[Batman]

Since the draft thread is closed, how about let's have a thread for to discuss rosters and cards and such like.

GO!

[Chris Eco]

I should probably be googling harder, but can someone direct me to the real players behind Kaiju Big Battel? Or are they basically no names?

[Road Warrior Shark]

Jul 9, 2013 14:25:22 GMT -5 Chris Eco said:

I should probably be googling harder, but can someone direct me to the real players behind Kaiju Big Battel? Or are they basically no names?

I don't think their names are generally known.

[Mr. Dashbee]

There has been the occasional guest star, apparently even a WWE superstar or two. But they're always under a costume and no one knows about it. The regular characters are no names. Dr. Cube has been unmasked, and he's just a regular dude.

[Batman]

The Top Six
A division by division breakdown....

The Armbar Division

DASHBEE	ERIC	THE DEAD	PUNK	RABBXT	CREEP
#6 Daniel Bryan Danielson	#19 Austin Aries	#11 Eddie Guerrero	#2 Shawn Michaels #26 John Cena	#20 Antonio Cesaro	#5 Chris Jericho
A man who has a lot of history with Dashbee, the man who gave him his nickname... Dash gave him a taste of the main event years ago when he could get him for a song... Can he live up to his pricetag now that he's a legit first-rounder?	A guy whose stock keeps rising... Due to a block-buster trade he's sharing the roster with another 1st-rounder... That could be exciting-- depends on how it plays out.	One of my all-time favorites... Fighting "the Man" once again!	Punker got a lot more than just Cena for HBK... But even though they're both main eventers-- one is one of the most popular... And one is one of the least. OTOH, I can see more chemistry between DDP and Cena. So it depends on how it plays out-- waiting for Punker to tell his story!	An amazing wrestler, but a surprising first-rounder... To ME, anyhow. He can have a great match with just about anybody, though...	THE perennial first-round pick. How will the Creepy one put him to use?
#39 Nigel McGuiness	#26 John Cena #2 Shawn Michaels	#34 Triple H	#43 Diamond Dallas Page	#25 Chris Benoit	#40 Owen Hart
Technically brilliant, but overvalued-- IMHO.	An incredible trade-- the possibilities of the Showstopper and the GMWEL on the same card are incredible. Just waiting to see how it all plays out....	He's never been a favorite of mine-- but in PWA, at least I can expect to see him get his comeuppance from Eddie!	He and Cena could have an interesting feud, I would think.	His legacy is shadowed, but if we can ignore that... feuds with Cesaro and Zayn could steal the show.	I've always liked him better than his brother... ...Could be a great foil for Jericho, whether enemy or ally.
#50 Arn Anderson	#63 Jake Roberts #70 Jay Lethal	#55 Rey Misterio, Jr	#63 Jake Roberts	#64 Steve Williams	#49 Christian
Didn't understand drafting him this high.... But the Four Horseman storyline has been suspenseful.					I love this guy, but... ...am I the only one who thinks Christian AND Owen is kind of redundant... They're pretty similar, in terms of character and style.
#83 Batista	#107 Sandow #114 Homicide	#78 The Big Show	#65 John Morrison	#69 Sami Zayn	#84 Perry Saturn
An unpopular guy, but being used well enough to make people forget that.		I love Show, but I haven't seen any clue as to what his role will be....		Him and Cesaro together make Rabbit's card look a lot like a really good episode of NXT... ...but that's not entirely a bad thing. If you haven't seen it, go watch the Cesaro/Zayn match from a recent episode....
#94 Cody Rhodes	#151 Charlie Haas #124 Paul London	#99 Jay Briscoe	#87 Doug Williams	#108 Teddy Hart	#93 Mike Awesome
		Deadly really got burned here-- presumably, he wanted the team, but then he waited too long! We'll see if he finds a way to promote Jay as a singles star worthy of a fifth round pick!			Creepy's upper card looks half Stampede, half ECW....
#127 Layfield #138 Sean O'Haire	#158 Jamie Noble	#122 Kevin Nash	#90 Davey Boy Smith	#113 Bob Backlund	#128 Chris Kanyon
Maskless O'Haire goes to someone other than Gator!	Jamie rocks! Use him well, Eric.	Can't stand Nash, but at least he's being portrayed as a douche. As it should be!		Backlund rounds out a top six that's heavy on great technical wrestling. Should be interesting to see it play out!	127 guys better than Kanyon.... At least!

In the Armbar division, only two promoters have really done any storytelling. Dashbee has done extensive storytelling-- will it make all the difference?

Deadly's done some storytelling, but there are still Top-Sixers (like Big Show) whose role is not clear.

Eric hasn't done any storytelling, but with his excellent trading skills, he has a STACKED roster-- that MAY be enough!

Many think that Punker came out the loser in trades, but I think that his roster after trades has more possibilities than his roster before. However those are POSSIBILITIES, contingent on good storytelling, which we haven't seen yet. On the other hand just below his top six he grabbed Mark Henry as a steal... A pick that looked awfully savvy after his awesome fake-retirement swerve-promo a couple weeks ago. It'll look even savvier if his match with Cena on Sunday is awesome.

Matte and Creep have excellent wrestlers alongside others who are good but seem oddly overvalued-- we'll see how it all plays out.

My pick to win the division?

Eric.

This is his division to blow. If he comes up with match-ups people find compelling, the amazing combination of star-power and technical dazzle will win the votes. But if he doesn't, Dash will be right there to pick up the slack and steal away the division with great storytelling.

[Road Warrior Shark]

Jul 9, 2013 17:26:11 GMT -5 Batman said:

The Top Six
A division by division breakdown....

Liking this....

[Eric O'Mac]

I like this too. Ill do some story telling. I've got a few good stories to tell...

[punk/core]

I'm going to put together cards and do no storytelling.

Also, Serge, I think you have mashed up my picks and someone else's in your wrap up paragraph.

[Batman]

The Hammerlock Division

HODGE	TEXSHARK	BATMAN	DOUG	HARVARD
#16 The Rock	#8 AJ Styles as "Chad Madison"	#18 BROCK LESNAR!	#14 The Icon Sting	#9 Edge
Awesome entertainer. But tough to find the right feud for him that makes people say "Yes! That is both fresh AND awesome!"	Phenomenal? Yes. Texan? Ehhhh.	He's a beast, but MAN is he tough to find a worthy opponent for!	Rarely goes this high, but... Hodge expressed an interest as well, so what do I know with my spreadsheets and all?	Rated R....
#17 Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat	#37 Hernandez as "Zane Myers"	#44 Mankind	#31 Jeff Hardy	#36 Rick Rude
A trade with Carlito gave the psychotic fish TWO first round picks. Back to back, even!	Unlike some, I genuinely think Hernandez is pretty awesome.... But pretty severely overvalued here.	My bedrock. Maybe a bit of a crutch. I wonder: could I do this without Foley on the mic?		I never really understood all the love for this guy....
#71 Wade Barrett	#54 Kevin Steen as "Moosehead Jack"	#45 Alberto Del Rio #60 Hulk Hogan	#58 Road Warrior Hawk	#53 Seth Rollins
A solid wrestler, but I'm not sure if he can hold his own with the Rock....		A misstep here, I'll admit it. Drafted Del Rio, then realized I didn't know what to do with him. But Hogan has made an excellent foil for Foley... and I traded Del Rio for the pick I used to pick up Hakushi. So, no regrets!		First NXT Champ... Age of the Fall... Jay Briscoe's blood dripping down on him... The SHEILD... I get how he could work as a major player in Rated R Wrestling... But is he feuding with Edge? Or is Low Ki getting that spot?
#106 Yokozuna	#81 Chris Sabin as "Alexander Darling"	#73 Rob Van Dam	#75 Ultimate Warrior	#67 Jushin Liger
		I know a lot of people are down on Rob. Maybe MITB on Sunday will change some minds. He's fun to write in any case.	It can't be denied. This guy DEFINITELY wore paint on his face....	I'm curious to see how this manga hero will mesh with his Rated-R milieu.
#115 Big Boss Man	#98 Davey Richards as "LD Williams"	#104 THE Brian Kendrick	#102 Road Warrior Animal	#80 Low Ki
		This guy ought to be a top star right now. And not just in my little pretend world... :'-(		I've been a mark for Low-Ki since TNA's $10 PPVs.
#116 Jack Swagger	#123 Roderick Strong as "Matt Folz"	#117 Evan Bourne	#119 Umaga	#97 Razor Ramon
Swagger is a lot like Matt Morgan-- he has all of the tools to be great, PLUS.... (Plus a speech impediment, unfortunately.)		I LOVE this guy in the ring. But even I will admit that he's terrible on the mic.	Umaga MIGHT be Dougie's saving grace.... Love me some UMAGA!

Hodgey has done a lot of great storytelling. I'm really sold on... the fact that Eric Bischoff and Teddy Long can be entertaining as hell! However I'm not yet sold on any matches or feuds and we're getting down to the wire. I'm also not sold on whether doing single-brand shows will help more than hurt....

Shark has so far just explained who everyone is in the OOWF world. I think if we just have some matches based on pre-established animosity, that'll be a bit underwhelming....

Doug's Painted Face land is cool in theory... But a fed focused around Sting and Jeff Hardy? Sounds a lot like TNA right now... I like TNA, don't get me wrong, but you need something novel to compete in a fantasy league. Umaga could be it....

Pagliarella has an interesting concept-- a land of heels and a couple of out-of-place malcontents in the persons of Low Ki and Liger. I just think he hasn't had the time he'd have liked to develop it....

My pick to win the Hammerlock division?

Well, Me, of course...

You might say I've gone a little overboard with my storytelling. Even if my match concepts aren't universally loved, I think that I've created enough compelling conflict to sway a lot of people to my side. If not me, I don't know who-- couldn't say until I get a better idea of what their feuds are going to be.

[Batman]

Jul 9, 2013 20:47:51 GMT -5 punk/core said:

I'm going to put together cards and do no storytelling.

Also, Serge, I think you have mashed up my picks and someone else's in your wrap up paragraph.

Haha, I accidentally put your name on Dead's paragraph. Will fix, thanks.

[Matte]

Jul 9, 2013 17:26:11 GMT -5 Batman said:

Antonio Cesaro

An amazing wrestler, but a surprising first-rounder... To ME, anyhow. He can have a great match with just about anybody, though...

And this is why I chose him. Guys taken quickly after Cesaro include Undertaker, Cena, Bret, and HHH, all of which I would rather have Cesaro over, anyhow, and all of which I think are less adaptable than Cesaro. The only thing I may have changed about taking Cesaro in the first round, is taking him in the second and bumping Benoit to the first, but with only four picks between them, that really doesn't matter.

Plus, I like surprisingly early picks. Dean Ambrose was a good one in this draft.

[Batman]

I agree. Even if they're a "waste" they make a statement. "This is how much I think this guy is worth. Now I'll prove it!"

[Deadly]

Re: Jay Briscoe. I don't think I got burned. Mark is completely useless without Jay. Jay will more than hold his own without his brother in DWS.

[Batman]

The Headlock Division

5th HORSEMAN	JASON ALLEN	SOLOMON	DEVIL SOPRANO	U-JOBBER	JOS the AMAZING
#7 Randy Savage	#15 James Storm	#4 Kurt Angle	#22 Awesome Kong	#21 Samoa Joe	#12 Dean Ambrose
A great wrestler of course, but... isn't his promo style kind of silly?	Not someone I'd choose to build around, personally....	Such a mark for this man. Always.	A monster.	Joe really IS going to kill you.	If anybody warrants overvaluing to send a message, it's this guy. Every bit as much the "Star of Tomorrow" as Bryan and Punk were back in 08 when we were first doing this.
#38 Brian Pillman	#30 Bobby Roode	#41 Shelton Benjamin	#23 AJ Lee	#24 The Undertaker	#33 Alex Shelley
The "Loose Cannon" is one of the greatest gimmicks ever. Because it made you wonder.	I have seen more than enough of Storm and Roode-- as partners or adversaries.	Breathtaking agility....	Plays "crazy like a fox" better than I've ever seen-- regardless of gender.	Joe AND Taker? Wow.	Awesome in the ring and on the mic. Not featured enough on the ACES show....
#51 Bam Bam Bigelow	#59 Curtis Axel	#48 Taz	#66 Lita	#46 Tully Blanchard	#56 Terry Funk
	Talented, sure. Interesting? Maybe someday.				Jos is doing a great job writing this character as the spiritual center of ACES.
#82 Dean Malenko	#74 Amazing Red	#85 Goldberg	#110 Cheerleader Melissa	#68 Bully Ray	#77 Randy Orton
Everybody loves him, but he always bored me.					I've despised him for years, but he CAN be a positive, if he's not the focus.
#95 Scott Steiner	#103 Petey Williams	#92 Ted DiBiase	#111 Britani Knight aka "Paige"	#112 Bruiser Brody	#100 Kassius Ohno
			She is one of the highlights of NXT right now (and she has strong competition there)... Feature her strongly and I my vote MIGHT be swayed from the men....		His recent match with William Regal is one of the finest matches I have ever seen....
#126 Kane	#118 Frankie Kazarian	#129 Sheamus	#141 Sherri Martel	#131 Ryback	#121 Stan Hansen
Kane's a real steal in the sixth....		...and then there was Sheamus. Every great roster needs a lowlight.	Scary!	What I just said about Sheamus? That goes double for Ryback.

I'm glad I'm not in this division. I don't know if I'd vote for me. (If that wasn't against the rules, I mean.) The competition here is fierce.

Jos has a motley crew, but they ARE the stars of the future, and he's been telling great stories with a really unique voice.

I think that Jason and Fifth have a real uphill battle here. Jason's roster I find completely uninspiring. Fifth's roster has possibilities, but I would need to be sold on it with some intriguing storylines.

Dev is doing the Women's fed again. There are some really compelling characters and excellent wrestlers among his crew. I think he can come out on top against the weaker feds in the division, but not the strongest ones.

And by "strongest" I'm talking about Jobber and Solly. These rosters are so stacked it is just shocking. And that's without the savvy trading that helped Eric and MNF have such stacked rosters.

My pick to win the Headlock division?

The Ultimate Jobber.

If you just look at the top six, Jobber and Solly look pretty even. But keep going down the list and Jobber has Bruno, Tiger Mask, Kenny King, and Lou Thesz! And he has JR calling the action! (I think Solly has Adamle...)

The dark horse though-- if Jobber and Solly fail to live up to the potential of the roster with compelling conflicts-- is definitely Jos.

[Mr. Dashbee]

I'm liking these, very well done!

[Amazing Jos]

i'm waiting patiently to see how the first cards unfold. I've been on vacation for a few days and just got back, so hopefully I get to work on my card and "stories".

Thanks for the compliment, Batman! I know you guys aren't familiar with me so I can see how i'm not a top pick to win. In all fairness, i'm ready to prove myself and make these guys, shine!

[Batman]

Jul 10, 2013 1:54:52 GMT -5 Amazing Jos said:

Thanks for the compliment, Batman! I know you guys aren't familiar with me so I can see how i'm not a top pick to win. In all fairness, i'm ready to prove myself and make these guys, shine!

Nah, that's not why. I, personally, think that U-Jobber's roster is so stacked that it'll probably overcome the great storytelling you've been doing. But that depends on the cards he submits. Even with no storytelling, we have to see match-ups that scream "possibilities." That shouldn't be hard with his roster, but if he sloughs it, I can easily see you getting the upset in your division.

[Deleted]

Saving the best for last, I see, Sergei...

[Batman]

Haha. It's just the order the divisions are listed in on Sharky's top post. But, yeah-- comparing and contrasting your strategy with the MNFers should definitely be... interesting!

[Batman]

Jul 9, 2013 20:47:51 GMT -5 punk/core said:

I'm going to put together cards and do no storytelling.

I just want to clarify one thing-- when I say storytelling, i don't necessarily mean the longwinded promos like I write-- primarily for my own enjoyment. One sentence about what led up to two guys' conflict for your top few feuds could easily be enough to put you over the top. Especially if you have a roster where the match-ups don't speak for themselves. I think that Punker, Doug, and Fifth could particularly benefit from some good concepts that make us all go "Oh THAT'S why those two guys hate each other. That makes sense."

[Deleted]

Jul 10, 2013 9:22:13 GMT -5 Batman said:

Haha. It's just the order the divisions are listed in on Sharky's top post. But, yeah-- comparing and contrasting your strategy with the MNFers should definitely be... interesting!

Don't forget that Carlito was snaking the hell out of me throughout with his Chikara & Kaiju guys, too. It would seem as though SG has the most "straight-forward" Fed of the group.

[Doug]

Jul 10, 2013 9:31:17 GMT -5 Batman said:

Jul 9, 2013 20:47:51 GMT -5 punk/core said:

I'm going to put together cards and do no storytelling.

I just want to clarify one thing-- when I say storytelling, i don't necessarily mean the longwinded promos like I write-- primarily for my own enjoyment. One sentence about what led up to two guys' conflict for your top few feuds could easily be enough to put you over the top. Especially if you have a roster where the match-ups don't speak for themselves. I think that Punker, Doug, and Fifth could particularly benefit from some good concepts that make us all go "Oh THAT'S why those two guys hate each other. That makes sense."

He stole my makeup box isn't a good enough reason for a feud?

[Deleted]

Jul 10, 2013 9:31:17 GMT -5 Batman said:

Jul 9, 2013 20:47:51 GMT -5 punk/core said:

I'm going to put together cards and do no storytelling.

I just want to clarify one thing-- when I say storytelling, i don't necessarily mean the longwinded promos like I write-- primarily for my own enjoyment. One sentence about what led up to two guys' conflict for your top few feuds could easily be enough to put you over the top. Especially if you have a roster where the match-ups don't speak for themselves. I think that Punker, Doug, and Fifth could particularly benefit from some good concepts that make us all go "Oh THAT'S why those two guys hate each other. That makes sense."

I definitely won't be going the full-promo-writeup route, but there will probably be at least bullet-point setups for each match and then similar "results" from the card. The outcome of World War 7 will definitely set up the main title picture for at least the first few cards.

[Deleted]

Jul 10, 2013 9:42:58 GMT -5 Doug said:

Jul 10, 2013 9:31:17 GMT -5 Batman said:

I just want to clarify one thing-- when I say storytelling, i don't necessarily mean the longwinded promos like I write-- primarily for my own enjoyment. One sentence about what led up to two guys' conflict for your top few feuds could easily be enough to put you over the top. Especially if you have a roster where the match-ups don't speak for themselves. I think that Punker, Doug, and Fifth could particularly benefit from some good concepts that make us all go "Oh THAT'S why those two guys hate each other. That makes sense."

He stole my makeup box isn't a good enough reason for a feud?

For my vote, it absolutely is, Dougie!

[Road Warrior Shark]

Jul 10, 2013 9:42:58 GMT -5 Doug said:

He stole my makeup box isn't a good enough reason for a feud?

Can't wait for the "Eyeliner on a Pole" Match.