I'm gonna take a crack at this. Fortunately I have some help in the way of being familiar with all these characters (I joined right after BANNED 4 LIFE, the first PPV that I believe JN meant instead of Futureshock?), as well as some knowledge of what went down prior to all this in UWA. So drawing on all that...
PRIMER: At the close of UWA, the league was coming off of Random Rumble '99 where there was big anticipation that either Mike Manson or Ares, two stable partners in The Devil's Incarnate (DI), would wind up in the final four and one of them would earn a title shot against Carlos Canyeta later in the night. To everyone's surprise, Mike Sparks won, then lost the title shot later on. None of the UWA main event big dogs would make the move to NFW, so that rules out Troy Windham, Carlos Canyeta, Winston Steele, and Mike Randalls (Craig Miles is in that category, but will not be an active NFW wrestler). Rising UWA stars Mike Manson, Ares, Alex Wylde, and eventually Shane Southern would sign with NFW instead. Right off the bat, given the massive momentum Manson and Ares were building in the old league, you're looking at those two guys as the most bankable stars in NFW, with Wildstar and Wylde not far behind.
CRASH 1:
We're going to run vignettes on Armando Montezuma, a blonde haired, blue eyed American Olympic wrestler who changed his named and switched country allegiance to Cuba. At some point in the near future, Monty and Bloodhunt (Doc Silver's ex-hitman) would forge an alliance known as Team Cuba, but I would book that right away and put them both in singles and tag competition.
Miles and Sully announce that NFW's going to make a big splash on night 1 with a 30-man Random Rumble, with the winner being locked into the inaugural NFW World Championship match that will take place at the company's first PPV. The final 16 competitors beneath the winner will be entered into a repechage tournament bracket, and those matches will take place on the next few shows. The bracket winner will face the Random Rumble winner for the big belt at the PPV.
SEGMENT: Ares and Mike Manson (Devil's Incarnate) announce that they will fight each other before the Random Rumble tonight, in a match that will define wrestling for the new decade/century of professional wrestling. They are also putting a $50,000 bounty on their own heads, to any man who can eliminate either one of them from the Random Rumble.
SEGMENT: Alex Wylde shows up looking very dapper. The Atlantic City native explains how he went on an unprecedented run in AC, and can now claim to be the richest wrestler in the world. "Gatecrasher" Alex Wylde calls Craig Miles and Sullivan to the ring. "Despite being supremely talented, I never got my fair shot in UWA, or anywhere else for that matter. So I'm not asking for my fair shot - I'm offering to BUY YOU OUT, and give Craig a raise. I become part owner of NFW, and you (points at Miles) are going to book for me that title shot." Miles: "You got the money?" Alex: "Of course." Miles: "Good. You can pay me to forget about suspending you from competing tonight. We'll call it a 'fine'." Wylde storms off, vowing to bankrupt NFW and buy it for cheap later on.
Manson vs. Ares: Match goes for 10 minutes, intense back and forth action, until Dez Aragon and Cancer interfere and attack Ares. Manson slumps into the corner and watches. Cancer holds Ares while Dez lights a torch, drinks some substance, and blows a fireball into Ares' face. Manson stands up and pays both men $50,000. Ares is effectively out of the Random Rumble and thus has no shot to win the World Title.
Showstoppers debut vs. The Oblivion Express in an instant tag classic that sees the Showstoppers go over.
Ricky Zane vs. "The Polish Prince" Rick Ryconik. The Prince is old, and midway through the match collapses due to congestive heart failure. As the EMTs take him away on a stretcher, Zane celebrates like a madman and yells on the microphone "DEATH BY ZANE-A-MANIA!"
RANDOM RUMBLE: 30 men battle until only Manson (who was being protected most of the night by Dez and Cancer) and Wildstar are left standing. Manson eventually wins, and Dez and Cancer slide back into the ring as the three of them pick Wildstar apart. Manson puts him in the Tourniquet (crippler cross-face) and doesn't let go. A team of refs has to break it up.
CRASH 2:
SEGMENT: Manson comes out with Dez/Cancer, calls them The Manson Family, and that in the new century, there can't be alliances between Gods and Monsters. And in the case of Ares, God is dead. Long live the monster and his disciples. Announcers note the coincidence that the Family took out Ares and Wildstar, the two biggest threats to a Manson championship.
First night of bracket matches begins:
Steve Radder d. Torch
Aidan Campbell d. Cancer w/Rayne
Dez Aragon d. Marcus Price
Ricky Zane v. Bloodhunt via interference from masked Secret Service agent!
5 Minute Commercial featuring Alex Wylde airs: Wylde says he bought blocks of premium air time from the network over the next few shows, and beings airing a "Best of Alex Wylde" highlight reel.
SEGMENT: Armando Montezuma debuts, swearing to root out the American conspiracy that led to Bloodhunt's downfall in the tournament. He also swears to win the tournament and the title in honor of Team Cuba.
MAIN EVENT: Hellmachine vs. Sex & Violence. Hellmachine scores the upset over the former UWA tag champs!
CRASH 3:
SEGMENT: Miles, Sullivan, and Manson are in the ring, along with a lottery wheel. It is announced by Miles that since Wildstar is too injured to compete in the tournament to determine Manson's championship opponent, a lottery will be held to find a bracket replacement. Miles turns the wheel, finally stopping and picking out a name. He reads it: "ARES!" Manson flips out and demands to see the other name tickets; Miles lets him. Manson starts reading them off, "Ares, Ares, Ares, Ares...this was a rig!" Miles: "Hey, life isn't fair. You want to tip the scales in your favor? I'll tip them back. The New Frontier isn't going to be the Manson Family's playground." Manson: "That's assuming Ares can even compete, and I don't believe he can. Which means I get a bye." CUEUP: High Fivin' MF! Ares walks out in a mask to hide his burnt face, and stands at the top of the entrance staring at Manson to mass cheers.
Second night of bracket matches:
Armando Montezuma d. Sean Toombs via interference from Bloodhunt
Steel Viper d. Dr. Doom
Roger Powell d. Jasin Bondage
SEGMENT: Alex Wylde buys a 5 minute spot where he's in a ring at Atlantic City, and defeats a gauntlet of 5 no-name challengers to win the coveted ATLANTIC CITY CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD!
Hellmachine battle The Showstoppers to a 15-minute draw!
MAIN EVENT: Final bracket match, Ares d. Jeff Cummins in dominant fashion using his patented FNS (FULL NELSON SLAM). Show ends with Cancer and Dez coming out to attack him, but WILDSTAR arrives on the scene and they both clear the ring!
CRASH 4:
SEGMENT: Monty and Bloodhunt in Cuba, where Monty shows off the high quality of life under Castro. They enter a dark room and begin interrogating an NFW ringworker who they claim was captured by "Cuban special forces" (Cojones Mercado) to answer questions regarding Zane-gate!
Obviously a taped segment, since the first tournament match is...
Monty d. Aidan Campbell due to outside interference from Bloodhunt
Ricky Zane d. Steel Viper
SEGMENT: Alex Wylde buys more air time, this time to field a special challenge in Atlantic City from The Polish Prince Rick Ryconik! The Prince collapses AGAIN, and this time the EMTs get him standing again. Alex asks if he's alright, then the bell rings and Alex KOs him with THE GATECRASHER for the win to retain his AC World Championship!
HOLLYWOOD'S ON FIRE: Wildstar talks to Lamont about his injury, how he's recovering quick, and wants a shot at the World Championship. Appeals to Sullivan and Miles to let him back into the tournament somehow.
Cancer d. Torch w/Rayne due to Rayne turning on her man and joining The Manson Family! (Note: Rayne eventually became a disciple of Manson's during Ultratitle Season 1)
Tournament matches:
Dez Aragon d. Roger Powell
MAIN EVENT: Ares d. Steve Radder via FNS
SEGMENT: The Manson Family uses a nude Rayne as an altar to cast a destruction spell on Ares. This is not a serious seg, more of the tongue-in-cheek dark humor that Manson exhibited during his time.
CRASH 5:
SEGMENT: Miles and Sully announce the first PPV is BANNED 4 LIFE, where both the World Championship match and a one-night tournament for the tag belts will take place. Alex Wylde interrupts the segment to announce that he is funding a campaign to keep NFW off PPV. He appears with his AC title belt and a list of 5,000 signatures that he's delivering to the US Senate this week in protest of the event. And next week, he plans to air 20 minutes of unedited material featuring his own matches. Miles offers him a deal: cancel the campaign and the commercial, show up on Crash next week, and sign a match to fight me at the PPV for the right to be #1 competitor to the NFW World Championship. Alex agrees.
FINAL FOUR matches:
Armando Montezuma d. Ricky Zane after Bloodhunt hits Zane with the Headshot
Ares d. Dez Aragon in spite of interference from Cancer and Rayne.
Hellmachine and The Showstoppers go to another 15 minute draw
The Powell Bros. d. The Oblivion Express
Mike Manson d. Torch in a casket match
SEGMENT: Wildstar in Sullivan's office. Wildstar says he's healed, ready to go, wants a shot at Manson to replace him, but Sullivan says it's too late, he's got to wait his turn.
MAIN EVENT FINALS:
Ares d. Monty when Wildstar helps equalize interference from Manson and Bloodhunt
CRASH 6:
SEGMENT: Wildstar calls Ares to the ring, says he doesn't expect a thank you for helping him overcome The Manson Family and Team Cuba, but wants an opportunity to win the belt. Proposes that he put his trip to the World Championship match on the line tonight, with the agreement that the loser will watch the winner's back at the PPV. Ares agrees.
Team Cuba (Monty/Hunt) d. The Powell Bros. by shady means
Dez/Cancer score an upset win over Hellmachine!
SEGMENT: Bloodhunt attacks Zane backstage: "WHO WAS THE SECRET SERVICE AGENT?!" Zane: "Man...it runs too deep! If I told you, I'd be a dead man! Come on, I have a wife and kids! Lots of them! By different mothers! All over the country! I might want to visit one or two of them someday, don't do this!"
SEGMENT: Miles/Wylde contract signing. Miles admits he's in no condition to wrestle, but instead will be the special guest referee. Wylde is mad, but laughs it off and says that he's got nobody to face him. Manson, Ares, and Wildstar are all busy, Monty and Bloodhunt are competing in the tag tournament. The cupboard's bare! Miles: "You're right, you won't be facing any of them. So meet your new opponent!" CUEUP: That Garth Brooks sh*t Shane Southern used to come out to! SOUTHERN/WYLDE STAREDOWN! Number one contender's match at the PPV!
Torch d. Cancer in spite of interference from Rayne
Aidan Campbell d. Steel Viper
MAIN EVENT: Ares d. Wildstar in an instant classic to cement his place in the PPV title match! The Manson Family attacks, and both men fend them off.
BANNED 4 LIFE PPV:
Tag Tournament First Round:
Hellmachine d. The A-List
Team Cuba d. The Oblivion Express
4 Way Dance: Ricky Zane d. Torch, Aidan Campbell, and Steel Viper
Tag Tournament First Round:
Dez/Cancer d. Sex & Violence
The Showstoppers d. The Powell Bros.
Vignette for Castor Strife airs!
Tag Tournament Semifinals:
Team Cuba d. Dez/Cancer
Hellmachine d. The Showstoppers in a 25 minute classic!
Number One Contender's Match: Shane Southern vs. Alex Wylde. Alex goes for the Gatecrasher (superkick to the back of the head), but Shane ducks and Alex knocks out Miles! Shane turns and KOs Alex with the Party's Over superkick and hooks the leg. Head Referee Greg Herpin runs down and makes the count. When Miles wakes up, he reverses the decision, disqualifies Southern and awards the match to Alex Wylde!
TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT FINALS: Team Cuba d. Hellmachine to become the inaugural NFW World Tag Team Champions
NFW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH: Mike Manson vs. Ares. Classic match, goes about 20 mins, when the ref is bumped after Ares hits the FNS on Manson. When Dez/Cancer run into the ring, Wildstar clears them out with a chair. When Ares turns, Wildstar HITS HIM WITH THE CHAIR and wakes up Manson! Manson picks Ares up and crushes him with the Sweet Dreams stunner, and the ref makes the slow count for three. Mike Manson is your new heavyweight champion. Wildstar has joined the Manson Family!
Aftermath: Wildstar reveals that he joined The Manson Family because NFW didn't promote him the right way, should have made him the company's star right off the bat, and Mike Manson visited his home t explain why he injured him. Manson said it was all a part of his plan, and promised Wildstar the first crack at the NFW World Heavyweight Championship if he helps him win it. So he challenged Ares the week before the PPV against his doctor's wishes just to weaken him, and now Manson will let him rehab properly before getting the title shot.
Wylde loses his match against Manson eventually.
Shane Southern feuds with Miles, winds up beating him in a 2 out of 3 falls match to become the new number one contender. This brings up a conflict with Wildstar, and now Shane feuds with Wildstar in a greater build towards Shane Southern vs. Mike Manson.
Discontent in Team Cuba as it is revealed that Monty was the Secret Service agent who bumped off Bloodhunt in the tourney. He did it to prevent an eventual conflict of interest, to preserve Team Cuba, but Bloodhunt isn't buying it. Hunt turns face, leaves Team Cuba, but they are forced to defend the titles anyway. Hellmachine beats them for the straps due to infighting, and Hunt goes his separate way.
AND THAT IS NFW'S FIRST RUN! ::EXHALES::
