I first got this idea a few months back when RT split modern wrestlers up into new promotions. Then I promptly forgot about it until 1RealSmartAlex started his 1995 fed a week or so ago. This time I HAD to do it. Unfortunately, I kept botching the draft for '95 so I just bumped it up a year to 1996. Success! Pretend this draft takes place roughly in August-September 1996. And...uh...President Bill Clinton signed an executive order to break up the wrestling duopoly because.....reasons. 

All wrestlers based in the US at some point between January-September 96 are eligible. This includes wrestlers from WWF, WCW, ECW, USWA, the ashes of SMW, US Indies, and even AWF (where we wrestle in rounds). I had a couple botches this time around, too. Forgot a guy here. Had too many tag teams and not enough singles there. But the 6th (or was it 7th?) time proved to be a charm. I don't think I forgot anybody important.

Will post the rosters in a few minutes. Six new promotions formed in the wake of President Clinton's executive order. Each promotion picked 22 wrestlers. The draft was done in the style of a typical PW draft following the snake format with double picks after the 10th round. There was one exception to the typical PW format. That being I allowed myself to pick certain tag teams. 

Either tonight or tomorrow I will post the 6 cards and you, the fine people of PW, will rank the cards in order from your favorite to least favorite. If I don't get enough takers I will start tagging people.

*I had originally intended to go for 20 rounds but altered plans after Round 16 when talent started drying up and the available wrestlers were starting to become obvious filler. That's when I came up with the "22 wrestlers per promotion" idea. The ability to drafting tag teams meant not every "promotion" picked a wrestler in all 19 rounds. After Round 16 it was just "get to 22." Anyway, here are the rosters.....

Promotion #1

1. Shawn Michaels
2. Goldust
3. Sabu
4. Rey Mysterio Jr.
5. Chris Benoit
6. Lord Steven Regal
7. Hunter Hearst Helmsley
8. Taz
9. Gangstas
10. Stevie Richards
11. Psicosis
12. Juventud Guerrera
13. Ultimo Dragon
14. Louie Spicolli
15. Jerry Lynn
16. Quebecers
17. The Gambler
18. Rock and Roll Express
19. Buddy Landell

Promotion #2

1. The Giant
2. Undertaker
3. Randy Savage
4. Mankind
5. Shane Douglas
6. Too Cold Scorpio
7. Jake Roberts
8. Yokozuna
9. Kevin Sullivan
10. Bam Bam Bigelow
11. Loch Ness
12. Mabel
13. Jesse James Armstrong
14. PG 13
15. Hugh Morrus
16. Terry Gordy
17. Texas Hangmen
18. Bob Holly & Aldo Montoya
19. Brad Armstrong

Promotion #3

1. Bret Hart
2. Ric Flair
3. Steve Austin
4. Brian Pillman
5. Arn Anderson
6. Jeff Jarrett
7. Smoking Gunns
8. Konnan
9. DDP
10. Fire & Ice
11. New Rockers
12. Furnas & LaFon
13. Faces of Fear
14. Barry Windham
15. Crush
16. Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw
17. Duke "The Dumpster" Droese
18. N/A
19. N/A

Promotion #4

1. "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan
2. Sting
3. Lex Luger
4. Ultimate Warrior
5. Road Warriors
6. Roddy Piper
7. Terry Funk
8. Jerry Lawler
9. Mr. Bob Backlund
10. Savio Vega
11. Salvatore Sincere
12. Hakushi
13. Barry Horowitz
14. Nasty Boys
15. Adam Bomb
16. Fatu
17. American Males
18. Fake Diesel & Fake Razor Ramon
19. N/A

Promotion #5

1. Kevin Nash
2. Scott Hall
3. Steiners
4. Sid
5. 1-2-3 Kid
6. Harlem Heat
7. Raven
8. Marc Mero
9. Ron Simmons
10. Sandman
11. Brian Christopher
12. Disco Inferno
13. Dan Severn
14. Pitbulls
15. Heavenly Bodies
16. Fit Finlay
17. John Tenta
18. D-Von Dudley
19. N/A

Promotion #6

1. Ahmed Johnson 
2. Vader
3. Owen Hart
4. Davey Boy Smith
5. Eddy Guerrero
6. Dean Malenko
7. Eliminators
8. Rob Van Dam
9. Chris Jericho
10. Tommy Dreamer
11. Steve "Mongo" McMichael
12. Skip
13. Public Enemy
14. Brian Lee
15. Bobby Eaton
16. Godwinns
17. Alex Wright
18. Mikey Whipwreck
19. Big Bubba Rogers

New plan. We're doing head to head matchups. Vote on which card you prefer. Winners advance. 

Promotion #1

1. Quebecers vs. Rock and Roll Express- #1 Contenders Match
2. Buddy Landell vs. The Gambler- Landell's long awaited, highly anticipated return from a broken ankle comes against winless cult hero The Gambler
3. Stevie Richards vs. Louie Spicolli- Clueless putz Richards takes on popular upstart Spicolli in this battle of up and comers
4. Ultimo Dragon vs. Jerry Lynn- Cruiserweight Title Contender Tournament
5. Psicosis vs. Juventud Guerrera- Cruiserweight Title Contender Tournament
6. Blue Bloods (Lord Steven Regal & Hunter Hearst Helmsley) [c] vs. The Gangstas- Tag Title Match/Ultimate Culture Clash
7. Rey Misterio Jr. (c) vs. Chris Benoit- Cruiserweight Title Match
8. Sabu vs. Taz- Grudge Match over one year in the making. We deliver where Paul E. could not.
9. Shawn Michaels (c) vs. Goldust- World Title Match- HBK defends the title against his creepy, obsessed stalker 

Promotion #2

1. Texas Hangmen vs. Bob Holly & Aldo Montoya- AWF's lone representative takes on the plucky undercard babyface duo of Bob & Aldo
2. Hugh Morrus vs. Brad Armstrong- I got nothing. This is a match
3. Large And In Charge (Yokozuna/Loch Ness/Mabel) vs. PG 13 & Jesse James Armstrong- The brash Southerners seem to have bit off more than they can chew by beefing with ONE TON OF TERROR. Get it? Bit. Chew. Beef. Not gonna lie. Large & In Charge is my favorite thing in this project.
4. Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Terry "Bamm Bamm" Gordy- Battle of the Bam Bams
5. Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs. Kevin Sullivan- Reformed Evil vs. Evil Evil in a Grudge Match between veterans
6. Shane Douglas (c) vs. Too Cold Scorpio- TV Title Match with a Pure Wrestler vs. Flyer story
7. Randy Savage vs. Mankind- Falls Count Anywhere Match between legendary wildmen
8. The Giant (c) vs. The Undertaker- World Title Match HOSS FIGHT with the veteran big man against his heir apparent in the rookie monster

Same deal as last time. Vote on which card you prefer. 

Promotion #3

1. New Rockers vs. Furnas & LaFon- Tag Title Contenders Tournament: Workrate Bracket
2. Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw vs. Duke "The Dumpster" Droese- Hoss. Fight.
3. Barry Windham vs. Crush- Two tall veterans both returning from lengthy hiatuses, both looking to regain their mojo
4. Fire & Ice (Scott Norton & Ice Train) vs. Faces of Fear (Meng & Barbarian)- Tag Title Contenders Tournament: HOSS FIGHT Bracket
5. Konnan (c) vs. Diamond Dallas Page- US Title Match
6. Smoking Gunns vs. DOUBLE TROUBLE ("Double A" Arn Anderson & "Double J" Jeff Jarrett)- Tag Title Match
7. Steve Austin vs. Brian Pillman- Grudge Match
8. Bret Hart (c) vs. Ric Flair- World Title (Re)Match four years in the making

Promotion #4

1. Nasty Boys vs. American Males- Tag Title Contender Tournament
2. Adam Bomb vs. Fatu- Athletic hoss fight
3. The Underdogs (Hakushi & Barry Horowitz) vs. The Insiders (Fake Razor & Fake Diesel)- Tag Title Contender Tournament
4. Savio Vega vs. Salvatore Sincere- Umm we'll go with Grudge Match
5. Terry Funk vs. Jerry Lawler- Renewal of a classic rivalry with Funk flying the flag for Hardcore Wrestling against the Sports Entertainment-loving King
6. Roddy Piper vs. Mr. Bob Backlund- First time matchup between two unhinged WWF legends
7. Sting & Lex Luger (c) vs. Road Warriors- Tag Title Match pitting the generally accepted GOAT against a quintessential Superteam
8. "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan (c) vs. Ultimate Warrior- World Title (Re)Match of the century. And this time it's face vs. heel. 

Vote vote vote.

Promotion #5

1. Pitbulls vs. Heavenly Bodies- Stylistic Grudge Match pitting ECW vs. SMW
2. John Tenta vs. D-Von Dudley- D-Von is a bully. John Tenta HATES bullies. He's a man, dammit!
3. Sandman vs. Disco Inferno- Disco is annoying. Sandman hates annoying people the way Big John Tenta hates bullies.
4. Dan Severn vs. Fit Finlay- These two esoteric stylists plan on turning back the clock to 1896
5. Marc Mero vs. Brian Christopher- IC Title Tournament Match 
6. Raven vs. Ron Simmons- IC Title Tournament Match
7. Steiners vs. Harlem Heat- #1 Contenders Match
8. The Outsiders (c) vs. Sid & The Kid- Tag Title Match between four guys with a whole lot of history

Promotion #6

1. Public Enemy vs. Godwinns- Culture Clash
2. Bobby Eaton vs. Alex Wright- classic Veteran vs. Rookie battle
3. Mikey Whipwreck vs. Big Bubba Rogers- Big Bubba is another bully. The undersized Mikey has been bullied all his life. Now he's fighting back.
4. Steve "MONGO" McMichael vs. Skip- Mongo rules. Skip drools. This promises to be a crowd-pleasing ass kicking
5. Rob Van Dam vs. Chris Jericho- TV Title Tournament Match between two athletic young high flyers with bright futures
6. Tommy Dreamer vs. Brian Lee- Extreme Rules Grudge Match
7. Eddy Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko- TV Title Tournament Match
8. Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith (c) vs. The Eliminators- Tag Title Match destined to be ****
9. Ahmed Johnson vs. Vader- Match for the vacant World Title between two powerhouses who have won about 95% of their televised matches this year

Promotion 1 def. Promotion 2
Promotion 3 def. Promotion 4
Promotion 6 def. Promotion 5

Loving this concept first of all.

Promotion #1
No surprises with Shawn Michaels going the first overall draft pick. Most fans would have him as the MVP and it's difficult to argue given how many times he knocked it out of the park. Goldust at #12 was one of the big shockers. I know this is partially a Bake draft, but even then I thought he'd be a shoe in for the third round but Bake is just laying all his cards on the table. Going through the card the Amazing French Canadians vs. Rock n Roll Express would have been one of those WCW tag team matches hardly anyone remembers but it still stands the test of time as an entertaining opener. The Rock n Roll still had enough in the tank to work a quality match while I personally loved the Amazing French Canadians and their odd affiliaton with Col. Rob Parker (or Tenesse Lee to you yankees).

A fit Landel in 96 is one of those what ifs that doesn't get explored enough. He was only 35, he was in pretty good shape and could have easily strengthened any roster as that utility guy. I like him getting a showcase match against one of the best C-show guys of all-time. Stevie & Louie were two of the hottest prospects in Pro Wrestling, so both are strong gets here. It really is a shame about Louie because he was one of those missing links wrestlers that had the old school mentality but could work the more action packed style. Both guys at 26 are two future prospects you can play the long game with.

JL/Dragon and Guerrera/Psichosis would be good matches that appeal now in hindsight but at the time would be a little iffy. Dragon was a star, the rest were all enhancement talent. I'm loving the Blue Bloods tag team although Hunter going in the 7th round seems low to me since he was one of the brightest prospects in the sport. Who cares, we get a great match-up and this feels like a better use of HHH's time than what we got that year.

Sabu/Taz would have been huge, a classic rivalry that fans were dying to see again. I can't recall Mysterio/Benoit facing off pre-knee reco so that could be my favourite match of the entire tournament. I get the impression it'd be like Sasuke/Pegasus from the Super Juniors tournament.

Okay, I got to keep this tighter.

Promotion #2
Stop the clock.

The Texas Hangmen? These guys are also Baker guys? We're talking the future Tough Tom and Bull Pain of WCW fame? It's pretty cool to see them turn up here and although it's basically what I'd expect to see on an episode of Superstars, sometimes I do get an unshakable appetite for perfectly acceptable Superstars matches. Rest of the undercard falls into that trap for me and the second half of the card doesn't fill me with great confidence. Mankind/Savage would be a nice hit, while Douglas/Scorpio would be as solid as ever. 1996 was Douglas' best year and both guys remain 'what if' guys to me.

Promotion #3
You had me at Rockers/Furnas and LaFon the Action Zone spectacular we deserve. I'm having a tough time after that, it isn't until Double Trouble that you got me back into it and the rest of the card from there is strong. Pillman in 1996 is the biggest what if of the year and if we were doing a draft I'd go close to picking him in the first round.

Promotion #4
Warrior/Hogan in 1996 would have been massive. Lawler/Funk and Road Warriors/Sting & Luger are huge matches as well, but so much is riding on Backlund/Piper and I wouldn't trust them with anything. Salvatore Sincere rising up the ranks taking on Marcus Bagwell, Scotty Riggs, Fatu, Luger, Hawk and eventually Hogan is the content we need in 2020.

Promotion #5
I just want to picture a scenario where Disco is on a winning streak, dancing around and Sandman is at odds trying to get him to stop. That maybe the feud of 1996. The Outsiders are huge gets, they were the story of that year, although Kid is so totally turning on Sid and we're getting Harlem Heat & Ron Simmons vs. The Wolfpac matches. I'm going to need a storyline between Marc Mero & Raven involving the future Mrs. Lesnar, please and thank you.

Promotion #6
I'm coming around on Alex Wright. I believe he was only 21 at this point which is ridiculously young for the style of wrestler he was. Eaton could still go around this time, although it was pretty clear that WCW weren't treating him with the respect he deserved. Five years prior and he was still one of the best performers in the world. Does Skip get Sunny? That could be a fun valet vs. valet style aspect to Mongo and Candido. This would be close to the smark favourite and speaking of redemption stories, we're turning Ahmed Johnson into the biggest star of the 90s. Forget Rocky Maivia (well too late) Ahmed is going to have his own Jumanji trilogy (at least, they are making a third movie right? Or is Central Intelligence an unofficial entry?). I could see most people preferring 5, but give me 6 and please I'm begging you at Wrestlemania give me Mongo McMichael vs. JOOOOOOOOHNNNSOOOOOOOOOOON!!!

If only Kevin Greene was a full-time wrestler.

1 def 2
3 def 4
6 def 5

2>1
3>4
6>5

Thanks for voting, everyone. Major props to Big Pete in particular for his detailed writeup. I'm hoping to get 5 votes before moving onto the next round. Figure 🤯 will chime in if everything is ok with son and I'll tag Shootist and Kilgore in the hope of getting an additional vote or two. 

Current Standings

Promotion One leads Promotion Two 2-1
Promotion Three is shutting out Promotion Four 3-0
Promotion Six is also pitching a shutout with a 3-0 lead over Promotion Five
================
BigPete: No spoilers but you did accurately guess a few things, while you're going to be swerved in a few other scenarios.

I intentionally went with that Superstars/Worldwide feel for a few matches.

I thought Goldust was money in 95-96. And a Goldust/HBK feud in particular was major $$$. The bloom actually came off the rose in September when he lost to Michaels on Raw. He got boring in a hurry after that.

Hunter was ice cold in August-September '96 and I thought he was destined to go the way of heel Tatanka. Helmsley lost to Savio, Sid, The Stalker(!), and Freddie Joe Floyd(!!) on tv during that stretch while having no televised wins of note. His last major feud saw him put over Mero way back in the Spring. He'd have went a round or two higher if I had done this draft six months earlier or six months later.

You better believe I am a Texas Hangmen fan. They edged out "Gentleman" Chris Adams as my favorite AWF 2.0 (where we wrestle in rounds) in ring act. They were good squashers who wrestled like Demolition, only with the added bonus of throwing a few nifty suplexes.

I thought about drafting managers/valets at the last minute but opted out because I just wanted to get this show on the road. Tell ya what. Next round I'll assign seconds when applicable.  

2
4
6

Pruning things down to just the matches that catch The Eye of PI...

Sept 11, 2020 23:49:00 GMT Baker said:

Promotion #1

1. Quebecers vs. Rock and Roll Express- #1 Contenders Match
2. Buddy Landell vs. The Gambler- Landell's long awaited, highly anticipated return from a broken ankle comes against winless cult hero The Gambler
3. Stevie Richards vs. Louie Spicolli- Clueless putz Richards takes on popular upstart Spicolli in this battle of up and comers
4. Ultimo Dragon vs. Jerry Lynn- Cruiserweight Title Contender Tournament
5. Psicosis vs. Juventud Guerrera- Cruiserweight Title Contender Tournament
6. Blue Bloods (Lord Steven Regal & Hunter Hearst Helmsley) [c] vs. The Gangstas- Tag Title Match/Ultimate Culture Clash
7. Rey Misterio Jr. (c) vs. Chris Benoit- Cruiserweight Title Match
8. Sabu vs. Taz- Grudge Match over one year in the making. We deliver where Paul E. could not.
9. Shawn Michaels (c) vs. Goldust- World Title Match- HBK defends the title against his creepy, obsessed stalker 

Promotion #2

1. Texas Hangmen vs. Bob Holly & Aldo Montoya- AWF's lone representative takes on the plucky undercard babyface duo of Bob & Aldo
2. Hugh Morrus vs. Brad Armstrong- I got nothing. This is a match
3. Large And In Charge (Yokozuna/Loch Ness/Mabel) vs. PG 13 & Jesse James Armstrong- The brash Southerners seem to have bit off more than they can chew by beefing with ONE TON OF TERROR. Get it? Bit. Chew. Beef. Not gonna lie. Large & In Charge is my favorite thing in this project.
4. Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Terry "Bamm Bamm" Gordy- Battle of the Bam Bams
5. Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs. Kevin Sullivan- Reformed Evil vs. Evil Evil in a Grudge Match between veterans
6. Shane Douglas (c) vs. Too Cold Scorpio- TV Title Match with a Pure Wrestler vs. Flyer story
7. Randy Savage vs. Mankind- Falls Count Anywhere Match between legendary wildmen
8. The Giant (c) vs. The Undertaker- World Title Match HOSS FIGHT with the veteran big man against his heir apparent in the rookie monster

Based on the matches left in play for each, Promotion #1 is drawing more of my dimes in the first head-to-head. But it's a pretty close, pretty tough matchup.

Sept 12, 2020 1:22:01 GMT Baker said:

Promotion #3

1. New Rockers vs. Furnas & LaFon- Tag Title Contenders Tournament: Workrate Bracket
[b
2. Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw vs. Duke "The Dumpster" Droese- Hoss. Fight.
3. Barry Windham vs. Crush- Two tall veterans both returning from lengthy hiatuses, both looking to regain their mojo
4. Fire & Ice (Scott Norton & Ice Train) vs. Faces of Fear (Meng & Barbarian)- Tag Title Contenders Tournament: HOSS FIGHT Bracket
5. Konnan (c) vs. Diamond Dallas Page- US Title Match
6. Smoking Gunns vs. DOUBLE TROUBLE ("Double A" Arn Anderson & "Double J" Jeff Jarrett)- Tag Title Match
7. Steve Austin vs. Brian Pillman- Grudge Match
8. Bret Hart (c) vs. Ric Flair- World Title (Re)Match four years in the making

Promotion #4

1. Nasty Boys vs. American Males- Tag Title Contender Tournament
2. Adam Bomb vs. Fatu- Athletic hoss fight
3. The Underdogs (Hakushi & Barry Horowitz) vs. The Insiders (Fake Razor & Fake Diesel)- Tag Title Contender Tournament
4. Savio Vega vs. Salvatore Sincere- Umm we'll go with Grudge Match
5. Terry Funk vs. Jerry Lawler- Renewal of a classic rivalry with Funk flying the flag for Hardcore Wrestling against the Sports Entertainment-loving King
6. Roddy Piper vs. Mr. Bob Backlund- First time matchup between two unhinged WWF legends
7. Sting & Lex Luger (c) vs. Road Warriors- Tag Title Match pitting the generally accepted GOAT against a quintessential Superteam
8. "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan (c) vs. Ultimate Warrior- World Title (Re)Match of the century. And this time it's face vs. heel. 

Fuuuck me, another one tighter than son's stomach sphincter. Promotion #3 is drawing more of my dimes by a tit hair.

Sept 12, 2020 1:35:02 GMT Baker said:

Promotion #5

1. Pitbulls vs. Heavenly Bodies- Stylistic Grudge Match pitting ECW vs. SMW
2. John Tenta vs. D-Von Dudley- D-Von is a bully. John Tenta HATES bullies. He's a man, dammit!
3. Sandman vs. Disco Inferno- Disco is annoying. Sandman hates annoying people the way Big John Tenta hates bullies.
4. Dan Severn vs. Fit Finlay- These two esoteric stylists plan on turning back the clock to 1896
5. Marc Mero vs. Brian Christopher- IC Title Tournament Match 
6. Raven vs. Ron Simmons- IC Title Tournament Match
7. Steiners vs. Harlem Heat- #1 Contenders Match
8. The Outsiders (c) vs. Sid & The Kid- Tag Title Match between four guys with a whole lot of history

Promotion #6

1. Public Enemy vs. Godwinns- Culture Clash
2. Bobby Eaton vs. Alex Wright- classic Veteran vs. Rookie battle
3. Mikey Whipwreck vs. Big Bubba Rogers- Big Bubba is another bully. The undersized Mikey has been bullied all his life. Now he's fighting back.
4. Steve "MONGO" McMichael vs. Skip- Mongo rules. Skip drools. This promises to be a crowd-pleasing ass kicking
5. Rob Van Dam vs. Chris Jericho- TV Title Tournament Match between two athletic young high flyers with bright futures
6. Tommy Dreamer vs. Brian Lee- Extreme Rules Grudge Match
7. Eddy Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko- TV Title Tournament Match
8. Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith (c) vs. The Eliminators- Tag Title Match destined to be ****
9. Ahmed Johnson vs. Vader- Match for the vacant World Title between two powerhouses who have won about 95% of their televised matches this year

Man, I wanted to say Promotion #5 solely based on the strength of its main event... But Promotion #6 just offers more across the board, and hence draws my dimes.

Thanks to everyone who voted and commented. I'm getting antsy to move on. So voting for Round One is officially closed. 

Results

Promotion One defeats Promotion Two 4-2
Promotion Three defeats Promotion Four 4-1
Promotion Six shuts out Promotion Five 5-0

Tonight I plan on posting a Triple Threat Wild Card match between the first round losers. The winner will advance to join the Round One victors....but at a disadvantage to be revealed later.

I've also begun tinkering already with another draft for when this one wraps up. Stay tuned....

Baker-man, I must say... I fucking love this concept/project, can't wait to see how 1996 pans out, and can't wait for other years!

Sept 14, 2020 17:13:26 GMT jTjohncenaGOAT said:

I guess I didn’t see there was a conclusive date to voting. Expected to do match ups 2 and 3 later today. I had to stop and get some school work done first.

Go for it. It won’t effect the results but I’m curious to get your take. Fan reaction may influence future cards....

Sept 14, 2020 17:17:52 GMT Baker said:

Sept 14, 2020 17:13:26 GMT jTjohncenaGOAT said:

I guess I didn’t see there was a conclusive date to voting. Expected to do match ups 2 and 3 later today. I had to stop and get some school work done first.

Go for it. It won’t effect the results but I’m curious to get your take. Fan reaction may influence future cards....

Well then, for reference, PI's Top 10 Dime Drawing Matches (as an FYI):

1. P#1's Shawn Michaels (c) vs. Goldust- World Title Match- HBK defends the title against his creepy, obsessed stalker

2. P#5's The Outsiders (c) vs. Sid & The Kid- Tag Title Match between four guys with a whole lot of history

3. P#3's Steve Austin vs. Brian Pillman- Grudge Match

4. P#2's Randy Savage vs. Mankind- Falls Count Anywhere Match between legendary wildmen

5. P#2's The Giant (c) vs. The Undertaker- World Title Match HOSS FIGHT with the veteran big man against his heir apparent in the rookie monster

6. P#3's Smoking Gunns vs. DOUBLE TROUBLE ("Double A" Arn Anderson & "Double J" Jeff Jarrett)- Tag Title Match

7. P#3's Fire & Ice (Scott Norton & Ice Train) vs. Faces of Fear (Meng & Barbarian)- Tag Title Contenders Tournament: HOSS FIGHT Bracket

8. P#4's Roddy Piper vs. Mr. Bob Backlund- First time matchup between two unhinged WWF legends

9. P#4's Terry Funk vs. Jerry Lawler- Renewal of a classic rivalry with Funk flying the flag for Hardcore Wrestling against the Sports Entertainment-loving King

10. P#1's Blue Bloods (Lord Steven Regal & Hunter Hearst Helmsley) [c] vs. The Gangstas- Tag Title Match/Ultimate Culture Clash

Sept 14, 2020 17:13:26 GMT jTjohncenaGOAT said:

Also I think I wrongfully attributed #1 as my choice. #2 was my actual choice. 

I just want to clarify this before moving on. Are you sure you wanted to go with #2? Because from what you wrote earlier it looked like you were leaning towards Promotion #1...

Sept 14, 2020 12:35:50 GMT jTjohncenaGOAT said:

#1 wins head to head matches against the draft, it wins roster unity and theme, and it wins the card comparison. I didn’t think it was going to be an easy decision but it really was. Scrap the Giant for just about anyone in the #1 spot and I think you got a no contention roster.

If you are going with #2 that would lead to a tie and change the entire complexion of future rounds.

Official First Round Results

Promotion One tied Promotion Two 3-3
Promotion Three defeated Promotion Four 5-1
Promotion Six blanked Promotion Five 6-0

Promotions 3 & 6 advance and will each get to steal two wrestlers from the rosters they defeated. Promotions 4 & 5 are eliminated from the contest.
Promotions 1 & 2 will also advance but they get no steals due to tying rather than winning. Second round matchups will be....

Promotion #6 vs. Promotion #2
Promotion #3 vs. Promotion #1

jTjohncenaGOAT threw me for a loop with that earlier mix up so there will probably be nothing new posted this evening. I'm shooting for tomorrow night.

Sept 14, 2020 21:42:58 GMT jTjohncenaGOAT said:

Ahmed Johnson shouldn’t be the leader of this company. He just doesn’t fit the bill. 

Hooray! I was hoping somebody would question Ahmed being a #1 draft pick. It obviously looks ridiculous in hindsight. But I came at this project largely from a 1996 mindset. And not since Lex Luger slammed Yokozuna had there been a more surefire, can't miss prospect than 95-96 Ahmed Johnson. The question wasn't "if" Ahmed would be WWF champ, but "when." He had the look. He had the push. He had the intensity. He even had the moves. Like "Made In The USA" Lex Luger, he was beloved by my peers. "Austin, Helmsley, Guerrero, and Benoit are all valuable role players. You need guys like that to fill out a card. But that's all they are- card filler. They'll never be World Champions. Ahmed Johnson, and guys like him, are where the money is."- 1996 Baker 
Source: I had been watching wrestling for 9 glorious years and knew how this stuff worked.

Of course, as was the case with Luger, I was the neighborhood's resident Ahmed hater. Put yourself in my shoes for a minute. Here I am the self-proclaimed biggest WWF fan in the world. Yet I was also a fan of sports entertaining heels and loathed Hogan-types. The future looked mighty bleak for my wrestling heroes and I. 1996 WWF had not just one, not even two, but THREE Hogan-types! You had Shawn Michaels currently on top as Workrate Hogan, Ahmed Johnson waiting in the wings as The Next Hogan, and Ultimate Warrior returning as the one guy to ever out-Hogan Hogan. I fully expected the three of them to hog the WWF Championship for YEARS. The best I dared hope for was a transitional reign for one of my heroes like Vader, Goldust, Owen, or Bulldog. 

Round One Show Results

Promotion #1

1. Quebecers defeat Rock & Roll Express to become #1 Contenders for the Tag Team Titles.
2. Gambler wins! Gambler wins! Gambler wins! When he defeats the returning Buddy Landell in a shocking upset.
3. Louie Spicolli suplexes his way to victory over Stevie Richards.
4. Ultimo Dragon defeats Jerry Lynn to advance in the Cruiserweight Contenders Tournament.
5. Psicosis wrestles Juventud Guerrera to a 15 minute draw eliminating both men from immediate Cruiserweight Title contention.
6. The Gangstas defeat The Blue Bloods of Lord Steven Regal & Hunter Hearst Helmsley to win the Tag Team Titles.
7. Rey Misterio Jr. defeats Chris Benoit in a classic confrontation to retain the Cruiserweight Championship.
8. Sabu pins his arch rival Taz with a Bret/Austin finish. Taz was so hellbent on choking Sabu out with the Tazmission that he refused to break the hold even with his shoulders on the mat. Sabu was indeed choked out, but not before Taz was pinned. 
9. Shawn Michaels turns back the challenge of his obsessed stalker Goldust to retain the World Championship after hitting Sweet Chin Music.

Promotion #2

1. Texas Hangmen defeat the game duo of Bob Holly & Aldo Montoya
2. Hugh Morrus pinned Brad Armstrong with his No Laughing Matter Moonsault
3. Large And In Charge (Yokozuna/Mabel/Loch Ness) defeat the outgunned and outweighed PG 13 & Jesse James Armstrong with a triple pin.
4. Bam Bam Bigelow pins Terry Gordy to win The Battle of the Bam Bams.
5. Jake Roberts pins Kevin Sullivan with a DDT and gives The Taskmaster the full snake treatment after the match. 
6. Shane Douglas pinned Too Cold Scorpio with a top rope Belly To Belly Suplex to retain the TV Title. Scorp was up top looking for his patented 450 Splash when Bam Bam Bigelow sauntered down the aisle to provide a momentary distraction. Douglas later introduced Bigelow as his new insurance policy.
7. Randy Savage defeated Mankind with a Flying Elbow to the floor in a wild Falls Count Anywhere Match.
8. The Giant retained the World Championship by defeating The Undertaker with a little help from the deranged Mankind.

3-3 Tie. Both promotions advance without steals.
===============================
Promotion #3

1. Furnas & LaFon defeat The New Rockers in a state of the art technical clinic to advance in the Tag Title Tournament.
2. Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw pins Duke "The Dumpster" Droese to prevail in this dull hoss fight.
3. Barry Windham pins Crush with a Superplex to a win a hoss fight that was somehow even more boring than the one which preceded it.
4. Fire & Ice advance in the Tag Title Tournament by defeating the Faces of Fear in a knockdown drag out slobberknocker worthy of the term Hoss Fight.
5. Diamond Dallas Page pins Konnan with a Diamond Cutter to become the new US Champion.
6. Double Trouble (Jeff Jarrett & Arn Anderson) defeat the Smoking Gunns to become new Tag Team Champions.
7. Steve Austin pins Brian Pillman with a Stunner to win this wild and woolly Grudge Match 
8. Bret Hart retains the World Championship with a submission victory over Ric Flair when the wizardly Hitman somehow turns a Figure 4 into a Sharpshooter.

Promotion #4

1. Nasty Boys defeat the American Males to advance in the Tag Title Contenders Tournament.
2. Adam Bomb pins Fatu to win an athletic hoss fight (Fatu was going to be repackaged as the heel Sultan in the next round)
3. The Underdogs (Barry Horowitz & Hakushi) defeat the hated Insiders (Fake Razor & Fake Diesel) to advance in the Tag Title Contenders tourney.
4. Salvatore Sincere pins Savio Vega with his Sincerely Yours Full Nelson Slam.
5. Terry Funk wins The Battle of Piledriving Veterans over Jerry Lawler
6. Roddy Piper prevails in a bowling shoe ugly battle of veterans when he puts Mr. Bob Backlund to sleep 
7. Road Warriors win the Tag Titles from Sting & Lex Luger when Luger is pinned following a Doomsday Device
8. "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan pulls out every low down dirty trick in the book to get his win back from Ultimate Warrior and retain the World Title.

Promotion #3 wins 5-1. They steal Sting & Lex Luger (Hogan didn't fit in well with my plans for Promotion #3's next card). Promotion #4 has been eliminated.
==============================
Promotion #5

1. Pitbulls defeat the Heavenly Bodies with a Superbomb in this ECW vs. SMW style battle
2. Big John Tenta batters bully D-Von Dudley en route to a relatively quick victory
3. Sandman defeats Disco Inferno in a match Big Pete was shockingly more into than I was
4. Dan Severn makes Fit Finlay submit in a snoozer
5. Marc Mero defeats Brian Christopher in an exciting fast-paced match to wake up the crowd and advance in the IC Title Tournament
6. Raven digs deep into his bag of tricks to steal a victory from Ron Simmons and advance in the IC Title Tournament
7. Steiners defeat Harlem Heat to become #1 Contenders for the Tag Titles.
8. The Outsiders retain the Tag Titles by defeating Sid & The Kid. Kid did indeed turn on his partner as Pete predicted.

Promotion #6

1. Public Enemy defeat The Godwinns to prevail in this Culture Clash
2. Alex Wright cheated to beat Bobby Eaton, embracing his inner douchebag and dancing more than Disco in the process.
3. Big Bubba Rogers bullies his way to victory over poor, undersized Mikey Whipwreck
4. Steve "Mongo" McMichael bullies his way to victory over Skip. But, like, the good kind of bullying? Mongo is incredibly over. It's just one of those things.
5. Arrogant Rob Van Dam gets the better of wholesome Chris Jericho to advance in the TV Title Tournament
6. Tommy Dreamer wins a wild brawl over his longtime nemesis "Prime Time" Brian Lee
7. Eddy Guerrero wins a game of human chess over his longtime rival Dean Malenko to advance in the TV Title Tournament
8. Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith retain the Tag Team Titles by defeating The Eliminators in a **** match marred only by the match-altering interference of the debuting Jim Cornette.
9. Ahmed Johnson wrestled Vader to a No Contest for the vacant World Championship when an Ahmed superplex BROKE THE RING!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!

Promotion #6 pitches a 6-0 shutout. Y'all are nuts. It shouldn't have been that big a landslide. Promotion #6 steals Hall & Nash: The Outsiders from the eliminated Promotion #5.

Second Round: Promotion #2 vs. Promotion #6

Promotion #2

1. PG 13 vs. The Armstrongs (Brad & Jesse James)- PG 13 turned on Jesse James Armstrong, blaming him for their loss to Large And In Charge. Brother Brad came to Jesse James' rescue and now the Armstrong Boys are out for revenge in what just might be the most Southern match yet.

2. Bob Holly vs. Aldo Montoya in a rare scientific good guy vs. good guy match that will likely start and end with a handshake.

3. Hugh Morrus vs. Terry Gordy in a Young Hoss vs. Veteran Hoss battle.

4. Large And In Charge (Yoko/Mabel/Loch Ness) vs. Kevin Sullivan & The Texas Hangmen- Sullivan decided he needed to get even more evil after his recent loss to Jake. To do that he planned on bringing back the infamous Dungeon of Doom. He went to Large And In Charge first. They turned him down. An irate Sullivan then recruited the Hangmen, who just like to fight, in order to get his revenge on the big boys who turned him down.

5. Too Cold Scorpio vs. Bam Bam Bigelow- Grudge Match based on Bigelow potentially costing Scorp the TV Title at our last show.

6. Shane Douglas (c) vs. Jake Roberts- TV Title Match- Jake has incredibly never won a major title. This just might be his last chance. But cocky young punk Shane Douglas isn't going to just roll over for anybody, let alone a veteran. For he hates veterans as much as the fans hate him. He's spit on tradition before and he plans on doing it once more. Shane Douglas lives to destroy the dreams of idealistic wrestling fans.

7. Undertaker w/ Paul Bearer vs. Mankind- Thunderdome Cage Match based on what transpired at our last show. A Thunderdome Cage is just fancy talk for a cage with a roof. 'Taker brought Paul Bearer in to prevent the sort of shenanigans we saw at our last big event.

8. The Giant (c) vs. Randy Savage- World Title Match- The Rookie Monster faces his toughest test to date in multiple time World Champion, Randy Savage.

========================

Promotion #6

1. Godwinns vs. Sunny's Squad (Chris Candido & Brian Lee) w/ Sunny- Sunny shocked the world by coming back into the lives of her struggling ex-charges- Brian Lee and the newly rechristened Chris Candido. They immediately regained their mojo as they went all out to impress Sunny. There's only one problem...The Godwinns, old rivals of Sunny & Candido, are up to their usual tricks. Phineas is a-smitten. Henry is a-sloppin'. Something has to give...

2. Mikey Whipwreck vs. Bobby Eaton- Perpetual underdog Mikey looks to take down the veteran Eaton with both guys desperate for a victory.

3. Tommy Dreamer vs. Alex Wright- The new Alex Wright is rubbing everybody the wrong way. None more so than Tommy Dreamer, who hopes to innovate some violence on the uber obnoxious dancing German.

4. Dean Malenko vs. Chris Jericho- Stoic technician Dean battles the energetic all arounder Jericho with potential TV Title implications at stake in what could be the sleeper match of the night.

5. Steve "Mongo" McMichael vs. Big Bubba Rogers- Hoss Fight between a hated bully and a wildly popular ex-NFL star

6. Eliminators vs. Public Enemy- ECW is dead but the debate rages on- Who is the best tag team in company history? This match will answer that question once and for all.

7. Eddy Guerrero vs. Rob Van Dam- TV Title Tournament Final- Arguably the nicest guy in wrestling takes on perhaps the most arrogant with championship gold at stake. Don't be surprised to see this steal the show.

8. Camp Cornette (Owen & Bulldog) [c] w/ Jim Cornette vs. The Outsiders- Tag Title Match- The recently arrived Outsiders have become de facto good guys in this feud because at least they're cool. Owen & Bulldog are anything but. Especially now that they have regained the managerial services of Jim Cornette. Cornette cost the Eliminators the tag titles at our last show because of his undying hatred for ECW. Well, he hates The Outsiders even more. But enough about James E. What you have here is four of the biggest stars in the business over the past few years coming together for a first time tag team dream match.

9. Ahmed Johnson vs. Vader w/ Jim Cornette in a rematch for the vacant World Title with a specially reinforced ring. This time THERE MUST BE A WINNER!  

At quick but harsh glance, what catches The Eye of PI?! Let's take a look...

Sept 15, 2020 4:01:02 GMT Baker said:

Second Round: Promotion #2 vs. Promotion #6

Promotion #2

1. PG 13 vs. The Armstrongs (Brad & Jesse James)- PG 13 turned on Jesse James Armstrong, blaming him for their loss to Large And In Charge. Brother Brad came to Jesse James' rescue and now the Armstrong Boys are out for revenge in what just might be the most Southern match yet.

2. Bob Holly vs. Aldo Montoya in a rare scientific good guy vs. good guy match that will likely start and end with a handshake.

3. Hugh Morrus vs. Terry Gordy in a Young Hoss vs. Veteran Hoss battle.

4. Large And In Charge (Yoko/Mabel/Loch Ness) vs. Kevin Sullivan & The Texas Hangmen- Sullivan decided he needed to get even more evil after his recent loss to Jake. To do that he planned on bringing back the infamous Dungeon of Doom. He went to Large And In Charge first. They turned him down. An irate Sullivan then recruited the Hangmen, who just like to fight, in order to get his revenge on the big boys who turned him down.

5. Too Cold Scorpio vs. Bam Bam Bigelow- Grudge Match based on Bigelow potentially costing Scorp the TV Title at our last show.

6. Shane Douglas (c) vs. Jake Roberts- TV Title Match- Jake has incredibly never won a major title. This just might be his last chance. But cocky young punk Shane Douglas isn't going to just roll over for anybody, let alone a veteran. For he hates veterans as much as the fans hate him. He's spit on tradition before and he plans on doing it once more. Shane Douglas lives to destroy the dreams of idealistic wrestling fans.

7. Undertaker w/ Paul Bearer vs. Mankind- Thunderdome Cage Match based on what transpired at our last show. A Thunderdome Cage is just fancy talk for a cage with a roof. 'Taker brought Paul Bearer in to prevent the sort of shenanigans we saw at our last big event.

8. The Giant (c) vs. Randy Savage- World Title Match- The Rookie Monster faces his toughest test to date in multiple time World Champion, Randy Savage.

========================

Promotion #6

1. Godwinns vs. Sunny's Squad (Chris Candido & Brian Lee) w/ Sunny- Sunny shocked the world by coming back into the lives of her struggling ex-charges- Brian Lee and the newly rechristened Chris Candido. They immediately regained their mojo as they went all out to impress Sunny. There's only one problem...The Godwinns, old rivals of Sunny & Candido, are up to their usual tricks. Phineas is a-smitten. Henry is a-sloppin'. Something has to give...

2. Mikey Whipwreck vs. Bobby Eaton- Perpetual underdog Mikey looks to take down the veteran Eaton with both guys desperate for a victory.

3. Tommy Dreamer vs. Alex Wright- The new Alex Wright is rubbing everybody the wrong way. None more so than Tommy Dreamer, who hopes to innovate some violence on the uber obnoxious dancing German.

4. Dean Malenko vs. Chris Jericho- Stoic technician Dean battles the energetic all arounder Jericho with potential TV Title implications at stake in what could be the sleeper match of the night.

5. Steve "Mongo" McMichael vs. Big Bubba Rogers- Hoss Fight between a hated bully and a wildly popular ex-NFL star

6. Eliminators vs. Public Enemy- ECW is dead but the debate rages on- Who is the best tag team in company history? This match will answer that question once and for all.

7. Eddy Guerrero vs. Rob Van Dam- TV Title Tournament Final- Arguably the nicest guy in wrestling takes on perhaps the most arrogant with championship gold at stake. Don't be surprised to see this steal the show.

8. Camp Cornette (Owen & Bulldog) [c] w/ Jim Cornette vs. The Outsiders- Tag Title Match- The recently arrived Outsiders have become de facto good guys in this feud because at least they're cool. Owen & Bulldog are anything but. Especially now that they have regained the managerial services of Jim Cornette. Cornette cost the Eliminators the tag titles at our last show because of his undying hatred for ECW. Well, he hates The Outsiders even more. But enough about James E. What you have here is four of the biggest stars in the business over the past few years coming together for a first time tag team dream match.

9. Ahmed Johnson vs. Vader w/ Jim Cornette in a rematch for the vacant World Title with a specially reinforced ring. This time THERE MUST BE A WINNER!  

Promotion #6 edges more dimes drawn, 3-2. While I'm convinced Giant/Savage and proto-HIAC Taker/Mankind would be the better matches... I'm intrigued by Eddy vs. RVD six years before their 2002 WWE feud with roles reversed; think Owen/Bulldog vs. Outsiders could be sleeper great; and am all on board now with Ahmed/Vader being a potentially better version of 2003 WWE's Brock/Show feud.

Promotion #2 had me at the Thunderdome.

It's tough turning my back on #6 which has a deeper card but Undertaker/Mankind was the best rivalry of the year and it gives the card a massive edge. Giant/Savage appeals to me as well, The Giant was one of the brightest prospects in Pro Wrestling and Savage was arguably WCW's MVP with his rivalry with Flair sparking huge interest. Douglas/Roberts is a brilliant match-up as well and even though I'd be disappointed in retrospect, the thought of those two having an angle would sell me big time. Did Scorpio/Bigelow ever have a match? That could be a 90s Dream match that I never knew I wanted...until now. I'm also secretly into PG-13 and the Armstrongs even though I know everyone else will treat it like I'm watching AEW Dynamite. FU! I'm here for that Armstrong hot tag business.

I'll run through Promotion #6 out of courtesy.

Johnson/Vader is like the 1996 equivalent of Goldberg/Lesnar so I'm on board right away, especially to see Ahmed hit one of his Pearl River Plunge's on the Mastodon. The Outsiders as a duo were the biggest stars of 96 and Owen-Bulldog is a Top 10 tag team and you better believe Cornette-Nash would have some legendary interactions. Eddie and Rob had great chemistry together in 2002 and I can't see that changing in 96 when both guys were more nimble. I could see them having a tape traders classic and a real star-making performance for RVD. Jericho/Malenko similarly would help establish Jericho who felt like the next wave after Benoit/Malenko/Eddie preceded him. I'm also down to see Mongo put Big Bubba in his place.

Gotta say I am disappointed by the lack of love for Large And In Charge. Not since my late, great New Generation Wrestling fanfic project has such a glorious idea been so thoroughly no sold. Well, aside from jTjohncenaGOAT , who outright disliked it. For shame....

:banghead: :@

So pissed right now. Seriously ready to quit PW for another month. Just lost the writeup for the next matchup. Naturally it was like 5 times longer, and many times better, than all the others. Pretty sure the writeup for Buddy vs. Gambler alone was longer (and better!) than every single first round matchup. I almost don't want to continue anymore. Meh. Here is the quickie version.

EDIT

Nevermind. My heart isn't into it anymore. These matches deserve proper descriptions and I'm just broken. Buddy vs. Gambler was SO GOOD! Will try again tomorrow....or not. Meh. We'll see. 

Sept 16, 2020 3:02:41 GMT Baker said:

Gotta say I am disappointed by the lack of love for Large And In Charge. Not since my late, great New Generation Wrestling fanfic project has such a glorious idea been so thoroughly no sold. Well, aside from jTjohncenaGOAT , who outright disliked it. For shame....



So pissed right now. Seriously ready to quit PW for another month. Just lost the writeup for the next matchup. Naturally it was like 5 times longer, and many times better, than all the others. Pretty sure the writeup for Buddy vs. Gambler alone was longer (and better!) than every single first round matchup. I almost don't want to continue anymore. Meh. Here is the quickie version.

EDIT

Nevermind. My heart isn't into it anymore. These matches deserve proper descriptions and I'm just broken. Buddy vs. Gambler was SO GOOD! Will try again tomorrow....or not. Meh. We'll see. 

I've had similar issues, especially when it comes to editing posts. I'm not sure if it's the website or my browser but it's well worth keeping a Word document handy for larger posts.

I'm cool with Large and in Charge, what else can you really do with Mabel, Nessy and Yoko in '96 other then let them by dominant babyface fat guys who literally squash every mid-card known to man.

The problem for Large and in Charge for moi is Loch @ness. No idea who that jobber is/was. Replace him with even a washed-up King Kong Bundy who was doing god-knows-what by 1996, and I'm suddenly 12 steps closer toward being all in.

Sept 16, 2020 4:41:53 GMT 🤯 said:

The problem for Large and in Charge for moi is Loch @ness . No idea who that jobber is/was. Replace him with even a washed-up King Kong Bundy who was doing god-knows-what by 1996, and I'm suddenly 12 steps closer toward being all in.

Mate, Loch Ness was arguably the biggest name of the bunch.

Giant Haystacks, a first ballot Hall of Famer coming towards the end of his career (and his life as it would turn out).

I was thinking about Bundy as well, but then The Ultimate Solution & Z-Gangsta came to mind. Even Super Ninja (aka The Yetay!) deserve consideration.

Bake, Large and in Charge are going to dominate this league, don't you worry.

Sept 16, 2020 6:25:24 GMT Big Pete said:

Sept 16, 2020 4:41:53 GMT 🤯 said:

The problem for Large and in Charge for moi is Loch @ness . No idea who that jobber is/was. Replace him with even a washed-up King Kong Bundy who was doing god-knows-what by 1996, and I'm suddenly 12 steps closer toward being all in.

Mate, Loch Ness was arguably the biggest name of the bunch.

Giant Haystacks, a first ballot Hall of Famer coming towards the end of his career (and his life as it would turn out).

I was thinking about Bundy as well, but then The Ultimate Solution & Z-Gangsta came to mind. Even Super Ninja (aka The Yetay!) deserve consideration.

Bake, Large and in Charge are going to dominate this league, don't you worry.

Haystack Calhoun?

Sept 16, 2020 6:32:35 GMT 🤯 said:

Sept 16, 2020 6:25:24 GMT Big Pete said:

Mate, Loch Ness was arguably the biggest name of the bunch.

Giant Haystacks, a first ballot Hall of Famer coming towards the end of his career (and his life as it would turn out).

I was thinking about Bundy as well, but then The Ultimate Solution & Z-Gangsta came to mind. Even Super Ninja (aka The Yetay!) deserve consideration.

Bake, Large and in Charge are going to dominate this league, don't you worry.

Haystack Calhoun?

Yes actually he did play a bootleg version, but he became his own star.

Also inspired the design of Hagrid.

Sept 16, 2020 6:40:32 GMT Big Pete said:

Sept 16, 2020 6:32:35 GMT 🤯 said:

Haystack Calhoun?

Yes actually he did play a bootleg version, but he became his own star.

Also inspired the design of Hagrid.

Holy shit, I can't unsee it now.

Voting will be open for approximately 18 more hours. I'm counting on jTjohncenaGOAT to break the 1-1 tie between Promotions 2 & 6. 

I will once again attempt to post the next matchup after voting closes for the current battle. Not gonna lie. I'm still bummed out about last night. Plus I got sidetracked with other PW things tonight. 
===========

Sept 16, 2020 4:18:17 GMT Big Pete said:

I'm cool with Large and in Charge, what else can you really do with Mabel, Nessy and Yoko in '96 other then let them by dominant babyface fat guys who literally squash every mid-card known to man.

Pete gets it. Yoko, Mabel, and Nessie individually can't do much in 1996. Ness and Yoko by this point are practically immobile, while Mabel got canned by WWF 7 months after his super push commenced and couldn't even manage to get signed by WCW during the height of the MNW when they were signing practically every available ex-WWF wrestler with a pulse. BUT put them all together and it's magic. They can rotate in and out for short bursts to avoid getting winded while squashing villains in the process. It's a win-win situation.

I'll give Jeff one concession- I should have provided a backstory. So here it is....

Yoko & Mabel became kayfabe friends in real life at IYH October 95. That carries over and is expanded upon in this promotion. Nessie was left without a home when Sullivan disbanded the Dungeon of Doom. Bad guy wrestlers then picked on him for his weight. Yoko & Mabel, seeing a kindred spirit in the fellow big fella, came to his aid. Voila. Large And In Charge is born.
===========
🤯 Allow me to elaborate on what Pete began in regards to Loch Ness.....

He was one of the biggest stars in the history of British wrestling as Giant Haystacks. His famous match in the early 80s with Big Daddy at Wembley Arena drew what is (as far as I know) the biggest crowd a UK exclusive promotion ever produced. It was basically their Hogan/Andre. The match is awful from a workrate perspective. It's basically just a few minutes of belly wellies + 2 Haystacks bumps. But I can appreciate the pageantry. This match felt big. There's something to be said for these two immobile behemoths getting a crowd to pop huge for the 'action.' 

Anyway, fast forward to February 1996. WCW brings him in as Loch Ness when he was pushing 50 with the intention of making him the latest Dungeon of Doom monster to feud with Hogan. Here is a story I wrote in another thread about my fascinating introduction to Loch Ness.....

I was sitting at home minding my own business on what had hitherto been an uneventful Sunday evening in the winter of 1996. Suddenly I heard frantic knocking at my door. It was my two best friends Rick & Brandon. Out of breath, they burst into my house. Turns out they ran to my house from Brandon's because they simply HAD to tell me what they had just seen on the Sunday night WCW show. This is how I recall the ensuing conversation.....

Rick: "Oh my god! You HAVE to see this new WCW wrestler! His name is...

Brandon: THE LOCH NESS MONSTER!

Rick: He's the newest member of the Dungeon of Doom. Get this. He weighs...

Brandon: 700 POUNDS! BIGGER THAN YOKOZUNA!

Rick: Yep! But his fat is different. Like you know how Yokozuna's fat goes out to the side? Well, Loch Ness just has this huuuge belly that sticks straight out (mimes having a huge gut).

*Then we talked about the different types of wrestler fat for a few minutes.

Now I'll admit I was skeptical. The Loch Ness Monster? Bigger than Yokozuna? It all sounded a little too good to be true. I was pretty sure they were ribbing me...

Until I watched Nitro the next evening and OMG! IT'S REAL! THE LOCH NESS MONSTER EXISTS! HOGAN vs. NESSIE! TAKE MY MONEY!

Unfortunately for Nessie, legend has it Hogan (justifiably) put the kibosh on the proposed feud when he saw this dangerous botch...



Loch Ness would only hang around for about 6 weeks having maybe half a dozen matches. He got squashed by The Giant in a Monster Mash at Uncensored '96 (that made The Giant look totally badass to 1996 Baker and Friends) and that was it for Nessie.

Here is a highlight video of a younger and slightly more spry Nessie back when he was the top heel in the UK as Giant Haystacks....

If jTjohncenaGOAT doesn't hurry up soon, I'm making a 7th Promotion with Yoshi Kwan, Super Calo, Bull Nakano, Who and some guy you've probably never heard of Rocky Maivia.