411 Mania 2009 Independent Draft Part Two: The Draft Rounds Three – Eight

Mathew Sforcina:Brother, brother, brother. A pick that proves the PW2.0 phliosphy more than any, King Titus now proudly call PW2.0 home. Their reasons for signing may be dubious (‘California! Hot chicks!’), but their talents in the ring are anything but. It is claimed by those in the know that the duo have already met with and aligned themselves with Austin Aries, and if this is the case, then ‘Thrusting’ may well be all the rage very soon.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Neither Selected
2007 Draft: Neither Selected

Samuel Berman: How the most consistently excellent team in the entire world is the fourth tag team selected in the draft is beyond the comprehension of the KOAKH brass. We consider ourselves privileged to welcome Jay & Mark Briscoe to KOAKH Pro. With the Briscoe Brothers on board, KOAKH will go forward intent on putting on the best tag action anywhere in the world.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: 1st round, 3rd pick overall, James
2007 Draft: 1st round, 1st pick overall, Berman

Jeremy Thomas: If we can be serious for a minute…there are few people who make TPWE more excited about adding to their roster than Lance Storm. One of the founding members of the Impact Players in ECW, Storm’s hardcore pedigree is well-known. At the same time he’s far from just a “garbage wrestler” and has a wealth of technical and high-impact skills in his considerable repertoire that he is reportedly eager to use against his fellow TWPE stars. Long tenures with WCW and the WWE have done little to wipe away fond memories of Lance’s extreme past, and it is that very past that we expect to see on display as he makes an impact on the TWPE roster.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Not Eligible
2007 Draft: 3rd round, 17th pick overall, Csonka

Aaron Hubbard:London was certainly calling when he found out he was down to #18. Of course, Paul brings a dynamic, high flying offense to the table. He has as much “name value” as anyone on the scene, and will certainly feel at home in HCS, where he can wrestle at his own pace and however he chooses.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Not Eligible
2007 Draft: Not Eligible

Joseph Martinez: At pick nineteen, I was looking to draft an international superstar capable of competing at a high level. KENTA was just the guy. He is great at what he does and is able to mesh his style well with others. Lone Star Wrestling welcomes KENTA to the team.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: 1st round, 7th pick overall, Berman
2007 Draft: 1st round, 4th pick overall, Adamson

Chris Lansdell: The only pick on my roster who isn’t a comedian. I have a very specific purpose in mind for that. Black was just too good to be left on the board, especially at number 20.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: 1st round, 2nd pick overall, Bauer
2007 Draft: 9th round, 49th pick overall, Berman

Ari Berenstein: OH YEAH! Even I didn’t see this one coming. Honestly I thought Bobby would be gone by now, but he was a “reach” pick that I was keeping in the back of my mind. Bobby may be focused on a career in Mixed Martial Arts, but his dabbling with TNA in past months shows a willingness to come back to the land of professional wrestling. I am willing to shell out the money to sign Lashley to a lucrative contract and work with him on signing him to matches that make sense for him both from a booking perspective and from a timeframe perspective (working my big shows that take place in-between his fights). Lashley is a HUGE name in both wrestling and MMA landscapes and that name value will draw attention to my company.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Not Eligible
2007 Draft: Not Eligible

Ari Berenstein: You know, I really wanted to draft Paul London early on, but Hubbard beat me to it. I had some cool plans for him too. So we go back to Japan for another pick and one more wrestler who was on my wish list. Katsuhiko Nakajima is an awesome talent whose in-ring performance ability will overcome any language barriers, as seen by his few appearances for ROH. Nakajima’s barrage of kicks is awe-inspiring and He can cut a fantastic pace in the ring. I would love to see him trade strikes with Davey Richards…so why not just book that match right now? LETS!

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Not Eligible
2007 Draft: Not Eligible

Chris Lansdell: The quintessential comedy wrestler who can also put on a strong match. Alas I could not get Delirious to recreate their hilarious matches from the Colt Farewell Tour, but I think my plans for him will amuse nonetheless.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Not Eligible
2007 Draft: Not Eligible

Joseph Martinez: Larry Sweeney is a throwback to the golden days where a wrestling manager meant something. While he has been going through a rough patch in his life, he still makes a great addition to any wrestling promotion. He also has the ability to get in the ring and make some noise. Larry Sweeney’s flexibility made him a tempting individual to draft despite some flaws he may have.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Keeper, Csonka
2007 Draft: 2nd round, 8th pick overall, Csonka

Aaron Hubbard: Shiozaki has made frequent appearances for the Heartland Wrestling Association, so it is only natural for him to make his home in the same area. We are thrilled to have Go in our employ, as many seem him as the second coming of Kenta Kobashi. In HCS, he will have the opportunity to continue to improve and reach his unlimited potential.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: 4th round, 25th pick overall, Sforcina
2007 Draft: Not Selected

Jeremy Thomas:Frankly, considering Lynn’s recent rise to the top of Ring of Honor we at TWPE are surprised that Jerry Lynn lasted as long as he did in the draft. We certainly aren’t going to complain though, and that recent run at the top of ROH proved to many what many of us already knew: Jerry Lynn still had it. It’s not so much of a surprise, considering Lynn put on some of the most thrilling matches of the late 90’s during his feud with Rob Van Dam, and despite being in his mid-40’s Jerry Lynn is still proving each week that he really is “The New F’n Show.” Lynn is sure to excel in TPWE, where his experience is bound to bring him to great things.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Not Selected
2007 Draft: Not Selected

Samuel Berman: Arguably the fastest rising star in the entire wrestling world, Shingo Takagi will most certainly be a breakout star for KOAKH Pro. How a top 10 talent like Shingo made it all the way to the fourth round without being selected is another total mystery. KOAKH Pro is also pleased to note that after four rounds, we have secured the in-ring aces of four different companies as well as the top tag team in the world.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Keeper, Berman
2007 Draft: 8th round, 48th pick overall, Berman

Mathew Sforcina:In tribute to the style of the man, PW2.0 announces that they have signed Brent Albright. That is all.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: 3rd Round, 22nd pick overall, Westerfeld
2007 Draft: 2nd round, 7th pick overall, Berenstein

Aaron Hubbard: And you know this, MAN. Jack Evans is one of the most innovative wrestlers in the world, an outstanding high flyer and he has a great character. The Eminem Wannabe will certainly appeal to kids, as will his incredible aerial manuevers.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: 2nd round, 13th pick overall, Thomas
2007 Draft: 3rd round, 15th pick overall, Bauer

Joseph Martinez: At the age of thirty Adam Pearce has seen all the wrestling industry has to offer. While he isn’t the best wrestler, he is still very able and has traveled all around the world including some stints with the WWE. The current booker of Ring of Honor brings his skills to Lone Star Wrestling and will be a welcome addition to the roster.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: 6th round, 53rd pick overall, Bauer
2007 Draft: 8th round, 45th pick overall, Adamson

Chris Lansdell: I originally picked Kennedy/Anderson because he fit the comedy theme, but I realized after a few rounds that one person had a couple of options I could use better, and that he was willing to trade. More on that later.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Not Eligible
2007 Draft: Not Eligible

Mathew Sforcina:The first ever Euro-Continental Champion, D’Lo Brown bring experience and a degree of class to PW2.0. D’Lo is beloved by many for being a talented man in the ring and being a nice guy outside it. If you’re Down with the Brown, then you have to be at PW2.0’s first show, “Pro Wrestling Rebooted”.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Not Eligible
2007 Draft: Not Selected

Samuel Berman: Thus far KOAKH Pro management has chosen to focus on technical prowess as well as speed and strength. However, it would be a major gaffe should we not select the man known as “The Last of a Dying Breed” with this pick. “The King of Diamonds” Eddie Kingston is unequivocally one of the top brawlers in the industry as well as arguably the best talker in the United States. Kingston provides a much needed counterpoint to the talents already in the fold for KOAKH Pro.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: 5th round, 43rd pick overall, Berman
2007 Draft: 6th round, 31st pick overall, Berenstein

Jeremy Thomas:For our fourth round pick, TPWE is proud to bring ‘The Right Stuff” Brodie Lee to the Pacific Northwest. Brodie is a legitimate big, tough guy whose brawling skills have not gone unnoticed by wrestling fans who pay attention to his work in CHIKARA, ROH and NWA Upstate. His style is well-suited to the kind of intense offense that TPWE expects to highlight every show, and the presence of several people associated with or opposed to the Age of the Fall—including Necro Butcher, Jimmy Jacobs and one or two more still to come—means that Lee will have no trouble getting right into the thick of things. Being nearly six and a half feet tall and just a little south of three hundred pounds won’t hurt at all either, of course. Lee is said to have certain individuals in his sights already and one of them will be his first challenge as he tries to make an immediate name for himself.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: 11th round, 91st pick overall, Berenstein
2007 Draft: Not Selected

Aaron Hubbard: Stevens is a great powerhouse babyface. He has also shown how popular he is in a family friendly environment in FIP. I believe that Stevens is a main event waiting to happen, and that the only thing he needs is a chance to shine. We will give him that here.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: 4th round, 35th pick overall, Bauer
2007 Draft: 10th round, 55th pick overall, Berenstein

Joseph Martinez: In February, Human Tornado returned from an injury that sidelined him for almost a year. While there is always a risk with a wrestler like him, he brings skills that few others can duplicate. His fun style and experience have earned him some television opportunities which brings more exposure to the LSW brand.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: 5th round, 38th pick overall, Bauer
2007 Draft: 6th round, 33rd pick overall, Adamson

Chris Lansdell: Quite possibly one of the most over heels in the history of Indy wrestling. Jimmy Rave is extremely talented but can also be hilarious as the snobby heel whose feelings are hurt because everyone hates him. My plans for him involve an unsigned wrestler and a traditional Jimmy chant…

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Not Eligible
2007 Draft: 7th round, 42nd pick overall, Berenstein

Ari Berenstein: My promotion is running in the Northeast, so it only makes sense to bring in a name that is very popular and a draw in that area. 2 Cold Scorpio even now is a hell of a talent, and while he is a step or two slower in the ring, his air game is still top notch. He is also an underrated brawler. An ever-popular wrestler with the fans, 2 Cold will step his game up against some of the younger lions in competition in NY-KO, starting with my next pick below…

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: 10th round, 86th pick overall, Sforcina
2007 Draft: 7th round, 41st pick overall, Csonka

Ari Berenstein: Where oh where did Elijah Burke go after being released by WWE? Well, now all that one has to worry about is where he will be, because he’s my next draft pick. Burke will be wrestling for my company from now on! He is cocky, brash and arrogant, but he has the will to back it up in the ring. He thinks he’s that good, will tell you so, and knock “4 Up” your head if you try to tell him otherwise. Elijah might just see 2 Cold Scorpio as his immediate competition in my promotion…

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Not Eligible
2007 Draft: Not Eligible

Chris Lansdell: This should make Csonka happy. Ever since I saw Kozlov on the TNA World X Cup, I’ve been a strong supporter of him. It’s a crying shame that he doesn’t have a more permanent role on a US roster. He’s going to have a nice little feud with…

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Not Selected
2007 Draft: 11th round, 62nd pick overall, Csonka

Joseph Martinez: Joey Ryan has always been one of my favorite wrestlers and I appreciate the skills he brings to the table. Seeing him available at number forty-one was a joy and he had to be drafted to LSW. Ryan is a former PWG World Champion and will definitely play a major role in the organization.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: 5th round, 44th pick overall, Domingo
2007 Draft: 7th round, 36th pick overall, Berman

Aaron Hubbard: Somehow surviving to the 42 slot, Petey Williams becomes the latest addition to HCS. Known for his Canadian Destroyer and fantastic series of matches in TNA, Petey truly is a steal for us. Petey’s style will surely mess well with the likes of London and Evans.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Not Eligible
2007 Draft: Not Eligible

Jeremy Thomas: Proving that you don’t have to be high on the testosterone to stake a claim in the new land of extreme, TPWE welcomes the SHIMMER Champion MsChif to our roster as our sixth round pick. MsChif’s accolades need no trumpeting for those familiar with her work in SHIMMER and ROH. She is the SHIMMER Champion, the two-time NWA World Women’s champion and the two-time NWA Midwest Women’s champion; she is looking to add even more gold to her repertoire as she joins her Age of the Fall teammates in Jimmy Jacobs and Brodie Lee. MsChif’s unique look and character will certainly help her stand out in the crazy world of TPWE, and with her impressive ring skills it won’t be long until she’s wearing some kind of gold.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Not Selected
2007 Draft: Not Selected

Samuel Berman: Freed from the shackles of Total Nonstop Action’s incompetence, Sonjay Dutt is exactly the type of performer KOAKH Pro is looking for: talented, polished, and ready to prove his true excellence against the world’s best. Those only familiar with Dutt’s TNA work are in for a treat, as he has already declared his intention to raise the bar in KOAKH Pro. No doubt he will have his sights set on KOAKH’s many world-class performers.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Not Eligible
2007 Draft: Not Eligible

Mathew Sforcina:PW2.0 actually had a tag team in mind at this point, but Bison ran in and destroyed that team, so we were forced to take him instead. A relative newcomer to the US wrestling scene, Bison has quickly gained a cult following with his brutal demolition of other wrestlers, and now his Freeway of Fury is aimed directly inside PW2.0’s Ground Zero.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Not Selected
2007 Draft: Not Selected

Mathew Sforcina:One of our previously signed talents asked (we think) for PW2.0 to consider signing Miss Haze. Luckily for that unnamed masked man, Daizee was already on our list. PW2.0 will crown 3 world champions at “Pro Wrestling Rebooted”, with the first World Title match scheduled to be the Women’s World Championship. And one of the participants will be Daizee Haze. Cool huh?

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: 12th round, 103rd pick overall, Thomas
2007 Draft: Not Selected

Samuel Berman: How better to continue raising the bar than to pick one of Japan’s most exciting exports? Kota Ibushi has impressed audiences from all over the globe with his death-defying offensive arsenal and high-flying abilities that are second-to-none. KOAKH Pro knows that Ibushi will quickly become a fan favorite.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: 8th round, 71st pick overall, Bauer
2007 Draft: Not Eligible

Jeremy Thomas: Hot on the heels of MsChif’s arrival comes Allison Danger. Much like her fellow gender-mate Danger comes to TPWE with ties to other members of the roster—in Danger’s case it’s those of our keeper pick, Steve Corino who is her brother. Danger is also a returning member to our brand from the Independent Draft, having been taken in the tenth round last year. Danger and MsChif are no strangers to each other and certainly they’ll come to blows at some point very soon…possibly as early as the first show. Both are very talented athletes who can easily stand on their own as competitors, and the only question is who will come out on top when they finally come head to head?

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: 10th round, 81st pick overall, Thomas
2007 Draft: Not Selected

Aaron Hubbard: HCS is not ashamed to admit that she was hired simply because the owner is in love with her. However, Lacey jumped at the chance to work for a promotion where she will not have to parade in her bra and panties to be appreciated. Instead, her talent will allow her to be a hero to young, impressionable girls. It was costly though, as she has been offered the largest contract of any competitor.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: 7th round, 56th pick overall, Bauer
2007 Draft: 7th round, 39th pick overall, Bauer

Joseph Martinez: There are plenty of young tag teams around the United States independent circuit but few have accomplished what the Youngbucks have. Matt and Nick Jackson are big parts of the PWG organization but can compete with the best of them. The longest reigning PWG tag team champions have competed all over the world and look to cause some trouble in Texas.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Not Selected
2007 Draft: Not Selected

Chris Lansdell: An important part of the promotion is to have as many local guys as possible. Kenny is very popular in the Detroit/Toronto area, and has recently expanded onto the national stage with RoH. Plus he’s funny as hell when he works his gimmick, and I’m an unabashed Omegaphile.

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: 7th round, 60th pick overall, Thomas
2007 Draft: Not Selected

Ari Berenstein: I have been very impressed with Davis and Chavis over the last six months, really ever since they debuted in ROH. They’re a lot like a younger Team 3-D in that they are a brawl-oriented team but they have the chops to go in any tag team match situation. NY-KO needs a tough tag team to be the backbone of the division and the tough-as-nails bad-ass DCFC fit that bill quite nicely. Davis will be POUNCING fools left and right while Davis just will knock them the f*** out. So as they say in their promos, if you don’t like it, “do something about it…we dare you!”

Previous Draft Selection
2008 Draft: Neither Selected
2007 Draft: Neither Selected