The Faces of Wrestling - A Collaborative Wrestling TL

[Spens1]

What is this timeline:
Not so much of a timeline in truth as it is about talking about the (alternate) history of wrestlers throughout the years and their careers, accolades and possibly their personal lives as well

Anyway i'll start off:

John Cena

Background:
John Cena is a famous wrestler, predominantly known for his work in Mexico (predominantly AAA) where he is one of the most successful stars of all time for the promotion, with his name synonymous with modern AAA and Mexican Wrestling. He is most known for his feud with Latin Lover between 2005-2007 and again between 2009-2012 which many consider the greatest rivalry in AAA history and one of the best in modern mexican wrestling, his on and off feud with Alberto El Patron between 2008-2011 and again in 2015 along with feuds with Psycho Clown, Cibernetico, El Mesias and mentro Dr Wagner Jr.

Cena is credited by many foreign wrestlers to opening up Mexican wrestling to a western audience, with him also enjoying a cult following amongst wrestling fans in the United States and all over the world.

He is also a cross over superstar having appeared in many famous telenovas and having broken into hollywood in recent years, with a recurring in telenovas such as La Reina del Sur and La Patrona as well as one of the main protagonists in El Clon and Alguien Te Mira. He has also featured in movies such as Sisters, Daddy's Home, Bumblebee, Dolittle and will feature in the new Fast and Furious movie.

Originally signed with Ultimate Pro Wrestling between 1999-2001, he would briefly sign with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 2000, however after a rather uneventful run in the company, he'd be released in the spring of 2002 (where he'd sign with AAA in the winter of the same year).

Accolades:

Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide:
AAA Mega Championship - 5 Times
Mexican National Heavyweight Championship - 3 Times
AAA World Tag Team Championship - 3 Times (2 with Dr Wagner Jr, 1 with Brent Albright)
Rey De Reyes (2004,2007,2008,2011,2014,2016)

Lucha de Aputeras Record:
John Cena d. Latin Lover - Hair vs Hair - 19 September 2006
Latin Lover d. John Cena - Hair vs Hair - 13 June 2009 (TripleMania 17)

Pro Wrestling NOAH:
GHC Heavyweight Championship - 1 Time
GHC World Tag team Championship - 2 Times (with Brent Albright)

Randy Savage

Background:
Depending on who you ask, Randy Savage may be the greatest wrestler of all time (granted, this is a very subjective criteria). He was the face of the golden era of the WWF in the 1980's, with his over the top personality making him an all time fan favourite. His feuds with the likes of Rowdy Roddy Piper, Ultimate Warrior, Iron Sheik, Seargent Slaughter and others was watched by millions across america each week with his in ring work and promos captivating audiences nation wide.

Savage would eventually leave the WWF in 1989 after it was becoming apparent that he was going to be phased out from the ace role and would join the NWA, where he'd remain until his retirement in 2004 (with his retirement match against student Jay Lethal, with Miss Elizabeth at ringside managing him).

Savage's run from 1989-1994 was considered one of the most engaging runs, with Savage taking the NWA to new heights, with Bill Watts and then later Dusty Rhodes booking Savage both as the fan favourite and the disgruntled heel, with the trio of Flair, Steamboat and Savage particuarly in the late 80's and early 90's being able to turn the company around and change its fate from going under to becoming the largest promotion in the United States and the world (a reputation that holds till today).

Post Retirement, he has kept largely quiet with his wife Miss Elizabeth and their children and grandchildren, mostly avoiding the public eye other than the occasional appearance on TV for the NWA and making cameo apperances on TV, movies and music videos.

Accolades:
World Wrestling Federation:
WWF World Heavyweight Championship - 6 Times
WWF Intercontinental Championship - 3 Times
WWF Tag Team Championship - 1 Time
1988 Royal Rumble

National Wrestling Alliance:
NWA World Heavyweight Championship - 4 Times
NWA Television Championship - 6 Times
Crockett Cup: 1993 (with Lex Luger), 1995 (with

Wrestlers Taught:
Jay Lethal

'Stone Cold' Steve Austin

Background:
'Stone Cold' is someone many people have lived through vicariously (especially as he feuded with the Network and his interactions with Cyrus) and is considered one of the Icon's of not only ECW, but of wrestling in general (having been voted the most popular wrestler of all time and coming in fourth in the all time poll, behind only Randy Savage, Ricky the Dragon Steamboat and Ric Flair), originally signed with WCW as 'Stunning' Steve Austin, after being let go by Eric Bischoff, Stone Cold would find a permanent home at the Home of Extreme with his edgy persona. His feud and partnership with real life best friend Brian Pillman would change the look of wrestling forever throughout the mid 90's, with a real life grittiness (including the Pillman's got a gun promo and their tag team title win at Wrestlepalooza against Raven and Christopher Daniels with the Flock being at ringside at Wrestlepalooza 2000). He also held the record for most title defences with the ECW World title (recording 27 defences, a record that would stand until CM Punk surpassed him in 2013, and then Bryan Danielson in 2016).

Paul Heyman even credited him for him for being the major reason that ECW has survived and has become one of the largest promotions in the world today (along with Eddie Gurrero, Pillman, Benoit, Jericho, RVD, Sandman, Raven and Tommy Dreamer amongst others).

Stone Cold retired in 2004 from in ring competition at November to Remember of that year in front of 100,000 people at the DKR Memorial stadium in Texas (which still is the largest attendance for a wrestling event in the United States). He now mostly makes appearances sporadically and hosts one of the biggest wrestling podcasts alongside friend Brian Pillman (with names from all over the wrestling world coming

Accolades:
Extreme Championship Wrestling:
ECW World Championship - 6 Times
ECW Television Championship - 3 Times
ECW Tag Team Championship - 7 Times (5 With Brian Pillman, 2 With the Sandman)

 

[Spens1]

Brian Pillman

Background:
Brian Pillman started off his career with Stampede, training at the Hart dungeon before moving onto the NWA briefly and them moving to Jim Crockett Promotions in 1991 where he'd remain until he was released in 1994 (where he was a 3 time JCP Light Heavyweight Championship).

Pillman would immediately revamp himself into a darker and edgier personality, He would be most noted for his feud and partnership with 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin as well as feuds with Raven, The Sandman, Sabu and Tommy Dreamer. Just as apt at playing the sympathetic fan favourite as he was playing the devlish heel, Pillman was known as inspiring wrestlers a generation of wrestlers and heels.

Pillman would suffer a health scare in 1996 where he found out he had a heart disease that could potentially retire him. He would take a hiatus of 1 year and return to a mass ovation 1 year later. He would wrestle for another 4 years before his retirement in 2001, where he'd briefly become a manager until 2005 and even commentate until 2007. He currently is one half of one of the most popular wrestling podcasts with Stone Cold. He also has a son (Brian Pillman Jr) and a daughter (Sexy 'Lexi' Pillman) who entered the business (Brian Jr as a wrestler, Lexi as a manager).

Accolades:
Extreme Championship Wrestling:
ECW World Championship - 4 Times
ECW Television Championship - 5 Times
ECW Tag Team Championship - 8 Times (5 Times with Stone Cold Steve Austin, 2 Times with Owen Hart, 1 Time with Bret Hart)

Jim Crockett Promotions:
JCP Light Heavyweight Championship - 3 Times
JCP Tag Team Championship - 2 Times (with Stone Cold Steve Austin)

Owen Hart

Background:
Another one of the technical wizards and high flyers of ECW (alongside the likes of Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, RVD, Rey Mysterio Jr, Chavo Guerrero Jr and to a lesser extent, Lance Storm, Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn) that had left either the WWF or Jim Crockett during the mid 90's for greener pastures, Hart would leave the WWF in 1996 as he would walk out of the company after an argument with Vince McMahon.

He would find his way to ECW where he'd wrestle and become one of the biggest heels in the company between 1996-1998, even joining the Network for a time being, before turning face in 1999 and winning one of two world titles in mid 1999. His most famous feud however would be with his brother Bret in the late 90's and early 2000's, with Owen retiring Bret in 2001 in the main event of November to Remember in a title vs career matchup (with Owen retaining and retiring his brother). Owen would wrestle for 2 more years before retiring in 2003 where he would help brother Bret Hart run Stampede Wrestling and the Hart Dungeon (which he does so till this day). He has occasionally appeared as a manager for family members and students of the hart dungeon such as Natalya Neidhart, Tyson Dux, Davey Boy Smith Jr and Brian Pillman Jr.

Along with being considered one of the best wrestlers in ECW history, he is considered possibly one of the best tag team wrestlers in general in ECW.

Accolades:

Extreme Championship Wrestling:
ECW World Championship - 3 Times
ECW Television Championship - 4 Times
ECW Tag Team Championship - 10 Times (6 Times with Bret Hart, 2 Times with Brian Pillman, 1 Time with Chris Benoit, 1 Time with Lance Storm)

New Japan Pro Wrestling:
IWGP Jr Heavyweight Champion - 2 Times
Best of the Super Juniors - 1996

Hulk Hogan:

Background:
Starting off in the AWA in the early 80's after being released by the WWF by Vince McMahon Sr for taking a leave of absence to film the Rocky III. He would wrestle for the promotion for around 2 years from 1981 to 1983 before being snapped by Continental Wrestling Alliance between 1983 and 1985 where he would go onto have a program with Jerry 'The King' Lawler where it would be Lawler who would wrestle as the heel against the all american, wholesome Hulkster. From there, Crockett would pick him up in 1985 and with their recent acquisition of Georgia Championship Wrestling, would make Hogan the face of their company throughout the late 80's and early 90's, becoming arguably the biggest name in U.S wrestling at the time alongside Randy Savage of the WWF and Ric Flair and Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat of the NWA. Hogan would be one of the reasons that Jim Crockett (which by this stage was booked by Bill Watts), felt comfortable enough to leave the NWA and go it alone, a decision that paid off well as they would become the third major promotion to survive the late 80's and make to the 90's alongside the WWF and NWA. He would constantly be at the top of the card, even going over to Japan to wrestle for New Japan briefly as well as wrestling briefly for All Japan as well in the early 90's (even appearing in a Champions Carnival). He is one of the only few men to ever win both the IWGP and Triple Crown Heavyweight Championships. A name that was as American as apple pie, Hogan would eventually try to break into the movie scene in the mid 90s but would ultimately fail, rejoining Crockett in 1996, this time forming the villanous NWO alongside fromer WWF wrestlers Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, where he'd continue to wrestle for before leaving Crockett in 2000 after Crockett was forced to downsize significantly (as the company was hemmoraging money (with the famous fallout between Eric Bischoff and members of the NWO, with Bischoff all but firing all members on the spot), with their new tv slot significantly worse on a worse channel). Hogan would return to the WWF between 2000 and 2002, even winning the WWF Championship (which proved a highly controversial decision), he has since appeared sporadically on WWF TV along with having a brief run in TNA Wrestling.

Hogan is a controversial figure, with many saying he was the one to have really drove Crockett in the mid-late 80's and early-mid 90's to be one of the biggest promotions in the world and praised him for his ability to reinvent himself as a heel in the mid-late 90's upon his return to wrestling, however many also criticising his ego and it leading to Crockett having to downside in the early 2000's (with the promotion only really able to recover somewhat in the late 2000's). Whoever you ask however, he is one of the most influential wrestlers of all time.

Accolades:

Jim Crockett Promotions:
JCP World Heavyweight Championship - 8 Times
JCP National Heavyweight Championship - 2 Times
JCP Tag Team Championship - 4 Times (2 with Kevin Nash, 1 with Scott Hall, 1 with Lex Luger)

World Wrestling Federation:
WWF Championship - 1 Time

New Japan:
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship - 1 Time
G1 Climax (1987)

All Japan:
Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship - 1 Time
Champions Carnival - (1992)


So I guess today the promotional layout of the U.S is as follows:

WWF, NWA and ECW are the major three promotions (NWA is still a predominantly sports oritentated product, WWF is sports entertainment like otl and ECW is kind of like mid 2000's ROH mixed with original ECW, as that was where it was heading apparently). Just below them and the other major national promotion is Jim Crockett Promotions. WWF is basically the same people OTL running it (Vince, HHH and the McMahons), NWA is run by guys like Dutch Mantell, Bruce Pritchard and Jim Cornette with Crockett still being run by Bischoff (who has somewhat evolved, he can book young wrestlers now, just that he still favours big men) with of course, ECW being run by Paul Heyman (of course), Gabe Sapolsky, Tommy Dreamer and Raven.