21st Century Fantasy Wrestling Draft

[Baby Shoes]

Is it stated we have to use someone from certain years? Like, I am picking guys I know were active post 2001 but I haven't picked a definitive year on any yet - as even we have to, that may not come into play until I see who else on my draft board I can get.

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

Specifying year/era of wrestler is strongly preferred but not required. Again, our timeframe is '01 and onward.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Yeah. Sorry. We can pick anybody who was active from January 2001 on, during any period from January 2001. I'm being a pedantic sonuvabitch and saying the 21st Century counts in 2001. Mostly to make things interesting and have this mostly be a post MNW era draft.

Cue a TSM discussion about how the last two months of WCW were actually pretty good.

 

[OG]

I need some beef on the card. Not the biggest fan of this guy but he's a good ally for Orton, was a draw and could go in the ring with the right opponent.

Batista (2005-2006 era)

 

[Baby Shoes]

Damn. I had realized shortly after my last pick he was still on the board and thought he was almost going to slip back to me.

 

[OG]

I'm assuming he's also the guy Kamala was talking about. I'm a little surprised that guys like Kane, Booker and Henry went before him.

 

[Master Thrasher]

I forgot about Batista.

 

[Hawk 34]

When you have Mick Foley and all his personalities you want to use him against someone who can be at his level both as a brawler and as a fantastic promo. One of the best if not the best brawlers on the board right now and an excellent promo in his own right and a guy whom I believe would have excellent chemistry with Foley.

KEVIN STEEN (2010-12)

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Damn. I had realized shortly after my last pick he was still on the board and thought he was almost going to slip back to me.

Yeah. It was Batista. I was really hoping he'd fall back down to me. Ah well.

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

Hawk, the bastard that he is, took a guy I was expecting to fall another few rounds so I could swipe him up. Oh well.

If I'm facing the prospect of either Brock or Joe as champion, then I want somebody that can work with any size opponent, in any style, and come across as a legitimate threat. He's something of a joke with how serious he takes himself, sure, but you can't argue what he meant to independent wrestling in the early 00s. I'd go so far as to say he was one half of the match that should have defined American pro wrestling for the next 20 years, proving for many years that it's not the size of the dog in the fight but the fight in the dog...

LOW KI (2006)

 

[Baby Shoes]

Filling this dome show, I’m all about star power so this far in the draft, about time The Man comes around

BECKY LYNCH

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Well, I may have lost out on BIG DAVE but my backup choice is good. He's a guy that is a main eventer anywhere in the world, provided he has his head on straight (sadly, a big if). BUT luckily we're in a fantasy world. He has extensive history with both Undertaker and CM Punk and could be a building block for a tag team or a great singles star.

Right now I'm leaning towards booking him as centerpiece for a bigass midcard spotfest (possibly Money in the Bank) but I might end up deleting that idea...

https://youtu.be/fIRg0GA6mh0
Jeff Hardy (circa 2009)

 

[Brocklock]

Ah god damn, I was looking at Low-Ki for my next pick.

 

[Brooklyn Zoo]

I need a heel that has undeniable charisma and should match up well with anyone on my roster

Pentagon Jr.

 

[OG]

So all 3 people I was debating to take instead of Batista just went. I knew I'd lose Lynch and probably Steen but I was hoping Jeff would last another round.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

This draft is hardest to predict out of all of the ones we've done IMO. Someone like Low Ki, I don't think I would've been surprised to see picked in the 3rd round or the 13th round.

 

[Brocklock]

Yeah there's a good chance of anything happening because you don't know who is in to what. Someone could have a hard on for early 00's puro (Guilty), golden age of New Japan, lucha, 02-08 golden age of indy wrestling, more comedic wrestling, modern indie wrestling, deathmatch stuff, pure WWE, TNA, etc.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Agreed that narrowing things down to a relatively contemporary timeframe reveals people's biases more than an all time draft, for some reason.

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

Two biggest reasons I can think of is a wider diversity of styles/flavors and the current era is something we are all more familiar with due to age/exposure.

 

[909]

Gonna really badly piss CWM off by picking...

KATSUYORI SHIBATA

And I was considering having him face this guy, but I'm not gonna, HOLLER IF YOU FUCKIN HEAR ME

BIG POPPA PUMP (2001)

 

[Brocklock]

I think I mentioned in the chat yesterday that there was one big modern NJPW guy that hasn't gone yet that I was eyeing and Shibata was it.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Considering how puro friendly this draft is, amazed Shibata didn't get picked sooner.


2001 Big Poppa Pump is a nice pick but I might have gone for mid '00s Main Event Mafia era BPP tbh.

 

[909]

BTW if you haven't seen this match before, you should.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x481a7o

It's also pretty short.

 

[Brooklyn Zoo]

A top 5 worker in the world, imo. Gives me tons of options

Rey Fenix

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I was considering taking this guy in 3rd round and just a few minutes ago realized that he was still on the board. IMO he is the best babyface in North America working right now but he is also a damn decent heel. Again, like my last pick, equally strong as a singles and tag guy and I feel good shifting him between mid card and main event.

https://youtu.be/ELcJaJy7fjY
Cody! (current era)

Spoiler

Sorry if anyone was picking Coach Arn or Brandi Rhodes in next few rounds

 

[Baby Shoes]

Very nice pick. A few good ways to use him. He’d been on my radar but I wasn’t seeing an interesting endgame with him on my roster so far.

I started thinking of a lot of names I am really interested in still around. Trying to hedge my bets and pick people I feel are more likely to go off the board first. Going to take the talent I feel is most likely not going to make it to my next pick. I have someone I really want him to work a match with but not sure if that person will make it back to me. Sure I will come up with something for this guy either way.

Not sure which incarnation he will be yet but likely going to be a dickhead heel under either name

Finn Balor/Prince Devitt

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Throw a nice pick back your way. Balor was my backup pick the last two rounds.

 

[Big Papa Paegan]

LowKi isn't the only kickboxing type on my roster. This man has, IMO, the potential to become one of the premier badass motherfuckers in the entire business. He has a great look, a serial killer presence, and can put on some badass matches.

TOMMY END (2015)
(aka Aleister Black)

 

[Hawk 34]

Time to pair my rival with Charlotte before it’s too late to take another top female talent. This performer was one of the early leaders of the focus on the female wrestlers and was wildly popular but also quite capable as a promo and personality.

TRISH STRATUS (2006)

 

[OG]

Before all the best women are gone, I need to grab a BOSS.

Sasha Banks