Let's Book A Wrestling Promotion! (TEW 2013)

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > The Hammer House: Stinger Splash Zone > Let's Book A Wrestling Promotion! (TEW 2013)

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

I'm 100% down for a new TEW thread

# ¿ May 11, 2020 09:19

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 18, 2024 18:46

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

I'm excited to hear what the OP's concept is for the game! I had a ton of fun in the MNW thread back in the day and was sad when the Summer Of Punk thread died before its time.

# ¿ May 14, 2020 06:04

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

Hiram posted:

Yes! I actually found a great database that is updated up to June 2019 with over 5,000 workers and from what I've seen so far it looks to be about 50 really fleshed out companies.

June 2019, eh...

____

WWE is only a couple of months removed from the success of Wrestlemania 35, where Kofimania Ran Wild, Seth Rollins became The Beastslayer, and Becky Twobelts was crowned through her slightly-botched main event victory over Charlotte Flair AND Ronda Rousey. Since that event they have struggled to capitalize on their momentum - Lacey Evan's push is dying on the vine as they try to make her seem like a threat to Becky, Becky has already lost her second belt to Charlotte who then lost it to Bayley, Baron Corbin's feud with Seth Rollins is a ratings disaster despite the efforts to push Seth and Becky together as Wrestling's ultimate Power Couple, and Kevin Owen's feud with Kofi is derailed by a great big elephant in the room: the upcoming Super Showdown event in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Talent are bitterly divided on wanting to participate in this event after the murder of US Journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents. John Cena and Daniel Bryan refuse to be involved, WWE management pitches the country's first ever women's match and is shot down (a very bad look so soon after their loud self-congratulations on letting women main event Wrestlemania), Aliester Black is denied the chance to participate because of the religious symbolism of his tattoo's, Sami Zayn refuses to be involved because during a prior show he was banned by the Saudi government due to his Syrian heritage, and Kevin Owens refuses in solidarity with his friend, demanding a rapid rewrite of the WWE title feud. The entire card is put into dramatic flux because of this event when it was hardly stable beforehand, and on top of all this the main event match of Goldberg vs The Undertaker would be a disaster in which both men's lives seemed to be at serious risk during certain moves to their ages and physical condition. This event would later be voted Worst Wrestling Event of 2019, and its sudden rewrites and general bad buzz would reverberate into the incredibly milquetoast Stomping Grounds PPV a few weeks later, leaving this to be one of WWE's worst months of content in many years.

If some kind of disaster WERE to strike the company, there would never be a worse time than right now...

___

While WWE is coming apart at the seams, its developmental brand NXT is reaching an in-ring zenith, but there are worrying signs on the fringes. While the final climax of the lengthy DIY Breakup Storyline was sadly curtailed by Tomasso Ciampa's need for neck surgery, the substitute feud of NXT Champion Johnny Gargano vs Adam Cole is running red hot on the sheer level of in-ring talent. Their first match was rated 5.5 out of 5 Stars by Dave Meltzer, and this month they'll meet again at NXT Takeover XXV, coming up only slightly short of their previous performance's quality. But below the Main Event level, the brand is struggling. North American Champion Velveteen Dream feels directionless despite his fan-favorite status and a feud with returning fan-favorite Tyler Breeze. The Tag Division is in turmoil because of the sudden main roster callup of Tag Champs the War Raiders (now know as The Viking Experience :stare:

). Shayna Bazler's complete, smothering domination of the women's division peaks with a clean submission victory of red-hot Arguably Best Wrestler Of Any Gender On The Planet Io Shirai. There are red flags everywhere, but the talent is so good and they've earned so much fan goodwill most people haven't noticed... yet.
___

While Titan Towers foundations and support beams rot before our eyes, US wrestling history is truly being made OUTSIDE of WWE for the first time since the Monday Night Wars: All Elite Wrestling is just over one week removed from their first ever Pay Per View event, Double or Nothing in Las Vegas Nevada, and it was not only a success, but one which destroyed even the most optimistic industry expectations. Ticket demand outstripped all but a handful of live events of ANY kind in RECORDED BOX OFFICE HISTORY. It garnered the highest PPV buyrate in wrestling history outside of WWE since the Monday Night Wars ended. It received universal Critical Praise from top to bottom, being compared to legendary events like WCW/AAA Worlds Collide or ECW Heatwave '98. Cody Rhodes and Tony Khan have fired the first shot of a new Wrestling War, and now the hype is building for the launch of their weekly TV series, AEW Dynamite on TNT, coming in October. With the crowning of GOAT candidate Chris Jericho as their inaugural champion, the surprise reveal of World's Hottest Free Agent Jon Moxley during the event's finale, and the presence of some of the best talent the current generation has to offer from Kenny Omega to the Lucha Brothers in their locker room, the only question now is if they can keep their company hot for five long months until their TV debut.
___

AEW may be soaring, but not everyone can take joy in it, most especially the beleaguered Ring of Honor. Their refusal to be officially involved in Cody Rhode's original "All In," event followed by its subsequent success and the exodus of many top talents to the nascent AEW has made their management look like ignorant fools. This black eye to the company's reputation would only be compounded two months ago, at what should have been their greatest triumph, and the dawn of a new age for ROH: G1 Supercard at Madison Square Garden. It was the first wrestling show since the founding of the WWWF to be held there without a McMahon in charge, and it would prove to be an embarrassment. Every ROH angle and match was derided by the live audience and critically panned by the larger industry, squandering the biggest stage the company had ever held. They only looked worse because the presence of brilliant performances and storylines from the top talent of NJPW. The crowning of new champion Matt Taven was met with indifference, and that indifference has led to cratering buyrates, ticket sales and streaming service subscription numbers. Their recently launched Women of Honor division has been plagued with scandal and negative reception. Internal discontent over creative struggles and lack of concern for talent health are only a few months away from boiling over. Even the presence of The Villain Marty Scurll, one of the biggest stars in Indy Wrestling, is hardly a positive because all anyone wants to talk about is when his contract runs out so he can go to AEW. This month's "Best In The World," PPV, headlined by Taven vs Jeff Cobb, and it is a show best described as "forgettable."
___

While life bleeds out of ROH, the cockroach of wrestling, Impact, stubbornly clings to it. Downgraded ( :stare:

) from PopTV to Pursuit, a premium cable channel geared toward hunting and fishing, Impact began simulcasting its show on Twitch in December. Despite this new low, incredibly, the former TNA seems to be on an upward swing, if only because they've found some tiny scrap of stability. Ever the refuge for the discarded, untouchable or unappreciated from other promotions, Impact Wrestling is currently headlined by Brian "A MACHINE," Cage, who's lengthy title run has been very well received by the people actually watching, and a bevy of other talents its almost shocking would agree to be there, perhaps most notably the new LAX, Santanna and Ortiz, who's feuds in the tag division have been catching a lot of eyes. Impact has used every trick it can conjour to squeeze blood from its long-suffering stone, from throwing money at aging ECW alums to plotting a high-profile Intergender match between Tessa Blanchard and Sami Callihan which may or may not be part of some insane long-term booking stunt, and drat if there is not some small amount of buzz for July's Slammiversary 2019 Pay Per View event, headlined by a title defense between Cage and Unlikable... sorry, that's UNBREAKABLE Mike Elgin. poo poo, they even had the audacity to launch their own Impact Plus streaming service last month. Will they gently caress this positive momentum up? I mean, probably, its Impact...
___

And while the deathless shambles onward, life finds a way on the Indy Circuit. Major League Wrestling will run its biggest event yet on the 1st of this month, the culmination of two years of steady growth and carefully controlled ambitions. Fury Road 2019 will be headlined by MLW Champion Teddy Hart defending against Jimmy Havoc, and Mance Warner vs Sami Callihan in a Loser Leave MLW Match. Pro Wrestling Guerrilla is one month removed from Mystery Vortex VI, which was heralded as a show on a similar level to a BOLA final and main evented by Joey Janela vs Darby Allin in a Guerrilla Warfare match. And oh-so-quietly, Billy Corgan's National Wrestling Alliance, capitalizing on the success of Nick Aldis' "Aldis Crusade," title defenses, their "Ten Pounds of Gold," webseries, and most importantly the attention they received through their association with the "All In," event, is preparing for next month. In July they deliver the biggest news they've been a part of since Shane Douglas launched ECW off their backs: their reorganization as a formal Wrestling Promotion through the youtube series NWA Powerr.

Is American Indy Wrestling doomed with the advent of AEW taking its biggest names mainstream, WWE and NXT's continual vacuuming of talent, Impact's apparent resurgence, ROH's potential death throes and the biggest names on the scene aiming higher than they've ever aimed? Or are they on the cusp of a new golden age the likes of which haven't been seen since CM Punk, Samoa Joe and Brian Danielson ruled the bingo halls?

(I could do more of these for Japan, Mexico and the UK but this took a lot of effort, so I'll wait)

# ¿ May 18, 2020 04:27

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

I Before E posted:

Unless PWG gets some sort of weekly show, they're playing very differently from every other team because they have like one event a month. I guess that could work, especially if a team is more interested in writing one really good monthly event than doing weeks of promos and build, but it depends on how the team decides to emulate PWG's Twitter-based announcement model. The PWG team dropping in with a bunch of exciting announced matches every few in game weeks would be a really fun touch.

I wanted to put more "important," indies like CZW, but finding info on them was hard.

# ¿ May 18, 2020 05:13

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

karmicknight posted:

If PWG were to maintain the regular business model there should be some way of maintaining the "yeah sure, you can work a PWG weekend" deal, which should be relatively do-able if goons control most of the "major" promotions.

CZW as an "important" indie in 2019???

Hey, they're 4th on the List Of Indies in the Indy thread title!

# ¿ May 18, 2020 06:04

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

I Before E posted:

Either way, since we've narrowed down the set of promotions we're using...

Have we? I just did the list of the most obvious US promotions because I didn't want to spend another 2-3 hours on an even longer post. If WWE went completely extinct, one would have to consider New Japan and AAA would probably want to try moving into the power vacuum to challenge AEW and the rest of the american scene for dominance in the American market. CMLL could then in turn try and seize Mexican wrestling by the throat while AAA has its attention and resources divided, just as other big or ambitious promotions like NOAH, All Japan, Wrestle-1 or Dragon Gate might seek to expand in Japan while NJPW is looking to foreign shores.

The collapse of WWE would also have a profound impact on the British market and Women's Wrestling. NXT UK decimated the British Indy scene, and that in turn has allowed the strongest survivor, RevPro, to extend virtual dominance over the market through their partnership with New Japan. If WWE died, Progress and ICW would see their de facto subsumation by NXTUK end, and that would be a serious threat to RevPro, not to mention the revived World of Sport could see a flood of talent which might justify them getting a second season of TV.

As for women's wrestling, WWE dying AFTER Mania 35 means the possibility of a Women's Wrestling Renaissance, in which an all-women company could rise to dominance through the sudden availability of superstar talent. AEW couldn't afford to vacuum up ALL the major women's talent since they have a lot of other pots on the burners, and that means that some of the biggest women stars would have to ask themselves if they are better off trying to succeed in a division ROH has botched at every turn, a division Impact has occasionally treated well but comes with the price of risking working for Impact, or if they want to take a chance of being the one to spearhead an All Women Company to superstar status. If a Tony Khan-esque Money Mark roll the bones on making Stardom, Shimmer, or Pro Wrestling Eve a Serious Thing, they could take the fight to any other promotion on earth with a star like Becky, Charlotte or Ronda at the head.

# ¿ May 18, 2020 07:18

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

Hiram posted:

Yeah, I think we've settled on promotions. I updated the OP with new info. And I hope you don't mind, Sanguinia, but I quoted your write up in the OP. It was really good.

No problem! If you want I can do a little something for New Japan and add on to what you put out for Shimmer and AAA to complete the post tomorrow. I have to do Warcraft Things tonight. Also might want to delete the bit about NWA if they're not going to be a playable faction.

Poor Nick Aldis. :qq:

# ¿ May 18, 2020 07:33

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

I have created a More-final Draft of my other Effort Post describing the State Of Affairs In Wrestling 2019. Here is a Doc's link so I don't eat up another giant chunk of page.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rAMwUo0fa1KGCJD6v5YZv8j46Xj23R0SCvErayHLFyQ/edit?usp=sharing

Hiram, feel free to use that in the OP should you so desire. It might also be wise to start a new thread for the actual game once we're done setting everything up here.

As for myself, I would be very interested in running World of Stardom and trying to take on everyone else in the race to take WWE's place with an All-Girls Fed.

I thought about doing Shimmer, but Stardom has cooler title belt names.

# ¿ May 19, 2020 04:22

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

*checks the op*

Ahh, my previous paragraph formatting! :qq:

# ¿ May 19, 2020 04:37

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

RealFoxy posted:

This would've been the perfect time to have just merged NJPW and STARDOM since they're owned by the same company now. but too many people have signed up for one or the other and probably don't have much interest in writing for the other brands.

If you want oddball stuff with an existing roster/legacy, GCW runs all sorts of different types of stuff by association like Joey Janella's Spring Break, Tournament of Survival and the Backyard Wrestling BBQ they ran last year or what could've been Effy's Big Gay Brunch

Technically Bushiroad didn't buy Stardom until 4 months after the June 2019 starting point. They were probably in negotiations by that point, but still.

Anyway if I hadn't volunteered for Stardom it would have been Shimmer or Pro Wrestling EVE. I wanted to do an all-female fed in this Warring States nonsense. See what I can accomplish with one or two of Vince's top women stars and a roster in the scramble to fill the WWE vacuum. That's just an exciting concept to me.

# ¿ May 19, 2020 04:59

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

Ask your father for permission, please

# ¿ May 24, 2020 04:55

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

Taintrunner posted:

Is it too late to revive Global Force Wrestling? I just cashed in all of my Global Force Gold

I bet Rarity still has your belts

by which I mean stickers

Sanguinia fucked around with this message at 06:30 on May 24, 2020

# ¿ May 24, 2020 06:27

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

One of the only non-meme pics in the first round

# ¿ May 24, 2020 18:49

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

For its Second Round Pick, Ring of Wonder STARDOM welcomes you... to the Queendom.

# ¿ May 24, 2020 18:53

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

By the Power of Veto

# ¿ May 24, 2020 19:10

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

The Least Forced And Awkward Friendship in all of wrestling comes to Japan!

# ¿ May 24, 2020 19:33

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

Round 5 sees Stardom welcome back one of the hottest stars in Women's Wrestling and former Champion

And for Round 6... STARDOM makes the biggest move of the entire Draft!

# ¿ May 24, 2020 20:28

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

World Wonder Ring STARDOM is proud to announce the results of a sweeping new post-draft Talent Acquisition push:

A Living Legend now wrestling EXCLUSIVELY for our company:

And Last but not Least, in the area of talent management and brand development, STARDOM welcomes one final name into the fold who will change the landscape of the company and Joshi Puro as we know it!

# ¿ May 24, 2020 23:52

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

# ¿ May 25, 2020 02:54

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

Sanguinia posted:

World Wonder Ring STARDOM General - Boy, Stop! It's About Ta Be A... Girl Fight!

A Brief History:

The pre-eminent federation in the world of Joshi Puro, STARDOM is swiftly approaching its 9th birthday. The brainchild of Rossy Ogawa, one of the principle architects of All Japan's golden age of Joshi in the 90s, as well as Joshi stars Fuka Kakimoto and Nanae Takahashi, the promotion began with the simple, slightly-gross dream of fusing the appeal of gravure models and idol singers with pro-wrestlers. In the years since that dream it has become so much more, producing incredible matches and compelling stars, so much so that WWE made it their business to pillage their main eventers like it was 1996 and they were WCW.

While some cynics feared the promotion couldn't last as it lost Kairi Hojo (aka Pirate Princess Kairi Sane) and Io Shirai (aka... Io Shirai), in fact they managed to thrive, continuing to build new stars and replace the ones lost to the west. Their success culminated just a few months ago, in October, with the purchase of the company by New Japan Pro Wrestling parent corporation Bushiroad. This infusion of money and a desire to take an all-women company mainstream was HUGE news, and everyone expected 2020 to be a revolutionary year for STARDOM.

But boy oh boy did they not know the half of it.

The King Is Dead, Long Live The Queens:

WWE's sudden death has left an incredible vacuum of power in the wrestling world, and while Bushiroad and Gedo clearly have plans to take NJPW global, STARDOM didn't want to be left out. They had the money, they had the opportunity. What they needed was a plan, a road-map to take on the rest of the world in the scramble to succeed wrestling's greatest superpower. They needed someone with true, unerring VISION.

https://twitter.com/dc_mma/status/1208075510812528641

No, you're not having a stroke. Former UFC Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier is the man who came to Bushiroad with a pitch on how to use STARDOM to take over the Wrestling world. And man he must have been convincing because a room full of Japanese businessmen got on-board with him. Not only that, but the announcement went viral overnight because he dropped it at a red carpet event... right in front of now-independent NXT's public face Triple H! Talk about a throwing a gauntlet.

The first phase of Cormier's plan seems to have been a success, because it's been reported he's secured US broadcast television for Stardom's weekly TV series, "We Are Stardom." Currently a show mostly for rerunning major matches from their important events and just getting the company's stars into the public eye to boost gate sales, its being fully retooled to function as episodic TV to compete directly for American eyeballs.

Reports say that similar to New Japan World shows, the same broadcast will have Japanese and English announce team audio. The commentary will be recorded live but the show itself will be pre-taped, both to fix the issue of timezone changes for US viewers and to allow Stardom to continue its tradition of subtitling important promos and angles.

There's still a lot up in the air right now, but STARDOM seems ready to ramp up their social media campaign and make a big push to promote their American TV debut. The coming weeks are going to be the start of a new era for STARDOM and women's wrestling in general! So about STARDOM ITT!

EDIT:

So, uh... I found out why Rick and Morty got pushed back to 11...

Sanguinia fucked around with this message at 08:00 on May 29, 2020

# ¿ May 29, 2020 07:47

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

# ¿ May 30, 2020 16:21

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

Wrestlers on Social Media - There is Still Some Horse Semen for the Rest of Us

Sanguinia posted:

STARDOM WK match announcement reaction roundup!

t: Pro Wrestling is changing so much, its a little scary. However, I am still the STARDOM champion! Everyone, come with me onto the world stage! The Icon of STARDOM will fight everyone!

t: Kagetsu-sama is ready to fight! Everyone will see Oedo-Tai's strength! Idiots, appreciate us at the Tokyo Dome!

t: Queen's Quest is the strongest in STARDOM. STARDOM is the strongest is Pro Wrestling. As leader, I'll prove it at the Tokyo Dome.

t: Tokyo Cyber Squad will follow our leader into this future! Everyone, watch Hana shine in the Tokyo Dome!
(note: I've decided I'll use Jungle Kyona for fun fake tweets related to this faction. I don't feel right making them from Hana. Honestly figuring out what to do with Hana is still very strange. I'm going to do everything I can to be respectful to her memory and I welcome any advice anyone has for how to do it better)

Sanguinia fucked around with this message at 04:35 on May 31, 2020

# ¿ May 31, 2020 04:32

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

I Before E posted:

ROH has put a lot of money into its Fire PNG department

Remember that one family guy gag when the dog gets brown wrapping for christmas in the shape of a wine bottle and then opens it and somehow its a book inside?

That's the feeling I get when I look at that sillouette.

Sanguinia fucked around with this message at 20:48 on Jun 1, 2020

# ¿ Jun 1, 2020 01:01

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6I5Ryv7Ip4

For almost 8 years, Adult Swim's been building you a better cartoon show.

But now... things are about to get REAL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR2eGo17yGY
Mayu Iwatani is an ordinary Japanese Girl.
She likes sweets

She walks her dog every day

And... oh yeah...

She happens to be the STARDOM World Champion.

In the world of Joshi Puroresu, being the Champ means living with a target on your back

And Momo Watanabe...

and Kagetsu...

would do anything to reach the top of the mountain, and claim Mayu's gold for themselves.

Momo: I make sure everyone Bows Down to the Queens!

Kagetsu: Lord Kagetsu knows that if you half-rear end it and win... you still win!

The Squared Circle is a battlefield. And STARS...

Oedo-Tai...

and Queen's Quest are ready for war!

Mayu: Everyone... GOOD EVENING! BELIEVE TODAY!...
Crowd: SHINE TOMORROW!

"We Are Stardom." Premiering this Saturday at 9pm

I believe this ring... reflects life.

ONLY TOONAMI. [ADULT SWIM].

Sanguinia fucked around with this message at 13:52 on Jun 1, 2020

# ¿ Jun 1, 2020 13:01

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

Sanguinia posted:

We Are STARDOM for 1/4 is Steve Blum reminding us that A Girl Has The Right To Dream

This Saturday its a 1-2 Punch of STARDOM's launch onto the world stage! First, in just a couple of hours at Wrestle Kingdom we'll see a 6-Woman Tag match featuring all of STARDOM's faction leaders, as well as two of their hottest new talents the former Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks. No pre-show match here folks, this is the real thing! With one of the match's participants having to retire at the last minute, everyone is watching to see who appears in that coveted 6th slot! Will it be former Faction Leader Jungle Kyona? Rumors continue to circulate that Charlotte Flair is in Japan. She wasn't drafted by STARDOM so there's no confirmation that she's on their roster, but she did make a real salty tweet about how some people don't appreciate what they have. Or maybe it'll be something totally out of left field! Who knows?

But what we're here for is what comes after that: the world premier of We Are STARDOM, the company's retooled weekly TV series, on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim's Toonami programming block! Show starts at 9pm EST, 10am Sunday Morning JST

Here's what we know about the show so far:

So lets get hype!

Sanguinia posted:

Social Media Roundup:

t: I promise my first pick will be big news! STARS will be leading the way in America everyone!

t: I'm honored to wrestle the first new TV match! I won't let you down Queen's Quest!

Sanguinia fucked around with this message at 22:09 on Jun 1, 2020

# ¿ Jun 1, 2020 22:03

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 18, 2024 18:46

Sanguinia: Jan 1, 2012; ~Everybody wants to be a cat~
~Because a cat's the only cat~
~Who knows where its at~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ1AYjqq_-0&t=22s

Bea Priestly: Mayu Iwatani...

Mayu: Get Ready.

Bea Priestly: One of the most respected Joshi Wrestlers IN THE WORLD...
Bea Priestly: 'The Icon of STARDOM.'

Sanguinia posted:

We Are STARDOM for 1/4 is Steve Blum reminding us that A Girl Has The Right To Dream

EPISODE 1 FULL RECAP
Part 1: Introductions

Michael Cole welcomes everyone to the first Toonami Broadcast of �We Are Stardom,� from KBS Hall in Kyoto, Japan�s most historic city!

He introduces his broadcast partner, Former UFC Champ Daniel �DC� Cormier, who is bursting with enthusiasm for Joshi Wrestling! Then they throw straight to the ring, because the opening match is on!

MATCH #1: Hina vs Leo Onozaki! Both �Young Lions,� come down the ramp wearing masks which emulate the design of Japanese wrestling legend Tiger Mask, and we are told STARDOM wrestlers wear such masks to commemorate matches of major importance.

The fight is a fast-paced barn-burner, not technically polished as these two are still relative rookies, but with a lot of intensity and stiff hits. Leo takes the pinfall victory with a Running Ace Crusher in 4:56
---

Part 2: Black Hat

Commissioner AJ Mendez heads to the ring. She leads a round of applause for the first match of a new era in wrestling, then introduces STARDOM�s three faction leaders: Mayu Iwatani of STARS, Kagetsu of Oedo-Tai, and Momo Watanabe of Queen�s Quest! Mayu explains (in subtitled Japanese) that today is the STARDOM Faction Draft! Earlier each of the leaders designated a Second, who will automatically join their faction. Tonight those Seconds will wrestle an Elimination Match to determine the draft order! And it'll happen RIGHT N-

Kusamura ni, no mo shirezu~

Mayu is cut off by the appearance of a woman in black. She saunters confidently to the ring, and identifies herself:

�My name is Saki Akai, but peasants shall refer to me only as Saki-sama! From my manor in Paris I�ve heard about this �STARDOM.� My servants told me it�s overflowing with brutish and ugly things� and I can see that it�s worse than I imagined. Therefore, Saki-sama has returned to this backwater island country. Just as I have in other companies: DDT Pro Wrestling, Oz Academy, SEAdLINNG... I plan to bring elegance and beauty to this nest of vermin!� She points to Commissioner AJ. �You, Spider! I demand the right to create my own faction with your little draft! NEO Biishiki-Gun will rise in STARDOM tonight!�

Momo and Kagetsu are clearly irritated, but Mayu declares that all challengers are welcome in STARDOM, and asks AJ to grant the request. AJ hesitates, but agrees, and asks Saki to name her Second.

Saki gestures with her rose to the entrance ramps, and music hits� revealing LEXI BLISS!

---

MATCH #2! Arisa Hoshiki (STARS) vs AZM (QQ) vs Hazuki (OT) vs Lexi Bliss (NBG)! Elimination 4-way Match!

Commentary fills us in on these contenders:
-Lexi Bliss is a 5-time World Champion, a former Tag Team Champion, and only the second woman ever to win a Triple Crown in a major western wrestling promotion, an incredible score for Saki-sama.
-AZM, only 17 years old, is considered a prodigy in technical wrestling and is already a 3-time Artists of STARDOM Champion, including being part of the current Champion trio.
-Hazuki, the protege of Oedo-Tai�s leader, is a 4-time Artists of STARDOM Champion, and the second-most successful High Speed Champion in that title�s history, recording 8 title defenses during a reign of 208 days, the fastest pace on record.
-Arisa Hoshiki, who debuted in the company by defeating current World Champ Mayu and then becoming her tag team partner, is the defending Wonder of STARDOM Champion, past winner of two of STARDOM�s annual tournaments (The Cinderella Tournament and the Goddess Tag League) and runner up in a third (The Rookie of STAROM Tournament)

Each faction scored big with their Second, and the in-ring action backs up their rep. Lexi pins AZM off Twisted Bliss to score first blood and show she�s not intimidated by the local heavies. Arisa pins Hazuki soon after with her springboard stunner, the Shining Star Cutter. The final two fight hard, but ultimately Arisa pins Lexi to win the match at 14:03, hitting her own spinning moonsault, Adamas.

The draft order is set: 1) STARS 2) Neo-Biishiki Gun 3) Oedo-Tai 4) Queen�s Quest
---

Part 3: Meet the Midcard

MATCH #3! Giulia vs Saki Kashima! Commentary informs us that Giulia is one of the hottest new wrestlers in STARDOM, earning a dangerous rep from indie promotion Ice Ribbon before jumping to the big leagues. Kashima by comparison is one of the most seasoned veterans on the roster, with nearly a decade in the business and a reputation for being the friendliest woman in STARDOM. Giulia doesn�t seem in the mood to respect her senior, and Giulia takes the pinfall at 7:42 with her Hammerlock Power Sidewalk Slam, the Glorious Buster.

Not satisfied with just winning, Giulia taunts Saki over her defeat, shoving her head with her boot. She grabs a microphone and mocks her opponent. �You look so sad, Saki-chan! But don't worry, I want to be friends. You like making friends, right? We'll take good care of you.�

�We,� turns out to be former UFC fighter Syuri Kondo and freshman rookie Maika. Giulia directs them to drag Saki to the back. Ominous!
---

MATCH 4! Jungle Kyona, Konami and Grim Yama-San vs Hanan, Saya Iida and Tam Nakano! This match is about putting over the Goddesses of Stardom Champions. The announcers go on about Konami finding success in over a half-dozen promotions aside from STARDOM, and Kyona�s status as a fan-favorite, former Faction Leader, and three-time Tag Champion. Konami submits Hanan at 10:22 with her Stepover Headhold Armbar, the Triangle Lancer.

Cormier declares Triangle Lancer�s Win Percentage Is 100%!
---

Part 4: The STARDOM Draft

The now-four Leaders return for the first round of the Stardom Draft! Mayu tells us that on Twitter she promised her first pick would be big news, and now�s the time to follow through. The #1 Overall Pick and newest member of STARS is... Becky Knox!

The music hits, but naturally Becky does not appear on the ramp. The camera pivots to show her kicking open the door from the arena�s foyer and making her way through the crowd to the ring. When she finally steps in, Mayu offers her a STARS t-shirt. Becky reaches out her hand� and snubs the shirt, instead placing it squarely on Mayu�s title belt!

The tension is defused a bit when Saki-sama interrupts their staredown, selecting Konami to lay claim to half the tag team championship. Kagetsu selects Natsuko Tora, expressing half-assed satisfaction at keeping her #2 Protege. Finally, Momo selects STARDOM�s 2018 Rookie of the Year and second ever Three Title Champion, Utami Hayashishita. securing the Artist, Future and WSA titles for Queen�s Quest.
---

MATCH #5! Natsu Sumire and Natsuko Tora vs Utami Hayashishita and Saya Kamitani! First Round Picks face off in tag-team action, but after some great moves by Natsuko and Utami, this quickly becomes a comedy match. Natsu tags in but keeps breaking away from lockups to throw a tantrum.

Cormier explains that during last year�s draft Natsu was repeatedly teased by Kagetsu and Mayu through the draft, two leaders working together to push her down to the final round of picks. This led to her having a big embarassing cry when she finally rejoined Oedo-Tai, and based on her ranting she�s worried about a repeat.

Saya and Utami are at a bit of a loss for how to handle the blubbering and cursing, which gives Natsuko a prime opportunity to hit her Argentine Backbreaker Sidewalk Slam on Saya! Natsuko gets the Pinfall Win at 9:50

---

Draft Rounds 2 and 3 combine for a long segment: Mayu selects Tam Nakano, and apologizes for not picking her first again this year. Cormier tells us that last year Tam told Mayu �If I�m not first you don�t mean it!� and has had simmering tension with her faction leader ever since. Saki-sama selects Jungle Kyona, securing the Goddess titles for her new faction. Then Kagetsu drops a bombshell: her second draft pick is someone who was forced into retirement by concussion issues, but worked hard to recover and is now able to return to competition! Oedo-Tai welcomes home Kris Wolf, who then rushes to the ring and shares a big hug with her boss!

Momo concludes the round by drafting one of STARDOM�s most popular wrestlers, Andras Miyagi.

In Round 3, Mayu selects Saya Iida. Last year she told Saya that she was �very STARS-like,� and hopes she'll keep working hard. Saki-sama selects Grim Yama-san, explaining that while she's ugly, a Princess having an ugly dog is very trendy these days. Kagetsu smirks as her turn comes around... and selects the Riot Squad as a unit, claiming Heidi Lovelace, Mary Dobson and Liv Marley in a single pick!

Mayu and Momo protest, certain that this isn�t legal, but Kagetsu replies �Unlike you bastards I actually read the rulebook, and teams count as a single wrestler!�

Momo complains that this is exactly why she can't stand Oedo-Tai, �You treat everything like a game and then cheat at the game like bratty kids!� Mayu suggests that STARS and Queen�s Quest team up to teach Kagetsu a lesson, and offers up her new draft picks Becky Knox and Saya to help. Momo agrees, and says her contribution to the team will also be her next draft pick: High Speed Champion and AEW Women's Champion Riho!
---

MATCH #6! The Riot Squad vs Riho, Becky Knox, and Saya Iida! The Riot Squad show their worth as a unit quickly in this match. Becky does not seem very enthusiastic about being part of a team, stubbornly refusing to tag out even as she gets run over by the numbers game. Riho is eventually forced to blind tag herself in, but fares just as bad. Things look dire until the rookie Saya manages a big counter, and uses the breathing room to crawl back to her corner and chew out her team-mates! Abashed as needing to be told off by a Young Girl, Becky and Riho shelve their egos and work together, overwhelming the Squad with their combined skill! Becky gets the win by submitting Mary with the Dis-Arm-Her in 14:07
---

Part 5: The Grand Finale

The Draft�s Final Round: Mayu selects Starlight Kid, apologizing for not being able to pick her first three years in a row, but glad to have her back.

Saki-sama then takes center-stage: she won�t allow that Badger (Kagetsu) to upstage her! �Your drafting strategy is ugly as well. Mine on the other hand is Elegant: A princess must have treasure, a princess must have a loyal hound, but most of all a princess must have a Knight. Veteran knights are naturally the best, and old wounds never keep them from the battlefield. My final draft pick� is Act Yasukawa!�

Act appears, signature eyepatch and all, and the room is stunned. Cormier references how Act was one of STARDOM�s best competitors until the infamous Ghastly Match of 2018, when a wrestler went rogue and ended Yasukawa�s career by shattering her facial bones. She kneels in front of Saki-sama like a proper knight and kisses her hand.

As stunned as anyone, Kagetsu manages to announce that her final draft pick is Natsu Sumire, and Momo drafts new signee VENY (aka ASUKA).

With the draft completed, the ring announcer tells us it�s time for the Main Event: the special 4-Way Exhibition Match between the Faction Leaders!
---

MATCH #7! MAIN EVENT! Kagetsu vs Momo Watanabe vs Saki-sama (w/ Act Yasukawa) vs Mayu Iwatani! All four faction leaders showcase their signature styles in this match. Saki-sama takes a lot of the offense in the early going, establishing her as a threat on the Main Event level, but the others adapt quickly and the match becomes a dead heat. Mayu and Momo both hit their finishers and both kick out. Kagetsu looks to capitalize, climbing the turnbuckle for her 450 Splash� but she stops when Act suddenly climbs onto the apron! Kagetsu leaves her perch, sauntering over to her old rival, daring her to try something ONLY TO GET BUSHWHACKED FROM BEHIND! Saki-sama delivers her Armtrap Cobra-Twist Crucifix Driver, The Quetzacoatl!

1, 2, 3! Saki-sama pins Kagetsu in 12:05 to win her first STARDOM Main Event!
---

After getting her arm raised, Saki-sama and Act quickly leave, and Momo and Mayu help an irate Kagetsu to her feet. Kagetsu looks ready to tear the ring apart over being screwed, but her raging is interrupted by unexpected music:

~Style and Grace, I�m never gonna be done~
~Lean on in� and welcome to the Queendom!~

Stephanie McMahon steps onto the ramp! She complains that she�s been sitting backstage all night watching, and is NOT impressed. �STARDOM went out of their way to get me into their company, BEGGED me to use my family�s knowledge of This Business and help them succeed. And after I agreed to help them they couldn�t be bothered to give me time on their TV debut. �The factions are our biggest asset!� �The wrestlers are the stars of the show, they need to shine!� They insisted you three NOBODIES are more important to STARDOM than STEPHANIE MCMAHON! You know what that makes you, ladies? Competition. And my father taught me EXACTLY what to do when you have competition.�

A figure hidden behind an umbrella steps onto the ramp next to Stephanie... and reveals itself with a flourish

One look at her gear makes it clear for Michael Cole: this is not STARDOM�s Kairi Hojo, it�s WWE�s Kairi SANE.

The leaders stare tensely at the returning mega-star... which leaves them vulnerable to an ambush! Sasha Mercedez and Kay Lee Ray slide into the ring from nowhere and lay all three out with steel chairs!

Kairi waltzes to the ring, climbs the turnbuckle nearest to Mayu Iwatani, then drops an InSane Elbow on the helpless champion. She squeezes the unconscious woman's face and laughs. Stephanie joins her minions, and all four pose to close out the show.

# ¿ Jun 14, 2020 05:49

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > The Hammer House: Stinger Splash Zone > Let's Book A Wrestling Promotion! (TEW 2013)