tempted to dip into the Ds here, but the fact that he drafted Cloverleaf and Paco and also has a good tag division to start gives more worth than a barely passing grade. The FW overload was a bit much though.
Shane G.'s Midwest Mafia
James Irish, Freakshow, Lady Rebellion, Xavier Storm, Ravage, DocAwesome, Meatbag, Tillrules, Lance Thunder, OuTLaW, Star Rider, Notamex, Eliminat0r, Heathen, Drifter, Torment
Free Agents
Chancewolf, Vulture
This was a draft of characters taken a round before they should have been.
Best Pick It's hard to say here, as each pick wasn't technically bad, but each pick was also a reach of a various degree, at least in the early rounds. I'll flip a coin though and say that DocAwesome presented good value in the sixth round. A very controversial character, which in wrestling, means he's a good character.
Sleeper Picks Tillrules in the eighth round was a minor steal. Till was always solid, and probably should have gone a tad bit earlier. Torment in the last round of course is a great steal, but this was a James Irish drop-out special.
Questionable Picks James Irish is a great character who should have been the A1E Champion last year at Golden Dreams. James Irish, however, is not a first round pick, though in the second, he would have been a great pick. Freakshow is a third to fourth round pick (I'd lean towards third). Xavier Storm, despite being an A1E Champion, was not worth a fifth round pick. X was the first Champion and he held the title for all of one week before dropping it. Plus it was back when the competition wasn't as stiff.
Overall Grade C+... judging by the players, this isn't the strongest field, but it's also not a crapfest. However, Red was one of the few who had booked his fed, and it shows that it's not just who you draft, but how you book them.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
A1 Draft Analysis, Part THRRRREEEEEEE~!
Dan West's Dan's Wrestling Company
Big Dog, Maggot, WhiteNoise, Snake*, Hayt*, Rat, Zer0, Eight, Atkins*, Cerebral, LuvGun, Captain Suleimon, Tyrone the Tidy Giant, Allworld, The Iron Duke, Mr. Buu, Chessmaster, Stinky Dead Trout*
Traded Away/Dumped
Snake, Hayt, Atkins, Stinky Dead Trout
Received in Return
Richard Farnswirth, El Tremendo, Pharaoh
Free Agents
The Artist, The Canadian Loonie, Tuss
All-around, this may be the best draft class in the bunch, and in the hands of a master booker as well.
Best Pick Nabbing Zer0 and Eight with the 7th and 8th round sandwich picks was an excellent move, especially with the run on tag teams going on. A solid, underrated team that would anchor any tag division.
Sleeper Picks Iron Duke as a wrestler is a pretty good steal in the late rounds. If Snake hadn't given up on him so easily, the Duke could have been a really good heel in A1E. In late rounds and as a wrestler, it's an excellent pick. Also, Maggot in the second round is a minor steal.
Questionable Picks WhiteNoise and Rat are very solid characters, don't get me wrong. I think, though, they were slight reaches where they were taken. Looking at the draft board and the trends of who was drafting which handlers, perhaps they weren't as bad as some other reaches.
Overall Grade A... easily the best draft of the bunch. Every pick and trade made sense.
Shane Carnes' Unbelievably Sensational Wrestling
Euclid, Prisoner 187*, Doc Silver, Dam Skippy, Leatherface, Torgo, Chameleon, Shane Weston, Kayafaber, BC Steele*, Big Wreck, Steve Savoy, JW Glenn, Jonathan Marx, Michael Cole, Sal Scantlin, The First, Mr. Hyde
Traded Away/Dumped
Prisoner 187, BC Steele
Received in Return
Chip Friendly, Jogi Fresh
Free Agents
none
Shane compiled a very strong main event, especially with the addition of Mr. Hyde in the last round thanks to James dropping out. However, after the main event...
Best Pick Prisoner 187 was a solid pick with the disclaimer that it was only Dan West's incarnation, and trading him for Chip Friendly wasn't a bad move either. Both are strong characters, although if we're only talking the DW incarnation, I'd rather have 187. However, when you factor in the rapid deterioration the character suffered under Fordyce's handling of him, Chip Friendly automatically is the better commodity.
Sleeper Picks Chameleon was always considerably underrated as a member of the Empire, a very effective heel. Getting him in the 7th round was a good pick. STeve Savoy and The First are also pretty solid late round selections. The First may very well end up as UCW's first Champion, so getting him in the next to last round is a steal.
Questionable Picks There are quite a few. First, how are you going to pick Shane Weston if you either aren't going to pick Tate or package a trade for him? Same with Big Wreck and Damon Blackburn. Breaking up tag teams like that is not a very good idea, especially with the latter when you pick the guy who didn't break out as a singles star. Doc Silver and Dam Skippy were both reaches, IMO. Kayafaber is a questionable pick in any draft in any round, considering his run as A1E Champion came when he booked himself into the match and Xavier Storm no-showed it, and furthermore, he never really defeneded the title either. Michael Cole is a pick that doesn't make sense unless you draft Jericoholic Anonymous as well.
Overall Grade C+... not a bad draft, but not really a good one either. The strong main event scene is counterbalanced by incomplete tag team scene. Hopefully Shane has something interesting to cobble a compelling tag team to challenge Torgo and Leatherface.
Big Dog, Maggot, WhiteNoise, Snake*, Hayt*, Rat, Zer0, Eight, Atkins*, Cerebral, LuvGun, Captain Suleimon, Tyrone the Tidy Giant, Allworld, The Iron Duke, Mr. Buu, Chessmaster, Stinky Dead Trout*
Traded Away/Dumped
Snake, Hayt, Atkins, Stinky Dead Trout
Received in Return
Richard Farnswirth, El Tremendo, Pharaoh
Free Agents
The Artist, The Canadian Loonie, Tuss
All-around, this may be the best draft class in the bunch, and in the hands of a master booker as well.
Best Pick Nabbing Zer0 and Eight with the 7th and 8th round sandwich picks was an excellent move, especially with the run on tag teams going on. A solid, underrated team that would anchor any tag division.
Sleeper Picks Iron Duke as a wrestler is a pretty good steal in the late rounds. If Snake hadn't given up on him so easily, the Duke could have been a really good heel in A1E. In late rounds and as a wrestler, it's an excellent pick. Also, Maggot in the second round is a minor steal.
Questionable Picks WhiteNoise and Rat are very solid characters, don't get me wrong. I think, though, they were slight reaches where they were taken. Looking at the draft board and the trends of who was drafting which handlers, perhaps they weren't as bad as some other reaches.
Overall Grade A... easily the best draft of the bunch. Every pick and trade made sense.
Shane Carnes' Unbelievably Sensational Wrestling
Euclid, Prisoner 187*, Doc Silver, Dam Skippy, Leatherface, Torgo, Chameleon, Shane Weston, Kayafaber, BC Steele*, Big Wreck, Steve Savoy, JW Glenn, Jonathan Marx, Michael Cole, Sal Scantlin, The First, Mr. Hyde
Traded Away/Dumped
Prisoner 187, BC Steele
Received in Return
Chip Friendly, Jogi Fresh
Free Agents
none
Shane compiled a very strong main event, especially with the addition of Mr. Hyde in the last round thanks to James dropping out. However, after the main event...
Best Pick Prisoner 187 was a solid pick with the disclaimer that it was only Dan West's incarnation, and trading him for Chip Friendly wasn't a bad move either. Both are strong characters, although if we're only talking the DW incarnation, I'd rather have 187. However, when you factor in the rapid deterioration the character suffered under Fordyce's handling of him, Chip Friendly automatically is the better commodity.
Sleeper Picks Chameleon was always considerably underrated as a member of the Empire, a very effective heel. Getting him in the 7th round was a good pick. STeve Savoy and The First are also pretty solid late round selections. The First may very well end up as UCW's first Champion, so getting him in the next to last round is a steal.
Questionable Picks There are quite a few. First, how are you going to pick Shane Weston if you either aren't going to pick Tate or package a trade for him? Same with Big Wreck and Damon Blackburn. Breaking up tag teams like that is not a very good idea, especially with the latter when you pick the guy who didn't break out as a singles star. Doc Silver and Dam Skippy were both reaches, IMO. Kayafaber is a questionable pick in any draft in any round, considering his run as A1E Champion came when he booked himself into the match and Xavier Storm no-showed it, and furthermore, he never really defeneded the title either. Michael Cole is a pick that doesn't make sense unless you draft Jericoholic Anonymous as well.
Overall Grade C+... not a bad draft, but not really a good one either. The strong main event scene is counterbalanced by incomplete tag team scene. Hopefully Shane has something interesting to cobble a compelling tag team to challenge Torgo and Leatherface.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
A1 Draft Analysis, Part Deux
Lindz' Silver and Gold Wrestling Federation
Dan Ryan, Kodiak Vic Creed, Joey Melton, Troy Windham, Eddy Love, Roderick McRatrick, Cameron Cruise, Dark Angel, Deacon, Mike Randalls, Alias, Sonny Silver, Rook Black, Dr. Curiosity, The Flying Frenchie, Ric Chronos, Rana Venenosa, Alex Creed
Free Agent
Codemaster, Coral Avalon
(no other additions or subtractions)
Well, this draft might have been a standout draft had it been an EWN or maybe even an FW draft. But as it stands right now it's.... curious to say the least (no pun intended)
Best Pick Roderick McRatrick, and I'm not just saying this to toot my own horn here. He was a good selection at the position he was taken.
Sleeper Picks Really, everyone, I guess, seeing that outside of Ryan, McRatrick, Melton and Cruise, none of these guys have seen the light of day in an A1 fed before they were picked in this draft.
Questionable Picks Really, everyone outside of Ryan, RMR, Melton and Cruise. I mean, it looks like Lindsay was just going for people she liked rather than people who'd win her the draft.
Overall Grade D... This was the A1 draft, not the overall e-wrestling draft. I'm familiar with all the names, but I'm betting you most voters won't be.
Justin Toner's North American Wrestling Alliance
Housefly, Gladiator, Nemesys, AJ Cirrus, Haven, Jack Gilkison, Cannibal, Cthulu, Alex Chavez, Jeff Bishop, Aussie B, El Niño, John Walker, Captain Liberty, Tommy Nero, Venom, The Iceman, Se7en
NAWA made no moves during or post draft.
A solid roster with some good tag teams and a strong main event program. Interesting to note that many of the characters taken here have sadistic streaks.
Best Pick Nemesys in the third round was an outstanding pick. One of A1E's founding fathers, and probably would have gone higher if not for frequent and prolonged hiatuses.
Sleeper Picks I guess Se7en, but only because it was a James Irish drop out of the draft special.
Questionable Picks Justin's 4th and 5th round picks, AJ Cirrus and Haven respectively, were probably taken a little higher than should have been. Cirrus might have been there in the 5th round, and Haven probably would have dropped to the middle rounds. Plus Haven without Torment is kind of a wasted pick. I'm not sure how much value he has outside of the confines of Anarchy.
Overall Grade C+. Nothing really jumping out, but nothing too bad either. Housefly/Gladiator is a proven main event program, and guys like Nemesys and JAck Gilkison should provide great fireworks in the midcard. Not so sure about the lower card though with guys like Venom and Tommy Nero.
Dan Ryan, Kodiak Vic Creed, Joey Melton, Troy Windham, Eddy Love, Roderick McRatrick, Cameron Cruise, Dark Angel, Deacon, Mike Randalls, Alias, Sonny Silver, Rook Black, Dr. Curiosity, The Flying Frenchie, Ric Chronos, Rana Venenosa, Alex Creed
Free Agent
Codemaster, Coral Avalon
(no other additions or subtractions)
Well, this draft might have been a standout draft had it been an EWN or maybe even an FW draft. But as it stands right now it's.... curious to say the least (no pun intended)
Best Pick Roderick McRatrick, and I'm not just saying this to toot my own horn here. He was a good selection at the position he was taken.
Sleeper Picks Really, everyone, I guess, seeing that outside of Ryan, McRatrick, Melton and Cruise, none of these guys have seen the light of day in an A1 fed before they were picked in this draft.
Questionable Picks Really, everyone outside of Ryan, RMR, Melton and Cruise. I mean, it looks like Lindsay was just going for people she liked rather than people who'd win her the draft.
Overall Grade D... This was the A1 draft, not the overall e-wrestling draft. I'm familiar with all the names, but I'm betting you most voters won't be.
Justin Toner's North American Wrestling Alliance
Housefly, Gladiator, Nemesys, AJ Cirrus, Haven, Jack Gilkison, Cannibal, Cthulu, Alex Chavez, Jeff Bishop, Aussie B, El Niño, John Walker, Captain Liberty, Tommy Nero, Venom, The Iceman, Se7en
NAWA made no moves during or post draft.
A solid roster with some good tag teams and a strong main event program. Interesting to note that many of the characters taken here have sadistic streaks.
Best Pick Nemesys in the third round was an outstanding pick. One of A1E's founding fathers, and probably would have gone higher if not for frequent and prolonged hiatuses.
Sleeper Picks I guess Se7en, but only because it was a James Irish drop out of the draft special.
Questionable Picks Justin's 4th and 5th round picks, AJ Cirrus and Haven respectively, were probably taken a little higher than should have been. Cirrus might have been there in the 5th round, and Haven probably would have dropped to the middle rounds. Plus Haven without Torment is kind of a wasted pick. I'm not sure how much value he has outside of the confines of Anarchy.
Overall Grade C+. Nothing really jumping out, but nothing too bad either. Housefly/Gladiator is a proven main event program, and guys like Nemesys and JAck Gilkison should provide great fireworks in the midcard. Not so sure about the lower card though with guys like Venom and Tommy Nero.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
A1 Draft Analysis: Part 1~!
Well, I was going to wait 'til all the bookings were done, but that might take too long. I'm just going to analyze each roster (except for my own) two at a time. That's 10 rosters, so five entries devoted to this draft. I may do a blanket entry on the booking when it all gets done.
Anyway, might as well start with the first overall pick...
Andrew Gilkison's Asshole Wrestling Federation (wrestlers listed in order of drafting)
Spoiler, Beast, Mr. Amazing!, BobbyR, Mikey F'n W*, The Canadian Loonie*, dumi, Eddie Weston, Lucifer, Jack Blade, The Hitman, Zeno, Pantera, Sky O'Brian, The Tick, Marty Mirumoto, Heather Locke, Guerilla
Traded Away
Mikey F'n W, The Canadian Loonie
Received in Return
Atkins, Tornado DDT
Free Agents
Blitzkrieg, Juen Lee
One look at the AWF roster and it's Holy Old Skool MBE, Batman! He totally picked up many of the founding fathers of the elder A1 fed. He also has quite a few new-school A1E types on the roster too. It's an interesting mix to say the least.
Best Pick It's easy to say it was Spoiler, seeing that AWF was the first overall selection and Spoiler is a no-brainer. However, the best pick of the AWF draft was Beast. Andy got very lucky that Beast dropped where he did, thanks to some questionable first round picks (GUNS? Duchess? Irish Red?) Still, he should be commended for stopping the most egregious of drops in this draft. Beast should have been first round talent, but hey, never look a gift horse in the mouth, eh?
Sleeper Picks Probably getting Guerilla in the 18th round, but that shouldn't count since it was only because James Irish dropped out.
Questionable Picks Where to begin... For one, I think Mr. Amazing! in the third round was a bit of a reach, especially with some former A1E and MBE Champions still on the board. No doubt that Mr. A!'s handler played a major role, and he was an integral part in early MBE as well as in the A1 run as an NPC, but I think the third round ahead of Paco the Wetback, Promo, Snake and Nemesys is pushing it a little. I also don't see the logic in drafting Sky O'Brian at all. Hell, I really don't see the logic in drafting announcers at all. And having Heather Locke and not Housefly on the roster doesn't make any sense to me. It's like drafting Lollipop and not JA or Jessica adn not Beast.
Overall Grade C... it's a solid roster, but it has some glaring holes, especially on the low card. Spoiler/Beast is an AWESOME main event feud, but where are the tag teams?
Jeff Paternostro's World Wrestling Collective (wrestlers listed in order of drafting)
Freakfish, Professor Tremendous, Slambo the Clown, The Great Yamada, Tornado DDT*, Mr. CATV, FATSEXY, Webweaver, Felix Red, Akira Otsuka, Justin Evitable, David Spoiler*, Wong Fei Hung II, Hornet, Lucky, SupTool, Dr. Phantasmo, The Idiot Fan
Cut/Traded Away
Tornado DDT, David Spoiler, Mr. Morality#
Received in Return
The Behemoths (Mammoth and Mastodon Monroe)
Free Agents
Saigon Cinnamon, Beau Michaels-Cruise
This roster moreso than Andy's is MBE heavy, probably the most MBE heavy in the draft. There is a good smattering of FW talent here too, including THAT DAMN HORNET~~!!
Best Pick No doubt, it's Webweaver, who could be the steal of the draft here. There's no reason a multiple time MBE North American Champion should slip to round 8 like that outside of OOC polarization. Web can be a bit cancerous in any locker room as a handler, plus his loony tendencies on the A1 boards themselves may polarize some, but we're not drafting handlers, just characters.
Sleeper Picks Felix Red is probably the breakout star in NFW East this season, so getting him was a boon. Hornet going that late is almost criminal in comparison to some of the early round FW picks. Probably the brightest star over at FW in its history as a circuit, Hornet went in the 14th round. In comparison, Troy Windham went in round 4, Joey Melton in round 3 and GUNS in round 1.
Questionable Picks First, Wong Fei Hung II probably should have gone in free agency. New character that has cut all of one promo. Interesting character, mind you, but would have been there after the draft was over. Slambo the Clown in round 3 might have been a reach. In the incarnation drafted, Slambo is a Cyber Champion and almost won Pier Six in 2005, but I'm not sure he should have gone ahead of Nemesys, Promo, Bobby R, Snake or Paco. Also not a fan of drafting NPCs/announcers, so I guess I have to mention Dr. Phantasmo here too.
Overall Grade B+ Solid draft, a little weak in the main event outside of Double F and possibly Hornet, but a great cast of upper midcarders and entertaining personalities.
* drafted but no longer on roster
# picked up after draft but waived shortly thereafter
Anyway, might as well start with the first overall pick...
Andrew Gilkison's Asshole Wrestling Federation (wrestlers listed in order of drafting)
Spoiler, Beast, Mr. Amazing!, BobbyR, Mikey F'n W*, The Canadian Loonie*, dumi, Eddie Weston, Lucifer, Jack Blade, The Hitman, Zeno, Pantera, Sky O'Brian, The Tick, Marty Mirumoto, Heather Locke, Guerilla
Traded Away
Mikey F'n W, The Canadian Loonie
Received in Return
Atkins, Tornado DDT
Free Agents
Blitzkrieg, Juen Lee
One look at the AWF roster and it's Holy Old Skool MBE, Batman! He totally picked up many of the founding fathers of the elder A1 fed. He also has quite a few new-school A1E types on the roster too. It's an interesting mix to say the least.
Best Pick It's easy to say it was Spoiler, seeing that AWF was the first overall selection and Spoiler is a no-brainer. However, the best pick of the AWF draft was Beast. Andy got very lucky that Beast dropped where he did, thanks to some questionable first round picks (GUNS? Duchess? Irish Red?) Still, he should be commended for stopping the most egregious of drops in this draft. Beast should have been first round talent, but hey, never look a gift horse in the mouth, eh?
Sleeper Picks Probably getting Guerilla in the 18th round, but that shouldn't count since it was only because James Irish dropped out.
Questionable Picks Where to begin... For one, I think Mr. Amazing! in the third round was a bit of a reach, especially with some former A1E and MBE Champions still on the board. No doubt that Mr. A!'s handler played a major role, and he was an integral part in early MBE as well as in the A1 run as an NPC, but I think the third round ahead of Paco the Wetback, Promo, Snake and Nemesys is pushing it a little. I also don't see the logic in drafting Sky O'Brian at all. Hell, I really don't see the logic in drafting announcers at all. And having Heather Locke and not Housefly on the roster doesn't make any sense to me. It's like drafting Lollipop and not JA or Jessica adn not Beast.
Overall Grade C... it's a solid roster, but it has some glaring holes, especially on the low card. Spoiler/Beast is an AWESOME main event feud, but where are the tag teams?
Jeff Paternostro's World Wrestling Collective (wrestlers listed in order of drafting)
Freakfish, Professor Tremendous, Slambo the Clown, The Great Yamada, Tornado DDT*, Mr. CATV, FATSEXY, Webweaver, Felix Red, Akira Otsuka, Justin Evitable, David Spoiler*, Wong Fei Hung II, Hornet, Lucky, SupTool, Dr. Phantasmo, The Idiot Fan
Cut/Traded Away
Tornado DDT, David Spoiler, Mr. Morality#
Received in Return
The Behemoths (Mammoth and Mastodon Monroe)
Free Agents
Saigon Cinnamon, Beau Michaels-Cruise
This roster moreso than Andy's is MBE heavy, probably the most MBE heavy in the draft. There is a good smattering of FW talent here too, including THAT DAMN HORNET~~!!
Best Pick No doubt, it's Webweaver, who could be the steal of the draft here. There's no reason a multiple time MBE North American Champion should slip to round 8 like that outside of OOC polarization. Web can be a bit cancerous in any locker room as a handler, plus his loony tendencies on the A1 boards themselves may polarize some, but we're not drafting handlers, just characters.
Sleeper Picks Felix Red is probably the breakout star in NFW East this season, so getting him was a boon. Hornet going that late is almost criminal in comparison to some of the early round FW picks. Probably the brightest star over at FW in its history as a circuit, Hornet went in the 14th round. In comparison, Troy Windham went in round 4, Joey Melton in round 3 and GUNS in round 1.
Questionable Picks First, Wong Fei Hung II probably should have gone in free agency. New character that has cut all of one promo. Interesting character, mind you, but would have been there after the draft was over. Slambo the Clown in round 3 might have been a reach. In the incarnation drafted, Slambo is a Cyber Champion and almost won Pier Six in 2005, but I'm not sure he should have gone ahead of Nemesys, Promo, Bobby R, Snake or Paco. Also not a fan of drafting NPCs/announcers, so I guess I have to mention Dr. Phantasmo here too.
Overall Grade B+ Solid draft, a little weak in the main event outside of Double F and possibly Hornet, but a great cast of upper midcarders and entertaining personalities.
* drafted but no longer on roster
# picked up after draft but waived shortly thereafter
Friday, September 09, 2005
An apology, and some notes on the drafts
First off, I'd like to apologize for posting an AIM conversation on here without the express consent of Katz. That wasn't cool.
I still stand by my thoughts on NFW West though.
Anyhoo...
The FW draft is in the booking stage right now. I will have analysis on that as soon as people get their booking posts up. That may take awhile, especially if people are being as thorough as I am with mine. I'd have to say though, I wish it would have gone on for a few more rounds, even with all the strike-outs, but thus is life. I'm guessing it will be a long while before something of that magnitude is tried on FW again.
Although I may take it upon myself to do it on A1 this time next year, seeing that Lindz is burned out on running it from all the complaining.
Speaking of the A1 draft, it's in the free agent phase right now. I picked up some announcers. You might have heard of them: Lamont Hollywood and Kerry O'Connor. I figured my roster was strong enough that I didn't need to add anymore wrestlers to it.
I still stand by my thoughts on NFW West though.
Anyhoo...
The FW draft is in the booking stage right now. I will have analysis on that as soon as people get their booking posts up. That may take awhile, especially if people are being as thorough as I am with mine. I'd have to say though, I wish it would have gone on for a few more rounds, even with all the strike-outs, but thus is life. I'm guessing it will be a long while before something of that magnitude is tried on FW again.
Although I may take it upon myself to do it on A1 this time next year, seeing that Lindz is burned out on running it from all the complaining.
Speaking of the A1 draft, it's in the free agent phase right now. I picked up some announcers. You might have heard of them: Lamont Hollywood and Kerry O'Connor. I figured my roster was strong enough that I didn't need to add anymore wrestlers to it.
Saturday, September 03, 2005
The Abortion That Was the FW Draft
I think the draft over at FW is completed now. Now, if it had gone the way it should have, then I'd have complete analysis for you here.
But really, it fell apart before it really ever got started. I don't know how many people ended up striking out. People were missing picks all over the place. Katz had to shorten it to 10 rounds unless people wanted to continue, but no one who was left outside of myself or Tom Siegel actually voiced any opinion on the matter.
It's just a microcosm of the way things are at FW. Only a few people really care about anything. Everyone else is just along for the ride.
Is it a shame? Yeah, but really you can't get too worked up over it. It's a hobby, you do it for fun.
Still, it's not fun when other people who say they're going to be there aren't.
The A1 Draft is still going. It's losing a little steam, but we made it to the 16th and 17th rounds before it started showing any signs of sluggishness. I mean, why is it that way? You'd think that a site totally dedicated to e-fedding would have more people gung-ho about an e-fedding thing.
But I guess not. I mean, I saw the same thing with TEAM. Those the most eager to help me out were the MBE and A1E faithful. I got some support from the usual suspects at FW (Paul Miller, Gregg G, Brunk, Siegel, CS), but for the most part, it was pulling teeth trying to get people to respond or even get interested.
It's something you live with though.
At least I'll have full analysis for the A1 Draft. That's turning out to be quite interesting, if I say so myself.
But really, it fell apart before it really ever got started. I don't know how many people ended up striking out. People were missing picks all over the place. Katz had to shorten it to 10 rounds unless people wanted to continue, but no one who was left outside of myself or Tom Siegel actually voiced any opinion on the matter.
It's just a microcosm of the way things are at FW. Only a few people really care about anything. Everyone else is just along for the ride.
Is it a shame? Yeah, but really you can't get too worked up over it. It's a hobby, you do it for fun.
Still, it's not fun when other people who say they're going to be there aren't.
The A1 Draft is still going. It's losing a little steam, but we made it to the 16th and 17th rounds before it started showing any signs of sluggishness. I mean, why is it that way? You'd think that a site totally dedicated to e-fedding would have more people gung-ho about an e-fedding thing.
But I guess not. I mean, I saw the same thing with TEAM. Those the most eager to help me out were the MBE and A1E faithful. I got some support from the usual suspects at FW (Paul Miller, Gregg G, Brunk, Siegel, CS), but for the most part, it was pulling teeth trying to get people to respond or even get interested.
It's something you live with though.
At least I'll have full analysis for the A1 Draft. That's turning out to be quite interesting, if I say so myself.
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