The Dark Shadows of Wrestling
:: A WCW Rules Production ::
"Chosen by history, men become icons. Engraved into history, icons become legends..."
~ Sypnosis ~
This is a tale of war, betrayal, inner strife, and of course, kicking guys' asses in the ring. In The Asylum, you're fair game. They say The Asylum is like the theory of evolution, where the strong thrive and the weak die off, or like a tournament, where the winners climb up the ladder and the losers are left to their defenses. Whatever The Asylum is, we know one thing; it is a place that houses wrestlers of many different denominations, factions, alliances, and the like. It's a dog-eat-dog world when you're standing across from your opponent in a broken down, almost abandoned ring, where people in the audience neither care for your safety or your health, only the instant gratification they receive from your lying carcass, humiliated and ashamed.
For this very reason, men and women in The Asylum are held together by groups, and should they go out into the ring to face their opponent, the only reassurance to them is that their friends are looking on, always ready to fight the good fight when the need arises. The Asylum may house a wrestling ring, lockerooms (of the damned sort), and entertainment for the niche, however, it is also a place where men make their dreams, conflict ensues, where heroes live and die by their bare fists and in-ring prowess, where villains make their mark and methodically tear your spirit apart, and where time-tested stories are told in a form you're all familiar with. This is The Dark Shadows of Wrestling; this is The Asylum.
-----
~ The Asylum's Breed ~
~ The Asylum's Staff ~
The Keeper: Raven
The Tellers: Mr. Sinister and 'The Sandman' Mike Sanders
The Tellers are ring announcers for their respective dispositions; Mr. Sinister for Heels, and Mike Sanders for Faces/Tweeners
~ The Hall of Champions ~
The Asylum's Champion: N/A
The Realm's Champion: N/A
The Gemini Champions: N/A
~ The Rebels, Heroes, Crazies, and Psychos ~
Red = Face
Black = Heel
Gray = Tweener
~ La Secta De Mesias ~
Chessman
Cibernético
El Elegido
El Mesias
Ozz
~ The Age of The Fall ~
Jimmy Jacobs
Joey Adams
Lacey
MsChif
Tyler Black
~ The Covenant ~
'The Archangel' Christopher Daniels
'The Prophet' Elijah Burke
'The Plague' Gran Knihilus
'The Reaper' Gran Lance
'The Warmonger' Gran León
'The Famine' Gran Marquis
Matriarch Melissa
~ The Exiles ~
'The Scarlet Beauty' Christy Hemme
James Keenan
Shane Helms
'The Prince of Punk' Shannon Moore
Talia Madison
~ The Genesis ~
'The Asylum's (Only?) Hope' Chris Jericho
'The Prince' Paul London
'The Maiden' Roxxi
'The Chosen One' Sean O'Haire
~ The Legion ~
'The Blade' Brian Kendrick
'The Nemesis' Edge
'Lady of Chaos' Beatrice
'The Juggernaut' Paul Burchill
~ The Omegas ~
Alex Shelley
Aurora
Chris Sabin
CM Punk
Rain
Roderick Strong
~ The Psycho Circus ~
Killer Clown
Psycho Clown
SiNN
Vampiro
Zombie Clown
~ Unaligned ~
'The Hell Dame' Candice Michelle
'The Phantom of The Asylum' KaZin
LA Park
Obake Raijin
Primeval
'The Crimson' RelliK
~ Weekly Program ~
The Asylum
Every Thursday Evening at 7 PM ET/6 PM CT on FX
~ Upcoming Supercard Schedule ~
To Be Announced...
-----
~ General Information ~
The Brand
This is an experimental concept, one I've been thinking of producing for the past couple of months. It's relatively simple, yet can be complex. The idea is this; The Dark Shadows of Wrestling is an ongoing, everchanging storyline arc, told in the form of pro wrestling. Think of it as a film, or book, however, the action is told inside the ring, whereas the dialogue and situations are told in promos, segments, and so forth. Each episode is a Chapter, like in a book or film, and there are sub-chapters in each one. In addition, there will be twelve chapters in one book, with the final one having a climax of sorts, and there will be several books all interconnected into one story arc.
The entire promotion is divided into factions as well, with an overwhelming amount of Heels, some Tweeners, and little to no Faces. This is purposely done to create more conflict, and alliegances will change, plots will twist, relationships will form, just like in any other form of entertainment. I'm prepared to bring the art back into professional wrestling; matches aren't all about workrate or who's a better wrestler, they're about telling you a story. I'm primarily a storyteller, and all my matches are written as such. Some may say this defeats the purpose of a wrestling organization, however, I'm keeping the core rules of a pro wrestling promotion intact.
The Asylum is both the name for the weekly progam, and the venue in which all shows take place. It's kinda similiar to MTV's Wrestling Society X, like an underground society, except here, the entire architecture of the building is made to look like an asylum; gray concrete walls, seperate entrances for each faction, no fancy lighting and whatnot. The Asylum is a seventy-five minute program, so with commercials, it'd be an hour and a half. At the end of every book, (which consists of twelve chapters, or twelve shows) there will be a supercard event, sorta like a PPV, which will consist of climax matches, blow offs for feuds, and so forth. BTW, programs are rated TV-14 for language, violence, suggestive themes, among other factors.
Gimmick and Name Changes
As you can very well see, I've changed some names and gimmicks for many faces you'd deem familiar. Here's a quick rundown, a who's who list for my peeps out there, and for those who want to digest some new information on their favorite wrestlers upon their arrival in The Asylum. If a wrestler is not listed here, their gimmick and/or name is basically unchanged.
WARNING: Remember, this is a different kind of promotion. Each and every wrestler is portraying a character, like in films. These characters may or may not be incredibly realistic, but then again, who fucking cares? This is heavily kayfabe based. If you are a realist buff, LEAVE AT ONCE! You've been warned...
'Lady of Chaos' Beatrice - Katie Lea Burchill (of WWE fame)
Paul Burchill's squeeze, and the femme fatale of The Legion. She was attracted to Burchill because of his bullying nature (women love bad boys, TBF), and she joined him upon his induction into The Legion. She adores chaos and anarchy, and Paul Burchill will do anything to satisfy her lust for such carnage.
'The Blade' Brian Kendrick (of WWE fame)
A former friend of 'The Prince' Paul London, he became jealous of London's position within The Asylum, and now wishes for nothing more than his early retirement. 'The Nemesis' Edge found him and practically brainwashed him into thinking London was his only enemy, and that until he was disposed of, there'd be no name for Kendrick in the annals of professional wrestling history. This has motivated Kendrick, and now, his only mission is to deliver to Paul London a measure of come-uppance.
'The Hell Dame' Candice Michelle
The only unaligned female, Candice is a maleficent and ensnaring woman. Of all the vixens, she's the only one with an unflailing sense of evil in her character, unlike Beatrice and Melissa, both of whom are merely tied to a man of evil. She has connections to RelliK, however, other than this, nothing more is known about her.
'The Asylum's (Only?) Hope' Chris Jericho
They call him a saviour, and indeed, he tells us he's here to save us from the evil that is creeping up upon The Asylum and consuming it like a rampant disease. More akin to a circumstantial hero than one of divine providence, he is a good man with good intentions, and hopes to defeat The Covenant and The Legion. He is aided by 'The Prince' Paul London, 'The Maiden' Roxxi, and 'The Chosen One' Sean O'Haire. Together, he hopes they can make a difference in The Asylum.
'The Archangel' Christopher Daniels (of TNA fame)
He was a Fallen Angel before his plight, and now, as his path to enlightenment has reinvigorated his cause, he has redeemed himself to the ranks of 'Archangel' as deemed appropriate by his cohort, 'The Prophet' Elijah Burke. Though he may be Elijah Burke's subordinate, his knowledge and prowess in the ring surpass and exceed his master's, and this often leads to mistrust between the two men. Perhaps Daniels is hiding a deep, dark secret...
'The Nemesis' Edge (of WWE fame)
He has gone by many names, the most infamous being The Rated R Superstar; now, he goes by the moniker of 'The Nemesis' and is a master manipulator, one who can just as easily break a man emotionally as he can by fractured logic and reason. They call him 'The Nemesis' because he is everyone's enemy, particularly the main enemy of The Genesis, led by Chris Jericho. Despite his ability to instill false reason and logic into lesser wrestlers, he himself is broken into erratic levels of insanity, so watch out, because any moment can provoke the insanity lurking within.
'The Prophet' Elijah Burke (of WWE fame)
Once the leader of a New Breed, and once a surveyor of religion as The Black Pope, Elijah Burke is plagued by a messiah complex and calls himself 'The Prophet' in order to gain followers and influence. A cold and calculating man, he wishes to purge the wrestling world of all those who conflict with his beliefs, and thus will stop at nothing to attain such a lofty goal. He sees Sean O'Haire, Chris Jericho, Edge, and El Mesias as potential threats, and he believes their uprising will result in the dismantling of his influence.
'The Plague' Gran Knihilus - Brutus Magnus (of TNA fame)
A former Gladiator, he, along with three other men, have sold their souls for power and glory in the wrestling world, all promised to them by one man; 'The Prophet' Elijah Burke. He has taken up the moniker of 'The Plague' and the name Knihilus, a play on the word Nihilism, which argues humans serve no purpose and are expendable in the grand scheme of the world's inner workings.
'The Reaper' Gran Lance - Lance Rock (of TNA fame)
A former Metalhead who joined Elijah Burke's Covenant for power and glory in the wrestling world; he has now become their 'Reaper' and is a member of Burke's horsemen of apocalypse, alongside Marquis, León, and Knihilus. However, in order to truly become a Reaper, he had to dispose of his former partner, Jimmy Rave, and once he did so, his initiation into The Covenant was complete.
'The Warmonger' Gran León - Apolo (of TNA and IWA fame)
Once a former criminal named German Figueroa, he was appropriated and sentenced to life in prison for his transgressions. However, a man named Elijah Burke taught him the ways of 'The Prophet' and in an instant, Figueroa had supposedly seen "the light." Unfortunately, Burke's light was nothing more than darkness masked in a false nirvana, and now, Figueroa, proclaimed as 'The Warmonger' Gran León, is back on a spree of crimes, only this time, they're under the supervision and guile of 'The Prophet' Elijah Burke.
'The Famine' Gran Marquis - Monty Brown or Marcus Cor Von (of TNA and WWE fame)
He no longer is The Alpha Male; he is a horsemen of apocalypse, and one of Elijah Burke's servants. The once wild and uncontrollable Alpha Male inside of him has been bastardized and corrupted, manifesting itself into a darker and more unimaginable creature, one in whom Elijah Burke is more than happy to unleash on the unsuspecting populace of The Asylum.
'The Phantom of The Asylum' KaZin - Kaz (of TNA fame)
A scarred and disfigured individual, KaZin is similiar in vein to Erik, the tragic hero (or villain) of The Phantom of the Opera. Some say he's a genius, while others say he's a madman. He wants nothing more than to be accepted for who he is, and not what he looks like, so his mission in The Asylum is to display his great talents in the ring, and perhaps find what he longs for most; acceptance...
Matriarch Melissa - Cheerleader Melissa or Raisha Saeed (of SHIMMER and TNA fame)
A woman who's renounced her sinful ways and has allied herself with 'The Prophet' Elijah Burke and his entourage of Horseman. Before her joining into The Covenant, she was a cheerleader, making a living in various independent circuits. Elijah Burke had approached her during after one of her matches, and offered her a chance to escape the fragileness of her livelihood, and as a result, she sees him as a brotherly figure. She is perhaps the only member of The Covenant who has not lost her way entirely, however...
'The Sandman' Mike Sanders (of WCW fame)
The play-by-play commentator, 'The Sandman' Mike Sanders favors the breed of good in The Asylum, and on some occasions, the indifferent. He rubs off of Mr. Sinister's personality and tries (though to no avail) to create a more welcoming atmosphere into The Asylum. He is also a good friend of Sean O'Haire, a member of The Genesis. As a result of this, he will show bias towards him and his allies whenever a match needs his branding of voice.
Mr. Sinister - James Mitchell (of TNA fame)
As his name implies, Mr. Sinister is a malicious and evil man who favors the breed of evil in The Asylum. By pro wrestling standards, he is the color commentator. He often speaks of forecoming doom, omens, and the like regarding the Face wrestlers, while when it comes to Heels, he'll kiss ass and proclaim they're the first coming of The Antichrist. A patron of dark humor, he basks in the pain of others, and will no less be vocal about it during broadcasts.
Obake Raijin - Kiyoshi or Akira Raijin (of TNA and AJPW fame)
In japanese, Obake means Ghost. The Great Muta's protege, Obaka Raijin has learned from the master of the macabre in Japan, and now brings his unique style over to The Asylum. A foreigner, much of The Asylum's breed have already shunned his arrival. However, he is more than what he seems, and in time, the breed of The Asylum shall come to know Obake Raijin.
'The Juggernaut' Paul Burchill (of WWE fame)
Once a mean and conniving bully, Paul Burchill found himself in a rinse and repeat cycle; defeat one wrestler, bloody him, defeat another, and bloody him. This feeling of repetitiveness drove him to 'The Nemesis' Edge, who found in Burchill an insatiable desire for destruction and pain. Thus, he called him 'The Juggernaut' and now, Burchill serves Edge as his bodyguard, a voiceless giant who'll look you in the eyes with a piercing glare, and damn near kill you if you lay a finger on any of The Legion's members.
'The Prince' Paul London (of WWE fame)
Once friends with Brian Kendrick, he is now his mortal enemy and rival, all as a result of his jealousy towards London and his favored position atop the echelons of The Asylum, attributed to the fact that he himself was a graduate of the legendary Shawn Michael's wrestling school in Texas. Nonetheless, London is the naive and young one of The Genesis, and his allies Jericho and O'Haire, along with Roxxi, are more than happy to comfort him in whatever dire situation he may find himself in, and indeed, in The Asylum, there is no such thing as peace and prosperity.
Primeval - Low Ki or Senshi (of ROH and TNA fame)
A primal wildman, so to speak. Low Ki degenerated into the lowest common denominator, and is no longer a man whom can be reasoned with. All he knows is violence; his indifference to the definitions of stark black and white compel him to fight on no side, and instead, he harnesses his strength in only improving his ability to defeat whomever stands in his way.
'The Crimson' RelliK (of TNA and AAA fame)
For many children, there's a bogeyman lurking under the bed, or hiding in the closet. For the breed of The Asylum, there's only RelliK. An intimidating and menacing sight to behold, RelliK is an enigma, an entity whose mere presence bodes ill for the unlucky fool who crosses his path in the squared circle. He onced clashed with the legendary Great Muta, and despite losing, he gained infamy in the process, and through this, he aided El Mesias as well. Now, however, he has no allies, and finds everyone in The Asylum as prey to his predator.
'The Maiden' Roxxi - Roxxi Laveaux or Nikki Roxx (of TNA and SHIMMER fame)
The sole female member of The Genesis, and the only face vixen. Though the male members of The Genesis are sworn to protect her, she can, more often than not, hold her own against the savagery The Asylum entails within its halls.
'The Chosen One' Sean O'Haire (of WCW and WWE fame)
In Pro Wrestling, there is always one man, one star who'll break through and make a name for himself. In The Asylum, this man could be 'The Chosen One' Sean O'Haire; aligned with Chris Jericho and Paul London, he is 'The Chosen One' as prophecized by 'The Prophet' Elijah Burke, only Burke wishes to purge The Asylum of the threat O'Haire possesses. As a result of this, 'The Chosen One' is constantly barraged by The Covenant, while his allies are left dealing with The Legion.
SiNN - Kizarny (of WWE fame)
No longer a happy-go-lucky circus performer, SiNN is a sadist and a man looking for any excuse to inflict bizarre and often unusual pain to those he faces. He is Vampiro's right hand man, and fights alongside The Insane Clown Bros. He will dazzle the audience with his awkward repertoire of manuevers, however, at the same time, he means only to make his opponent suffer in the process.
Remember, this information is used only for the beginning chapters of The Asylum. Once I build up my characters and so forth, they WILL become more real and less archetypical. Feuds will also change. This is only a bridging point; the destination has yet to come full circle.
Well, there ya go. EVERYTHING you need to know has been mentioned. This is a different kind of BTB, and I hope you all enjoy the forthcoming chapters, because it's gonna be one hell of a ride.
.