ErictheDragon

First show just went up. https://forums.prowrestlingonly.com/topic/58388-modern-day-smoky-mountain-wrestling/

Okay, my first post-Dawn of War project is up! Drop on by and let me know what you think. https://forums.prowrestlingonly.com/topic/58388-modern-day-smoky-mountain-wrestling/

SMW Slam #1 Knoxville Civic Auditorium Studio Taped on 4/3/26, Posted to Youtube on 4/11/26/ On Commentary: Gene Jackson & Dr Tom Prichard Ring Announcer/Ringside Interviewer: Kyle Davis Backstage Interviewer: “Lovely” Linda Kay We start with a video package showing some of the highlights of SMW’s original run followed by the new SMW intro set to Smoky Mountains by Conner Smith. Jackson & Prichard welcome everyone to the show with Prichard putting over his storied history in SMW. They turn it over to Kyle Davis who introduces the new commissioner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling, former SMW Heavyweight Champion “Wildfire” Tommy Rich! Rich puts over his time in SMW and Tennessee in general and says tonight will see the start of two tournaments to crown the SMW Heavyweight and Tag Tag Team Champions respectively. Both tournaments will conclude on May 23rd when Volunteer Slam right next door in the Civic Auditorium. (Before each match, the respective wrestlers/teams get a video package introducing them to fans who may not be familiar or need a reminder who they are.) (Tankman’s video details his near decade run on the indies. Realq’s focuses on his WWE career and his musical pursuits) Smoky Mountain Heavyweight Championship Tournament First Round Match “Heavyweight Hustle” Calvin Tankman defeats Real1 with the “Tankman Driver” (Sit-out Tombstone). We see a video package of The Southern 6 Kerry Morton & Alex Taylor) competing in the various NWA promotions and other promotions like Juggalo Championship Wrestling. The 6 will be in tournament action next week. (The Good Brothers video is a highlight reel of their time in New Japan, WWE, AEW, TNA etc. The Troublemakers video has them bragging about the various tag titles they currently hold -including NWA JCP & OVW- as well as the ragers that go on at the Alpha Sigma Sigma frathouse.) Smoky Mountain Tag Team Championship Tournament First Round Match The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) defeat The Troublemakers (Glenn Spectre & Canaan Kristopher) with the “Magic Killer” on Spectre. We see a highlight reel of “Cowboy” James Storm set to his TNA theme “Longnecks and Rednecks”. We see many of his best moments including his defeating Kurt Angle to in te TNA World Championship. The Cowboy is coming soon. (Godderz video seems to focus more on his TV career -his time on Jersey Shore on the upcoming season of American Gladiator- than his wrestling career. Carlito speaks of the Colon family legacy as well as his time in WWE.) Commentary runs down the tournament matches for next week: “Iron Demon” Shane Mercer vs Juventud Guerrera, The Southern 6 (Kerry Morton & Alex Taylor) vs The New Age Rockers (Kal Herro & Al Snow) & Willie Mack vs “The Masterpiece” Chris Adonis. Smoky Mountain Heavyweight Championship Tournament First Round Match “Mr Pec-Tacular” Jesse Godderz defeats Carlito after holding onto the ropes to avoid a Backstabber then pinning Carlito with his feet on the ropes.

I did a poll over a week ago and while this wasn't the actual winner, I realized this is the project I wanted to work on most. People are always talking about what ECW would look like in the modern day, I thought it was time to give the other major alternative to get some attention. Full disclosure y'all I don't know how long i'll end up working on this but i'll keep it going as long as I have ideas and the drive to work on it. A major rule I've given myself is not to use any current WWE or AEW talent. Every modern day fantasy booking I come across seems to use talent from these two companies with maybe the odd indie talent for flavor. Instead the main companies i'm looking at for talent ideas are the NWA and its various territories, Ohio Valley Wrestling, Juggalo Championship Wrestling and a few other smaller indies like Dustin Starr's Memphis Wrestling and EPW. I'm also trying to focus on guys who I think would work for SMW if it were still around meaning i'm gonna be using people you may not have heard of in a while and some not at all. With all that out of the way, let's get to it!

Rich and Morrow conspiring with each other can't be good. The RPMs give TCB a taste of their own medicine. The Bunkhouse boys are on the run. For now anyway.

IRS is seriously pushing to be SMW's top heel. Orndorff & Rogers with a sleeper hit. Dutch's demonstration did not go to plan. A crazy tag main event but the finish raises some questions.

Appreciate you saying this man. I'm the kind of guy who can get really in my own head about whether or not what i'm working on is good. I also have a tendency to get overwhelmed when I have an abundance of choices and I often end up waffling for a bit before I commit. But your right, this is about me having fun so *cracks knuckles* time to have fun. P.S sorry it took a while to respond but I haven't been getting my email notifications lately.

The Nightmares have arrived and the West Virginia tag scene just got a major boost. I see a huge 8 man tag coming on our future.

The road to SuperBrawl is making a major stop at the Omni.

Great work on that Flair promo, I could just hear Naitch losing his damn mind. Quake must've hit Duggan harder than first thought if he can't remember he's the man Quake beat to win the IC title. Ya know, Mr Backlund's promo really made me realize I'd turned the IC strap into the brawlers title. Loaded card for the first SNME of the Boggs era.

I really like these news updates. Helps push stories along and keeps the rest of us updated in the absence of a weekly TV show.

Severn looking a little more Beastly than usual. Vegas Vengeance is looking great but a couple of points. The Sons of the Beach don't seem to have first round opponents and Eddie is listed in two different matches.

This captures so much of what made early SMW work. Dutch beefing with the hot new attraction, Mr Ron White looking for a good Christian wrestler to help pay for his urgently needed and totally legit surgery plus the Russians are already causing havoc.

The next round of the World title tournament is loaded to the gills. Ya gotta figure that the winner of Hogan/Rich is the favorite. Said tournament having taken up so much TV time lately, it was great seeing this week's show dedicated to tag team wrestling. TCB stick their noses in the RPMs business allowing the Heavenly Bodies to escape with the gold.

Power & Glory, together again. Can't say I expected to see Warlord play face but you're making it work. Mr Backlund seems rather perturbed. What a rebound for the Fantastics. Not only are the tag champs but they've got one more crack at the Nasty's.

So the poll is closed and by a vote of 4-2, Herb Abrams's UWF has won out. Ya know it's kinda funny because this was actually one of the first ideas I had when I go into the world of fantasy booking but i never got around to it. I didn't even intend to have it on the poll but for some reason i got the urge to put it on just before I put the poll up. NGL I was kinda hoping a more modern option would win, I've got plenty of experience booking this era, but I understand wanting to see someone tackle what was such a legendary shitshow.

1 day left.

Gary Hart's arrival may have just signaled High Energy's demise. Also, wasn't expecting Ware's theme at the time to be such a bop. Orton shows Tatanka what's in store for him. Great set of promos which demonstrate the differences between challenger and champion. Dan reminds everyone how Dangerous he is. Love the poem by the Genius. It's actually a regret of mine that all the while I was writing him, I could only come up with one poem worth putting in a promo. Duggan lets Earthquake know he hasn't forgotten about the IC title. Nailz did some more hard time an he's making it everybody's problem. A tough loss to the Fantastics has Herc deciding that he's better off with Slick and co than sticking with the Warlord. Jack Tunney may have just made the biggest mistake of his career in pissing off Jake Roberts and Andre. Ya know, if anybody could piss the fans off so much they cheer for the Nasty Boys, it'd be Slick. Capt Lou & crew liven things up a bit They may have been the most authentic Warrior promo in the game. Jake & Andre show Ric what happens when you try to cut in line ahead of them.

I feel like Pule E is about to experience a distinctly Russian Nightmare. Ventura seems to win the crowd back after his controversial call at the Clash.

Lots happening behind the scenes in the UWF. Hope Thez can convince the others to come to the states.

I don't believe anyone else mentioned a bounty Tasha. Looks like PiP didn't blow off enough steam. And with Hotbody so focused on the TV title, I don't see things getting better.

Poll closes in three days. If you haven't voted yet, there's still time.

I've got a few ongoing stories on AO3. I'm also on alternate history.com where I've got a couple projects going, namely imaging what rejected films/TV shows for DC Comics and Disney would look like. I actually just wrapped up a similar project related to Marvel. I've also got some wrestling related ideas that aren't straight forward bookings but incorporate more behind the scenes elements. Those will probably go on althistory when I get started on them.

Tito's challenge is answered in just about the biggest way possible. The Nature Boy is back in the WWF!

I have a LOT of projects -not all of which are related to armchair booking- that have been sitting in the idea stages, some of them literally for years now. Not to mention my other ongoing works/stories on other sites. Taking my leave of this game is meant, more than anything, to allow me to focus on those.