EWA: The Ego To Succeed

[terrybgoode]

OOC: I've been obsessively lurking on these forums for years now, and have been umm'ing and ahh'ing about running a dynasty for at least half of that time! I've finally had a friend egg me into manning up and making a post to get this rolling, after a full day of angst-ridden deliberation over exactly which promotion I should tackle as my first effort. There've been so many great efforts here over the years, and they just keep on coming! It's hard to do something that hasn't been done. So, I haven't. Without further ado, I present...

European Wrestling All-Stars:
The Ego To Succeed

If I remember correctly, this is the part where I sit down and tell you all about how I found myself thrown headlong into an allegiance with a talented, but rampantly egostical blowhard named Byron - how I received the fateful phonecall one bleary-eyed morning, and was offered the enviable privilege of turning a locker room full of insane steroid freaks and surprisingly pleasant young ladies into a well-oiled wrestling machine...

Truth be told, it's not a million miles from the truth; though instead of a single morning, the process of my elevation to the lofty position of 'head booker' was one that took years. Ever since European Wrestling All-Stars opened shop, rising from the well-churned ashes of UCR, the man formerly known as Jay Heartbreak has run the whole thing by himself. It suits him. Byron and I, we go way back - we've ploughed the same furrow countless times, bashed the same heads on a Saturday night, and started all over the next day with a hangover and a bottle of painkillers. Truth be told, alone is always how he's done it best. The guy's in love with himself, everyone knows that, but what they don't know is how driven the guy is. He's passionate, and works his girly little bum off to keep the European wrestling scene as fresh as he can while still making a ton of money.

Or not. See, that's the first part of his little problem. Fella's never been good with cash. Great at spending it, but not so much at keeping it flowing; he's done okay with EWA, all things told, but he loves to play as much as he loves to work - and that's a lot. I'd be lying if I said the company's been going to hell, but the stress has been showing for a couple of years, and Byron's asked me a few times to step up and throw my back into the big push. The push for Europe; to be the best promotion in the continent. That's his dream, and I believe he'll achieve it, one way or another. So why have I finally decided to heed the call?

Well. Life ain't a soap opera, it's not a movie, there's no need for grand designs and heavy reasoning. I've been plying my trade as a grappler on the independent scene for almost a decade, and time's right for a change. Much as I love the physical side of this business, it's not a life to have forever. Sleeping in cars, eating as cheaply as you can to maximize energy levels without breaking your squirty bank balance... it's fun when you're twenty, even twenty five, but once I got past thirty I started to feel a drive for something more.

Byron's dream is my way of pushing toward that. But enough about me; this ain't about Steve Mitchell, after all, it's about European Wrestling All-Stars taking over Europe. It's about these dubious gentleman and less-dubious ladies, right here:

MAIN EVENTERS

Byron

The boss man, and my old partner in crime. Like a fine wine, this girly-boy only gets better with age; as pretty as he is (and boy does he know it), Byron also knows how to go in the ring. He doesn't excel in any area, but he can do everything. In a bigger promotion he'd be able to get a decent match out of literally anybody, and an amazing match out of the best of the best. Here, he's the top dog - and that's why he deserves the belt he wears right now, but we don't tell him that,

Bam Bam Johannson

He's big and he's bad. REALLY bad, if truth be told. But he was EWA's inaugural champion and a two-time title holder, so we try not to hold that against him. Bam Bam's old school in size and attitude; like Byron, he believes he's the best thing since sliced bread, though unlike Byron he can only justify that with his muscles and his mouth. Which he does a lot.

White Knight

Who's ever been near Sweden and not heard of this guy? A legend in the fitness biz, Knight is also one of the better big men I've had the fortune to share a ring with. His look would sell him to any booker even if he couldn't pull his own weight, but he's surprisingly versatile as a brawler and can keep up with most anyone when it comes to the basics. A solid hand and a future star.

UPPER MIDCARDERS

The X Force: Christopher Lister & Jase Cole

Probably the best thing on EWA's roster right now, even if they are a pair of nerds. Chris and Jase used to play that up to the delight of the crowd, and now they've ditched the silly gimmicks in favour of getting out there and wrestling. It's paid off brilliantly. While Chris is the better for my money, Jase is a couple of years younger and has a similar set of tools - he'll be a singles champion someday, no doubt. Perhaps both of them will be. For now, they're hauling the tag straps and can run rings around any team on the roster. The only question hanging over them is why, exactly, we need Jase's bride-to-be as a manager... they're both better on the mic than she is, and she's not the most stunning bird in the locker room, either.

Poppa Punisher

Solid. I've been around the houses with Pops a few times, and I'll say that much. Very, very solid. In terms of skill alone he's at least as good as White Knight, though he lacks the same flair. He's been in the shadows for most of his career, and he's pushing on toward forty now - but if he fancies pulling it together he could have a seriously bright twilight on the cards.

MIDCARDERS

Double Dutch: Ruud Van Anger & Frank De Pain

Why do I feel like these two should be older? They're stalwarts on the European tag team scene, have owned numerous belts, but never felt like a dominant pairing... because they're too good at doing what they do best. They may be eternal underdogs, but I'd never count them out. Almost as good as The X Force, they've even got a couple of years to catch up to them. Sadly the fans love them both, or I'd have them at each other's throats right away.

Hercules Johansson

Where does Byron find these people? Ha. In this case, the answer's easy; Herc was brought in by his brother, who's happily flaunting his status as 'inaugural champion' and wouldn't shut up until they hired this chump. I'm not being totally fair, though. While I'd never have picked him up myself, Herc's almost as scary as his big bro and a superior wrestler. Not much of a feat, but with half a decade to catch up, he could actually be somebody worthwhile one day. Fortunately he's also dense as brick, and less likely to be a problem backstage.

The Addams Family: Jimmi Addams & Kalvin Addams

Another team that have been around forever, and have the experience to show for it. The one-time Evil Henchmen aren't gonna set Europe on fire anytime soon, but they're a capable quartet of hands who can help any of their better rivals look great in the ring. There's not much more to say; I try not to talk about them too much, honestly, because I can't tell one from the other. Not the first pair of twins I've had that trouble with, but that's another story entirely!

LOWER MIDCARDERS

Super Falcon

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Nope, it's another masked lunatic. Haha. With the gimmick I work, I can't afford to knock people for their cheesy one-liners or tacky costumes, but Falcon really is a beautiful relic of a better time. He's slipped down the card because people just don't gobble up the good ol' hero like they used to, but I'm glad to have him around. A decent high-flying type with just enough in other areas to keep it interesting, and give him a foundation to work with literally anyone. Now if only I could find a way to make his gimmick relevant again...

Der Räuber

Me. Myself. I. Confused by the mask? Yeah, I'm a Londoner and my name's Steve, but under that flimsy bit of spandex I become a Teutonic highwayman who preys on title holders and their belts. Told you I shouldn't be throwing stones, eh? Honestly, this was a weak idea that stuck when the crowd loved it. Being a sneaky thief is bad enough, doing it under a mask with a bad accent? Priceless. Helps that I'm probably one of the better pure technicians in mainland Europe.

OPENERS

Bas Hagen

Great look, hits like a truck. Can take a beating. That's pretty much it. At least he's young.

Ronny de Veuster

Now here's a kid with guts. Technically he's twenty but I had to double-check that - when he's walking to the ring he looks about twelve years old. You couldn't meet a nicer guy, though, and he's actually a decent wrestler once you get past his unassuming appearance. He's got some great moves in the air, and we had a tumble on the mat where he was actually more than capable of keeping up with me. At least for a while. I still wouldn't be sure what to do with Ronny, if I hadn't seen him take a hit. Christ, but this guy can S-E-L-L. Guess what's he going to be spending most of his time for the next few years doing? You never know, though...

WOMEN'S DIVISION

Anna Ki

Va-voom. I don't think there's a fan of UCR or EWA who isn't absolutely in love with this woman - and let's face it, given UEW is run by her lucky fella, there's probably not many over there who aren't either. She's gorgeous and has that delicious Russian accent, but Anna isn't just an ordinary bimbo; as the figurehead for our women's division she can also wrestle better than just about any of the men on our roster. Byron might be able to give her the runaround - and I bet he'd LOVE to - but he's one of the very few who could. Why doesn't this woman have a strap?

Geena, the Warrior Princess

What a gimmick this girl has! She's been around forever and she keeps getting stronger and better, rocking the Amazon berserker thing like nobody ever has - though her old rival Alpha Female came close on occasion. She's got a lot of power for someone her size, she doesn't look at all bad in that fur bikini, and as a brawler she's up there with the top half of our roster any day of the week. Those aren't even her best assets, either; Geena is by far our best talker, capable of stirring up a crowd and enraging any opponent we could pit her against.

Miss Information

Almost as stunning as Anna, Missy is also our go-to girl if we want to get an amazing match out of someone. She doesn't have the flair that our headline female has, but she was trained by one of the greatest wrestlers in Europe and it shows; her basics are exceptional, and she's got no real weaknesses. She can also handle a microphone, though on nowhere near the level of Geena; still, she'll have a job for life as long as she wants.

Karen Bilous

I'll be honest, I'm really not sure what Karen is doing with us. Pushing toward thirty and wrestling a style that would be best suited out east, it's an absolute mystery why she chooses to stick around Central Europe; especially as she's good enough she could probably pitch herself to Joey Beauchamp and start up her own, stiff and technical women's division over at UEW. Still, that's why she could shine here, too. She's got something nobody else has - that hard-hitting Puro style, coupled with technical expertise and probably the most sheer grit and determination out of anyone here? She's unique, and I just can't dismiss that out of hand.

NON-WRESTLERS

Mark Stanford

Mark's been with EWA since the beginning, and he's become The Voice for the promotion. Which is fortunate for him, because he's a complete mug and I dislike him immensely - still, that's personal business, and not business business so we'll let it lie. Truth be told he's a great announcer and the fans love his work for a reason; let's hope he can keep to himself backstage.

Arson Wells

 Another guy I go back with, but everyone goes back with Arson. A small-time legend on the UK scene and a great pair of hands backstage, there was never any question about keeping him onboard; which is less than I can say for Stanford's former acidic broadcast partner. Joan Evans was shown the door as soon as I'd met her, and Arson's going to be taking colour duties. He's knowledgeable about the business and actually worth listening to. Welcome to the future.

Patrick Garrett

Patrick is a referee. Patrick does his job as a referee.

Elle

Normally I'd be writing, 'Elle is more than just a pretty face...' but she isn't, really. On the plus side, she's one hell of a pretty face and a lovely girl besides. I can see why Byron's so hot for her. The fans gobble it up too, and she's been revelling in their good graces for quite some time.

Simona Cox

As mentioned already, Simona's only really here because she's hooked up with one of our brightest prospects. Which isn't to say she's completely useless - before her boys learned to talk for themselves, she was one of our better managers, and she's popular enough backstage that I can't justify firing her. We'll find something for the fallen princess to do. 

[Timber]

Nice, I haven't seen a European dynasty in a while. Good luck with it. I've run some stuff over seas but never kept up with it. I'll keep checking.

[Tiberious4]

I'll certainly be following this. Europe doesn't get a lot of love and I've gotten familiar with it since I started doing a Road to Glory game there a couple weeks ago. (Super Falcon was my first champion; I didn't realize until afterwords that his stamina is so bad he can't wrestle more than ten minutes without getting tired. )

[Comradebot]

Bam Bam Johansson? The only thing "bad" about him is how bad ass he is. The Alpha Norwegian is the greatest draw in the history of, like, ever baby, YEAH!!!


*FLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEX*

[terrybgoode]

Interest already, and from the great and mighty Comradebot no less!? You're right, I shouldn't besmirch the name of the man who's punched out more bull sharks than GOD, baby. Haha. I'm not even gonna try and follow in your footsteps here, but I'd be lying if I said you weren't an influence...

Anyway. I'm truly honoured, guys! Europe really doesn't get the love it should, so hopefully I can keep this cracking along at a decent pace and not disappear into the aether like so many before me (and so many to come). Card to appear mysteriously in approximately one minute from now, so feel free to roll in some predictions. I'll come out swingin' with the first event in the next two days!

[terrybgoode]

Saturday, Week 2, January 2010
European Wrestling All-Stars:
Larger Than Life 

EWA Universal Championship: Byron vs. Poppa Punisher

Bam Bam Johansson vs. White Knight

Miss Information vs. Anna Ki

Four Corners: Jase Cole vs. Hercules Johansson vs. Frank De Pain vs. Ruud Van Anger

Christopher Lister vs. Bas Hagen

Geena, the Warrior Princess vs. Karen Bilous

Super Falcon & Ronny de Veuster vs. The Addams Family

[Tiberious4]

EWA Universal Championship: Byron vs. Poppa Punisher

Byron is the man.

Bam Bam Johansson vs. White Knight

White Knight is more talented, but does that really matter in the EWA?

Miss Information vs. Anna Ki

Coinflip here, but being related to the boss pays off.

Four Corners: Jase Cole vs. Hercules Johansson vs. Frank De Pain vs. Ruud Van Anger

No idea really. You'd think the tag team guys would work together, but that almost never actually works out, so I'll just pick the untalented Hoss to crush the puny cruiser-weights.

Christopher Lister vs. Bas Hagen

On the other hand Lister takes this one easily.

Geena, the Warrior Princess vs. Karen Bilous

You didn't seem too high on Karen, so I'll take Geena here.

Super Falcon & Ronny de Veuster vs. The Addams Family

The Addams Family are the real team and Ronny is a jobber.

[Jaded]

Nice - nowhere near enough Euro dynasties around!

EWA Universal Championship: Byron vs. Poppa Punisher - Don't cross the boss. As in, don't ask him to job first show.

Bam Bam Johansson vs. White Knight - If he loses, me and Cbot riot.

Miss Information vs. Anna Ki - Could go either way.

Four Corners: Jase Cole vs. Hercules Johansson vs. Frank De Pain vs. Ruud Van Anger - The Beta Male!

Christopher Lister vs. Bas Hagen - As you said, Hagen can take a beating.

Geena, the Warrior Princess vs. Karen Bilous - Not sure here, a guess.

Super Falcon & Ronny de Veuster vs. The Addams Family - de Veuster will be playing the role of Ricky Morton tonight.

[TheEffect]

This looks awesome.

Byron vs. Poppa Punisher

Bam Bam Johansson vs. White Knight

Miss Information vs. Anna Ki

Four Corners: Jase Cole vs. Hercules Johansson vs. Frank De Pain vs. Ruud Van Anger

Christopher Lister vs. Bas Hagen

Geena, the Warrior Princess vs. Karen Bilous

Super Falcon & Ronny de Veuster vs. The Addams Family

[Hyde Hill]

Yesss Europe getting some love again!


EWA Universal Championship: Byron vs. Poppa Punisher

The boss.

Bam Bam Johansson vs. White Knight

The Alpha Male. Shark roids yum yum

Miss Information vs. Anna Ki

Heel win to set up miss vs geena

Four Corners: Jase Cole vs. Hercules Johansson vs. Frank De Pain vs. Ruud Van Anger

Dutch win.

Christopher Lister vs. Bas Hagen

Dutch always win.

Geena, the Warrior Princess vs. Karen Bilous

Better

Super Falcon & Ronny de Veuster vs. The Addams Family

Dutch always win even when teamed with crappy Portuguese jk.

[Occasional_Z]

Good backstory, don't know a great deal bout Europe but I'll learn by reading this

EWA Universal Championship: Byron vs. Poppa Punisher
Given everything you've said, Byron isn't losing

Bam Bam Johansson vs. White Knight
Former champ wins here

Miss Information vs. Anna Ki
Anna sounds more talented

Four Corners: Jase Cole vs. Hercules Johansson vs. Frank De Pain vs. Ruud Van Anger
Hoss usually beats smaller tag guys

Christopher Lister vs. Bas Hagen
I like Lister, really good stats

Geena, the Warrior Princess vs. Karen Bilous
Geena seems the better choice here

Super Falcon & Ronny de Veuster vs. The Addams Family
Addams Family win here to push them towards a title shot

[MJStark]

As many have said, good to see Europe get some love. So nice to see one of my renders out and about in the world too

EWA Universal Championship: Byron vs. Poppa Punisher

Bam Bam Johansson vs. White Knight

Miss Information vs. Anna Ki

Four Corners: Jase Cole vs. Hercules Johansson vs. Frank De Pain vs. Ruud Van Anger

Christopher Lister vs. Bas Hagen

Geena, the Warrior Princess vs. Karen Bilous

Super Falcon & Ronny de Veuster vs. The Addams Family

[Tigerkinney]

To be honest I think anywhere that is not North America (USA/Canada) is underused. Anyway I liked the intro here, so I'll get on board early with this one.....

Byron vs. Poppa Punisher

The Champion and owner isn't losing here

Bam Bam Johansson vs. White Knight

Bam Bam is an awful 'wrestler' but that really doesn't matter all that much in EWA, he's a former champion and he has the 'look' and star quality' to continue to succeed.

Miss Information vs. Anna Ki

Women's division seem's pretty even between all four members of it, so this is a coin toss.
Four Corners: Jase Cole vs. Hercules Johansson vs. Frank De Pain vs. Ruud Van Anger

Hercules probably has the least amount of talent but he's Bam Bam's brother, so is probably the most likey to get a strong singles push.

Christopher Lister vs. Bas Hagen

Easy win for Lister

Geena, the Warrior Princess vs. Karen Bilous

Bilous seems the most disposable for EWA's womens division

Super Falcon & Ronny de Veuster vs. The Addams Family

Proper team over random paired lower carders