COTG

[stu]

WHAT: One promotion, merging my GWF, WWA (my legends fed), and AAW (my bootleg fed). As I grow older, I just want to simplify things.


FED HQ: New York, NY. With that said, COTG is a national alliance of the former Big 3 Wrestling Promotions, along with their respective territories. Think of it as a modern NWA.


FORMAT: I call this format "World Title Tour". I've utilized it for years. The concept is each card is headlined by the World Champion making his title defense in one of the territories of COTG Promotions. Cards are short and sweet...you may see a card of just one match (i.e., the World Title), or you may see a card with the World Title plus "action from around COTG", which will feature either a non-title match I want to explore, or one of the secondary titles (Tag-Team, Secondary Title...which I haven't named yet!).


STANDARDIZATION: Here's a concept I'm stealing from another game. The format in which I'm rolling matches "standardizes" all wrestlers to where their abilities are equal. Why am I doing this? Don't know exactly, other than I have come to prefer this. If "Playboy" Buddy Rose becomes the dominant wrestler in my COTG's history, so be it. Or for that matter, Invincible Krakan. Or Mutant...okay...maybe not Mutant. Also, each match I'm rolling utilizes rules from another game too, which is essentially pitting Level 3 Offenses against one another. Matches can be quicker, although aren't always. This method does tend to keep one more on their "edge of their seat", in terms of watching the action unfold. Just wanted to be clear on this, so when you see George Steele defeating Chaos one day, you won't be too surpised!


SEASON FORMAT: I'll play COTG in what I call Season Format. Haven't quite decided how many cards will make up a season...but, one card will equal one week of action.


TRIPLE CROWN CHAMPIONSHIPS: The COTG World Heavyweight Title and COTG World Tag-Team Titles are referred to as the "Triple Crown" Championships, in that they are each formed by the unification of the GWF, WWA, and AAW World Titles. I just wanted to make sure I always nodded to my past history of playing this game, and didn't just erase it. My history will always be my history, and by honoring it, and never forgetting it, it will always continue on to some extent. The Triple Crown Titles pay homage to the feds that have come before.

Okay folks, that about does it on background. Historically, I've been a terrible poster of feds, but am hopeful if I keep it down to posting a card or two each week at the most, I can sustain it. This has proven to work with other games, and can here too, certainly so that I've now simplified things greatly. So, without further adieu, let's get to the action, and I hope you at least somewhat enjoy the ride!

[stu]

SEASON ONE RESULTS:

CARD 1: Luther Diggs (current AAW World Heavyweight Champion) d. Godsend (current GWF World Heavyweight Champion) to unify the AAW & GWF World Titles (***). These 2 have clashed before, and as tensions remain high between them, this match was heated, with a fair amount of brawling. Diggs (a Rock tribute bootleg character) survived the wily Godsend's 2 finisher attempts to rally and put Godsend down with his Showstoppa Slam. Diggs, having now unified the AAW and GWF World Titles, will meet WWA World Champion Dusty Rhodes next week, live from COTG HQ in New York, NY, to crown the historic first COTG World Heavyweight Champion (also known as The Triple Crown).

Action from around COTG: Elsewhere, in Charlotte, NC, The Midnight Express (current WWA World Tag-Team Champions) d. The Neon Express (current AAW World Tag-Team Champions), to unify the WWA & AAW World Tag-Team Championships (**1/2). The Midnights put the NX away when their ever-present manager Jim Cornette distracted the NX, allowing Eaton to sneak up and initiate the Veg-O-Matic (boo! boo!). Once again, the craftiness (and underhandedness??) of the MX leads them to the win. They will next face the GWF World Tag-Team Champions Lord Nexus & Scion Nexus to crown the first ever COTG World Tag-Team Champions, and that match will also come to us from New York.

Next Card: Be sure to get your tickets for next week's big event, as we crown the first ever Triple Crown champions! It'll be Luther Diggs vs. Dusty Rhodes for the COTG World Heavyweight Championship, and The Midnight Express vs. Lord Nexus & Scion Nexus for the Tag Titles! It's a hot ticket fans!

[TTX]

Looks like it will be fun.

[Avarice]

I've always enjoyed your format with the tour, I look forward to seeing how this plays out.

[stu]

CARD 2: "Showstoppa" Luther Diggs d. Dusty Rhodes to both unify the GWF, WWA, and AAW World Heavyweight Titles, and to become the 1st COTG World Heavyweight Champion (also known as The Triple Crown) in a great match (***3/4). Both men went all out, realizing the historic significance of the moment. In the end, it was Diggs putting Rhodes away with his patented "Showstoppa" Slam, to a huge pop from the NY faithful. Diggs went out of his way to put The American Dream over after the contest, raising Dusty's hand and asking the crowd for cheers. Diggs was quite emotional when presented the new championship belt, realizing the historical significance of being the 1st (and the lineage that title now represents!).

In the Semi-Main Event, The Midnight Express d. Lord Nexus & Scion Nexus to become the 1st COTG World Tag-Team Champions (**3/4). Father & son Nexus seemed to be cruising along, when suddenly and deliberately Jim Cornette inserted himself in to the contest, blasting Lord Nexus from behind, and turning the tide in his team's favor. The new champions were certainly gleeful at having made history, if not gracious, as they quickly exited the ring to the boos of the crowd.

Next Card: Up first for our new COTG World Champ is a scheduled defense against one of his oldest rivals, namely one GQ Stratus. The action will come to you live, from Boston, MA.


Promoter Notes (I'll insert these as merited): Luther Diggs is one of my all-time favorite bootleg characters. The character was created by...and I think I have this right, so please correct me if anybody knows differently...Dale Blomquist, back when he was churning out wrestlers. Diggs is a Rock-tribute type, who never ceases to interest me. I've featured him on runs in all my previous feds (GWF, WWA, and AAW), and he's one of a tiny handful of wrestlers who have won the World Title in my 3 historic feds. His greatest feuds have been with Godsend and GQ Stratus, so having him face these 2 relatively soon makes sense in my world.

The MX is arguably the greatest tag-team in all of my wrestling sim history. Overall, they had won 14 World Tag-Team titles prior to winning the COTG Triple Crown. Historically, I've used the Freebirds rule with the Midnights, having Condrey, Eaton, and Lane all eligible to compete for the team. This match against the Titans was fun, as these are two teams who can move, and I could see a rematch down the road.

[Bri]

Hey stu!

You are off an running my friend.

I like the concise style you use and with all of those product lines being aimed at eachother, you have real serious dream match scenario possibilities which is very cool and the skys the limit!

I also enjoy your own behind the scenes notes and comments on the action from youre own perspective. Like a soliloquy from a play, a whole extra dimension.

Looking Good!!

[Crimson Cross]

I really enjoy your "World Title Tour" concept and if you will, your write-up's remind me of watching the NWA on Superstation TBS at 6:05 est. I'm digging Luther Diggs at the top, plus I do remember the name and liking the character...

[Justin Case]

Cool, love the Territory system and simple is always better! Fun!

[stu]

Folks, I greatly appreciate the comments. I will work to keep this simple, just trying to post once or twice a week (maybe 3, if I'm on fire!), and building a nice little history to the effort. I was inspired to try (once again!) to post by many of the great feds on this board, and certainly (and specifically) the efforts of Bri, and his League (that's a mixed world beyond compare!), and Gunslinger's excellent tribute to St. Louis wrestling (just a great format, that's a nice and steady approach).

Think this is going to be fun, and like I said, the older I get, the more I value simplicity!

Thanks again.

[stu]

(I'll slow down my pace on posting, I'm sure, as I won't be able to keep this up...I know myself! But, while I'm getting this off the ground, just wanted to continue laying a good foundation).

CARD 3: GQ Stratus d. “Showstoppa” Luther Diggs with his infamous Leg Lock to become the 2nd man to ever hold the COTG Triple Crown, ending his bitter rival’s reign quickly, and unceremoniously (***…still a decent little match, always is between these two!). The history between these two combatants is long and heated, so anytime they lock up, its usually an entertaining affair. This time was no different, although the ending was quite controversial, in that the referee missed a blatant disregard for the rules by Stratus who grabbed the ropes and used them for leverage in putting Diggs away. Diggs was irate afterwards, and immediately petitioned COTG officials for a rematch. We’ll have to wait and see if that comes about, as the COTG Triple Crown waits for no man.

Action from around COTG: “Playboy” Buddy Rose d. a determined Castaway in a decent match from Syracuse, NY (**3/4). Rose continues to make a name for himself in COTG, and with this win, has secured a chance to become the first Empire State Heavyweight Champion.

Next Card: Our newly crowned champion will next head to Philadelphia for a scheduled defense against another old rival, Dragonmaster. And, time permitting, we’ll take you live to New York, NY for the first ever title match for the newly minted Empire State Heavyweight Championship, featuring Buddy Rose going against Quasar!

Promoter Notes: I intend for the Empire State Heavyweight Championship to serve as my secondary title in the COTG promotion, much in the way the old Missouri State Title did for the old NWA (in that the Empire title will be the title for COTG's home territory). If at some point I create some other territorial titles that are defended here and there in the “Action from around COTG” sections, I would still hold the Empire State title as second only to the Triple Crown in importance, singles-wise. That being said, I will give wrestlers who may not quite be seen as “World Title status” shots at the Empire State belt. I am trying to view all wrestlers as equal, and will work to do that, but some guys will just never truly be World Title contenders (see: Mutant and Creeper .

As for GQ Stratus, he’s been a favorite heel from the moment I got him. First and foremost, I am an unabashed Flair mark, so it’s a natural I’d like Stratus’s card. Stratus was one of the first in a run of Flair tributes we received (followed by my own contribution of Bobby Roberts in the GWFZ, then also Solar Flair in the GWFZ, and Jet Set Strutter in the 80’s sets), not to mention I’d collected a few bootlegs from over the years that were Flair-inspired (such as another favorite, “Nature Boy” Kurt Anderson, made by Dale Blomquist). Sometimes, there is just magic in certain cards, and Stratus’s card seems to have that magic. The card just never seems to have a bad match, and many times, snatches victory from the jaws of defeat. He’s had great feuds with (as mentioned) Luther Diggs, Omega, and Dragonmaster (very Flair-Steamboat’esque). He’ll continue to be in the mix as long as I’m playing this game.

Just wish I knew who made him!