This is a discussion on Supreme Wrestling Federation: Generation Supreme within the Be The Booker forums, part of the Wrestling Forums category; The Background What is the Supreme Wrestling Federation? What is the CornellVerse? What's the point of all of this? As ...
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What is the Supreme Wrestling Federation? What is the CornellVerse? What's the point of all of this? As you read this, you might be asking yourself all of these, and understandably so. Here's some explanation that may help.
First off, this is a game I am playing on Total Extreme Wrestling 2008. The CornellVerse is the default fictional database that comes with the game, and the Supreme Wrestling Federation (SWF) is one of the promotions in that fictional universe.
Why go with a fictional game with fictional characters? Because of the freedom it allows you, quite simply. Rather than taking established characters from the real world and adapting them to what I want to do, I can take whatever character the game gives them and expand upon it to a large degree. But its more than that, as the CornellVerse is far deeper and detailed than most "fictional databases" that may come with such games. It has an entire history - which you can read about on this site - and a feel all its own. And the reason its called the "CornellVerse" is that the single greatest worker is a British wrestler by the name of Tommy Cornell, who is the world champion and owner of Total Championship Wrestling, the #2 American promotion.
One thing to keep in mind is that this universe is not intended as a "slightly fictionalized" version of reality, where all the workers and promotions are obviously intended to represent world world counterparts, with minor name changes. You can often find some similarities between the real world and the CornellVerse, but they are rarely direct.
Now the Supreme Wrestling Federation is the dominant promotion in both American and the world. The owner, Richard Eisen, revolutionized wrestling in the mid 1970s when he introduced Sports Entertainment. He took the SWF to a dominant position in the business very quickly, ending the territorial system that had existed previously. Supreme had dominated since then, not really facing a true challenge until the upstart TCW came into being in 1996, and it has been chasing the SWF ever since. That might sound a bit like the WWE, and the arcs of two promotions and their respective owners are about as close you get in the game. But the SWF is not the WWE.
This is actually a repost of a diary I am doing on the Grey Dog forums. I'm going to post everything from that diary over here to bring this up to date. The diary starts in March of 2008 and is currently in July, so there's quite a bit to get through. I will also mention that I encourage questions - so if you want more detail on anything about the game or the diary, let me know.
The Set Up
It is March 2008. Richard Eisen's Supreme Wrestling Federation has dominated the American wrestling world for three decades. A decade of challenge from Total Championship Wrestling (formerly Hollyweird Grappling Company) has not toppled Supreme for its pedestal. However, many in the wrestling continue to question whether SWF can possibly maintain its dominance. Even moreso, there are those who question whether the Sports Entertainment approach can remain relevant in the ever-changing environs of popular culture.
The Sports Entertainment approach is what separated SWF from the territorial system masses from the start. The presentation of the spectacle as a spectacle. Much as Hollywood evolved the basic concept of an entertaining film to create the epic blockbuster film, Richard Eisen evolved professional wrestling into Sports Entertainment. The dominance of SWF has taken more than just the creation of Sports Entertainment, though, as this approach has been continually adapted to stay current with contemporary American pop culture. Much like Hollywood and the music industry, SWF's approach to staying current with popular culture has actually resulted in the promotion affecting and creating popular culture at times.
Perhaps the greatest success of Richard Eisen and SWF has been that as a marketing machine. As effectively as any major corporation out there, Eisen and Supreme have sold SWF as a brand. Since the early 1980s, Supreme has excelled at myth-making. Everything possible has been slapped with a memorable, from the promotions superstars being branded as Supreme Legends on down.
The newest attempt at myth-making for the Supreme Wrestling Federation may be its most risky. After signing a new legion of talented young wrestlers to join the young talent already on the roster, the promotion has launched what it has dubbed Generation Supreme. With a major marketing and ideological push behind Generation Supreme, there is a great deal riding on the shoulders of the SWF youth movement. As part of this new approach, the younger workers of the promotion will even take a role in booking the world's biggest wrestling promotion. If the approach fails, it could spell disaster for Eisen and his promotion.
The Vision of the SWF
Just further clarify the earlier statement that the Supreme Wrestling Federation is not just the World Wrestling Entertainment that happens to be based in the CornellVerse... I have used the WWF/WWE for the basis for how I imagine the SWF to be, but its really just taking elements from different eras of the WWF/WWE. Even taking some elements from WCW and the old territorial promotions. There is some stuff that is meant to be subtle homages to the old school - and some of it not-so-subtle...
What I've tried to do is go with primary storylines that would appeal a broad audience. Most of the stories have a relatively simple basis, so as to appeal to the average fans and young fans. At the same time, many stories have are meant to have a bit more subtle depth that would appeal to the smarks. I am trying to do the same with some of the characters. Take the Jack Bruce character for example - the over-the-top "Show Time" hype for the fans to love, but layered with him being a bit disrespectful and condescending at times, which makes him seem a bit more "real" to the type of fans who looked for that.
I do realize that comedy is a key element of SWF, based on the product settings. I try to incorporate humor, but not in a grossly overt manner. I would rather have bits of humor mixed in, through the announcers and a few wrestlers with some amusing aspects to them, rather than entire characters there just for laughs. Well, outside of Jerry Eisen, anyway.
My booking style tends to run along my preferences - lots of tag teams, lots of stables, and lots of managers. I don't do quick title changes (other than with the low level titles, which is the point of them) and I don't do frequent turns or character changes. I try to avoid the "what happened last week doesn't matter at all" mentality. Which isn't to say I have absolute continuity, but that's really the goal. I try to avoid really ridiculous gimmicks, unless its truly creative. And yes, I'm working on a few of those.
It is probably worth noting that the brand split was not something I planned from the start. I often end up with a bloated roster after signing too many workers, so I decided that I would only sign workers that I could decide on a role for in the SWF, even if they were going to development first. The only problem with that was I did not end up getting rid of anyone (besides Big Smack Scott but that wasn't even really by choice). I figured on getting rid of some "dead wood" off the roster but found everyone relatively useful. So I decided to go with the brand split. It provides a chance to have slightly different visions of the SWF. Plus I don't think its something anyone is doing in a TEW 2008 diary for the CornellVerse (that I've noticed). Hopefully the brands will grow to be more distinct - that's the plan at least.
Another thing I will mention is that I use my B show (Generation Supreme) a great deal. For one, that means that some of the guys who don't seem to do much other than job on the main shows (Enygma, Enforcer Roberts, etc) usually get regular wins on there. For another, it means there are guys (and girls) on the B show that don't get on the main shows for some particular reason. They might be essentially trainers (Steve Flash), they might be "dark match" jobbers, or they might be guys working towards their debut (did this with Badd Kompany, for one). What the means is that the roster on this page is never quite accurate. Now that I have the full second show and brand, some of the relatively forgotten workers such as Engyma and Death Row will be getting more screen time and possibly even storylines of their own. They are not about to become the focus, but they will be less ignored.
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The information on the front page here, I intend to keep current with the roster, title-holders, etc. This might make things easier for readers to keep track of those things.
Almost all of the images have been taken from the game or from the GDS site. All credit goes to the creators. Special credit to Hakk99 for proving the pay per view logos and to ReapeR for the custom championship belt renders.
Re: Supreme Wrestling Federation: Generation Supreme
SWF Information Basic Information
Location: Providence, Rhode Island Nation: United States Founded: January 1972 Founder: Richard Eisen Owner: Richard Eisen Popularity: Global Schedule: Full-Time Style: Sports Entertainment
Re: Supreme Wrestling Federation: Generation Supreme
Other Promotions Total Championship Wrestling
World Rank: #2 Prestige: D+ Size: Cult Owner: Tommy Cornell Head Booker: Joel Bryant
TCW World Heavyweight Champion: Tommy Cornell TCW International Champion: Rick Law TCW World Tag Team Champions: The Machines TCW All Action Title: Harry Allen
Pride Glory Honor Wrestling
World Rank: #3 Prestige: B Size: National Owner: Eisaku Hoshino Head Booker: Eisaku Hoshino
PGHW Glory Crown: Mito Miwa PGHW Glory Tag Crown: Team Toronto PGHW Historical Japan: PRIDE Koiso PGHW Elite Series: PGHW Elite Tag Team Series:
Burning Hammer of the Wrestling Gods
World Rank: #4 Prestige: C+ Size: Cult Owner: Kaneie Komine Head Booker: Haruki Kudo
Burning World Championship: Yasuhiko Taira Burning Junior Championship: Super Joshuya Burning World Tag Team: Sanda & Hamacho Burning Openweight Championship: Nissho Yuasa Burning Junior Tag Team: Kiraru & Scorpion BHOTWG Best of the Super Juniors:
Inspire Diversity Group International
World Rank: #5 Prestige: B- Size: Cult Owner: Tadiyuki Kikkawa Head Booker: Tasuku Iesada
King of Fighters: Takasu Iesada
Golden Canvas Grappling
World Rank: #6 Prestige: C- Size: Cult Owner: Hanshiro Furusawa Head Booker: Yoshifusa Maeda
GCG World Heavyweight: Toshiharu Hyobanshi GCG Openweight Championship: Fukusaburu Inao GCG World Heavyweight Tag Team: Takayuki 2000 & Murkami
World Level Wrestling
World Rank: #7 Prestige: D+ Size: Cult Owner: Koji Kojima Head Booker: Haru Kurofuji
World Level Universal: Dark Eagle World Level Show Stealer: Silver Shark World Level Street Fighting: The Incredible KOYAMA World Level Tag Team: Power Trip WLW (Kurofuji & Kojima) World Level Intercontinental: Kazuma Narato
United States Pro Wrestling
World Rank: #8 Prestige: C+ Size: Cult Owner: Sam Strong Head Booker: Shane Sneer
USPW World: James Justice USPW Television: Freddie Datsun USPW World Tag Team: The Towers of Power USPW Women's: Alicia Strong
North of the Border Pro Wrestling
World Rank: #9 Prestige: B- Size: Cult Owner: Dan Stone Head Booker: Victoria Stone
NOTBPW Canadian: Johnny Bloodstone NOTBPW Tag Team: R.K. Hayes & John Maverick NOTBPW Women's: Grace Harper NOTBPW Ed Henson Memorial Tag Team Cup: Johnny Bloodstone & Dark Angel
Canadian Golden Combat
World Rank: #10 Prestige: C+ Size: Cult Owner: George DeColt Head Booker: Alex DeColt
CGC World: Dan DeLay CGC Canadian: Ryan Powell CGC World Tag Team: The Specialists
Re: Supreme Wrestling Federation: Generation Supreme
The History Of The CornellVerse
North American Wrestling History
Wrestling started becoming a real profession in the US around the 1960s, which is generally known as the "Traditional Era". Prior to this it had been little more than a sideshow attraction, but the 60s saw the emergence of several regional territories, with wrestlers travelling from promotion to promotion. It was hard for wrestlers to become real superstars, as they rarely stayed in one place long enough to really become dominant, but some carved out good reputations for themselves and earned great livings - amongst these were men like Dan Stone and George DeColt, who would later go on to be successful promoters. The major territories at this time included Championship Wrestling from Boston (run by Gene Plumelli), Dick The Devastator's All-American Florida Wrestling, the Tri-State area's American Pro Wrestling Federation, California Pro Wrestling (headed by Preston Holt), and the Texas Wrestling League.
The end of this situation began in around 1978, when a relatively new promotion called Supreme Wrestling Federation, under the leadership of a young promoter called Richard Eisen, began building up an impressive roster by offering long-term contracts to some of the most popular wrestlers, which was unheard of in those days. By 1980, SWF was able to put on wrestling's first pay-per-view event, which marked the beginning of the "Supreme Era". SWF became the national powerhouse, with clever marketing and showmanship making the smaller promotions look amateurish. By the mid 80s, almost all the regional promotions had been put out of business, and SWF was almost entirely dominant, with their headline wrestlers like Sam Strong and Rip Chord being national superstars.
It was over 15 years before another promotion managed to rise and take on the might SWF, and this happened in December 1996 when Hollyweird Grappling Company debuted, kicking off the "Modern Era". With a millionaire funding them, HGC brought in Strong and Chord (who had both left SWF many years ago) on big money contracts to provide star power, and populated the rest of their roster with former SWF stars (like the Vessey Brothers) and the cream of the independent leagues (such as Ricky Dale Johnson and Liberty). The tactic worked, as they were able to go head-to-head with SWF almost immediately, and were accepted as a viable competitor by the fans. The most recent twist happened in late 2004, when HGC were taken over by famous wrestler Tommy Cornell, and renamed Total Championship Wrestling.
Canadian Wrestling History
While the 1960s had several Canadian wrestlers making huge names for themselves in the US, the sport itself in Canada was virtually non-existent. A handful of regional promotions were in business, but they were lucky to draw a hundred people to a show, let alone the thousands that one of the red-hot American promotions could pull in for a big show.
In 1974, the legendary Ed "The Strangler" Henson had finally decided to retire. The Canadian grappler, who had been one of the biggest draws in the States throughout the 50s and 60s, returned to his home in Calgary and tried to capitalise on his popularity by opening the Canadian Wrestling Federation, the first big promotion in the country. After a slow start, the CWF picked up a lot of steam when Henson managed to persuade several other big name Canadian wrestlers to join him. Dan Stone, who was at the peak of his powers as perhaps the greatest heavyweight wrestler in the world, was the jewel in the crown, and the face of the company. Along with Stone, the CWF also welcomed George DeColt, Whipper Spencer Marks, and The Canadian Superstar (Jackson Andrews). All four of these new signings were already major names in the USA, and so provided proven drawing power as well as exceptional wrestling ability. The company went from strength to strength, and between 1975 and 1982 was incredibly popular, to the extent that even the juggernaut that was the Supreme Wrestling Federation in America didn't dare to try and crack the Canadian market.
Business started to tail off after 1982, mainly because of a lack of expansion. While SWF couldn't break into America because of CWF's popularity, the reverse was also true, and the Canadian Wrestling Federation couldn't even consider running shows in the US. They did however continue to make a healthy profit, and their shows were universally praised for their quality. Dan Stone was a fine champion, and the Calgary Wolverines tag team, consisting of George DeColt and Whipper Spencer Marks, was rapidly gaining a reputation as being one of the finest tandems in history.
In 1985, having accomplished all that he possibly could, Dan Stone took the huge decision to leave and set up his own company, North Of The Border Pro Wrestling, buying out the Alberta and Toronto regional territories as a way to begin the new promotion. This was done with Ed Henson's blessing, as a thank you for all of Stone's hard work over the previous decade. The two companies existed in harmony, with a number of wrestlers moving between the companies from time to time as a way to keep their character fresh. Unfortunately, one wrestler who was unable to do that was George DeColt, who was forced into retirement in 1986 with an arm injury. He remained a key part of the CWF though, working as assistant booker to Henson.
Unfortunately, January 3rd 1989 was a black day for Canadian wrestling, as Ed Henson passed away after a short illness. This marked the end of the CWF, and was also the end for two of its biggest names, as both Spencer Marks and The Canadian Superstar decided to call time on their careers. George DeColt headed south, where he worked backstage for the Supreme Wrestling Federation. This proved an important point, as the year he spent with the SWF convinced DeColt that the "sports entertainment" package that Richard Eisen was promoting was the way forward. Returning to Canada, DeColt politely declined Dan Stone's offer of a position with NOTBPW, and instead founded Canadian Golden Combat, a promotion where his vision of "a Canadian SWF" could happen. The Canadian scene has remained like that, with the traditional values of NOTBPW going head-to-head with the entertainment aspects of CGC, ever since.
Japanese Wrestling History
Wrestling had always been a major part of Japanese culture, with professionally-run promotions existing as far back as the 1850s. However, the first officially recognised period of recorded wrestling history is considered to be the "Giant Era", dating from the 1900s until 1933. This was a time when Giant Pro Wrestling was a massive success, with their wrestlers being national heroes. The promotion collapsed in 1933 though, under shady circumstances.
This led to the so-called "Dark Era", which lasted from GPW's demise until 1960. The public's respect for wrestling had been shattered by the way that GPW had gone out of business, and the complete lack of interest meant that no smaller promotion could even begin to think about trying to do business. There are no recorded wrestling events at all from this time period.
The 1960's saw the "Rebirth Era". Golden Canvas Grappling was formed in 1960, and began rebuilding the image of wrestling as a noble sport. Burning Hammer Of The Wrestling Gods followed in 1966, and also presented wrestling as serious and competitive. The public, with the memory of GPW's disgrace having faded, started to come back, and by the end of the decade, wrestling was once again enjoying public admiration.
This admiration was turned into massive popularity in the "Elemental Era" of the 1970s. GCG and BHOTWG ruled Japan, with both enjoying runs as the number one promotion, only for the other to come back. GCG had more big stars, with heavyweight wrestlers like Sadaharu Jimbo, Hanshiro Furusawa, and Yoshinaka Toshusai being very popular with fans, but BHOTWG had the biggest of them all, Master Kitozon, who had gone beyond simply being a wrestler and was now a genuine cultural icon in Japan. However, it was the emergence of Elemental, a masked lightweight wrestler, that gave BHOTWG the edge, as he became the first wrestler to make the leap from wrestling star to mainstream media superstar, and he was able to bring a whole new young audience to the product.
The "Burning Era" took place in the 80s, as BHOTWG (despite the death of their figurehead Master Kitozon) went from strength to strength, while GCG fell from grace, something that many blame on former star Hanshiro Furusawa, who took over the promotion. Some of his business decisions were questionable, and allowed BHOTWG to dominate them; many believe that if it was not for the emergence of Yoshifusa Maeda as a genuine superstar for GCG, the promotion would not have even have survived the decade. BHOTWG on the other hand were enjoying massive popularity, with homegrown talents like Hooded Kudo and Optimus becoming huge stars, while foreign imports like Dread and Sam Keith made big impacts on the Japanese fans.
1996 was a year that saw a bizzare mirror effect between the two big wrestling countries, Japan and USA. From the 1980s onwards, both had been virtually dominated by one promotion. 1996 saw HGC debut in the US to provide some much needed competition, and the same thing also happened in Japan, as the "Pride Era" began; under the leadership of former GCG legend Sadaharu Jimbo, Pride Glory Honour Wrestling was formed, and BHOTWG found themselves with serious competition for the first time since GCG at the tail end of the 1970s. Boasting a pure style, PGHW had new stars like Koryusai Kitoaji, Hito Ichihara, Eisaku Hoshino and Eisaku Kunomasu, and were soon being seen as a genuine contender.
The latest twist in the story happened in 2006. A controversial change in style by BHOTWG triggered a "rebellion", which saw some of their biggest names, led by their figurehead Tadiyuki Kikkawa, walk out to form their own company, INSPIRE. This left BHOTWG with a huge hole in their roster, and the balance of power in the industry shifted. As 2007 begins, many would now say that PGHW, with their incredible roster boasting some of the finest pure wrestlers in the world, like Mito Miwa, Nobuatsu Tatsuko, Yoshimi Mushashibo and Shuji Inukai, are now the number one promotion in Japan. Others would say that BHOTWG are clinging to the top spot, but are on the verge of being ousted. Either way, 2007 looks set to be an exciting time for Japanese wrestling fans.
Mexican Wrestling History
The history of Mexican wrestling goes back a long time, although prior to the 1960s it mainly consisted of lots of small regional promotions (hence being called the "Regional Era") that were usually short-lived. Very few records exist of this time period, although it is certain that the OLLIE promotion was formed in January 1955.
The formation of OLLIE was a key moment, as a few years after their creation, they were rapidly expanding, and by 1965 they were so dominant that every single other promotion had to close, leaving them without any serious competition. This resulted in OLLIE having their choice of virtually every wrestler, and so they were able to assemble the finest roster in Mexican history. This period of dominance, which would last almost two decades, is affectionally known to fans as the "Golden Era", as it was a time of legendary wrestlers, huge crowds, and memorable matches.
In 1975, MPWF were formed. Numerous promotions had been created during the past 10 years to try and capitalise on the popularity of wrestling at the time, but none had managed to survive for more than a few months, as all the talent was already working for OLLIE. MPWF was different, as it was a promotion formed by four of OLLIE's major stars, who had left after a contract dispute. With that star power, MPWF were able to survive the tricky opening months, and through clever tactical moves were able to thrive. This led to the "Challenge Era", which would last from the early 80s until 1998. Throughout this time, MPWF were able to grow at a rapid rate, and were able to challenge OLLIE in direct competition, thanks largely to the emergence on their roster of Mexican legends Luis Montero and the original Mr. Lucha Manuel Prieto, and the young American star Sam Keith.
1998 saw the debut of a third promotion, SOTBPW, who made an instant impact by using their large financial resources to sign up Manuel Prieto from MPWF, as well as several OLLIE stars. Thus began the "Tri-Fed Era", as within a year, Mexico found itself with three large promotions competing against each other, with neither one having a noticeable advantage over the others.
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Please note - history taken direction from the official CornellVerse site here.
Re: Supreme Wrestling Federation: Generation Supreme
Quote:
Random thought for the day.. what is worse - failing to achieve a dream, or getting close to that dream and realizing that the reality is nothing like what what you thought it was going to be?
That's a bit facetious of me. I can't really claim that being a professional wrestler was a life-long dream of mine. Or really even any sort of a long-term ambition. Like so many kids in Canada (and America), I grew up watching professional wrestling. As a kid, it was SWF - there was simply nothing else out there. As a teenager, it was SWF and HGC engaging in their heralded Tuesday Night Wars. But as cool as I always saw it, the thought was never truly "I want to do that". It was always moreso a "that would be cool" line of thinking. It was really the same way I looked at any number of potential careers - sports journalist, adventuring paleontologist, porn star, bio-chemist... I really only started to pursue this barely a year ago, when I realized that a career as a sports writing hack would always be there later.
So now I've made it. I'm a fully contracted employee of Supreme Wrestling Federation. Hired as a wrestler and contracted as a wrestler. But I'm not wrestling. The problem is that I'm the only one who has a problem with it.
How can you make someone else understand your own personal despair? This really should be one of those "sit back and enjoy the ride" situations. But I'm not enjoying it. It doesn't seem that fun. Really, what it is really starting to feel like is work. Is this what "living your dream" is supposed to be?
Re: Supreme Wrestling Federation: Generation Supreme
The Fry Report Preview
Quote:
Every week on The Fry Report podcast will provide the latest information on everything Supreme. News, rumors, and interviews, all brought to you by the incomparable Duane Fry.
Preview for podcast available Monday, Week 1, March 2008.
"The debut of SWF Generation Supreme on C.A.N.N. Friday night at 10:30 has everyone at SWF excited. We'll have a few reasons why."
"We'll give the low-down on a few of the young new stars to watch in the coming months."
"The feud between Steve Frehley and Rich Money looks to be heating up. I talked to "The Dark Destroyer" the other day and you might be interested in what he had to say."
"Lobster Warrior seemed on top of the Supreme world when he split from the Underwater Union in fall 2007. But since being targeted by Big Money Incorporated, and especially by Remo, life has been rough for Lobby. He's been roughed up repeatedly by the self-proclaimed "Alpha Dogs of SWF". You have to think that Warrior might be missing the protection of his former stable right about now."
"There are Supreme Legends and then there is the Iron Man, Christian Faith. There have been few who have given more to Supreme than Faith. But the Iron Man once again finds himself the target of someone trying to make a name for themselves by ending his legendary career. Runaway Train couldn't do it. Vengeance couldn't do it. But that won't stop Brandon James from trying. We'll talk about why "Big Money" could succeed where others have failed."
"SWF World Heavyweight champion Jack Bruce has been working through a damaged back since the epic power bomb through the announcers table by Vengeance at the When Hell Freezes Over pay per view. The New Yorker has proven to be a fighting champion by continuing to defend his title despite the injury. We'll talk to Bruce about his life, his love of the title belt, and how intends to gain his own bit of vengeance on Vengeance."
The Fry Report will be available on SWF.com or directly from iTunes.
Canada: B-
Mexico: D-
United Kingdom: C
Japan: D-
Europe: E+
Australia: F+
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