Author: Adam Dunlop

As promised, here’s the second Promotion Move for Tru Punk Wrestling.

Do It Yourself Attitude: Tru Punk is unique in that the majority of merchandise is either designed or commissioned to be designed by the wrestlers themselves. As Mr. Necrosis has said before, “We have to make the music we want to hear.” Once per season, at the start of a show after any Top of the Card moves are made, any wrestler can approach management with an idea for a piece of merchandise and roll either +Look or +Real. With a 10+, the idea makes sense for the character and on this show or the next the wrestler will be booked in a “hype segment” debuting the new merch. When this segment airs or takes place, they gain 1 Audience. On a 7-9 choose one: Either the idea doesn’t fully click, but management appreciates the initiative and you gain 2 momentum; OR the idea starts to click but gets shot down by someone backstage, and you each gain 1 Heat with each other. On a Botch, the idea is bad and you should feel bad, and Creative chooses one: you lose the faith of management backstage and they do not begin production, or the merch debuts but fails to sell whatsoever and you lose 1 Audience.

I feel like this is a very powerful move, hence the limit to once per season at the start of a show. Any suggestions to make this flow better are appreciated.

Alright here’s an early draft of my fed. I’ve got an idea for another promotion move, but I’ve got to work the kinks out of it first. I’ll be running this promotion for my friends starting tomorrow, so here’s hoping it’s interesting!

Tru Punk Wrestling

Founded in 2013 by local musician Nicky Necrosis, TPW is a very young and immature promotion. With a weekly live show at the Riverside Rascal’s Minor League Baseball outdoor stadium,  TPW has garnered a loyal local fanbase. Unfortunately, the local fans are also of the rowdy sort. While the promotion steers clear of the hardcore extremes of some small time companies, crowds have been known to start mosh pits when the in ring action isn’t quite entertaining enough for them.

That said, the company is very modern in their approach. All live shows are taped and broadcasted online for free. While this has greatly expanded their exposure, they certainly aren’t a promotion large enough to justify their impressive venue. The only reason the company isn’t in danger of folding already is the business acumen of Mr. Necrosis, the intensely loyal fans, and the fact that “Tru Punk Never Dies”.

Production Style:

Tru Punk has a gritty and simple style; every show is taped by three separate hand-cams and edited by a team (actually two teens from a local high school). The promotion does not travel to multiple arenas, and every episode is available for free on the company’s website. Actual revenue is mostly generated through ad content on the online videos, merchandise sales, and ticket gates. Wrestlers are given a great deal of autonomy with how they interpret their gimmicks, and Nicky encourages wrestlers to present and design their own merchandise.

Pre-recorded segments are uncommon; while the stadium does have a large built in screen, TPW has to pay extra to the owners every time they use it, due to the large power draw. Most non-wrestling segments are enacted in ring, or sometimes recorded between shows and posted on the website as bonus material.

Titles:

TPW’s top title is the Tru Punk Championship, and is openly available to be challenged for every week; at some point during the show, someone who has been approved by onscreen authority figure Mr. Necrosis openly calls out the champion. While the champion has the option of declining any challenger, if he goes too long without accepting a challenge he may be forcibly placed in disadvantageous matches to defend his title (such as three or more person matches, or No DQ matches). In this way, the TPC is the main storyline generator of the show outside of grudge feuds.

While TPW does have an expanding roster and a burgeoning tag team division, as of yet there are no other titles within the promotion.

Notable personalities include:

-The aforementioned Nicky Necrosis: a semi-reasonable authority figure. Usually seen in a suit bought from a local thrift store, Nicky is in his late forties and covered in facial piercings and body tattoos, garnering him an odd sort of respect with the disenfranchised youth.

-Bulk Vanderhuge, the current TP champion:  a six foot seven inch tall beast of a man sporting an electric blue mohawk and a bad attitude.

-Up and comer Renee Maycee: a bright and colorful local girl, more than capable of keeping TPW’s rabid fans satiated with her athleticism and destructive submission techniques.

Promotion Moves:

Loco Locals: The fans of TPW are destructive, but appreciative. If there are ever two consecutive botches on screen, regardless of who made them, the crowd turns and begins entertaining themselves; until someone impresses them with a roll of 10+, nobody can gain Momentum. The first wrestler to get that 10+, however, immediately gains an Audience as everybody sits up and takes notice.

Would anybody be interested in me sharing a write up of a promotion based on a completely unknown indy promotion in my hometown? The real life one is called Sacramento Punk Wrestling.