The official wrestling sim topic

[M-A-G]

But is it EWR or something else?

[Evil Vito]

Oh god, the dreaded non-clicking shows. Hate those. To still get an 80% on one of them is pretty damn good.

[Evil Vito]

Originally Posted by M-A-G But is it EWR or something else?

EWR

I'm mildly tempted to try TEW 21 but I think as cool as it is that it's so immersive, I'd lose patience rapidly.

[M-A-G]

Originally Posted by Conspiracy Victim Vito Oh god, the dreaded non-clicking shows. Hate those. To still get an 80% on one of them is pretty damn good.

Well, it's balanced out by my non-match segments getting high ratings. Those interviews alone were both over 90%. Paul Andrews has a charisma rating of 97 and Jake Connelly has a 92 so they're life savers.

[M-A-G]

SmackDown!: April 20, 2040

AWESOOOOME!!! Holy crap, it's The Miz!!! He's making his first appearance in the WWE in almost 15 years and he's kicking off the show with apparently a special edition of Miz TV. Well we are in his hometown tonight. He talks about how good it feels to be back in the WWE even for one night only. He reflects on his glorious career but then brings it back to tonight and makes it clear that he's not just here to celebrate himself. There is one superstar on the roster that is making waves and ruffling all the feathers in the WWE and The Miz has taken notice. This superstar has the star qualities the Miz possesses and believes that they are on the right track to legendary status. He wants to bring that person down right now and give him the appropriate amount of props face to face, so without further ado, let's bring him down right now. MICHAEL HOTBODY, GET DOWN HERE!

Hotbody indeed responds in kind and joins the Miz. After a handshake, Miz continues his praise for Hotbody pointing out that even at such an early point in his career, Hotbody is already creating the buzz that will lay the foundation for a tremendous future and Miz just wants him know that it's good to see someone in the WWE just like him. Hotbody declares that he is humbled but that the Miz is correct. It all begins at Backlash next Sunday when he dethrones that paper champion, Jordan Demiras and becomes the new Cruiserweight Champion. Demiras doesn't have the seal of approval from a WWE legend like Miz and he never will. Michael Hotbody is just too much for any one man to handle so make way for the hottest ticket in the business! The segment ends with Hotbody's music playing and having his hand raised by the Miz.

First Match: The Play Pals (Gavin Jones and Michael Haywood) vs. Freddie Galino and Jimmy Farnes
Stiff high kick on Galino by Michael Haywood who has evidently been watching some old AJPW tapes recently. Spin kick by Michael Haywood to the face. There's a two count on the pin. Tag between Michael Haywood and Gavin Jones. Michael Haywood scoops up Galino. Jones bounces off the ropes and hits a flying Hart Attack clothesline. Cover for a two count. Gavin Jones snap suplexes Galino...with authority! ('With authority', trademark G.Monsoon 1986.) Gavin Jones gets taken down out of nowhere. Galino pulls a picture perfect fallaway slam out of the bag, driving Gavin Jones down to the mat. Hooks the leg for a two count. Tag to Jimmy Farnes. Massive backbreaker, Jones got nailed. Cover, but there's a last second kick-out. Big clothesline on Jones. Jones kicks Jimmy Farnes in the gut to reverse the momentum. Flying elbow from Gavin Jones. Jones tags out to Michael Haywood. Michael Haywood strikes Farnes. Farnes tags out to Freddie Galino. Driven DDT by Michael Haywood. The ring shook violently, instantly making it better at selling than some of the current roster. Freddie Galino gets knocked to the ground by Rage King. Rage Quit!!! Freddie Galino taps out! A **** rating for a good contest. 90% overall

The announcers talk about the Women's title match between Sonya Braddock and Faith Connors at Backlash. They bring up the history between the two women briefly but believe the following video will give us a better picture. Thus we get a package about the two competitors hyping up their confrontation.

Second Match: Naomi Bailey vs. Tania
Bailey slams Tania. Tania powers out of a Naomi Bailey headlock. Belly to belly suplex by Tania. The referee bumps after catching a wild right hand and is down. Back heel kick off the second rope, Bailey goes down. Hooks the leg, but the referee is still out. Tania gets taken down out of nowhere. Flying shoulder tackle by Bailey sends Tania to the mat. Spinebuster by Naomi Bailey, executed with Arn-esque perfection. Hooks the leg for a two count. Tania walks into a face-first flapjack. Cover, but there's a last second kick-out. Tania ducks a wild right hand. Bailey gets hit with a huge clothesline. Cover, but there's a last second kick-out. Bailey pushes out of a Tania hold. Billie Padgett comes running down the aisle with a chair! Bailey and Tania continue fighting, unaware of the intrusion. Billie Padgett slides in and blasts Tania with a chair to the head! Billie climbs out of the ring, the damage done! Tania can barely stand. Bail Out!!! That shook the ring. 1....2....3!! Great match, a ****1\4 rating i think. 91% overall.

Brandon Reigns joins us in the ring. He talks about how the Intercontinental Title match at Backlash is now a triple threat between himself, Salvatore Scabbia, and the champion, Kyle Jacobs. Losing to Salvatore Scabbia last year and not being able to regain the title weighed heavily on Reigns. He was in a bad place mentally and had to step back and gather himself for a while and when it was all said and done it did him a world of good. He stands here the owner of the Money in the Bank contract, ready to cash it in at a moment's notice. He stands here with the backing of a surefire Hall of Famer in Jake Connelly. He stands here poised to right a wrong and become the new Intercontinental Champion and there's nothing standing in his way.

Cue Kyle Jacobs who comes out to the stage and object. All of that and Jacobs doesn't even get a thank you. For what, you may ask? Well, how about 'Thanks, Kyle, for being my partner and helping me win a match to get involved in a match I wasn't part of to begin with'? Look, it's fine, really. Reigns, in a weird way, you deserve my thanks. At Backlash, I don't get to just beat one incredible opponent but TWO incredible opponents to retain the title. You bring Jake Connelly and Scabbia can bring Brooke; Jacobs just needs himself. Reigns interjects and says he will be thanking Jacobs...when Jacobs is one Reigns pins to win. We close with the two staring each other down.

Third Match: The Dillingers vs Southern Gentlemen (Brody Lee and Whiskey Murdoch)
Whiskey uses a basement dropkick to the knee. Whiskey crushes Joey with a running senton. Cover for a two count. Tag to Brody Lee. Southern Gentlemen whip Joey into the ropes and hit a double back elbow. Second rope flying axe handle, Joey goes down. There's a two count on the pin. Standing leg lariat by Brody Lee on Joey. Brody Lee misses a big legdrop after stalling too long. Joey Dillinger nearly kills Lee with a released tiger suplex. Tag to Ben Dillinger. Running knee lift from Ben Dillinger. Flying cross body off the top rope! Even Steamboat would have applauded the execution on that. Lee kicks Ben Dillinger in the gut to reverse the momentum. Tag to Whiskey Murdock. Flying cross body off the top rope! Even Steamboat would have applauded the execution on that. DDT from the top rope by Whiskey Murdock. That looked brutal. Pinfall attempt gets a 2.9999. Whiskey hits a wicked chop that echoes through the building. Dillinger blocks a kick from Whiskey Murdock. Springboard reverse elbow by Ben Dillinger. Excellent move. Ben Dillinger floors Whiskey Murdock...and climbs the turnbuckles. Frog Splash!!! 1....2....3!! It's all over. Great match, a ****1\4 rating i think. 91% overall

HUGO IS COMING!!!

Fourth Match: Kerry Cemenko vs. Salvatore Scabbia
Kick from Salvatore Scabbia to the leg. Spinning back kick from Salvatore Scabbia. Flying elbow from Salvatore Scabbia. Flying elbow from Salvatore Scabbia. Concrete counters an avalanche with a raised foot to the face. Running knee lift from Kerry Cemenko. Beautiful spinning arm drag out of the corner by Concrete. Cover for a two count. Salvatore Scabbia avoids a Kerry Cemenko avalanche. Beautiful spinning arm drag out of the corner by Big Sal. Hooks the leg for a two count. Back heel kick off the second rope, Concrete goes flying. Pin, but Concrete is out just before the three count. Salvatore Scabbia misses a big legdrop after stalling too long. Dropkick connects, Big Sal goes down. Big Sal drops out the back of a Kerry Cemenko bodyslam attempt. Legsweep out of Nowhere. Where is Nowhere, and why do moves keep coming out of there? Does it have a factory? Salvatore Scabbia floors Kerry Cemenko. Kerry Cemenko gets locked in the Omerta! Submission victory! That was good. **** rating. 88% overall.

Wait a sec! We cut to the back where people are surrounding a fallen Haven. Nobody seems to know what happened but Haven is being attended to.

Fifth Match: Clubber Harris vs. WWE Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Demiras
Dropkick connects, Harris goes down. Demiras hits a wicked chop that echoes through the building. Jordan Demiras hits a rolling kick on Harris. Demiras hits a dropkick on Clubber Harris. Clubber Harris takes the advantage after a i-block-your-punch-you-don't-block-mine routine. Back elbow connects, Demiras staggers backward. Demiras walks into a spike slam. There's a two count on the pin. Demiras counters an avalanche with a raised foot to the face. Spinning bulldog in the corner, Harris is down. There's a two count on the pin. Diamond Dust from Jordan Demiras, Harris is out. Pin : 1 - 2 - 2.9999999. Jordan Demiras gets taken down out of nowhere. Harris slams Jordan Demiras. Demiras blocks a punch. Flying elbow from Jordan Demiras. Jordan Demiras has Clubber Harris down on the canvas and is ascending the corner. Through the air, Axe Kick! Michael Hotbody slides into the ring out of nowhere! Demiras takes a stiff punch to the face and falls to the canvas. The referee calls for the DQ as Michael Hotbody continues to attack Demiras. Good **** rating. 89% overall.

MAIN EVENT: Seth Von Kamp, Ryan Pattillo, and Martyn LaSalle vs. Moses McKay, Chris Collins, and Quentin McDaniels
Seth Von Kamp uses move #193 (arm-BAR). Flying elbow from Seth Von Kamp. Von Kamp tags out to Ryan Pattillo. Pattillo hits a dropkick on Moses McKay. Flying cross body off the top rope! Even Steamboat would have applauded the execution on that. Cover for a two count. Tag to Martyn LaSalle. Pattillo \ LaSalle whip McKay into the ropes and hit a double back elbow. Flying shoulder tackle by LaSalle sends McKay to the mat. McKay powers out of a headlock. Back elbow connects, LaSalle staggers backward. Tag to Chris Collins. Fallaway slam by Chris Collins. Springboard dropkick from Chris Collins. Nicely done. Hooks the leg for a close fall. Collins hits a dropkick on Martyn LaSalle. Collins tags out to Quinten McDaniels. Kick from Quinten McDaniels to the leg. McDaniels uses a basement dropkick to the knee. Martyn LaSalle reverses a hip toss. Tag between Martyn LaSalle and Seth Von Kamp. Flying elbow from Seth Von Kamp. McDaniels tags out to Moses McKay. Von Kamp takes a headbutt from Moses McKay. Ring-shaking slam on Von Kamp. Moses McKay floors Von Kamp near the ropes and makes the pin. McKay is using the ropes for leverage! The referee hasn't seen it: 1....2....3!! A **** rating for a good contest. 88% overall.

Overall show rating: 86%

[M-A-G]

Doyle Hughes did not take kindly to being served by some overzealous dance group and got in a fight. He's suspended.

[M-A-G]

Raj Ghosh has checked into rehab for personal issues...but he's retiring anyway...He couldn't wait 1 more week?

[M-A-G]

Raw: April 23, 2040

We open with the Unified World Champion Noah Carmichael out in the ring to blab. He's here with an update on the condition of Haven as he reminds us of the scene back on SmackDown! with Haven found down and out. Carmichael is upset that somebody out there came close to ruining the main event for Backlash but he has an idea as to who might have been responsible. With that said, Carmichael challenges Xavier Cross to get out here.

We get Xavier Cross after a bit of a delay. He gets in Carmichael's face and declares that he doesn't like being accused of things he hasn't done. Carmichael fires back with the fact that Cross got rejected last week by Haven when Cross offered aide in order to take the Unified World Title away. Carmichael isn't down with conspirators trying to take his title and he also isn't down with somebody sticking their nose in his business. Haven will be dealt with on Carmichael's watch. In fact, Carmichael offers to take care of Cross tonight in order to teach a lesson. Cross responds with, "Methinks the champion doth protest too much." Cross accuses the champion of being underhanded and that he could have been the one to take out Haven on SmackDown! out of fear and paranoia. But Cross is actually fine with facing Carmichael tonight because he wants to teach a lesson of his own. And with that Cross takes his leave.

Backstage, the Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Demiras is not his usual self. He's been poked and poked and poked by that son of a bitch known as Michael Hotbody for the last few weeks and he's getting sick of it. Demiras claims that he can see right through the charade, though. Hotbody may act aloof and nonchalant but if he's resorting to desperate tactics like the ones he's enacted, then that's proof positive that he knows Demiras will tear him up like the toothless coward he is. At Backlash, Hotbody gets snuffed out.

First Match: Michael Haywood vs. Julian Merrick vs. Randy Ellis vs. Ben Dillinger
A bit of a preview of the Fatal Four Way match for the Unified Tag Team Championship at Backlash. Rage King gets slammed. Dillinger slams Michael Haywood down. Cover for a two count. Michael Haywood elbows Ben Dillinger in the face to break a hammerlock. Tag to Randy Ellis. The Didact hits a dropkick on Ben Dillinger. Randy Ellis misses a clothesline...and takes out the referee by mistake. Tiger suplex on Dillinger, right from out of the Misawa playbook. Hooks the leg, but the referee is still out. Driven DDT by Randy Ellis. The ring shook violently, instantly making it better at selling than some of the current roster. Dillinger counters an avalanche with a raised foot to the face. Dillinger tags out to Julian Merrick. Massive backbreaker, The Didact got nailed. Julian Merrick with a spinning neckbreaker on The Didact. Randy Ellis ducks a clothesline attempt. The Didact hits a dropkick on Julian Merrick. Lifting DDT by Randy Ellis, executed well. Tag between Randy Ellis and Ben Dillinger. Big dropkick by Ben Dillinger, who got good elevation. Lifting DDT by Ben Dillinger, executed well. Julian Merrick gets knocked to the ground by Dillinger, who is already climbing the turnbuckle. Off the top - Senton Bomb, forget about it. 1....2...3! Good **** rating. 90% overall. Winner: Ben Dillinger

Backstage, Faith Connors is prepping for tonight when she's approached by Sonya Braddock. Braddock warns Faith to keep it together tonight because at Backlash, she doesn't want anything less than 100% from Faith. The pecking order needs to be established and that's only possible if Braddock is facing everyone at their absolute best. Connors looks to rebuke but Naomi Bailey joins the scene and declares that the pecking order is determined by the Queen. Naomi hopes Faith fails miserably at Backlash because it'll be just what she deserves for ignoring Naomi's demands. Jenna Kyle then interjects herself into the mix and wants to make the unfinished business she has with both Braddock and Faith crystal clear. Connors has had enough of this and tells everyone to not get ahead of themselves. Backlash is all that matters at the moment and she'll more than happy to deal with everyone's gripes...AFTER she becomes champion.

Meanwhile, some place else backstage, Noah Carmichael is found down and out with people surrounding him. Lisa Benton is there as well but she has no answers for us after being questioned. She does, however, have news for Xavier Cross. He's not out of the woods as far as tonight goes. She has a replacement opponent for him in tonight's main event...HAVEN!

Second Match: Salvatore Scabbia and Ronnie Costello vs. Brandon Reigns and WWE Intercontinental Champion Kyle Jacobs
Things look pretty tense on the face team. Big backdrop on Costello, executed well. Jacobs pulls a picture perfect fallaway slam out of the bag, driving Ronnie Costello down to the mat. Cover for a two count. Jacobs tags out to Brandon Reigns. Reigns \ Jacobs whip Costello into the ropes and hit a double back elbow. Big clothesline on Costello. Cover for a two count. Stiff high kick on Costello by Brandon Reigns who has evidently been watching some old AJPW tapes recently. Costello pushes out of a Brandon Reigns hold. Costello pulls a jumping piledriver out! Costello tags out to Salvatore Scabbia. Reigns takes a flying neckbreaker from Salvatore Scabbia. Big Sal crushes Reigns with a sweet running senton. Brandon Reigns powers out of a Salvatore Scabbia headlock. Tag to Kyle Jacobs. Massive backbreaker, Big Sal got nailed. Death valley driver by Kyle Jacobs, Salvatore Scabbia got planted. Cover, but there's a last second kick-out. Back suplex on Big Sal, which is a backdrop to you NOAH fans. Big Sal reverses a Kyle Jacobs hammerlock. Big Sal crushes Jacobs with a running senton. Jacobs holds Salvatore Scabbia in place. Brandon Reigns charges...but Big Sal ducks, and in a scenario never before seen in wrestling, the clothesline floors Jacobs. Kyle Jacobs gets knocked to the ground by Big Sal. Omerta!!! Kyle Jacobs taps out! Reigns and Jacobs remain in the ring. Kyle Jacobs does not look happy at losing. Brandon Reigns goes to leave, but gets pulled back in by Jacobs. Tensions seem to be rising between these two. Good **** rating. 88% overall.

Third Match: Faith Connors vs. Bonnie Beckham
Sonya Braddock is watching from backstage. Stiff high kick on BiBi by Faith Connors who has evidently been watching some old AJPW tapes recently. Belly to belly suplex by Faith. Legsweep out of Nowhere. Where is Nowhere, and why do moves keep coming out of there? Does it have a factory? Bonnie Beckham takes a butterfly suplex from Faith. Bonnie Beckham takes the advantage after a i-block-your-punch-you-don't-block-mine routine. BiBi uses a basement dropkick to the knee. Massive backbreaker, Faith got nailed. There's a two count on the pin. Faith drops out the back of a Bonnie Beckham bodyslam attempt. Beautiful spinning arm drag out of the corner by Faith. Cover for a two count. Springboard dropkick from Faith Connors. Nicely done. Cover, but there's a last second kick-out. Faith Connors misses a big legdrop after stalling too long. Faith takes a headbutt from Bonnie Beckham. Faith blocks a punch. BiBi gets caught with a short powerbomb from Faith. Bonnie Beckham can barely stand. CRISIS OF FAITH! 1....2....3. Great match, a ****1\4 rating i think. 93%

Seth Von Kamp comes out to talk about his First Blood match at Backlash against Moses McKay. Some people may wonder if Seth is crazy for wanting to go through a match like this after everything that went down at WrestleMania. For those people Seth says that crazy would be letting Moses McKay get away with what went down at WrestleMania. Maybe he's at a disadvantage, with his face still not fully recovered but it's fine because McKay is going to brought down to Seth's level sure enough.

Moses McKay comes out to mock Seth and remind everyone of how little remorse he has over what's transpired. Seth dares McKay to try and get some. McKay ponders this for a moment and sure enough he runs down to brawl. He gets the upper hand over Seth after a while and looks to repeat himself by busting open Seth's wound again with a chair. Seth recovers in time to steal the chair away and cracks McKay and busts him open. Officials and medical personnel come down to stop the carnage.

Fourth Match: King Kavovit vs. Conner Buchanan
Spinning back kick from King Kavovit. Kavovit hits a massive spinning kick to the jaw. Fallaway slam by King Kavovit. Driven DDT by King Kavovit. The ring shook violently, instantly making it better at selling than some of the current roster. Kavovit only gets knees on a splash. Vertical suplex by Conner Buchanan. Gutwrench into a stomach breaker, Kavovit may be winded. Hooks the leg for a two count. Kavovit ducks a wild right hand. Big piledriver on Buchanan. Cover for a two count. Brutal seated powerbomb on Buchanan. Pinfall attempt gets a 2.9999. Buchanan blocks a punch. Back suplex on Kavovit, which is a backdrop to you NOAH fans. Buchanan drops an elbow...but misses. Fate can be so cruel. Flying elbow from King Kavovit. Buchanan scores with a forearm, sending Kavovit down into the corner. The referee pulls Conner Buchanan away to get the break. Wait! Kavovit has pulled something out of his tights. Conner Buchanan walks over...and gets floored by a punch! 1....2....3! The referee never saw the brass knuckles! That was good. **** rating. 87% overall.

Fifth Match: Romeo Valiente and The Agents of Change vs. Ozzy Mandias and The Wyldhearts
Oz gets slammed. Big clothesline on Oz. Tag between Corey Mattis and Romeo Valiente. Bodyslam by Valiente. Spinebuster by Romeo Valiente, executed with Arn-esque perfection. Hooks the leg for a two count. Valiente tags out to Clayton North. Valiente \ North whip Oz into the ropes and hit a double backdrop. Clayton North hits a rolling kick on Oz. Oz blocks the suplex attempt. Spin kick by Ozzy Mandias to the face. Oz tags out to Robbie Greer. Legsweep out of Nowhere. Where is Nowhere, and why do moves keep coming out of there? Does it have a factory? Diamond Dust from Robbie Greer, North is out. Pin, but North is out just before the three count. Second rope flying axe handle, North goes down. Robbie G. tags out to Blaine Bellamey. BB slams Clayton North. Back elbow connects, North staggers backward. North blocks a kick from Blaine Bellamey. North tags out to Corey Mattis. Bodyslam by Mattis. Tag to Ozzy Mandias. Kick from Ozzy Mandias to the leg. Lightning kick by Oz on Mattis. Ozzy Mandias floors Corey Mattis. Blizzard of Oz!!! 1....2....3!! It's all over. A **** rating for a good contest. 87% overall.

MAIN EVENT: Xavier Cross vs. Haven
We're told beforehand that Lisa Benton has made this a No DQ match. It may that day of retribution after all. Stiff high kick on Cross by Haven who has evidently been watching some old AJPW tapes recently. Kitchen sink shot, Cross gets floored. Haven slams Xavier Cross down. Haven slams Xavier Cross down. Cross reverses a waistlock. Hip toss onto a chair by Cross. Devastating face-first slam from Cross on Haven. There's a two count on the pin. Haven reverses a waistlock. Haven crushes Cross with a running senton. Hooks the leg for a two count. Springboard dropkick from Haven. Nicely done. Pin : 1 - 2 - 2.9999999. Cross counters an avalanche with a raised foot to the face. Chanelling the spirit of Misawa, Xavier Cross uses a forearm to the face. Haven pushes out of a Xavier Cross hold. Haven hits a dropkick on Xavier Cross. Haven moves in for the kill. Here it comes - Sting of Solace. 1....2...3, it's finished. A ****1\2 rating for a great match. 97% overall.

Noah Carmichael stumbles out in visible pain onto the stage and glares at Haven who responds in kind. Carmichael does his damndest to raise the title over his head in defiance.

Overall show rating: 89%

[M-A-G]

Brandon Reigns has partaken in conduct unbecoming of a Money in the Bank holder and will thus have to be suspended for the rest of the month. Ugh, it's going to suck trying to work that into the storyline.

[Evil Vito]

I'm laughing really hard imagining what The Miz would look like in 2040

Oh wait, I know

[Evil Vito]

Originally Posted by M-A-G Raj Ghosh has checked into rehab for personal issues...but he's retiring anyway...He couldn't wait 1 more week?

The equivalent of putting in a 2 week notice and then peacing out early regardless.

[Evil Vito]

The Rooster Teeth references with the Hunters/Play Pals is great. Shame Ryan Haywood ended up being a sex pest.

[M-A-G]

Originally Posted by Conspiracy Victim Vito The Rooster Teeth references with the Hunters/Play Pals is great. Shame Ryan Haywood ended up being a sex pest.

Well, look on the bright side......
























....I've got nothing.

[Evil Vito]

Well shit, I set up my game and you actually CAN get by with only a PPV every few months. You can set up special medium or large events on the other months, or nothing (though Sophie recommends large ones).

I mean, usually AEW's special events are on episodes of Dynamite itself but hey, I can bend realism here. After all, I'm gonna be playing under the assumption that all injuries have healed and we've magically cured COVID, gotten everyone vaccinated and lifted all gathering and travel bans by February 1.

[M-A-G]

I play under the assumption that I can cram at least 6 ****+matches into 2 hours so it's not an odd thing to play it loose.

[Evil Vito]

OK, I start on Monday, February 1st. Had to get all the administrative stuff sorted first. Hiring staff, signing sponsors, setting up a developmental system, all that jazz. Now to dive into the roster. 105 workers, quite a lot for what is still a national promotion, but here goes nothing:

Men's Roster:

Main Eventers

Faces
Cody Rhodes
Jon Moxley
Matt Jackson - AEW World Tag Team Champion
Nick Jackson - AEW World Tag Team Champion

Heels
Chris Jericho
Kenny Omega - AEW World Champion

Upper Midcarders

Faces
Adam Page
Darby Allin - AEW TNT Champion
Orange Cassidy
PAC

Heels
Brian Cage - FTW Champion
Maxwell Jacob Friedman
Miro

Midcarders

Faces
Billy
Christopher Daniels
Dustin Rhodes
Frankie Kazarian
Joey Janela
Lance Archer
Luchasaurus
Penta El Zero Miedo
Rey Fenix
Scorpio Sky
Trent?

Tweeners
Colt Cabana
Evil Uno
Stu Grayson

Heels
Cash Wheeler
Dax Harwood
Doc Gallows (open contract, also signed to Impact)
Eddie Kingston
Jake Hager
Karl Anderson (open contract, also signed to Impact)
Ortiz
Sammy Guevara
Santana
Shawn Spears
The Butcher

Lower Midcarders

Faces
Brian Pillman Jr.
Jungle Boy
Marko Stunt
QT Marshall
Sonny Kiss

Tweeners
Alex Reynolds
John Silver

Heels
Angelico
Isiah Kassidy
Jack Evans
Kip Sabian
Luther
Marq Quen
Powerhouse Hobbs
Ricky Starks
The Blade
Wardlow

Openers

Faces
Austin Gunn
Brandon Cutler
Colten Gunn
Dante Martin
Darius Martin
Griff Garrison
Lee Johnson
Michael Nakazawa

Tweeners
Alan V Angels
Pres10 Vance

Heels
Anthony Bowens
Hook
Max Caster
Peter Avalon
Serpentico


Women's Roster:

Midcarders

Faces
Big Swole
Hikaru Shida - AEW Women's World Champion
Kris Statlander
Riho

Heels
Awesome Kong
Dr. Britt Baker DMD
Ivelisse
Nyla Rose


Lower Midcarders

Faces
Leva Bates
Serena Deeb
Thunder Rosa (open contract, also signed to NWA)
Yuka Sakazaki

Tweeners
Anna Jay

Heels
Diamante
Emi Sakura
Jade Cargill
Mel

Openers

Faces
Abadon
KiLynn King
Tay Conti

Heels
Leyla Hirsch


Managers:

Faces
Arn Anderson - manages Cody Rhodes
Brandi Rhodes - occasional wrestler, also manages Cody Rhodes but uhh, can't assign more than one manager in this game
Dasha Fuentes - no clients
Jake Roberts - manages Lance Archer

Heels
Allie - occasional wrestler, manages The Blade and The Butcher
Don Callis - manages Kenny Omega; open contract, also signed to Impact
Matt Hardy - also wrestles, manages Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen
Penelope Ford - also wrestles, manages Kip Sabian
Reba - manages Dr. Britt Baker DMD
Taz - manages Brian Cage, Hook, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Ricky Starks
Tully Blanchard - manages Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood
Vickie Guerrero - manages Nyla Rose


Managers:

Faces
Diamond Dallas Page - open contract
Sting

---

I've only got 1 weekly 2 hour show, Dynamite on Wednesday, plus an early evening YouTube show, AEW Dark on Tuesdays. Too many people on the roster to feature. The latter show is actually 2 hours long in real life and mixes main talent with preliminary talent. So I also called my Developmental territory AEW Dark and will be sending a good chunk of the lower midcard/opener roster down to hone their skills and simulate the experience of working Dark. I'll likely sign a bunch of other people AEW have been bringing in for Dark tapings too to flesh that roster out.

WWE will doubtless be doing a huge purge but I will not sign anyone they release for a minimum of 90 days.

[Evil Vito]

Forgot to include tag teams and stables in that but it would've mucked things up a bit as AEW has a very heavy Japan influence when it comes to that - only a small handful of guys aren't at least loosely affiliated with some sort of team, trio, or stable.

Tag Teams

Faces
Bad Romance (Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss)
Best Friends (Chuck Taylor and Trent?)
Lucha Bros (Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix)
The Natural Nightmares (Dustin Rhodes and QT Marshall)
Varsity Blondes (Brian Pillman Jr. and Griff Garrison)
The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson)
Top Flight (Dante and Darius Martin)

Tweeners
Alex Reynolds and John Silver
Evil Uno and Stu Grayson
Five and Dime (Alan V Angels and Pres10 Vance)

Heels
FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) w/ Tully Blanchard
The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson)
Miro and Kip Sabian w/ Penelope Ford
Private Party (Marq Quen and Isiah Kassidy) w/ Matt Hardy
Santana and Ortiz
TH2 (Jack Evans and Angelico)
The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster)
The Butcher and The Blade w/ Allie


Trios

Faces
Best Friends and Orange Cassidy
Death Triangle (PAC and the Lucha Bros)
Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus, and Marko Stunt)
SCU (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and Scorpio Sky)
The Gunn Club (Billy, Austin, and Colten Gunn)

Heels
Team Taz (Brian Cage, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Ricky Starks w/ Taz.....technically Taz' son Hook is there too but he's never wrestled and I'll be sending him to developmental)
The Elite (Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers w/ Don Callis)
The Family (Eddie Kingston, The Butcher and The Blade w/ Allie)


Stables

Faces
The Nightmare Family (Cody Rhodes, The Natural Nightmares, The Gunn Club, Lee Johnson, Brandi Rhodes, and Arn Anderson)...this is more like an MMA faction where it's implied they train together but they don't always get involved in each others' business.

Tweeners
The Dark Order (Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, Alex Reynolds, John Silver, Five and Dime, Colt Cabana, and Anna Jay)...An evil cult led by Mr. Brodie Lee slowly turned into lovable goofballs in the past few months, they're practically full blown face now after the tragic death of Brodie.

Heels
The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, Santana and Ortiz, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, and Wardlow)...the first 5 formed on the very first AEW Dynamite in October 2019 and they've been together ever since. MJF and his bodyguard Wardlow joined a year in and MJF being a massive dickhead has caused everyone to start in-fighting.

[M-A-G]

It begins....

[M-A-G]

Wait, Chris Jericho is still an active competitor?

[Evil Vito]

Originally Posted by M-A-G Wait, Chris Jericho is still an active competitor?

Yep indeed. He signed when AEW launched and it was a big deal because he'd said many times over he'd never work anywhere else in the States except for Vince. Also it gave them a big name out of the gate while they can build up the talent people were less familiar with. He's elevated a lot of the Inner Circle guys by interacting with them, has had feuds with guys like Adam Page and Orange Cassidy, etc which helped establish them.

Sadly, he started off for the good for the first year or so but his ring work torpedoed during the quarantine era. He's slowwwww and mostly a brawler at this stage.

That said, he's over and still has charisma of course, so there's always a use for him. But at 50 EWR could turn him into a non-wrestler at any time.

[M-A-G]

God damn, I knew there was a reason to not continue watching wrestling. Fuck Jericho. I would say, however, it's probably not a great idea to use him as a focus for your shows because of what you said about his age. Hell, sometimes EWR will just decide to make a 35-year old a non-wrestler. I've had that happen with guys I've wanted to keep utilizing but then I get a fuck ton of people in their forties and the game's like, "LOL, naw, it's still good, bro."

[M-A-G]

I will now arbitrarily decide to give myself an award for helping extend this thread an additional five pages.

[M-A-G]

Oh, I suppose Vito deserves a reward of some sort, too. Here; prepare to fire up the motorboat again.

[Evil Vito]

Thankfully, Jericho's time at the top of the card was brief. Officially he had a 6 month title run but they weren't on TV that whole time and it only covered 2 PPVs, in which he dropped at the 2nd one to a red hot Moxley.

At this point he's a bit of a jack of all trades. He'll do commentary some weeks and is great at it. He'll second his stable mates to matches, be in tags, etc. High profile singles matches are mostly in his past.

I suspect that MJF (who is only like 26, ABSURDLY charismatic and the best heel in the business at the moment) will try to usurp him from Inner Circle, Jericho will get one last face run and then he'll move into more of a permanent commentary/backstage role, but we shall see. Not sure if I'll run with that same angle or not.

[M-A-G]

Originally Posted by Conspiracy Victim Vito Thankfully, Jericho's time at the top of the card was brief. Officially he had a 6 month title run but they weren't on TV that whole time and it only covered 2 PPVs, in which he dropped at the 2nd one to a red hot Moxley. At this point he's a bit of a jack of all trades. He'll do commentary some weeks and is great at it. He'll second his stable mates to matches, be in tags, etc. High profile singles matches are mostly in his past. I suspect that MJF (who is only like 26, ABSURDLY charismatic and the best heel in the business at the moment) will try to usurp him from Inner Circle, Jericho will get one last face run and then he'll move into more of a permanent commentary/backstage role, but we shall see. Not sure if I'll run with that same angle or not.

Sorry, I can't get over him getting the win over Styles at WM 32. That whole show was one 'fuck you' piled on top of the other in one huge concerted effort to push Vince's narrative of "Hey, don't care about the people on the roster who are actually going to be here on a regular basis'. To which I responded with, "OK".

[Evil Vito]

Lol, Jericho's my favorite of all time and that run early that year was the first time he was getting go away heat with me. The first couple of surprise returns were cool but then he did it too many times.

Surprisingly he actually stuck around and had a great run with Kevin Owens for a few months after the re-draft....then Raw went to shit (again) and I've largely stopped paying attention since then. I'm gonna check out the Rumble on Sunday for morbid curiosity because it's VERY hard to fuck up a Rumble as a standalone but I can't imagine they'll pull together anything that would ever make me want to sit through 3 hours of Raw a week ever again. I listen to Bryan Alvarez' weekly rants about it and it really is 2000 WCW era bad at this point.

[M-A-G]

No, it's actually very easy to fuck up the Rumble. Not giving Russo his meds is one method. Having Roman Reigns go over a darling like Daniel Bryan IN PHILADELPHIA is another. If you were to clone anybody it should have been Pat Patterson so you'd have somebody still around who knows what they're doing.

Seriously, though, watching the Philly crowd just die and then rejuvenate with utter hatred and shitting on everything post-Bryan's elimination was just tremendous.

[Evil Vito]

See I'd view 2015 as an example of how it's hard to fuck up a Rumble just as it's hard to fuck up a lay-up. Daniel Bryan was a lay-up. Why have a guaranteed great moment everyone wants when you can have your planned top babyface be booed so badly that even The Rock can't save him?

Funny enough, in subsequent Rumbles, even though Roman was meant to still be a face, they deliberately would have him in there at the end as the last guy thrown out to ensure the winner got a massive pop. 2015 was surreal and like a fever dream.

[drave]

Was that the year Rock held up Roman's arm with a really confused look on his face?

[M-A-G]

Originally Posted by drave Was that the year Rock held up Roman's arm with a really confused look on his face?

Yes. He was all, "I mean, this doesn't FEEL right but Vince is paying me a lot of money so just go with it, I guess???"

[Evil Vito]

Have a relatively quick turnaround to my first PPV, Revolution, 4 weeks of Dynamite to book. Might try to sketch out a card while I watch Dynamite tomorrow. Might be easiest to stick largely with where they're going in real life for now, but by the time of the next PPV, Double or Nothing in May rolls around, my ideas will be fully implemented

Sent a solid chunk of my undercard roster down to Dark developmental to build their skills. The Acclaimed, Top Flight, Griff Garrison, and Lee Johnson among the talents that were "sent down" even though I'm imagining they're still working Dark matches on YouTube. Left enough guys to get me through the 4 or so matches I'd need to fill out my portion of Dark with the rest of the spots probably being hype packages for my main show. Most Dynamites should have 5-6 matches so I'll be well stocked for that.

Also signed a bunch of other non-contracted real life AEW Dark regulars into very cheap development deals. It's possible they won't all develop into usable main roster but you never know where you'll find diamonds in the rough.

Men's Signees: Aaron Solow, Baron Black, Bear County (Bear Boulder and Bear Bronson), Danny Limelight, Fuego Del Sol, KC Navarro, Mike Verna, Nick Comoroto, TNT (Terrence and Terrell Hughes...aka D-Von Dudley's sons)

Women's Signees: Alex Gracia, Dani Jordyn, Lindsay Snow, Red Velvet, Tesha Price

[M-A-G]

Is Red Velvet as yummy as she sounds?

[M-A-G]

Superstars: April 26, 2040

Opening Match: The Tokyo Titans (Wu and Tokyo Kid) vs. Bill Crockett and Vinnie LaPaige
Chanelling the spirit of Misawa, Tokyo Kid uses a forearm to the face. Big clothesline on Crockett. Flying spear out of the corner! Crockett nearly got snapped in two. Tag to Vinnie LaPaige. LaPaige drives a forearm into the chest of Tokyo. Tokyo Kid ducks a clothesline attempt. Tokyo Kid fires off some right and left hands. Tag to Wu. The Tokyo Titans whip LaPaige into the ropes and hit a double back elbow. Spinning bulldog in the corner, LaPaige is down. Wu pulls a jumping piledriver out! Tag to Tokyo Kid. Vinnie LaPaige is in trouble. Kaiju Krunch! 1....2....3. Almost a *** rating, but there were some bits that dragged, so **3\4 instead. 74% overall.

Ugh, it's another dud show....


Backstage, the Intercontinental Champion Kyle Jacobs has some unfortunate news to share. Lisa Benton has found out that Brandon Reigns suffered an injury due to his match on Raw and is not cleared to compete at Backlash. So we're back to where we started and back to the way it should have been: one-on-one with Salvatore Scabbia. Jacobs knows that Scabbia suffering that fateful loss at WrestleMania has been eating away at him. Well, now Scabbia doesn't have to worry about a distraction. He's got a path back to the Intercontinental Title come Backlash. It's too bad there's a brick wall in the way known as Kyle Jacobs. As far as Brandon Reigns goes, Jacobs will be waiting.

Backstage, Moses McKay wants to gab about Seth Von Kamp and getting busted open on Raw. He refuses to be treated like this by someone like Seth Von Kamp. Moses McKay has aspirations that don't involve being bogged down with pettiness. McKay talks about how messing up Von Kamp's face at WrestleMania was just collateral damage but now he can't wait to see his blood stain the ground. First blood always goes to the most cunning and the most eager.

Second Match: The Morris Cousins (Chet and Lyle) vs. El Silencio and Isaac Wolff
Belly to belly suplex by Chet. Chet uses a basement dropkick to the knee. Cover for a two count. Tag to Lyle Morris. Chet Morris scoops up Wolff. Lyle bounces off the ropes and hits a flying Hart Attack clothesline. Hooks the leg for a two count. Big backdrop on Wolff, executed well. Isaac Wolff pulls a mule kick out of nowhere. Lightning kick by Wolff on Lyle. Hooks the leg for a two count. Tag between Isaac Wolff and El Silencio. Super frankensteiner on Lyle, who hit hard. Pin, but Lyle is out just before the three count. Spin kick by El Silencio to the face. Silencio walks into a trip. Lyle Morris hits a rolling kick on Silencio. Lyle tags out to Chet Morris. Standing leg lariat by Chet Morris on Silencio. Silencio tags out to Isaac Wolff. Flying elbow from Chet Morris. Isaac Wolff is all alone...Backwoods Bomb!! 1....2....3! This one gets a ***1\4 rating, it was a good bout. 82% overall.

Third Match: Hannah McCormick vs. Lauren Franklyn
Flying shoulder tackle by Franklyn sends McCormick to the mat. Spinebuster by Lauren Franklyn, executed with Arn-esque perfection. Hooks the leg for a two count. McCormick blocks a kick from Lauren Franklyn. Kick from Hannah McCormick to the leg. Hard back suplex on Franklyn. Anyone remember when that was Shawn Michaels's finisher? Cover for a two count. Back heel kick off the second rope, Franklyn goes flying. Pin : 1 - 2 - 2.9999999. Flying elbow from Hannah McCormick. McCormick walks into a trip. Driven full nelson slam on McCormick. Cover for a two count. Lauren Franklyn scores with a killer spinebuster. Hooks the leg for a close fall. Big clothesline on McCormick. Chanelling the spirit of Misawa, Lauren Franklyn uses a forearm to the face. McCormick pushes out of a Lauren Franklyn hold. McCormick hits a dropkick on Lauren Franklyn. Tiger suplex on Franklyn, right from out of the Misawa playbook. Lauren Franklyn gets knocked to the ground by McCormick, who is already climbing the turnbuckle. Through the air, Spotlight! 1....2....3. *** rating for a good bout. 80% overall.

We get a promo from Sonya Braddock going over her career in the WWE. It's been an era of domination and broken bodies as she's walked the road towards immortality. And even though the road gets a bump here and there, she's still left a broken body at its site. She says this as it's clear she won't be able to break Faith Connor's spirit or her will. Make no mistake, despite a First Blood and an I Quit match going down at Backlash, the biggest mess will be made by Sonya Braddock.

Fourth Match: Michael Hotbody vs. Daniel St. Croix
Hotbody hits a massive spinning kick to the jaw. Michael Hotbody scores with a back heel kick on St. Croix. Hard back suplex on St. Croix. Anyone remember when that was Shawn Michaels's finisher? Flying elbow from Michael Hotbody. Daniel St. Croix comes up with a right hand out of nowhere. Gut buster, Hotbody hits hard. Lightning kick by St. Croix on Hotbody. Hooks the leg for a two count. Daniel St. Croix misses a clothesline. Hotbody crushes St. Croix with a sweet running senton. There's a two count on the pin. Back heel kick off the second rope, St. Croix goes flying. Pin, but St. Croix is out just before the three count. St. Croix counters a backdrop attempt with a kick to the face. Double arm suplex by Daniel St. Croix, Hotbody hits hard. St. Croix drops an elbow...but misses. Fate can be so cruel. Legsweep out of Nowhere. Where is Nowhere, and why do moves keep coming out of there? Does it have a factory? Daniel St. Croix slugs Michael Hotbody, sending him down into the corner. While St. Croix fires up the crowd, Hotbody is removing the turnbuckle pad! Daniel St. Croix comes over...but Hotbody grabs him by the tights and uses the leverage to slingshot Daniel St. Croix face first into the exposed steel turnbuckle! Michael Hotbody rolls up the stunned Daniel St. Croix, and even puts his feet on the second rope to add insult to injury! 1....2...3! What a display of cheating from Michael Hotbody. Michael Hotbody leaves the ring and heads off down the aisle at speed. Hotbody has the victory, and isn't hanging around for Daniel St. Croix to look for revenge. *** rating, as it was good, but nothing too special. 79% overall.

Fifth Match: Mean & Greene vs. The Southern Gentlemen
Flying elbow from Brody Lee. Lee crushes Lonny with a running senton. There's a two count on the pin. Tag to Whiskey Murdock. Southern Gentlemen whip Lonny into the ropes and hit a double clothesline. Spin kick by Whiskey Murdock to the face. Hooks the leg for a two count. Whiskey hits a massive spinning kick to the jaw. Lonny blocks the suplex attempt. Lonny pulls a jumping piledriver out! Lonny tags out to Caleb Greene. Running knee lift from Caleb Greene. Massive backbreaker, Whiskey got nailed. Whiskey Murdock comes up with a right hand out of nowhere. Tag between Whiskey Murdock and Brody Lee. Lee crushes Caleb with a running senton. Slingshot senton by Lee, crushing the chest of Caleb. Pin : 1 - 2 - 2.9999999. Kick from Brody Lee to the leg. Caleb Greene powers out of a Brody Lee headlock. Driven full nelson slam on Lee. Caleb Greene has Brody Lee down on the canvas and is ascending the corner. Green With Envy!!! 1....2....3!! It's all over. I can't decide whether it's a *** or a ***1\2 match...let's go for a ***1\4 rating to make it fair. Richards and Greene look to be back on the same page again. 82% overall.

HUGO IS COMING!!!

Sixth Match: Mathias vs. Steve Hayes
Legsweep out of Nowhere. Where is Nowhere, and why do moves keep coming out of there? Does it have a factory? Hayes crushes Mathias with a sweet running senton. There's a two count on the pin. Mathias kicks Steve Hayes in the gut to reverse the momentum. Mathias hits a right hand. Stun Gun from Mathias! There used to be this blonde guy in WCW in the early 90's who used that...i wonder what happened to him? Cover for a two count. Brutal seated powerbomb on Hayes. Pin : 1 - 2 - 2.9999999. Bodyslam by Mathias. Steve Hayes comes up with a right hand out of nowhere. Flying cross body off the top rope! Even Steamboat would have applauded the execution on that. Hooks the leg for a two count. Springboard dropkick from Steve Hayes. Nicely done. Pin, but Mathias is out just before the three count. Steve Hayes hits a rolling kick on Mathias. Kick from Steve Hayes to the leg. Mathias powers out of a headlock. Big backdrop on Hayes, executed well. Lifting DDT by Mathias, executed well. Mathias has Steve Hayes down on the canvas. Full Nelson!!! Steve Hayes taps out! A good *** rating. 79% overall.

MAIN EVENT: WWE Cruiserweight Champion Jordan Demiras vs. Miles Shawcross
Dropkick connects, Shawcross goes down. Miles Shawcross takes the advantage after a i-block-your-punch-you-don't-block-mine routine. Demiras gets slammed. The referee bumps after catching a wild right hand and is down. Massive lariat, Shawcross really put some power into that. Hooks the leg, but the referee is still out. Jordan Demiras pulls a mule kick out of nowhere. Second rope flying axe handle, Shawcross goes down. Demiras crushes Shawcross with a sweet running senton. There's a two count on the pin. Back heel kick off the second rope, Shawcross goes down. Hooks the leg for a close fall. Miles Shawcross fights out of a grapple. Reverse DDT into a backbreaker by Miles Shawcross, great move. Pin, but Demiras is out just before the three count. Demiras ducks a wild right hand. Jordan Demiras floors Miles Shawcross...and climbs the turnbuckles. Off the top - Axe Kick, forget about it. 1....2...3! I'll give this a ***1\4 rating. 81% overall.

Michael Hotbody looks to sneak into the ring for what are no doubt going to be no-good shenanigans but Demiras manages to catch him trying to come in and Hotbody decides discretion is the better part of valor here. He exchanges dirty looks with the cruiserweight champion as we go off the air.

Overall show rating: 79%

[Evil Vito]

Originally Posted by M-A-G Is Red Velvet as yummy as she sounds?

[Evil Vito]

Originally Posted by M-A-G Ugh, it's another dud show.... Overall show rating: 79%

Again, when your dud shows are still pulling high 70s that's a really good sign that your guys are all super talented and have a high enough overness to offset whatever lethargy is coming out of the locker room that night.

I do hate the non-clicky shows with a passion. There's an element of realism there because I've definitely watched shows where everything that was booked seemed like it should work/be good but for whatever reason I wasn't feeling it. But when I've taken the time to sit down and book the show in game, bleh, it sucks to get that output. As far as I know it's just a 1 in 25 number generator and you never know when the bad luck will strike.

[M-A-G]

Originally Posted by Conspiracy Victim Vito

Mmm...licking red velvet OFF OF Red Velvet....

And really, that's such an obvious awesome name I'm shocked I'm just hearing about it now as far as it being used for wrestling.

[Evil Vito]

Think she's on the verge of getting signed in real life as well, what's cool is a bunch of the Dark regulars gradually have worked their way up and gotten signed, so it's sorta like an in-house development.

[Evil Vito]

Red Velvet could've been a name in the old GLOW promotion.

[M-A-G]

Originally Posted by Conspiracy Victim Vito Red Velvet could've been a name in the old GLOW promotion.

David Machlane isn't that clever.

[M-A-G]

Although I will give him props for Jacqueline Hyde. That was actually pretty good.