Draftmania: The Wrestling Draft - winner: Shadow_of_Durron

Alrighty, then. Well, I've been going back and forth numerous times on this pick. I'm looking at three possibles here. But in the end, I think I'm gonna stick with the person I almost picked in the 1st round. I won't get any real established cohesion here like I would with the second of my possible choices, and the potential for insanely awesome imaginary pre-match interviews that I'd get with the third choice won't quite be there, but yeah, whatever.

Gotta go with my main man, Kurt Angle.


*man, deciding on a team name is tough for this one*


Ric Flair

[image=http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x310/The_Ultimate_Wrestling_Gallery/Ric%20Flair/RicFlair010.jpg]

Kurt Angle

[image=http://denii.free.bg/Kurt%20Angle.jpg]

 

Round 1 -

1. Talon_Kenobi - Bret Hart
2. Jaina_and_Jag - Shawn Michaels
3. The_Loyal_Imperial - Undertaker
4. Shurron - Ric Flair
5. YGJ - Brock Lesnar
6. captain-fantastic - Hulk Hogan
7. BartSimpson-SithLord/BaSSiL - Andre The Giant
8. Inty - Sting

Round 2 -

1. Inty - Bruno Sammartino
2. Bartyslartfast - Macho Man Randy Savage
3. Cap-Fan - Steve Austin
4. YGJ - Rey Mysterio
5. Sharon - Kurt Angle
6. TLI - On the clock
7. JJ
8. Talobi

 

Hnnh, I was hoping one of those guys would slip to me, so instead I'll go with...

John Cena.

 

The Rock.

 

Well, it looks like I'll be going for Inty's team because he picked the one wrestler I really know of.

 

Ugh. John Cena. Ugh.

 

I'm back in town now and will try to post breakdowns after the second round.

A few guys I'm surprised haven't been picked up yet.

 

Round 1 -

1. Talon_Kenobi - Bret Hart
2. Jaina_and_Jag - Shawn Michaels
3. The_Loyal_Imperial - Undertaker
4. Shurron - Ric Flair
5. YGJ - Brock Lesnar
6. captain-fantastic - Hulk Hogan
7. BartSimpson-SithLord/BaSSiL - Andre The Giant
8. Inty - Sting

Round 2 -

1. Inty - Bruno Sammartino
2. Bartyslartfast - Macho Man Randy Savage
3. Cap-Fan - Steve Austin
4. YGJ - Rey Mysterio
5. Sharon - Kurt Angle
6. TLI - John Cena
7. JJ - The Rock
8. Talobi - On the Clock

Round 3 -

1. Talon_Kenobi - On The Clock
2. Jaina_and_Jag -
3. The_Loyal_Imperial -
4. Shurron -
5. YGJ -
6. captain-fantastic -
7. BartSimpson-SithLord/BaSSiL -
8. Inty -

The Draft List

A J Styles
Aarn Anderson
Abyss
Al Snow
Alex Shelley
Animal
Balls Mahoney
Bam Bam Bigelow
Barry Windham
Batista
Big Boss Man
Big Show
Billy Graham
Billy Gunn
Billy Kidman
Bob Backlund
Bobby Lashley
Booker T
British Bulldog
Buff Bagwell
Buh Buh Ray Dudley
C M Punk
Charlie Haas
Chavo Guerrero
Chris Benoit
Chris Harris
Chris Jericho
Chris Sabin
Christian
Christopher Daniels
Crash Holly
D?Lo Brown
Dean Malenko
Diamond Dallas Paige
Disco Inferno
Dusty Rhodes
D-Von Dudley
Eddie Guerrero
Edge
Faarooq
Finlay
Goldberg
Goldust
Gregory Helms
Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Hardcore Holly
Harley Race
Hawk
Hernandez
Homicide
Honky Tonk Man
Iron Sheik
Jake Roberts
Jay Lethal
Jeff Hardy
Jeff Jarrett
Jesse James
Jim Neidhart
Jimmy Snuka
Joey Mercury
John Bradshaw Layfield
John Morrison
Johnny Devine
Junkyard Dog
Jushin Liger
Justin Credible
Juventud
Kamala
Kane
Kaz
Ken Shamrock
Kevin Nash
Kid Kash
Koko B Ware
La Parka
Lance Storm
Lex Luger
Mark Henry
Marty Jannetty
Matt Hardy
Meng
Mick Foley
Mr. Kennedy
Mr. Perfect
MVP
Nikolai Volkoff
Owen Hart
Papa Shango
Paul London
Pedro Morales
Perry Saturn
Petey Williams
Psichosis
Psycho Sid
Raven
Razor Ramon
Rhyno
Rick Steiner
Ricky Steamboat
Rikishi
Rob Can Dam
Robert Roode
Rowdy Roddy Piper
Sabu
Samoa Joe
Sanjay Dutt
Scott Steiner
Sgt. Slaughter
Shannon Moore
Shark Boy
Shelton Benjamin
Steve Austin
Steve Blackman
Stevie Ray
Stevie Richards
Super Calo
Super Crazy
Tajiri
Taka Michinoku
Tatanka
Tazz
Ted DiBiase
Terry Funk
Test
The Cat
The Miz
The Sandman
Tomko
Tommy Dreamer
Triple H
Ultimate Warrior
Ultimo Dragon
Vader
William Regal
X-Pac
Yokozuna
Brian Kendrick

Women
Angelina Love
Awesome Kong
Beth Phoenix
Candice Michelle
Christy Hemme
Chyna
Debra
Fabulous Moolah
Gail Kim
Ivory
Jacqueline
Jazz
Lita
Luna
Mae Young
Medusa
Melina
Michelle McCool
Mickie James
Miss Elizabeth
Molly Holly
ODB
Roxxi Leveaux
Sable
Sensational Sherry
Stacy Keibler
Stephanie McMahon
Torrie
Torrie Wilson
Traci Brooks
Trish Stratus
Velvet Sky
Victoria

Managers
Bobby Heenan
Eric Bischoff
Jimmy Hart
Jonathan Coachman
Mr. Fugi
Paul Bearer
Paul Heyman
Shane McMahon
Theodore Long
Vince McMahon
Adnan Al-Kaissie
Captain Lou Albano
Larry Hennig
Paul Heyman
Larry Zbyszko
Jim Ross


And here's the list of available match types for prep, just to keep them in mind while you draft.

Iron Man
Steel Cage
TLC
Ladder
Hell in the Cell
Buried Alive
Casket
Hardcore
Street Fight
Submission
First Blood

 

Kurt Angle
Chris Benoit

 

Juventud
Kamala
Kane
Kaz
Ken Shamrock
Kevin Nash
Kid Kash
Koko B Ware
La Parka

Round 2 -

1. Inty - Bruno Sammartino
2. Bartyslartfast - Macho Man Randy Savage
3. Cap-Fan - Steve Austin
4. YGJ - Rey Mysterio
5. Sharon - Kurt Angle
6. TLI - John Cena
7. JJ - The Rock
8. Talobi - On the Clock


Try again.

 

Well if you guys must know...it's all about the game and how you play it!

Triple H
Chris Benoit

 

You suck! I was gonna pick Trips next.

My pick: Chris Jericho

 

A lil somethin to pass the time.

1. Talon_Kenobi - Bret Hart, Triple H
Well, Hart is great and so is HHH. Individually I like them. Together they?ll either be really good or really not get along. Probably the former. And great strategists as well, solid on indys and team.
2. Jaina_and_Jag - Shawn Michaels, The Rock
Average duo for this time in the draft. HBK loves himself just a little too much for my taste in teams, but that?s neither here nor there.
3. The_Loyal_Imperial ? Undertaker, John Cena
Great individuals, Taker obviously and Cena doesn?t lose. They won?t get in each other?s way in teams, but it?s not like they?ll be pulling off combos either.
4. Shurron - Ric Flair, Kurt Angle
Well looks like technique is the name of the game with this team. A lot of ego but I think these guys will get along. Indy-wise, perhaps the two best submitters in history, but I think something?s missing?
5. YGJ - Brock Lesnar, Rey Mysterio
Well you got various attacks covered, but Mysterio definitely could have waited. That?s about it.
6. captain-fantastic - Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin
I dunno how well these two will get along, honestly. They?ll win tons of matches in indys though. Tons.
7. BartSimpson-SithLord/BaSSiL - Andre The Giant, Randy Savage
A solid two here. Giant is all sorts of beast, and Savage is good but not great there. Teams could be interesting, cause I dunno if Giant gets along with Savage.
8. Inty ? Sting, Bruno Sammartino
Really I have to look up Bruno but I think I?ll like what I see. Sting though, could definitely have gone later. But I?m pretty sure they?ll be good in teams.

 

And here are the promised breakdowns

Talon_Kenobi
Bret Hart
While Bret may not have been as flashy as some wrestlers, it's hard to argue that he wasn't one of the best wrestlers of all time. Solid first pick.

Triple H
While I personally don't like him very much, Triple H is a steal as a late second-rounder. He has been a champion more than 10 times and has feuded with most of the big names out there.

Team
While these guys are individually good picks, their cohesion is not very good (both in real life because of Montreal and kayfabe because of the Hart Foundation/DX feud). Depending on how you go with later picks, this could become less of an issue, but it is something to watch for.

Jaina_and_Jag
Shawn Michaels
Obvious first-round pick. It's amazing that after being retired for several years because of his bad back, he was able to come back and be better than ever.

The Rock
Rock is a good second round pick based on his accomplishments. He isn't in the top half as far as experience, but being a third generation wrestler means that he started learning at a young age, so he has a decent level of skill.

Team
No major positives or negatives as far as cohesion that I can see.

The_Loyal_Imperial
Undertaker
Undertaker has more experience than most of the rest of the field and can take a lot of punishment. Good first round pick.

John Cena
Cena has shown that he is capable of overcoming the odds. Another pick that I am not as entertained by, but a decent second-rounder based on his accomplishments.

Team
They both teamed and feuded early in Cena's career. I think that now that Cena is more seasoned than he was at the time, they won't have any problems working together.

Shurron
Ric Flair
His legacy speaks for itself. He was a 16-21 time world champion (depending on who you listen to) and he was around for longer than almost anyone in the draft.

Kurt Angle
Probably a steal in the second round. He doesn't have the longevity of some of the others out there, but he's had great successes for his time in the business.

Team
These guys are very dangerous as a team. Both go after their opponent's legs to set up their finishers. No real interactions, but they wouldn't have any problems that I can see.

YGJ
Brock Lesnar
I think Brock was the weakest of the first round draft picks. While he was good in his time in wrestling, he didn't have near the longevity of the others. I could see him winning a fair share of matches, but there were plenty of better picks out there.

Rey Mysterio
Taken in his prime, Rey is a passable second-rounder. While his win-loss record isn't as impressive as some, he is perfectly capable of beating larger men.

Team
No major cohesion defects, but no real connections either. They have very different game plans, which could either make things difficult for an opponent or cause them to get in each other's way. Cohesion will depend on where you go from here.

captain-fantastic
Hulk Hogan
I think Hogan is an overhyped gasbag, but his impact on wrestling is undeniable. Being taken in his prime rather than as he is now will be a big boost for him. He has a good amount of accomplishments and was around for a while, so that will help.

Steve Austin
I'm surprised that Austin wasn't picked in the first round. Though he's mostly known as a brawler, he is a competent technician and has both experience and accomplishments working in his favor.

Team
The biggest problem I see here will be Hogan. He has a massive ego, which I don't think Austin will respond well to.

BartSimpson-SithLord/BaSSiL
Andre The Giant
Andre's a monster, pure and simple. He's arguably one of the most powerful men in the draft and his size will give quite a few of his opponents fits. Good first rounder.

Randy Savage
Even though he's off his rocker now, Savage w

 

Thanks for the breakdowns, guys.

And the mention of experience reminds me of something I wanted to get cleared up concerning a lot of highly-experienced wrestlers who have gone on well past their prime. And since Flair is one of the best examples of that, I guess I'll use im as my primary example again.

Basically what I was kind of imagining for this draft concerning wrestlers like Flair (or Hogan or Taker or Sting or whoever) was that they would get credit for all the experience they've ever accumulated over the years, but at the same time, physically they kinda get... for lack of a better term, magically transported back to their respective peaks. I could understand if that might be a bit silly for some people, but I honestly think it works as long as we do it for everyone across the board.

That said, if that's shot down and it becomes a question of either/or, then I don't hesitate for a second in saying that I'd toss the extra experience out the window and take Flair at his physical peak (which was, what? somewhere between fifteen and twenty years ago?)

 

Kind of like we do in the StarFighter Draft? (or at least are supposed to)

Believe it or not, Bruno and Sting have crossed paths before. Nothing major, mind you, but a little something to build off of, at the least.

 

Taking someone at their physical peak while still taking into account all of their experience seems more than reasonable, otherwise there seems to be little benefit to picking some of these old codgers.

 

So I guess I'm one of the few, or the only one, who doesn't care all THAT much about experience? I don't think it takes too many years in the ring to figure out what to do and what not to do. Unless you're Flair and keep figuring out new ways to cheat. Seems to me that after about 3-4 years you're pretty much established as to what you're going to be for the majority of your career unless some ridiculous new angle pushes you to a higher level. Of course there are those like Benoit or Edge who get the belt after a whole lot of years, but did they really get any better? Benoit's been that good forever, and Edge doesn't look to me to be at all as good as he was when he didn't get the belt (and by that I mean they cut his movelist in half and made him appear much less tough). So, that's my take on experience. A few years is good enough for me in most cases.

 

HHH and Angle should have been first rounders...

 

So, wait. When it comes to crap like Hulkamania and the stupid invincibility gimmick or John Cena's ability to constantly pull out wins despite a huge gaping hole where his talent should be, it's all about the show? Actual skill and talent takes a back seat to the nonsense?

But then when it comes to experience, which is something that wrestlers and announcers alike will consistently refer to as being a big factor in matches (all part of the show), suddenly reality is more important? Because, yeah, it's usually like you say. Although 3-4 years doesn't really seem accurate at all. I can name plenty of names that took a good deal longer than 3 or 4 years to really hit their stride (all gimmick boosts aside). And some took less than 3-4 years. Some much less. But that's all the reality part of it. The show part of it maintains that experience is very valuable.

Pick one.

 

Oh, yeah, I agree they definitely always talk, especially JR, about all that experience coming into play and all that. But it usually comes into play in the beginning or middle of the match rather than the end. Just like they talk about all the skill of this and that wrestler, but you know if he's a heel (unless it's some giant power gap like a championship contender against a cruiserweight not named Mysterio) he's not gonna win the match w/out cheating. Yeah, I've seen some quick pins and rollups and the like that could be attributed to experience (I recall Cena's 1st match vs. Angle for instance) but that's not the norm from what I've seen. I don't really think that once both opponents have that base level of experience that it comes into play all that much. Except in the case of bonafied cheaters like Flair or Guerrero who kept on finding new ways to cheat.

But yeah, I think the thing you said that I really agree with was that it takes some people longer than others to hit their stride. Which is how I anticipate judging.

Heck, Stone Cold took more than a few years to become unstoppable. But Lesnar, who has been knocked for inexperience, came in dang near unstoppable. He'd still lose to Austin I think, but you see the point.

 

Edge.

 

Yeah, I guess you and I are roughly on the same page after all with that issue.

And damnit, Edge has always been one of my faves and I was hoping to get him... but not this round. So even though that sucks a bit, I guess it's better than me missing out on the dude I've been looking at since the end of the 1st round.

I like how you mentioned my team seemed to be missing something, Yak. Because I totally agree, and on top of that, I think we're probably thinking of the exact same thing. Skill and technique is already more than covered so far, but now I need someone who can just plain dominate. This was pretty much what I planned from the outset, but I originally thought I was gonna have to settle for Brock at this spot. Lucky me, though. The better option fell through.

It's gotta be Da Man. Goldberg.


*man, deciding on a team name is tough for this one*


Ric Flair

[image=http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x310/The_Ultimate_Wrestling_Gallery/Ric%20Flair/RicFlair010.jpg]

Kurt Angle

[image=http://denii.free.bg/Kurt%20Angle.jpg]

Goldberg

[image=http://www.mma-news.ch/bill_goldberg.jpg]

 

How does this always happen for you?


How?

 

Round 1 -

1. Talon_Kenobi - Bret Hart
2. Jaina_and_Jag - Shawn Michaels
3. The_Loyal_Imperial - Undertaker
4. Shurron - Ric Flair
5. YGJ - Brock Lesnar
6. captain-fantastic - Hulk Hogan
7. BartSimpson-SithLord/BaSSiL - Andre The Giant
8. Inty - Sting

Round 2 -

1. Inty - Bruno Sammartino
2. Bartyslartfast - Macho Man Randy Savage
3. Cap-Fan - Steve Austin
4. YGJ - Rey Mysterio
5. Sharon - Kurt Angle
6. TLI - John Cena
7. JJ - The Rock
8. Talobi - Tripe H

Round 3 -

1. Talon_Kenobi - Chris Benoit
2. Goddess-Jaina-Redick - Chris Jericho
3. The_Loyal_Imperial - Edge
4. Shurron - Goldberg
5. YGJ - On the Clock
6. captain-fantastic -
7. BartSimpson-SithLord/BaSSiL -
8. Inty -

The Draft List

A J Styles
Aarn Anderson
Abyss
Al Snow
Alex Shelley
Animal
Balls Mahoney
Bam Bam Bigelow
Barry Windham
Batista
Big Boss Man
Big Show
Billy Graham
Billy Gunn
Billy Kidman
Bob Backlund
Bobby Lashley
Booker T
British Bulldog
Buff Bagwell
Buh Buh Ray Dudley
C M Punk
Charlie Haas
Chavo Guerrero
Chris Harris
Chris Sabin
Christian
Christopher Daniels
Crash Holly
D?Lo Brown
Dean Malenko
Diamond Dallas Paige
Disco Inferno
Dusty Rhodes
D-Von Dudley
Eddie Guerrero
Faarooq
Finlay
Goldust
Gregory Helms
Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Hardcore Holly
Harley Race
Hawk
Hernandez
Homicide
Honky Tonk Man
Iron Sheik
Jake Roberts
Jay Lethal
Jeff Hardy
Jeff Jarrett
Jesse James
Jim Neidhart
Jimmy Snuka
Joey Mercury
John Bradshaw Layfield
John Morrison
Johnny Devine
Junkyard Dog
Jushin Liger
Justin Credible
Juventud
Kamala
Kane
Kaz
Ken Shamrock
Kevin Nash
Kid Kash
Koko B Ware
La Parka
Lance Storm
Lex Luger
Mark Henry
Marty Jannetty
Matt Hardy
Meng
Mick Foley
Mr. Kennedy
Mr. Perfect
MVP
Nikolai Volkoff
Owen Hart
Papa Shango
Paul London
Pedro Morales
Perry Saturn
Petey Williams
Psichosis
Psycho Sid
Raven
Razor Ramon
Rhyno
Rick Steiner
Ricky Steamboat
Rikishi
Rob Can Dam
Robert Roode
Rowdy Roddy Piper
Sabu
Samoa Joe
Sanjay Dutt
Scott Steiner
Sgt. Slaughter
Shannon Moore
Shark Boy
Shelton Benjamin
Steve Blackman
Stevie Ray
Stevie Richards
Super Calo
Super Crazy
Tajiri
Taka Michinoku
Tatanka
Tazz
Ted DiBiase
Terry Funk
Test
The Cat
The Miz
The Sandman
Tomko
Tommy Dreamer
Ultimate Warrior
Ultimo Dragon
Vader
William Regal
X-Pac
Yokozuna
Brian Kendrick

Women
Angelina Love
Awesome Kong
Beth Phoenix
Candice Michelle
Christy Hemme
Chyna
Debra
Fabulous Moolah
Gail Kim
Ivory
Jacqueline
Jazz
Lita
Luna
Mae Young
Medusa
Melina
Michelle McCool
Mickie James
Miss Elizabeth
Molly Holly
ODB
Roxxi Leveaux
Sable
Sensational Sherry
Stacy Keibler
Stephanie McMahon
Torrie
Torrie Wilson
Traci Brooks
Trish Stratus
Velvet Sky
Victoria

Managers
Bobby Heenan
Eric Bischoff
Jimmy Hart
Jonathan Coachman
Mr. Fugi
Paul Bearer
Paul Heyman
Shane McMahon
Theodore Long
Vince McMahon
Adnan Al-Kaissie
Captain Lou Albano
Larry Hennig
Paul Heyman
Larry Zbyszko
Jim Ross


And here's the list of available match types for prep, just to keep them in mind while you draft.

Iron Man
Steel Cage
TLC
Ladder
Hell in the Cell
Buried Alive
Casket
Hardcore
Street Fight
Submission
First Blood


Updates for judge/commi only etc. so on whatnot