HBK Note: The review section is pretty messy and confusing I know, that’s why I split it into two parts, lots of stuff I tried to fit in.
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HBK’s BTB Kolumn
Edition 3
Hey, the 3rd Edition! I didn’t think we’d even make it this far, but here we are. I’ve tried to chuck a couple different things into this edition, so I’ll stop wasting your precious reading time, since this edition is pure awesomeness in a can (as usual :shifty
An Interview with the Badass
Firstly, what got you interested in BTB?
Well, I stumbled onto BTB one day and got engrossed in The Answer’s BTB, I wanted to do that just to say that I can and it evolved from there. It got bigger and bigger from there, and here I am, haven’t stopped yet, well I kind of did, but I try not to remember that.
You're current BTB has been running a very long time, do you have any plans of stopping and moving onto a new BTB, or leaving completely?
Well I sort of did the whole “new BTB†thing. I turned out for the better. I really planned it out and I am just going to say it, it squashes my booking style in TNA iMPACT! by a long shot. Anyways, my plan is to stop at WrestleMania XX. That is my limit on one BTB, a year’s worth. I have already been contemplating a new BTB, but I can’t decide. I would love to do maybe a current one, I always wanted to book for John Cena, he can be booked way better than he is, but WWE always manages to screw something up. So, that’s all I got to say about that.
How does it feel to be arguably the Best Booker to never win the Booker of Bookers award?
I personally like not winning BoB. I don’t deserve it because my skill level is always top notch. I don’t need to get better which keeps me constant and I think that’s why people don’t notice it as much because they know me and what I am capable of and that’s what they get. I have a standard that my BTB has to live up to. Other BTB’s have low points and high points which get more attention. Like H4H, he dominated BTB in the last 2 months which got a lot of attention; I have been dominating in my own special way since day 1 and never got BoB. It’s just the way the cookie crumbles.
Where do you place yourself (ie Number 1, 2, etc) in the current field of BTBs?
I would say it’s a pretty even field right now. Me and CMS are right up there, but I hear BTW is winding down which may put me back on top just like with iMPACT! However, I don’t want BTW to end, I am just saying that’s what would probably happen if it did.
With the new crop of BTBs popping up a lot, who has impressed you and who do you think could rise to the top and become the next big thing?
Well CGK has been doing a great job, he can really elevate himself to the top, but he has been doing it awhile, if you are talking NEW, I got one answer for you…NEW. That BTB is really going to be something; BKB did a phenomenal job on his first show and can’t wait for the second. That has beyond potential.
What do you believe is the best feud you've got running in RAW at the moment?
Goldberg vs. Undertaker. CMS thinks it got corny, but I think it got that much better. I was aiming for one of those memorable feuds that takes the conflict outside of the ring. These two have been basically at each other’s throats for months. They only fought each other once in a number one contender’s match that had no winner thanks to Triple H. They collide one on one for the “first time†at Unforgiven. That’s overshadows my title match like crazy.
What do you value more: Promos or Matches?
Promo. As you can see I am never nominated for best match writing, that I agree with. I know a lot of wrestling moves, but how the hell can you write what some superstars do? Like crazy Evan Bourne and X-Division moves, how can you describe that. I kind of hit road blocks in the match writing department, but promos I nail on the head. I don’t know why I am good at promos, they aren’t special, but everyone seems to enjoy them.
Can you give HBK any insider goss on RAW ?
If you mean secrets, spoilers, or anything along those lines, maybe. I can’t give away much, my show is sort of predictable like that so you can see things coming on your own…but, I can say the Ric Flair/Shawn Michaels match at Summerslam was a bit of a let down for many, but nobody ever said that was over at Summerslam. Sure it might have taken a back seat, but trust me, that’s not the last you’ll see of those two. Plus, for everyone who is concerned, I have no plans of splitting up Y2J and Booker T.
What is your favourite style of match to write?
One on one matches. Tag team matches, 3 way, 4 way, get sketchy with me. I am good at one on one, it gives me a lot of opportunities and possibilities, but if you mean stipulation. I would say ladder matches. I haven’t done too many, but I just love ladder matches.
Who are your favourite guys to use in matches and promos?
Chris Jericho, Booker T, Triple H, and Undertaker. I have been having a problem with HBK promos lately, but for those 4 guys, it’s pretty easy, especially Jericho. Triple H, in order to have a good HHH promo, all you have to do is repeat over and over how he is the Game, he is unstoppable, he is the best, he is the champ, stick in a couple sentences for his feud, and suddenly, if you do that long enough, you will see you have done a great promo.
Finally, what advice do you have for younger bookers?
Stick with it, don’t get in over your head, go at your own pace, speed means nothing in BTB, quailty is everything, use superstars you know very well, and have fun. If you aren’t having fun, then why are you wasting your time?
Recaps
Recaps, are they lazy? Is it just a certain style of writing? Or is it all of the above and people are just acting like douches about it?
Personally, I really don’t care about recaps. If you haven’t got the time or that’s just your style of writing, then go for it. The backstory I believe with the ‘recaps are hard to review’ is that the template we currently have is hard to utilise on recapped shows, as a lot of things seem to flow together.
But I think recap promos are definitely lazy. It may just be me, but you can easily write a promo that may seem ‘in character’ if it’s recap. You don’t need to do it word-by-word so there’s almost no way you can fail unless you are awful. Recapped matches you wouldn’t be able to get away with Rey Mysterio power bombing Undertaker, but in a promo you could just say ‘MVP begins some trash talking on Jeff Hardy’ and not even have to describe what’s going on.
The debates that have gone on about recaps though are ridiculous. Some bookers don’t like them, some bookers don’t. Get the hell over it. People seem to be getting way worked up about this. It’s your opinion, no need to shove it down everyone’s throats about how recaps are better/recaps are lazy.
Straight from the Bookers Mouth
Todays question: If you could team up with any IWF booker for a partnered BTB, who would it be?
BKB: xtremebadass. He gets his show done every week, plus his strength (promos) is a huge weakness of mine.
XBA: That's easy. Anigma without a doubt. At one time, we both ruled the BTB Scene with an iron fist and it often came up in conversation what would happen if we joined forces. He was doing a WWE BTB and I was doing the TNA BTB, we could have pulled an SWA vs. HEW at the time, but we were both tight on time trying to meet all the requirements for our own BTB's, so nothing ever came of it.
WCW Rules: I'm not sure, since I normally do not like partnering up, but if I had to choose, it'd probably be BKB. I really don't know too much bookers on the board, but BKB would be my first choice. Perhaps because I see potential in his booking.
Lethal Combination: "Funny you should ask me this question because I've just started a partnered BTB with two other Bookers. But I'm not sure, I don't think I'm a good enough Booker to be teaming up with most of the Bookers of IWF."
Levi: It will be Anigma, Andrew Walker, Gards, Squire Lennie and BKB
Anigma - he's a legend! he's one of the Bookers I truly inspired in the section. He helped me one time in my storylines for HEW and it's really a big help.
Andrew Walker - well, I just teamed up with him to form SWA vs. HEW and I truly enjoyed working with him even though we both lack in time.
Gards, Lennie and BKB - I also once work with them in BTB and these two are great in writing matches. We always chat in MSN so working with these two couldn't be a pain, we could work a great BTB since we can talk it over on MSN.
X-Power: That is a tough one. I have observed the BTB section of this column for a while, and I am impressed. I am not a fan of partnered BTBs. I tried one on another forum and I never saw the person again. But if I knew the person could be trusted then I would give a partnered BTB a try. There are the top guys here at IWF, like Xtremebadass and CMS to mention a few. To be honest I would not enjoy working with these top class people as I would be overshadowed and would look bad by comparison, especially at this early stage of my booking. However, there are some people in the IWF BTB scene that I would enjoy working with, as I think that they have similiar writng styles as me. Off the top of my head, some names are: The Quintastic One, HBK, Michael1 and eyebrow2007. A lot of others are out of my league but I feel that I would mesh well with these guys for no main reasons in particular. Good question.
Gards: Leviathan for the simple fact that He can keep me going and vice Versa as well as him helping me out.
Headfirst for Hardcore: I wouldn't want to team up with anyone honestly. That's not a shot at any of the bookers, because I think I'm at my best when I do things with my own control. I'm pretty lazy sometimes, and I don't think I would keep up with a partner. Having a partner would be great, but I don't think I've ever seen a Partnered BTB last very long, except for SWA. But if there was a time when I would feel the need to have a team BTB, I would definitely go with The Leviathan, Brian Kendrick's Biceps, or XBA. Those are the ones that do well in every show they do, and they know what they're doing.
Comicgeekelly: I'd team with Headfirst for Hardcore because his stuff is so good that if the stuff that I wrote sucked it would still be a good BTB.
King Lennie: Well there are a few I would like to write with but the one that sticks out is probably The Leviathan. It would be really fun working with him because he is REALLY funny and he is a great booker. He is probably the best Booker on this site imo, his ability to get wrestlers over is great and his matches as well as promo's are always fun to read. So he would be my pick...
Reviews: Plague or Purpose
Part One
Reviews are probably the most vital things to a BTBs success. The problem is, many don’t receive or deliver reviews. Now, the major problem is the way most people do their reviews. That is basically the ‘Review for Review’ system.
But there is a fatal flaw in that system. The fact of the matter is, you don’t have to review another show if you don’t want too. Just because someone reviews your show doesn’t mean you have to go out of your way to check out theirs. Personally, if someone takes the time to read my stuff, I’ll read theirs. But that’s just me. See, people may not think if they don’t return a review or even give a review it’s really nothing to affect them, they’re wrong. It just begins an epic chain reaction which overall affects not only them, but all of the BTB section. Cheap plugs would all be gone if we followed the Review for Review system.
Let me use this as an example. Let’s say Booker A writes up a show. They get give out 3 reviews, one to Booker B, C and D. B returns the review while C and D don’t, as they have plenty of reviews anyone. A only gets that one return review from Booker D, and puts in cheap plugs in a lot of places since they want reviews. Booker B and C have no problem, since many people review their shows and B & C usually get return reviews from the one of two they send out. Thus, the BTB section ends up getting many plugs throughout many threads as this cycle continues through many a thread, since B and C didn‘t return a review. Return reviews=a solution to plugs
If you return a review, more than likely that person if going to review you back sometime, and if you just flat out review 1 show a week yet get many reviews, you’re not giving much back. The point is, cheap plugs aren’t actually a problem that the booker giving them out has caused, it’s our fault. The people who complain about them, myself included, are the ones who are actually responsible.
If whenever you went into the BTB section and looked in the Advertising thread and say saw, I dunno, 4 BTBs updated. If you go out and review those BTBs, you’ll get more reviews. If everybody does this, everybody gets reviews. Even if it’s an awful BTB and you don’t read through the show, put that in there. Instead of completely ignoring it, just say ‘I only read the first few segments because of some major flaws in your writing and formatting. For example, etc. etc’. Basically, the ‘Review for Review’ system is something we should all follow imo. If everyone handed out a review for let’s say every 2nd update BTB they came across, the entire section would benefit. To get reviews, don’t use cheap plugs, just GIVE reviews.
I guess that’s just what I’d like. If everyone returned reviews, then I’m sure we’d get more reviews. Even if you just speed read, it’s better than nothing. Although I know something like that would ever happen, you people that want reviews, give reviews. Even if you don’t get an immediate reply from that person, the bottom line is, what goes around comes around.
Ask HBK
Keep them questions coming
Rate the Booker!
Every edition there will be a new booker for ya’ll to rate on a scale of 1-10. 10 being pure awesomeness in a can and 1 being their BTB is about as fun to read as shoving a nail through your skull and watching a Batista match at the same time. To kick it off, we’re going to rate the Booker of Bookers, Headfirst for Hardcore. Post your rating out of 1-10. Go!
Under the Spotlight
Xtremebadass
Well we’ve gone from the 3X Booker of Bookers to a man I’m surprised has never been the bookers. Yes, I am indeed talking about XBA.
XBA has got to be one of the best bookers of the sight, no matter who you ask. Personally, of all the established guys, I’d rank him No. 2, second only to H4H. XBA, like CMS, has that uncanny ability to make one feud transition to another with the greatest of ease, and then turn them into something spectacular.
XBA’s strongest suit though is definitely his promos. He’s the best here, and has proven it multiple times that he can write promos that are realistic, entertaining and incredible all at once. The best promos I have ever seen have come out of Real American Wrestling. XBA is the guy I look up to most in the section, getting my promos onto the level his are would be a major achievement for me.
But that’s not to say that XBA’s matches are bad. In fact, his matches are some of the best. Sure, they may not be as long as some other bookers, but there’s a golden rule that can apply to just about everything in this world: Quality, not quantity. I’d rather read a great 3 paragraph match than a boring 3 page match. XBA has managed to find a good balance between how long a match should be whilst still being entertaining.
Thought to Ponder
Break the Mould
On IWF there are more BTBs than I’ve probably ever seen on one forum. That’s why in order for attention, you’re going to need to step out, break the mould, make the trend, don’t follow it.
Indy feds were once rare, now they’re a fad which has a lot springing up. You’ve got to try something new if you want to succeed. For me, I thought going a little ‘old school’ would be something not seen a lot around here. I’ve placed veterans which aren’t seen on a lot of BTBs here on my shows (Bret Hart, The Rock, Vader) and mixed them in with some new blood to give it a different feel to other BTBs
Take WCW Rules. Look around, how many BTBs include Japanese wrestlers? I can’t even name one. WCW Rules is adding plenty of Japanese superstars into his upcoming BTB, GCW, and I believe it shall pay off. GCW right now seems like it will be an ‘international’ BTB, also including superstars from Mexico and AAA, something else a lot of BTBs don’t have.
I spoke last edition about how each of the major BTBs have something that sets them apart so I won’t just repeat myself, but if you’re going to start a new BTB, BREAK THE MOULD. Try something different, maybe a ‘90s WCW/WWF fed, a Monday Night Wars BTB, an old school ECW one, hell, maybe even go way out there and do the NWA. It will pay off, mark my words.
Thanks for reading HBK, see you next edition. Where (hopefully) there is a BIG surprise in store for all of you.