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| Mauro and Corey, together again Screengrab via SportsKeeda |
When I last left off describing the TWB Draft to one and all, I summarized the actual draft portion. It's called the "TWB Draft," so that should be the most important thing, right? Well, sure, but what good is roster allocation if you don't use it? Twenty-five wrestlers comprise a good start for any promotion, but post-draft, so many other viable wrestlers were left available, as well as all the non-wrestling staff that had now become bereft of employment. The commentators, managers, and agents of the world needed to be signed. Referees, under this plan, would become the domain of the Federal Wrestling Bureau.
After the draft, the six territories were allowed to sign up to 15 more free agent wrestlers as well as assorted staff. While 15 was maximum, the feds were allowed to go under that limit. The first five free agents were signed via waiver order, and everyone has at least five on their roster. Some only signed one additional wrestler past that five, while others took advantage of the full roster space.
Rather than list the free agents, I will compile all the rosters of each promotion here, along with their support staff characters:
ROCKY MOUNTAIN WRESTLING (Moose Bigelow and Andrew Hammond, Rocky Mountain Territory)
Drafted Talent: Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole, Kevin Steen (Owens), WALTER, FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler), Jade Cargill, Damien Priest, Punishment Martinez (Damien Priest), Thunder Rosa, Andrade El Idolo (Cien Almas/La Sombra), Charlotte Flair, Evie (Dakota Kai), Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Jeff Cobb, Chad Gable, Otis, "Filthy" Tom Lawlor, Powerhouse Hobbs, Ronda Rousey, Kris Statlander, Grado, Jonah Rock (Bronson Reed), Calvin Tankman, The Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark)
Free Agent Talent: Negative One, Desmond Xzavier (Wes Lee), Zachary Wentz (Nash Carter), Christopher Daniels (Curry Man), Brody King (Mike "The Rock" Davis... YOU GOTTA GIVE), Sefa Fatu, Colby Corino, Team Sea Stars (Delmi Exo and Ashley Vox), Tre Lamar, Josh Barnett
Staff: Joe Martinez, Ian Riccaboni, David Arqette, Pat McAfee, Kurt Angle, Jerry Jarrett
LONE STAR WRESTLING (AJ Morgan, World Class Territory)
Drafted Talent: Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch (Knox), Baron Corbin, Big E (Langston), The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods/Austin Creed), Sami Zayn (El Generico), Shinsuke Nakamura, Shayna Baszler, Drew Galloway (McIntyre), Seth Rollins (Tyler Black), Courtney Rush (Rosemary), Mustafa Ali, Danhausen, Jessie McKay (Billie Kay), Adam Scherr (Braun Strowman), Effy, Allie Kat (Katch), Colt Cabana, Johnny Curtis (Fandango), Tyler Breeze, Johnny Gargano, Mansoor, Suge D (Sugar Dunkerton)
Free Agent Talent: Max The Impaler, Big Swole, Sonny Kiss, Big Callux (The Castigator), MV Young, Gino Medina, Fuego del Sol, Hermit Crab, Cajun Crawdad, Thief Ant, Billy Dixon, AC Mack, Edith Surreal, Matthew Rehwoldt (Aiden English), Willow Nightengale
Staff: Michael Cole, Jim Ross, Renee Paquette (Young), Freddie Prinze, Jr, Mick Foley, Cheeseburger, Kevin von Erich, Alicia Atout
WORLD ASS CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING (Brett R. and Nick Piccone, Southeastern Territory)
Drafted Talent: Adam "Hangman" Page, CM Punk, Jon Moxley, Britt Baker DMD, The Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins), Bayley (Davina Rose), The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson), Alexa Bliss, Pete Dunne, The Rock, the Usos (Jey and Jimmy), John Cena, Naomi, Randy Orton, Hikaru Shida, Nyla Rose, Kenny Omega, The Miz, the Jurassic Express (Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy), Samoa Joe, Kay Lee Ray
Free Agent Talent: Sonya Deville, Johnny World Ass (John Morrison), Scorpio Sky, Tegan Nox, Shotzi Blackheart, Anthony Ogogo, Cassie Lee (Peyton Royce), Cherry Bomb (Bunny/Allie), Jinder Mahal, Red Velvet, Elias, Angel Garza, Xia Li, Ron Killings (R-Truth), Edge
Staff: Beth Phoenix, Ric Flair, MVP, Bret Hart, Todd Pettengill, TJ Wilson (Tyson Kidd), Michael Hayes, Michael Buffer, Kayla Braxton, Stacy Keibler
MIDWEST FEDERATION OF WRESTLING (Chris G., Midwestern Territory)
Drafted Talent: Windham Rotunda (Bray Wyatt), Sasha Banks (Mercedes KV/Varnado), Cody Rhodes, Nick Gage, Drew Gulak, Bobby Lashley, Rush, Wardlow, Tay Conti, Ruby Soho, Matt Cardona, Biff Busick (Oney Lorcan), Omos, Serena Deeb, Bill Goldberg, LA Park, Fred Yehi, Chris Dickinson, Homicide, Hideki Suzuki (Hachiman), AR Fox, Arez, Mickie Knuckles, Joshua Bishop, Gnarls Garvin
Free Agent Talent: Sareee (Sarray), Christian Cage, Mascara Dorada (Gran Metalik), Tony Deppen, Mercedes Martinez, John Wayne Murdoch, Sam Shaw (Dexter Lumis), Matthew Justice, Mance Warner, Dr. Luther, El Hijo del LA Park, LA Park, Jr., Rik Bugez, Gangrel
Staff: Tazz, Tony Schiavone, Salina de la Renta, Dylan Hales, Dan Lambert, Britani Knight (Paige)
INTERNATIONAL WRESTLING FEDERATION (Geo Hellraiser, Jonny Law, and Jim Taggart, Northeastern Territory)
Drafted Talent: Brock Lesnar, Pentagon, Jr. (Penta El Cero Miedo), Rey Fenix, Malakai Black (Tommy End), Miro, Proud n Powerful (Santana and Ortiz), Jacob Fatu, Prince Devitt (Finn Balor), Tommaso Ciampa, Timothy Thatcher, Sheamus, Buddy Matthews (Murphy), The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin), Kyle O'Reilly, Josh Alexander, Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate and Trent Seven), Ricky Starks, Alex Hammerstone, El Legado del Fantasma (Raul Mendoza and DJ Z/Joaquin Wilde), Santos Escobar, Sammy Guevara
Free Agent Talent: Jonathan Gresham, Chris Hero, Donovan Dijak (T-Bar), Brennan Williams (Mace), CJ Perry (Lana), Bear Country (Bear Bronson and Bear Boulder), Private Party (Marq Quen and Isaiah Kassidy), Jake Atlas, Austin Theory, Black Taurus, Ikeman Jiro, Odyssey Jones, Daniel Makabe
Staff: Stokely Hathaway (Malcolm Bivens), Shawn Michaels, Corey Graves, Mauro Ranallo, Maria Kanellis, Bobby Cruise, Jamie Noble, Joey Mercury
PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING (Butch Rosser, West Coast Territory)
Drafted Talent: Claudio Castagnoli (Cesaro), Eddie Kingston, Bianca Belair, Meiko Satomura, KANA (Asuka), Keith Lee, Rhea Ripley, Orange Cassidy, AJ Styles, Io Shirai, Jordynne Grace, PAC, Ricochet, Toni Storm, Shane Strickland (Isaiah "Swerve" Scott), Kamille, KUSHIDA, Nikki Storm (Cross/ASH), Tenille Dashwood, Rey Mysterio, Mil Muertes (Ricky Banderas), Athena (Ember Moon), Jordan Devlin, Willie Mack, Leyla Hirsch
Free Agent Talent: Rey Horus, Trevor Lee (Cameron Grimes), Ilja Dragunov, Indi Hartwell, Cedric Alexander, Jamie Hayter
Staff: Tom Phillips, Veda Scott, Stu Bennett (Wade Barrett), Excalibur, Nigel McGuinness
This exercise will be judged and will have a winner, but that judgment is in two different phases. The first phase is complete. Roster-building is the key to a good promotion, and I have a panel of judges at the ready to evaluate the talent as situated. The promotions will have to book their first pay-per-view cycle, and that will be judged separately. What fun is a roster if you don't play with it? Make sure you keep your eyes peeled here for the latest in the TWB Draft.