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Post by Johnny Jett on Nov 11, 2024 9:03:15 GMT
I've been wanting to put this up for a while.
Some people may remember that several years ago at this point I recorded a season of an original efed called Power Pro Wrestling. I put it up on YouTube and also made a few episodes of a related, but distinct efed (GLORY: Great American Wrestling) set in the same universe. Well, I've been building my wrestling world pretty much nonstop since that point, both by creating wrestlers in game as well as by writing a now novel-length backstory for my wrestling world. I'm in the middle of a page one rewrite which is roughly 50% of the way to completion, but I really want to get some eyes on it (at least potentially). It's a timeline that traces the history of primarily American pro wrestling in my fictional world over the course of the last century. When complete, it will run from 1920 to 2019 (the current year in-universe).
So I figured I'd just start posting it here, year by year, and see if anyone likes it. Because, like all artists, I like the idea of people being *able* to appreciate my art. And maybe having it out there will stop me from going back and rewriting and editing for the millionth time.
Ideally, at the end of all this (or in the middle of it, I dunno), I'll be working on more video content in this world. And if I completely lose my mind or fall into a pile of money so that I have infinite free time, I might even make a whole-ass TEW or EWR scenario for the setting. That's been a goal from day one, I just haven't gotten there yet.
I hope somebody other than me enjoys this.  1920
Having spent the previous two years building up their reputations under the guidance of former carnival promoter “English” Bill Thompson, Augustus the Great and Sam “Stretcher” Reuben meet in a wrestling ring for the first time in Springfield, Missouri. Augustus, a hulking giant from the bowels of New York City, and Reuben, a catch-wrestler and veteran of the First World War, are, by this point, the first major wrestling stars since the days of Calvin Haas and “Siberian Tiger” Arnold Rayt nearly a decade prior. Though this first Augustus/Stretcher meeting is not the first professional wrestling bout with a predetermined victor, deliberately-conceived finish, or a major promotional push, it is the first such match to feature all of these things at the same time. Where many had questioned the third Haas/Rayt bout in 1911 (leading to the sport’s decline at the time, along with the outbreak of the Great War), English Bill had been the first to see the money to be made in predetermined outcomes, both in gambling and in ticket sales. Dressed up with carnival flair and sold with a ringmaster’s panache, the Augustus/Stretcher bout can be seen as the indisputable birth of modern professional wrestling. In front of nearly 15,000 people–an equal to the early days of the Haas/Rayt rivalry in 1905–Augustus the Great and Stretcher Reuben tear into one another in what is termed, at the time, a Finish Match. It is a bout with one fall and no time limit, going to a finish. A winner must be declared. In this spirit, slams and holds are exchanged for nearly four hours, the giant dominating for much of that time. While Stretcher Reuben clearly displays incredible prowess, locking and even manipulating the bigger man time and again, Augustus manages to use his power and sheer size to break free every time. Cutting off Reuben’s head of steam every time the catch wrestler manages to build one up, Augustus sprawls, slams, and suplexes his way back into a controlling position. It is unlike anything wrestling fans have seen before. With every burst of explosive energy, more spectators come to witness the mammoth-like Augustus the Great bash and batter his smaller opponent. As they have for the last two years–since English Bill first discovered him–the fans in attendance place bets on whether or not anyone can beat the big man and, if so, how soon. Only this time, he faces a veteran of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. This time, he wrestles against a once in a lifetime athlete. As the giant hefts Sam Reuben for yet another scoop slam, Reuben slips overhead and behind the big man. Hooking an arm and tucking his head, Reuben applies the hold he’s become known for, the hold that made him famous among the enlisted men in France. With the Abdominal Stretch applied, Augustus the Great bellows a scream that rings out over the roar of the crowd. For a short eternity, Stretcher Reuben traps the big man, wrenching his abdominal muscles, resisting repeated hip-slam attempts, contorting the hulking brute into a pretzel until ultimately, feeling the muscles tear from his bones, Augustus submits at last. The crowd couldn’t be more thrilled. With the success of the Missouri card, the so-called Triumvirate of English Bill, Augustus the Great, and Stretcher Reuben firmly establish their control of American pro wrestling in the public consciousness, reinvigorating a stagnant industry long reduced to a sideshow. Despite this, the Triumvirate face tremendous obstacles as they continue trying to promote their brand of pro wrestling across the midwest. Already barred from the bright lights of New York City–stronghold of Army Schultz and his New York Athletic Commission cronies–they find similar resistance among the traveling carnivals and local wrestling attractions, the holdovers from yesteryear and men of similar ambitions to the Triumvirate themselves. It’s not that the trio are the only men with aims of reviving wrestling with themselves on top, they’re simply the most successful. Rumors of match fixing–the age-old bane of professional wrestling and boxing–hound them at every step and showmanship is nothing new to the carnival-based sport, the Triumvirate simply find the best means of making it appealing. Packaged as a traveling exhibition–by force independent from any carnival–and featuring a steadily-growing roster of reliable–often legitimate–competitors with a flare for showmanship, the Triumvirate capture the zeitgeist of the Roaring ‘20s better than any of their contemporaries. Initially headquartering in the rapidly-growing city of Detroit with its booming automotive industry, the Triumvirate also make regular appearances between Chicago, Philadelphia, and Cleveland as they begin building toward its next major showdown: a return bout between Augustus and Reuben. It is a match which Augustus soundly wins on Thanksgiving Day in Chicago before 20,000 fans. Taking advantage of the media powerhouse that is the Chicago Triumph newspaper and keeping his two major stars apart for a time to build them both up to even greater heights, English Bill begins promoting his way toward wrestling’s first great angle: the Best of Seven Series. Consisting of seven bouts between Stretcher Reuben and Augustus the Great, the Series will culminate, it is promised, in the crowning of a true World’s Heavyweight Champion of Wrestling. In the meantime, the two ride the rails and take on all comers. |
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Post by LankyLefty17 on Nov 11, 2024 17:24:09 GMT
super excited that this is coming back!
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Post by Johnny Jett on Nov 15, 2024 14:08:28 GMT
1921
In September, the United States government begins its efforts to regulate professional boxing and wrestling, founding the American Boxing Commission (ABC) to oversee both sports. This move comes as an effort to create a national counterweight to the outsized influence wielded by the New York Athletic Commission–a corrupt institution which, since its establishment, has leveraged its capital and prestige to gatekeep high level combat sports in the United States. Underfunded and understaffed, this quickly proves to be a herculean task for the newborn ABC.
Already in control of the World Champion of Boxing, Army Schultz views the establishment of the ABC as a threat to his near-monopoly on the sport, fighting back in the press and with his paid-for politicians. Similarly, through his minions in the New York Athletic Commission, Schultz bars the Triumvirate from entry into the most lucrative sporting market in the nation. While this greatly hampers the effectiveness of the ABC, it only makes the Triumvirate’s connections with the Chicago Triumph that much stronger.
Aiding the ABC’s war in the press, the Triumvirate throw subtle and then overt support behind the ABC with fight promoter “English” Bill Thompson actively hoping that government involvement will dislodge Schultz (so making room for the Triumvirate to take New York, perhaps). Certainly the one with the loudest voice, he is very nearly the only wrestling promoter in the country to do so.
The long-held code of silence which governs both wrestling and boxing greatly hampers the ABC’s efforts to penetrate the two sports. Promoters of both reject what Schultz and his ilk call government overreach, unwilling to tolerate the interference into their businesses. Quickly enough it becomes clear that the ABC will be relegated to little more than sanctioning bouts, acknowledging titles, and publishing lists of challengers and rankings. Facing incredible pushback from the world of boxing, the ABC largely ignores the world of professional wrestling.
Incidentally, as the Triumvirate presses on with its Best of Seven Series, this general negligence toward their profession allows them to only grow in strength. Though English Bill had hoped the ABC would do more damage to Schultz, he had never really wanted government involvement in his own business. Not with the kind of money the Triumvirate are making.
Throughout the year, Stretcher Reuben and Augustus the Great have toured the country (or at least the parts of it they can safely promote in), wrestling every man with a claim to any previous version of the World’s Heavyweight Championship of Wrestling. Any man who’ll meet them, at least. Often, these matches are won legitimately, though the savvier grapplers are willing to work with the duo to much greater financial success.
This tour culminates in two major bouts, one in Cincinnati and the other in Chicago. In Ohio, Augustus the Great wrestles German immigrant Zarek Mazer, protege of the legendary Siberian Tiger himself, Arnold Rayt. Meanwhile, in front of the much bigger Chicago crowd, Stretcher Reuben faces off with self-proclaimed World’s Champion Tony Wesserman, the student of Calvin Haas. Both outsiders are utterly dominated by the Triumvirate members, but at least Mazer has the sense to make it a work.
Tony Wesserman had wrestled throughout the War as Army Schultz’s pet champion. The man with the most legitimate claim to Calvin Haas’ World title, Wesserman had broken away from Schultz in 1919, only a year before the Reuben/Augustus bout, and began to promote himself throughout the midwest. A competent shooter, he had done well for himself, even wrestling an aging Farmer Martin to a standstill, trapping the wrestling pioneer in a headlock that lasted eight hours.
Meanwhile, Reuben had spent the Great War facing the worst the Germans had to offer in matters of life and death.
When members of Wesserman’s camp approach Reuben to inform him that the matchup will be a shoot, Sam Reuben only nods and tells them “OK.”
To his credit, Tony Wesserman goes down swinging, but he does go down. Unable to resist a toehold, the so-called World’s Champion gives up. After the match, humbled, he shakes Sam Reuben’s hand.
In Ohio, by contrast, Zarek Mazer sees the money being made by the Triumvirate and decides he’d like to make some himself. Working his bout with Augustus the Great, he has a much easier time than Wesserman in Illinois. Though he does lose to the big man, he secures a hefty payday from betting against himself and finds himself figured-in on future Triumvirate cards. Soon enough, Zarek Mazer is a featured star in Triumvirate-promoted double cards, a novel billing innovated by English Bill. Though he never reaches the heights of Reuben and Augustus, he often challenges the two men, sometimes even winning. Wesserman, on the other hand, nearly fades away into obscurity before making the smarter choice and playing ball.
Much of the Triumvirate’s popularity is tied up in a Best of Seven Series being undertaken by the two mammoth stars of the day: Augustus the Great and Stretcher Reuben. Kept apart between each meeting, the two heavyweights tour the country (or at least the parts of it they can safely promote in), beating local competitors and lesser members of their troupe. Guided by promoter/competitor “English” Bill Thompson, the three principal members of the Triumvirate continue to revolutionize the wrestling industry throughout the year.
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Post by dronevil on Nov 15, 2024 21:18:18 GMT
Can't wait to see and read more of this! Keep it up.
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Post by Johnny Jett on Nov 18, 2024 9:51:29 GMT
1922
Still engaged in his Best of Seven Series with Stretcher Reuben, Augustus the Great issues an unexpected challenge to legendary boxing Heavyweight Champion Joe Denby, offering a $10,000 bounty to Denby’s manager Lando Keene via the newspaper media. Though Keene replies dismissively, newspapers latch onto the story and begin publishing speculative articles about the possible outcome. Privately a mixture of amused and annoyed at the speculation, Denby fans the flames, having Keene publicly enter into negotiations with the Triumvirate regarding the possibility of such an interdisciplinary contest. The bout never materializes, however, despite Augustus eventually raising the wager to $25,000 (over $380,000 in 2019).
Meanwhile, an out-of-the-ring encounter nearly does occur between Denby and Stretcher Reuben. Sam Reuben, a combat veteran of the First World War, is known to have been openly critical of the boxing champ for avoiding participation in the conflict. Meeting by coincidence in an Atlantic City establishment, the two men begin cordial until an offhand comment by Denby about the legitimacy of the Triumvirate’s business sets off something in Reuben who decries the boxer as a draft dodger and a coward. Blows are nearly exchanged until cooler heads prevail as the two fighters’ respective associates intervene, ushering them away from one another. It is possible that this encounter sours any hope of the Denby/Augustus bout.
All the while, as professional wrestling begins to boom in Chicago, the lavish spending of the Triumvirate in the midst of prohibition attracts the attention of the notorious Black Hand. An extortion campaign begins against “English” Bill Thompson as letters demanding ridiculous sums of money begins to arrive almost daily to his office in Detroit. Himself possessing a background in organized crime in his native Britain, Thompson is unimpressed.
The stakes are raised when Triumvirate-adjacent wrestler Mike Toreno is stabbed nearly to death with a stiletto following a wrestling card starring Sam Reuben. Toreno, bearing a passing resemblance to the Stretcher, is mistaken for the man himself by his assailants and nearly killed, clinging to life in a nearby hospital for some time thereafter. In reply, English Bill decides to push back.
The events that unfold thereafter are never fully discussed by Thompson or anyone else involved. Whatever undertakings occur between Thompson and the criminals of the Chicago underworld will remain shrouded in mystery for all time, the principle characters taking those secrets to their respective graves.
The final result is the Triumvirate’s withdrawal from Chicago, disentangling itself from the Chicago Triumph immediately. Steadily thereafter, the Triumvirate pull out of Detroit and their other eastern markets as well, the trio seemingly compelled to promote elsewhere. The Triumvirate’s control over professional wrestling–the hottest sport in the country–begins to slowly recede.
Turning west, English Bill makes a new friend in one Jacques “Frenchie” St. Claire who becomes the trio’s chief backer and manager as they transition to the west coast. A boxing manager of some renown, booking out of Eugene, Oregon, Frenchie St. Claire becomes instrumental to the trio’s success on the west coast, helping them establish inroads into the political scene in Oregon, Washington state, and California.
Using Frenchie St. Claire’s Eugene booking office–now expanded to manage wrestlers as well as boxers–the Triumvirate begin attempting to cultivate a wrestling circuit in the growing states. Connecting with booking offices in Spokane, Washington and San Francisco, California, the Triumvirate’s west coast circuit begins receiving increased attention from, first, Zarek Mazer and then Augustus the Great before finally enjoying the arrival of Stretcher Reuben as the year ends. It can be said that all three states owe a debt to professional wrestling which helped grow their economies throughout the Roaring ‘20s. While major events continue to be promoted east of the Mississippi, the pacific northwest becomes the new business capital of the Triumvirate.
In the wake of the Triumvirate’s withdrawal, in Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago new booking offices arise to take advantage of the ongoing success of professional wrestling. While the Triumvirate itself continues to promote shows through to the end of the year, these are mainly relegated to major cities and larger venues. These copycat booking offices, instead, turn to the underserviced secondary cities and smaller towns, working out of venues otherwise overlooked by the Triumvirate.
Barns, hotels, roller rinks, and dance halls begin to play host to local wrestling efforts as more and more regular joes begin attempting to break into the wrestling business. Apart from the major cities, booking offices open in Richmond, Columbus, Indianapolis, and other places throughout the midwest, all ran by otherwise outsiders looking to cash in on the sport’s popularity. In the absence of the Triumvirate, anyone with a little upfront cash and the inclination is able to promote wrestling and make a go of it.
These wrestling shows are typically met with mixed success. Though many imitate the Triumvirate’s promotional style, it becomes clear that the name value of Augustus the Great and Stretcher Reuben–hard won over years of building–is difficult to replicate on short notice. Using lesser wrestlers, they enjoy less success. Instead, these promoters turn to gimmicks: mud wrestling, outlandish costumes, handicap matches, the list goes on. Though no one mistakes these fly-by-night operations for the Triumvirate’s own, they do manage to pick up the money English Bill leaves on the table.
Out west, leveraging its finance and wildfire popularity, the Triumvirate move to block similar copycat acts from operating in the state of Oregon–where the Triumvirate’s brand of wrestling has already begun doing big business (or as big as is possible in the growing economy). Using its assets, English Bill influences the Oregon state government (through connections in Portland’s city hall) to establish a state athletic commission similar to the one which ensures Army Schultz his monopoly in New York. The newborn Oregon State Athletic Commission subsequently grants only one license for the promotion of professional wrestling in the state: the license held by Bill Thompson.
Having successfully established a monopoly in Oregon, the Triumvirate begin working to do the same in more significant wrestling markets, particularly in Louisiana and Maryland where opposition to the American Boxing Commission (ABC) is particularly pronounced. Previously major markets in Chicago and Detroit are ignored, given over to lesser rivals of the Triumvirate. Directed where it’s most needed, the box office from the Reuben/Augustus series is largely used to help facilitate the political inroads and media connections necessary to realize this monopoly. By year’s end, months of bribes, diplomacy, and hobnobbing pay off. The Triumvirate has a threefold stranglehold on wrestling in Portland, New Orleans, and Baltimore.
Soon enough, English Bill is so well-off financially that he begins jokingly considering purchasing his own rail line for his wrestlers to get them to all of their cards on time.
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