Saviours of Wrestling

[TheArsenal]

It was a few days later and me and Sophie were sitting in the office sorting through some paper work and trying to get the card for End of Days sorted and finalised. Sophie was busily going through all her contacts within the world of wrestling, most of which she communicated with online. It was great having her on board; she somehow managed to keep us in the know of everything that was going on....and she wasn't too bad on the eyes when I needed a bit of light distraction from the stresses of running a wrestling business. But the look on her face today wasn't the usual happy grin. It was a mix of shock and something that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

"What's up Soph?"

"It's Sting...."

"Oh God, he's not releasing another record is he?"

"Not that Sting! The wrestling Sting! Steve Borden! One of the WWF's biggest guys!"

"What about him? I heard the WWF were gonna put the title on him at the Rumble..."

"They are...I mean they were.... He's quitting the wrestling business! Next month, he's retiring!

"Sting? Retiring? Well it's about time! He's hardly got a lot to offer anymore except a name from Atlanta."

"Well he's not the only one on the way out....

"Who else is leaving?"

"WWF has just released.....Big Show"

"McMahon released a big man? He can't be feeling well...Wonder who's he's gonna sign to replace those guys..."

Sometimes in life, you know there are just time when you shouldn't talk. The moment that just passed had been one of them.

My phone started vibrating on the desk in front of me. I picked it up and answered....

"Hello?"

"Hey Matt! It's Jay Briscoe! I've got great news!"

"Hey Jay. What's this great news?"

"I've just got off the phone with the WWF! They've offered me a written contract!

He had to be kidding me.

"Jay, forgive me if I fail to see the best side of this, but how is that great news?"

"I got a written deal man! In the WWF! The big leagues!"

"And what about Saviours of Wrestling?"

"Oh, sorry man. You know I love SoW, but how often does a shot at the WWF come along? If I turn it down, I might not get that shot again! I didn't deal the hand, I'm just playing with it, man. No hard feelings, eh?"

"No Jay, no hard feelings. You'll always have a home here in SoW. Good luck."

Sophie had worked out what the conversation had been about from hearning just my end of the conversation.

"He's young Matt. He was never gonna be able to turn down a chance at the WWF. Whether he knew what Vince is like or not, it's too big a tempteation. We're just starting out, we're not competition yet. He wants exposure, glory, fame. I'll look over the list of wrestlers we want to bring in and I'll hire another one of them. Jay was young and talented, but we'll replace him and carry on without him - but who gets his shot at Teddy Hart?"

"That's not what worries me Soph, Matt Briscoe can have his shot. I thought being based in Seattle would give us cover for long enough that we wouldn't be seen from New York. But I was wrong. We're on the map. McMahon knows we're here, and we can consider this a warning shot."

Edited February 9, 2006 by TheArsenal

[TheArsenal]

There were just a few days left until Christmas. End of Days was scheduled for Boxing Day and Sophie and I were just finishing a few loose ends before leaving the office for a few days and relaxing for Christmas before things kickstarted again. I looked over to where Sophie was sitting behind her desk. Once again she was digging up information on everyone and everything with to do with the wrestling business. As I looked up, I saw Sophie had a large smile on her face. Bigger than any smile she had ever had before....

"Good news Soph?"

"Well, yeah, and some bad. But the good news first. Smackdown's been dropped!"

"What!?"

"UPN have dropped Smackdown! They're not renewing it!"

"What was the rast rating it got? Why have they dropped it?"

"5.22, nothingout of the ordinary for what they've been putting out."

"I can't believe the WWF has lost Smackdown!"

"Well they have, and they'll need another show soon. All they have left is RAW and Heat.

"So what's this bad news?"

"Well, Jay Briscoe leaving us may have had a knock-on effect. There's rumours flying around our guys. Different names have been put out as talent being scouted by the WWF. Most of it is simply rumours and speculation, anothing more. But there are some stories flying around we should be wary about."

"Well, McMahon has already stolen our number one contender, and he's just lost a TV deal. What's the worst he can do?"

Again, I should have learnt that opening my mouth was never the best thing to do. Almost as soon as I'd finished my sentence, my phone started ringing.....

"Hello?"

"Hey Matt, It's Jim Neidhart. Listen, there's something I need to talk to you about."

"What's up Jim? And please don't tell me you're running off to sign with the WWF, we've only got a few more days until our next show!"

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm happy in Saviours of Wrestling, but it's not me I'm calling about."

"Ok, Jim. Time to let me in on what's going on."

"It's Teddy. He's just signed a written contract with McMahon. I told him not to, I warned him what it would be like, but he wouldn't listen....."

"Are you seriously telling me that our Heavyweight Champion has just walked out to join the WWF?"

"I tried to stop him. I tried to tell him he was better off here in the long run..."

".......Jim, did he take the belt with him?"

"Hell no. I've been in this business long enough to know not to let him do that. I've got the belt with me."

"Thanks Jim. Thanks for letting me know too. Looks like I'd better get back to work. It's gonna be a busy Christmas."

I put the phone down, and covered my face with my hands. In three weeks, the WWF had stolen not only our number one contender, but also our Heavyweight Champion. And we had just four days until our next show. The warning shot had been just that, I just hadn't seen how McMahon would strike next, and didn't realise it would be so soon.

"Soph, Teddy Hart is gone. He's just signed with the WWF. We need to get the title back on someone, and soon. And we need to totally re-work End of Days. Jay is gone, Teddy is gone, and Ace is injured. Time to get to work....."

It was going to be a long Christmas....

[TheArsenal]

END OF DAYS

26 December, 2004

So tonight was here. After last month and Johnny Jett trying to screw me over, I had decided to cancel all future Pre-Show Meetings and talk to wrestlers one-on-one. It took longer, but I didn't want to risk anything like last month happening again. But now, I was sitting in the front row of crowd, waiting for tonight to begin. We had no World Champion, and no number one contender. Both had gone to the WWE. Let's just hope tonight went well.

Jamie Scott: Hello and welcome back to Saviours of Wrestling! Tonight we bring you End of Days and tonight that's really what we're gonna see for some of our stars! Tonight Daron Msythe, Eric Justice and Tony Jones will all enter the ring and only one man will leave with his job. The other two men will be fired!

Larry Rivera: And my pick for that match is Daron Smythe. He's the only serious guy in there tonight. The other two idiots are hiding behind cheap gimmicks to get a cheer from this crowd, well while they're doing that, Smythe will tear them to pieces!

Jamie Scott: And tonight we're also gonna see the final match in a string of classics between Austin Lee and Colt Cabana! We've seen these two in a No DQ match, in a Tables match, but tonight it gets a lot more serious!

Larry Rivera: Lst Man Standing, Scott. This isn't bout pinfalls or submissions, it's about beating your opponent until they can no longer stand. It's about that killer instinct, and Austin Lee has that killer instinct, and tonight, Colt Cabana is gonna find out exactly what that means!

The Big Return

As the duo continue hyping tonight's event, The music Teddy Hart had been using kicks on over the PA system, and Jim Neidhart appears, carrying the SoW Heavyweight Championship belt. He gets quite a lot of heat from the fans as he proudly walks to the ring, before rolling under the bottom rope and getting a microphone from the referee.

Jim Neidhart: I'm not gonna come out here tonight and start talking crap. You all know Teddy Hart walked out on this company, and on this championship to join the WWE, but I was the one who stopped him taking this belt with him. And why? Because he was weak. He never would have won this belt without me. I never would have kept this belt without me. Every single match he fought and won, was won because of me. But he couldn't see that, all he could see was himself. Well tonight, there's gonna be a match for this vacant Heavyweight Title, and seeing as I've single handedly won the last few title matches in SoW, albeit for Teddy Hart, tonight, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart is gonna be in that match!

With that, Neidhart throws the microphone down, and stands for a few seconds posing with the championship belt held above his head. He shouts to the crowd, before looking at the belt and heading backstage with it.

OR: 66

(Jim Neidhart gained overness from this segment)

Jamie Scott: What an announcement! Jim Neidhart is gonna be back in the ring and wrestling tonight, and for the SoW Heavyweight Title!

Larry Rivera: And Neidhart has to be considered a contender! In the last few months he's shown himself as being still in the game. He's got the smarts, not just the ability to get the job done Scott.

Jamie Scott: Well ladies and gentlemen, that match will be our main event, but right now it's time for a match that will see not one, but TWO men lose there jobs in SoW. Daron Msythe made this challenge last month to Eric Justice and Tony Jones, two men he just doesn't feel take wrestling seriously enough.

Larry Rivera: And tonight, they'll find out why you can't just mess around in this business. You have to take it seriosuly like Daron Smythe does!

Daron Smythe comes out to the ring, ready for this, the opening match of the night as he continues to portray his gimmick of being here “for the wrestling” and hating those who are “hiding behind gimmicks”. He gets a fair amount of heat from the fans, and plays up to it well enough. As he enters the ring, some fans throw litter at him, but he seems unfazed as he waits for his opponent. Suddenly “Come As You Are” by Nirvana blasts out over the PA system and Tony Jones, the hometown hero, comes out through the curtain and walks nervously down to the ring. He gets a good pop from the fans, who seem to be warming to him. Jones waits outside the ring, as some Americana-style music blasts over the PA system and Eric Justice comes out to the ring waving a large American flag, getting a big pop from the fans and angering Daron Smythe by playing up to his gimmick.

OPENER: Three-Way Elimination Losers Leave Town Match

Daron Smythe vs Eric Justice vs Tony Jones

As the match begins, Jones and Justice look at each other, and both start to double team Daron Smythe. The two faces work well in this match and start wearing down Smythe, both trying to ensure that one of them won't be losing their job. For the opening few minutes, the match mainly consists of Eric Justice and Tony Jones working together against Daron Smythe, but eventually he rolls out of the ring to take a rest, and Eric Justice starts shouting to the crowd to get a pop from them. As soon as his back is turned, Tony Jones runs up behind Justice and pulls him into a School Boy for a two count before Justice kicks out and regains his feet, confused at why Jones has attacked him. The two faces start to fight to the delight of Daron Smythe on the outside, but before long he re-enters the ring and the match becomes all-on-all for the first time. The match continues with no real highlights, until Tony Jones throws Daron Smythe from the ring and picks up Eric Justice from the mat. He sets up Justice for the German Suplex with Bridge, but Justice manages to counter it and it the Pumphandle Powerbomb! Justice looks down at Tony Jones and clearly doesn't want to make the pin that will see Tony Jones lose his job, but before he can do anything else, Smythe pulls him from the ring and slips under the bottom rope himself and makes the cheap pin on Tony Jones to get the three count! Tony Jones loses his job! Justice gets back into the ring just as Tony Jones gets up, and slowly leaves the ring, walking up the aisle and pausing to wave to the fans before disappearing backstage. Meanwhile, in the ring Justice and Smythe are already fighting, and Justice looks to be fighting with real purpose having just seen his ally of late eliminated from the match and fired from SoW. Justice is all about offence as the match continues, and Smythe is just about trying to survive. Smythe manages to escape the ring momentarily, and grabs a chair to take into the ring with him. Justice watches Smythe as he regains his feet, being wary about getting too close to Smythe, who is armed witht he chair. Daron Smythe starts grinning, and sets about cornering Justice on one side of the ring. He lifts the chair above his head, ready to hit Justice, but as he tries to, the referee grabs the chair from him and throws it to the outside. Smythe turns to the referee and shouts at him, but as he turns back to Justice, he gets kicked in the gut and Justice hits the Pumphandle Powerbomb! Justice maeks the pin: 1....2....3! Justice win the match and keeps his job!

MQ:76 - CR:48 - OR:56

Jamie Scott: What a match! What a win for Eric Justice! Tony Jones and Daron Smythe have just lost their jobs here tonight!

Larry Rivera: Daron Smythe was cheated! That referee had no business interfering!

Jamie Scott: Well Daron Smythe had no business bring a chair into the ring! And I guess he's got no business being in the ring himself anymore, because now having lost that match, both he and Tony Jones are out of SoW!

Lost Souls

A video starts to play on the screen above the entrance way. Two muscular men can be seen, side by side. They are standing in a darkened room, with only a few candles on old candlesticks giving some illumination which shows both men as bald, and looking pretty menacing. A voice over starts to speak with an eerie whisper adding more after some of the lines….

Some will suffer from punishment.... Castigo....

Some will suffer from trial.... Ensayo....

All will fall victim.... All will fall victim....

To the LOST SOULS

The screen fades to black.

OR: 54

Colt Cabana’s electric guitar theme starts up and he appears to a good pop from the crowd. He walks to the ring slowly, soaking up the praise from the fans and getting ready for what will be a huge match up to end the recent battles between himself and Austin Lee. He grabs some of the weapons from near ringside and gathers some more from under the ring before awaiting his opponent. It isn’t long before Austin Lee’s regal music starts playing, and the Englishman comes out to a lot of heat from the crowd. He walks to the ring ina cocky fashion, with a clear sense of confidence about him.

MATCH 2: LAST MAN STANDING MATCH

Colt Cabana vs Austin Lee

Cabana and Lee start the match slowly, but it isn't too long before all manner of weapons get introduced to the match and the opening few minutes see nothing but Lee and Cabana trying desperately to gain the early upper hand and do some damage to their opponent that may cause an advantage to appear. The duo spend the opening few minutes in the ring, but soon the fight spills to the outside, and eventually works its way up the entrance way towards the back stage area. Cabana is bleeding from the top of his head after Lee hit him with a steel pipe, and Lee has a bad cut above his eye after being hit with the ring steps. The duo continue fighting, but their efforts, combined with teir blood loss, is making them both fatigued very quickly. Cabana manages to block another attack with the steel pipe by swinging a steel chair up and hitting Lee's wrist. He drops the pipe and clutches his hand. He backs off, and finds a steel chair nearby, while Cabana picks up the pipe and throws it across the backstage area. Cabana and Lee both pick up their chairs and swing them widly, both hitting each other in the head! Lee and Cabana both lie on the floor, and the referee starts to count them both out. 1....2....3....4....5....6....7....Lee manages to pull himself up, and starts attacking Cabana, stopping the count. He picks him up and throws him through a doorway. Lee and Cabana continue to move through the backstage area, stumbling around, barely able to keep their feet and still bleeding from their earlier cuts. Lee opens one of the doors and walks through, but is met with a scream from Ashley, who is changing. Cabana pulls him out of the room and punches him, which sends him further down the corridor. He sees another door and quickly ducks inside. Cabana catches up with him and heads inside the room. The referee doesn't go in as suddenly bangs and crashes are heard, and Cabana comes flying back out of the room and into the wall on the opposite side of the corridor. A man we haven't seen before comes out of the room with a chair and hits Cabana round the head with it. He throws the chair down to the floor and picks up Cabana onto his shoulder. He hits a massive Powerbomb onto the chair, as Austin Lee teels the referee to start counting. 1....2....3....4....5....6....7....8....9....10! Austin Lee picks up the win!

MQ: 94 - CR: 61 - OR: 69

Jamie Scott: Austin Lee has won the Last Man Standing Match! But he didn't do it alone!

Larry Rivera: He just showed how smart he is by having his friends around him! What a great finish to a great match!

Jamie Scott: Well it was a fantastic match Larry, and you can bet these guys will be feeling the after effects for quite some time!

Larry Rivera: You can bet Colt Cabana will! He could be eating hospital food for a while after that match!

Introductions

Before anymore can be said, the camera returns to the backstage area, where we see Mark Briscoe is sitting getting ready for his match later tonight when Ashley walks in, fully dressed now.

Ashley: Hey Mark. Are you ready for tonight? You're going up against Jim Neidhart and Jonny Kashmere for the Heavyweight Championship.

Mark Briscoe: I'm ready Ashley. Don't you worry about me, it's gonna be fine.

Ashley: Well, I really hope you win Mark. Not just cos I'm managing you. I really want you to be the champ. Like you deserve....

Mark Briscoe: Thanks Ashley. I'll do my best...

With that, Mark gets up and walks out of the room as Ashley watches him leave.

OR: 88

(Ashley and Mark Briscoe both gained overness from this segment)

Jamie Scott: Well folks, that match will be coming up later tonight. We'll be seeing Jim Neidhart, Mark Briscoe and Johnny Kashmere all fighting for the vacant Heavyweight Championship!

Larry Rivera: And even though Neidhart hasn't been in the ring in years, you can bet he'll still come out on top. He's got the brains and the braun. Not like Briscoe or Kashmere.

Jamie Scott: Well we'll find out tonight, but before that match, we have another for you. Chris Stylez and will be taking on Matt Stryker!

MATCH 4:

Matt Stryker vs Chris Stylez

This match mainly served as a filler match between tonight's other matches but the two still managed to put on a good show, but they had trouble pulling the crowd into the match. Part of the reason why I decided on the repackaging project I had going on. The match doesn't last long, and Matt Stryker manages to pick up the win when he hits the Stryker Driver for the pinfall victory.

MQ:86 - CR:34 - OR:54

The Firm

Austin Lee and his friend from ealier are seen walking backstage. Lee has been bandaged up and already has a lot of bruising from his match earlier. They look as if they are ready to leave, but Lee sees the camera and walks over to it.

Austin Lee: Tonight was the start of something new in Saviours of Wrestling. Let me introduce my old mate from back home. We call him Douggie, his name is Doug Williams. You see, me and Douggie were running mates back in London. We were in a....well a firm. A football firm. And when you're in a firm, that's it. For life. So, I guess when Douggie heard I was 'aving a few troubles he decided to come and help me out. And I'm guessin' he's not the onlyone that'll be turnin' up either. Looks like it's time that SoW got ready, 'cos The Firm is comin' to town!

Austin Lee and Doug Williams leave the camera and continue walking. They head out towards the parking lot and leave the arena for the night.

OR: 69

Jamie Scott: Austin Lee and his friend, Doug Williams, seemingly here to cause trouble in SoW, with the warning that more of their "friends" are on the way!

Larry Rivera: You've gotta respect that Scott. They're good friends who have each others backs. But I bet that The Firm are gonna have a lot to do in the coming months, and Saviours of Wrestling better be ready!

Jamie Scott: Well I think you might be right Larry, but now we've come to our main event for the evening! It's time for the Heavyweight Title match that will see Mark Briscoe and Johnny Kashmere, but also the wrestling return of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart!

Larry Rivera: Damn right, Scott! This is gonna be one hell of a match and there’s only one thing anyone has their sights on and that's walking out of here as the Heavyweight Champion at the end. This won't be one for the weak of heart!

Jim Neidhart's music blasts out over the PA system as the Canadian steps out through the curtain to a chorus of boos from the crowd. He makes his way to the ring with the Heavyweight Title around his waist and rolls into the ring before posing with the belt, drawingmore heat from the fans. As he poses, Mark Briscoe comes out to the biggest pop of the night. As he walks to the ring with Ashley by his side, the crowd continue to cheer for him. As soon as he gets to the ring he rolls under the bottom rope and starts fighting Neidhart, getting the match under way.

MAIN EVENT - SoW Heavyweight Title Triple Threat Match

Jim Neidhart vs Mark Briscoe vs Johnny Kasmere

Neidhart and Briscoe continue fighting as the match begins, even though Kashmere isn't in the ring yet. A good minute or so passes before Kashmere's music starts to play and the young face makes his way out to the ring. He approaches the ring slowly and carefully, giving Briscoe and Neidhart more time fighting each other. He eventually gets to ringside, but still seems hesitant to enter the ring as Briscoe and Neidhart continue to fight. The veteran performs well against his younger opponent, performing an array of technical moves to keep in in control of the match over Mark Briscoe as Ashley shouts encouragement to her client from the corner of the ring. Neidhart manages to keep Mark Briscoe down, and decides to leve the ring to bring Johnny Kashmere into the match. Kashmere runs from Neidhart, and enters the ring from the other side, where Mark Briscoe is waiting for him and takes him down with a Spear and starts unleashing punches to his head. Neidhart re-enters the ring and delivers a stiff kick to Briscoe's head. He drops to the ring mat and Neidhart starts to work away on Kashmere. The veteran quickly gains control over Kashmere, but doesn't see Briscoe who tackles Neidhart to the mat and starts to work on the knee of the Canadian. Briscoe stops to shout to the crowd, but in doing so allows Neidhart to get back up. Neidhart takes Briscoe down and starts choking him. The ref intercedes and tries to get Neidhart to stop, but he keeps the hold in position. Eventually, Ashley enters the ring and screams at Neidhart, but when he ignores her, she starts to hit him. Neidhart releases Briscoe, and grabs Ashley by her hair. He pulls her towards the middle of the ring, before kicking her in the gut and hitting her with a DDT!!! He rolls her out of the ring, and then throws Mark Briscoe out after her, who quickly tries to check on his mananer. Briscoe picks Ashley back up and starts to carry her backstage, leaving Neidhart and Kashmere in the ring. As Neidhart watches them go, Kashmere starts to get to his feet and runs at his opponent. Neidhart turns and scouts it just in time, ducking under the clothesline attempt. He kicks Kashmere in the gut and Irish Whips him across the ring. As Kashmere comes back off the ropes, Neidhart hits him with a huge Powerslam and pins Kashmere. Mark Briscoe stops at the entranceway, still carrying Ashley in his arms, and listens as the referee counts the three, before he disappears backtage.

MQ:82 - CR:54 - OR:61

(The SoW Heavyweight Title has gained in image)

Jamie Scott: Jim Neidhart has won the Saviours of Wrestling Heavyweight Title!

Larry Rivera: What a match! What a man! He hasn't been in the ring in years and he decimated these guys!

Jamie Scott: Well he really gaine the advantage when he assaulted Ashley, which took Mark Briscoe out of the match, and I reckon that's an issue we haven't seen the end of!

Larry Rivera: She shouldn't have been in the ring anyway! But didn't you see Neihart? He'd have won without that woman getting in the way!

Jamie Scott: Well that remains to be seen Larry. Folks, we're right out of time for tonight, but we'll be back in the New Year for Sole Survivor! We'll see you there!

----------

Overall Show Rating: 64%

[sparkyest]

Thats very good .I think it maybe the best diary I have seen here.

[JDK]

With SoW's current string of bad luck, I fear that Neidhart is going to retire while holding the title. But of course, that's just being paranoid. I'm really enjoying this, wondering where you are gonna take it with him as your champion now though.

[TheArsenal]

So here we are. January 2005. End of Days had been and gone, and with it the holiday season. Sophie and I spent the holidays doing nothing but watching old re-runs of TV, but with the New Year upon us, it was time to get back to work and plan for Sole Survivor, the next show in SoW. The plan was that Sole Survivor would have a Battle Royal match, with the winner going on to face the Heavyweight Champion at our show in March. Now you may already be thinking that this sounds a lot like the WWe, but you have to remember that most fans these days don't know any different, so most fans will think it even more strange if we DON'T do something like this.

End of Days went well for us. I sat looking over paperwork from the night, trying to gauge just how we had done. Attendance figures were way up. We had 208 people attend on Boxing Day, more than twenty above our past record, and the first time we got more than 200 people through the doors. As far as the card was concerned, things had gone without a hitch and the decision to put the Heavyweight Title on Jim Neidhart seemed to go over well with the fans. Now, as far as the title was concerned, I was hoping for a bit more stability.

Doug Williams' debut went off really well, and the plan is to have two more English wrestlers join him and Austin Lee in "The Firm" and have them run as an English football firm. It took me quite a while to get this past our xenophobic head writer, but I sent him to our nymphomaniac medic and he said he was feeling much better. I was certainly getting on with our freak show of staff since I learnt how manipulate them all.

We were going to hold our stipulations and have some integrity, and this meant that follwing on from End of Days, Daron Smythe and Tony Jones were no longer working for us. I had to admit I was sorry to see these two guys go, but I knew that creatively we just had nothing for them to do. And I also knew that they would probably be back at some point in the future, or at least they would be welcomed back if they ever chose to return - but that would be some way down the line if it happened. We wanted the fans to think our stipulations had some weight behind them.

Our public image had gone up again this month too, and so had our money. A phone call from the accountant told me that in the six months we had been running, we had made a million pounds profit! Our bank balance was looking healthy at just over 3 million dollars! Knowing we had made this much money made me think about raising our advertising levels. I was desperate for us to be big enough to get a TV show before the market started to weaken.

"Hey Matt...."

Sophie's voice pulled me back from the brink of drifting into a mess of financial figures...

"What's up, Sophie?"

"I've been doing some digging, and I've found out who the new owener of Canadian Golden Combat is."

"Well come on, who is it?

"Jake Roberts...."

"You've got to be kidding me! Jake "The Snake" Roberts now owns the second biggest wrestling company in North America!?"

I didn't know whether to laugh or not. The idea of Jake Roberts in control of a wrestling company was too surreal to get my head around.

"Any other news?"

"Well, the WWF still hasn't been given a show to replace SmackDown!, and Sting has now retired. And since it's the New Year, I'm gonna putting together a report on the state of SoW, and the state of the other North American wrestling promotions. I'll e-mail it across to you when I'm done."

It was great having Sophie around. She really was a god send, and as she went back to writing her report, I decided to get back on with planning Sole Survivor...

[TheArsenal]

It wasn't an hour or two later that Sophie had sent me a couple of e-mails that she had promised. Seeing as she sits just across the room for me, I figured e-mailing it was a bit unnecessary, but she was doing such a good job that I didn't have the heart to tell her....

January 2005 - Saviours of Wrestling.

Company Name: Saviours of Wrestling

Size: Small

Public Image: 71%

Money: $3,035,580

Risk Level: 70%

Production: 30%

Merchandising: 2%

Advertising: 15%

Rosta:

Ace Steel - F - Old School Face - 60 Over

Ashley - F - Girl-Next-Door - 58 Over

Colt Cabana - F - Cool - 59 Over

Eric Justice - F - Pro USA - 43 Over

Johnny Kashmere - F - Cocky - 57 Over

Mark Briscoe - F - No Gimmick Needed - 59 Over

??? - T - ??? - 20 Over ***yet to debut***

Doug Williams - T - No Gimmick Needed - 50 Over

??? - T - ??? - 19 Over ***yet to debut***

Austin Lee - H - Cheater - 61 Over

Castigo - H - ??? - 50 Over ***yet to debut***

Chris Stylez - H - Angry Young Man - 57 Over

Ensayo - H - ??? - 44 Over ***yet to debut***

Jim Neidhart - H - Coach - 41 Over

Matt Stryker - H - Loner - 50 Over

I noticed from our current rosta that a lot of the proposed gimmick changes still hadn't happened, and there was still a fair amount of change to happen. I had in mind a few more signings I might like to bring in, and I still needed to make all the changes I had planned. Unfortunately, the WWF's interference had shaken those up quite a lot, but I was detirmined not to let them beat me just yet......

January 2005 - Wrestling Industry.

#1. World Wrestling Federation

Owner: Linda McMahon

Size: Global

Public Image: 100%

Risk: 75%

Production: 100%

Financial Status: Healthy

Top 5 Stars:

Mick Foley

The Rock

Chris Jericho

Kurt Angle

Triple H

#2. Canadian Golden Combat

Owner: Jake Roberts

Size: Cult

Public Image: 56%

Risk: 10%

Production: 60%

Financial Status: Healthy

Top 5 Stars:

Ken Shamrock

Masato Tanaka

Taiyo Kea

Glenn Gilberti

Juvi Guerrera

#3. NWA: Total Nonstop Action

Owner: Jerry Jarrett

Size: Regional

Public Image: 58%

Risk: 65%

Production: 50%

Financial Status: Losing Money

Top 5 Stars:

Jeff Jarrett

Glenn Gilberti

Konnan

Ron Killings

Chris Harris

#4. Hart Championship Wrestling

Owner: Bret Hart

Size: Regional

Public Image: 24%

Risk: 50%

Production: 40%

Financial Status: Healthy

Top 5 Stars:

Kaz Hayashi

Jody Fleisch

Shark Boy

Michael Shane

Lash LeRoux

#5. Ring of Honor

Owner: Rob Feinstein

Size: Regional

Public Image: 10%

Risk: 60%

Production: 40%

Financial Status: Healthy

Top 5 Stars:

Steve Corino

Jeff Hardy

CW Anderson

Xavier

EZ Money

#6. NWA: Wildside

Owner: Bill Watts

Size: Small

Public Image: 77%

Risk: 40%

Production: 35%

Financial Status: Healthy

Top 5 Stars:

John Pheonix

Slim J

Tony Jones

Jeremy Lopez

Caprice Coleman

#7. Saviours of Wrestling

Owner: Matt Landsman

Size: Small

Public Image: 71%

Risk: 70%

Production: 30%

Financial Status: Healthy

Top 5 Stars:

Austin Lee

Ace Steel

Colt Cabana

Mark Briscoe

Chris Stylez

#8. Pro Wrestling Iron

Owner: Frank Murdoch

Size: Small

Public Image: 43%

Risk: 35%

Production: 18%

Financial Status: Healthy

Top 5 Stars:

Michael Modest

Morgan Donovan

Ace Steel

Bison Smith

Vic Grimes

#9. Federation De Lutte Internationale

Owner: Rick Martel

Size: Small

Public Image: 30%

Risk: 30%

Production: 18%

Financial Status: Healthy

Top 5 Stars:

Jacques Rougeau Jnr.

Raymond Rougeau

Carl Oulette

Kurrgan

Kevin Martel

Edited February 22, 2006 by TheArsenal

[TheArsenal]

It was another day in the office and I had nearly finished planning the show for Sole Survivor....

"So... how are you feeling about the show Matt?"

"Fine, I think keeping Mark Briscoe involved in the Heavyweight Title scene is a good move for us. He's drawing pretty well and we can use Neidhart's attack on Ashley to our advantage. I figure they can work a good match, and it will be a good way to start the new year."

"How about the undercard? Where are we gonna take Austin Lee and Colt Cabana after their feud?

"Austin Lee is gonna be concentrating on "The Firm" for a while. If we can get them established it will lead to a good few storylines and I think it could set up a push for Lee. I can see that group being quite a good base to launch stars from. As for Colt Cabana, I want to keep him off of the card this month. To have him and Lee ignore each other straight away would make their fued seem like a waste of time. If we keep Cabana of the card this month at least Lee would have moved on. We'll bring Cabana back next month, and then I see a big push for him."

"Cabana and Lee should both be pushed. They could be huge stars, so we should try and make them huge stars here...

As Sophie and I were talking, I heard a knock on the door. I called in the visitor, only to see Colt Cabana knock on the door....

"Colt! We were just talking about you. Look, I want to keep you off the card at Sole Survivor, just to give you and Austin Lee the chance to move on froom your fued, but then you'll be back in February and I'm seeing big things for you."

"Ermmm.....Matt, I need to tell you something. And I thought it was only right to come and tell you to your face, instead of ringing you up."

"What's the problem? Look, don't worry, we won't be keeping you off the card for more than a month or two. You have my word."

"That's not the problem Matt. The truth is.... well, the truth is I can't work for you anymore. I just had an offer from the WWF. A written contract and a guaranteed title reign. I think it's the US Title, but that's a huge chance for me."

"So you're going, just like that? I picked you up out of nowhere, and six months down the line you're walking out? Do you know what will happen to you once that US Title reign is over? If it even happens.... Do you think you're gonna be the next big thing? You'll probably end up sitting at home for the duration!"

"I have to take the chance that I'll be good enough to keep my place there. If I can prove myself then who knows where I could end up!"

"Well it's clear that I can't change your mind. I can't say I'm glad to see you go, but if it's the choice you've made then there's nothing I can do."

"I'm sorry if I've let you down, but I can't pass this one up."

"Well, I'll wish you good luck Colt, I've got a feeling you're going to need it."

He turned around and walked out of my office, and out of SoW. One of my biggest stars, and one of my biggest potential future stars had just walked out, and now the WWF had just taken three of my wrestlers in two months.

[TheArsenal]

Just a week to go until Sole Survivor, and the card was looking good. With all the recent signings and exits in SoW, there would be five debuts at Sole Survivor, and Sophie was still telling me we needed to sign one or two more wrestlers. Right now, I had no idea who to sign. I'd spent so long preparing where I thought SoW was going to go, but I hadn't accounted for the WWF stealing three of our top workers. I needed some sort of inspiration, but little did I know, it was going to come from an extremely unexpected source....

As I sat, running over the final details for Sole Survivor, my phone started to ring. Normally an unexpected phone call meant bad news as far as I was concerned, so you could hardly blame me for answering with a lot of caution....

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Matt Landsman?"

"Yes..."

"Matt Landsman from Saviours of Wrestling?"

"Yes, this is Matt Landsman from Saviours of Wrestling. Who am I talking to?"

"Matt Landsman. Your promotion, Saviours of Wrestling, it's quite a job you've done there. You know, no-one has made quite the impact you have in the wrestling business for quite some time. You have quite a talent for the wrestling business, but there's something you didn't reckon on."

The voice paused. I still had little idea of why the man on the other end of the line was phoning me. I waited for him to start talking again.

"The World Wrestling Federation. Vince McMahon. They know about you. They see the shows you're putting on. They see everything that happens in Saviours of Wrestling. And they don't like it."

"Hold on a minute. Is this some kind of threat?"

"A threat? No. This is something quite different, and quite interesting. Let me begin by asking you a question. Have you been wondering why, in the last six weeks, the WWF has signed three of your workers to written contracts, but hasn't approached any of the workers from bigger companies. I mean no offence when I say this, but you're sitting as the seventh biggest company in North America, so why isn't Vince McMahon raiding the company sitting in second position? Or third? Or fourth? Why is he bothering with the seventh biggest company? What does Saviours of Wrestling have that the other companies don't?"

"You seem to have all the answers, why don't you tell me?"

"The answer is simple. Saviours of Wrestling has YOU. You took wrestlers no other company would touch, and now the WWF is taking them from you as stars. You are the answer to the problem in the wrestling industry. You are the answer to many problems."

"As much as I love a good ego boost, I still have no idea why you have phoned me. And come to think of it, I have no idea who you are. So why don't you give me your name?"

"First, I have a business proposition for you. As I said, you are the answer to many problems, and I firmly believe you are the answer to mine. I could have approached anyone, but I firmly believe that when the going gets tough, you will be the one who will be competing with McMahon and the WWF. That's why I had to approach you, because I only believe you will stand the test of time. To give anyone else the chance would be a waste of time, and of course money."

"So it's money you want?"

"All I want is to help you achieve your dream. It was once my dream, but I can't achieve it now...."

"What kind of help? Wait, first things first.....who are you?"

"You know me, or at least, you've heard of me. My name is Jerry Jarrett. I own NWA: Total Nonstop Action."

I was in shock. Jerry Jarrett, the owner of NWA:TNA, was on the phone to me. All the praise, the cryptic messages, the offer of help, was all from Jerry Jarrett and NWA:TNA. This was almost too much to take in.....

"I've been watching you. But I'm not the only one. And I know that you know my story. It was all meant to be so great. I remember it all so clearly. After McMahon bought out all his competition and ran that god-awful "InVasion" storyline, I saw where this industry was headed. I knew McMahon would rip the heart out of this whole industry to line his own pockets, to buy more houses, to fill his own wallet. I sw it coming, and I knew something needed to be done about it. I guess back then there weren't many who stood up to compete with McMahon. Many thought there was no point. Ok, so ECW folded, there was no great surprise in that, but for WCW to suddenly collapse? That scared men who I knew were more than capable of running not just a promotion, but this industry. If a force like WCW, a global company, could collapse and disappear, then what hope did a small company have against McMahon? Sadly, you're beginning to find out. You can't compete with Vince McMahon, but I know some day you'll be able to.

Back to my story, I spent months bringing together a rosta. I wasn't trying to compete with Vince McMahon, I was trying to hold one show, and if I could do that, then I'd run a second, and slowly I'd become competition. But I never counted on Vince McMahon being the man he is. I gave him more credit, I never thought he would be so unethical, so immoral, so evil. I'm sure you remember as well as I do. June 2002. The first ever Pay-Per-View that TNA put on. It was meant to be a defining moment in the history of wrestling, the night that began it all. From there, Total Nonstop Action would burst on to the wrestling scene like no other company ever had, ready to challenge the WWF and offer the fans a new product, a different product, a better product. But McMahon had a foot in the TNA camp from the very beginning. I put the title on AJ Styles, he was young, maybe a little too green for the title, but I saw something in him. He could have been the next Shawn Michaels, the next Chris Jericho, but instead, he betrayed me, TNA, and all wrestling fans. And he wasn't alone. He took with him some of our biggest names, some of our most talented. Christopher Daniels, Buff Bagwell, Jerry Lynn, Sabu, and Sandman all walked out of TNA and straight into the WWF. Some walked for the same wage that I was paying them, some demanded title reigns and huge salaries. Now, all of them are sitting at home, bound in their iron-clad contracts. I tell you, if I had met those men the day after they appeared on RAW, none of them would be left standing now, if they were alive at all. I put hours of sweat, blood and tears into forming a company, into forming something that wrestling fans everywhere could be proud of, but those men, those six men, along with Vince McMahon, made me, and all those that were loyal to me, look nothing more than second rate. We were branded as fools, no hopers, we were a joke in the eyes of many. I had trusted those men, and all along they had planned to screw me over. I knew I had to do something to keep the WWF from taking all my stars, I had to keep them for TNA. I signed nearly every wrestler we had to a written contract. Overnight our wage bill multiplied over and over again. I was paying workers more for being on a written contract, and it was gauranteed payment too, whether I used them or not. TNA couldn't afford it, but I felt it was what I needed to do to secure the future of the company. Vince knew I wouldn't be able to afford it, not in the long run. I didn't know it, but he needed me to sign TNA's workers to written contracts if he was ever going to defeat me. I was pouring money down the drain every month. As written contracts came to an end, I couldn't afford the cost of renewing them, and the WWF snatched up anyone they could. Those I could afford to keep got put on open contracts again, it's all I could do to try and save TNA, once the crown jewel in the National Wrestling Alliance Empire.

Now just TNA and Wildside still exist. But it was my own doing that spelled my doom. It was my reaction to Vince stealing my workers. You have already had Vince hit you hard. Most of the wrestling world knows that Jay Briscoe was meant to be your number one contender. Everyone knows Teddy Hart just walked out on you. My guess is McMahon thought that would be enough to force your hand. But you were stronger than I was. You kept on going, you even replaced the guys McMahon took from you. And you didn't give into signing written contracts. And that is why Colt Cabana left you. McMahon isn't done with you. He knows like I know, you're the threat. You're the one who will challenge him, and he's hoping he can end it all before it begins, but you have shown your strength so far, and I'm hoping you can carry on. You have the dream, and I believe you can achieve it, but like I told you before, I had the dream but I can't achieve it anymore. The interference of Vince McMahon, and the mistakes I made mean that NWA:TNA has come to a place that it can't return from. To put it bluntly, TNA is dying. It's on it's last legs. And that is why I have phoned you. TNA has debts and loans that can't be paid. Not by me. I fought long and hard to keep TNA going, but I've lost the fight. We will be running an event this month, but as far as I'm concerned, it's likely to be our last. Matt Landsman and Saviours of Wrestling can help. You can be the saviours of Total Nonstop Action. I've been speaking to my creditors, my accountants, and everyone concerned with TNA and I feel the best option available to not only TNA, but the entire wrestling industry, is if I sell NWA: Total Nonstop Action, to you. I know you're thinking this would be an expensive proposition, but all of TNA's wrestlers, it's titles, it's stables and tag teams would join you. I've spoken to the wrestlers, and nearly all are willing to take pay cuts. This could set you up to be the fastest growing company in North America......"

He trailed off.

He had just dropped a bombshell on me and now was eagerly awaiting a response. I was more shocked than I had ever been in my life. I was dumbfounded. Jerry Jarrett had just rung me up in my office and offered to sell me NWA:TNA.

"I know you're thinking you won't be able to afford it, that's why I've gona ahead and planned everything. If you want to sign a Complete Takeover agreement, it will cost you $1,600,000. I understand that you may not be able to make the decision now, but think it over. But let me know as soon as you can, because TNA might not be around too much longer. This offer is only going out to you, I honestly believe you can carry Saviours of Wrestling forward, and I honestly believe that acquiring TNA will not only give you more star power, but will also put your name out there as a company on the way up, the exposure will be bigger than you can dream. I'll give you time to think it over, in the meantime, I'll e-mail you a copy of TNA's rosta, so you can see the wrestlers you could have working for you. I will ring you again at the end of the month, until then, I wish you every success......"

He hung up the phone. I stared at the receiver for a few minutes, not knowing if I dared believe what had just happened. Jerry Jarrett had just offered to sell me NWA:TNA.....

"Matt......are you ok? Who was that? What happened?"

I was still staring at the receiver as I quitely said.....

"That was Jerry Jarrett, he wants to seel NWA:TNA to me....."

"What!?

I tried to explain everything that had just been said, but I was still in such shock that I'm not sure the words were coming out right. They still sounded all wrong to me. It took me a while, but I told Sophie the story that Jerry Jarrett had just told me.....

"Well, $1.6 million is a lot of money...."

"Yeah, but at the rate we're making money, we'd have made that back within a year, probably less if we can get big enough to secure a TV show, and we're not too far away from that now. Give us a few more months and we could be on TV, and some of the workers that TNA have could kick start our climb..."

"I'm tempted to tell you to go for it, but what about the plans you made? And won't bringing all those stars in just attract McMahon's attention even more?"

"You heard what Jarrett said, and you know it for yourself, we've already got McMahon's attention. Getting TNA could give us the upper hand in this little battle he's started. And it could mean more for SoW than you or I dared to dream....."

Neither of us were sure what the best option was. $1.6 million was a lot of money, but we both knew that risks were there to be taken. Living conservatively would probably see us driven out of business, but the huge amount of investment needed to bring TNA to SoW could be the biggest risk we'd ever have to take, gambling half of SoW's bank balance....than again, bringing in the NWA World Title would give us a lot of prestige, but could we afford all their wrestlers? we wouldn't have to keep them all I suppose, but could we pull it off? It was more than we'd ever dared to dream.....

[TheArsenal]

The e-mail had come through from Jerry Jarrett, and the rosta of TNA, that could be joining me....

NWA: Total Nonstop Action

Rosta:

Faces:

Amazing Red - F - B22/S85/T38/C48 - 65 Over - Open Contract with TNA/CGC (Touring with AJPW)

Austin Lee - F - B56/S75/T82/C80 - 61 Over - Open Contract with TNA/SoW

Chad Collyer - F - B27/S80/T85/C77 - 37 Over - Open Contract with TNA/HCW/RoH

Chris Harris - F - B71/S45/T59/C45 - 74 Over - Written Contract

Devon Storm - F - B70/S73/T55/C70 - 70 Over - Open Contract with TNA/CGC

Doug Williams - F - B78/S13/T84/C48 - 48 Over - Open Contract with TNA/SoW

Frankie Kazarian - F - B35/S66/T69/C44 - 62 Over - Open Contract with TNA

Jeff Jarrett - F - B79/S3/T/43/C79 - 90 Over - Unsackable agreement

Race Steele - F - B49/S74/T77/C42 - 43 Over - Open Contract with TNA

Shark Boy - F - B45/S84/73/C90 - 60 Over - Open Contract with TNA/HCW

Alexis Laree - T - B40/S48/T40/C85 - 65 Over - Open Contract with TNA

Julio Dinero - T - B49/S71/T63/C70 - 60 Over - Open Contract with TNA

Konnan - T - B45/S6/T38/C90 - 75 Over - Open Contract with TNA

Ron Killings - T - B68/S50/T35/C80 - 75 Over - Open Contract with TNA/CGC

Abyss - H - B67/S14/T16/C75 - 57 Over - Open Contract with TNA

Chris Sabin - H - B20/S72/T43/C70 - 59 Over - Open Contract with TNA

Don Callis - H - B20/S20/T20/C90 - 68 Over - Open Contract with TNA

Elix Skipper - H - B60/S75/T45/C65 - 65 Over - Open Contract with TNA

Frank Shamrock - H - B71/S8/T93/C60 - 47 Over - Open Contract with TNA (Touring with BattlArts)

Glenn Gilberti - H - B68/S21/T43/C76 - 76 Over - Open Contract with TNA/CGC

Joel Maximo - H - B49/S80/T7/C57 - 56 Over - Open Contract with TNA

Jose Maximo - H - B52/S78/T7/C60 - 58 Over - Open Contract with TNA

Kid Romeo - H - B62/S71/T65/C65 - 58 Over - Open Contract with TNA

Mike Sanders - H - B62/S51/T67/C85 - 70 Over - Open Contract with TNA

Shane Douglas - H - B34/S0/T28/C87 - 70 Over - Open Contract with TNA

Sonny Siaki - H - B65/S40/T40/C81 - 70 Over - Open Contract with TNA

I still hadn't decided if I wanted to buy out TNA, but there were some tempting names on that list. I knew there would be some people who I would simply release and not bring to SoW....the only question remaining was......should I buy?

[JStarr]

lol, america