I would say that you can write them how you want, but nothing you can do will make them as skillful or as over as they were at their peak unless they're at that point in their career in your company.

wasn't gonna say anything til someone else did, but ya, HBK @ 2 is absolutely awful

Like I understand taking the guy based on longevity + awesome matches, but when Flair is still around and can provide you with all of that (including longer longevity) plus awesome promos, nice drawing power, fewer backstage headaches, etc...I'm pretty confused by that pick.

I was pretty shocked when that music came through my speakers. Again he wasn't far down my draft board or anything, but given what was available I nearly fell out of my chair.

Is he the #2 biggest draw ever. No, absolutely not. But there's so much more that goes in to building a fed than simply which guy can draw the most.

I dunno about terrible terrible pick but as a career draft you have some problems with Michaels as a first pick in an ABBA snake draft even though he was an exceptional performer.

Edit an the backstage stuff as lkj says is a huge headache to be drafting. Dude was a huge douche, then he got injured for half a career then came back to be over but never as big as he was. I dont hate the pick personally but my approach is probably going to be different to most anyway. You need a good second and third round to cover the pick.

Just making sure im 100% sure im getting this cos it may directly influence my first pick which has huge knock on effects to the rest of my fed.

As a semi specific example of someone already gone - say i drafted Flair and didnt like that he would do that strut as part of his gimmick can i write that out in my federation? Same guy, basically the exact same ring work, basically the exact same gimmick but one or two specific things i want to remove cos it annoys me on a personal level but would have a basically immeasurable change to his career and popularity - can i do that and do i get penalised in any way?

I was able to post a good to great HBK match with just about everyone picked in the first 3 rounds of the last tournament, I'll see if I can do it again.

HBK/Austin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyuBNhuGCFE

HBK/Flair: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np7wJNgALP8

The guy never succeeded as a top draw (hey predominately male wrestling audience start cheering for an effeminate boytoy!) and will be a major headache backstage at his peak. Great workrate is nice, but there are plenty of great workers that you could grab later.

I say getting rid of the strut is fine, but I don't see why you'd do it. You just can't get rid of any real life stuff.

Only if it's something super small like that. Like you couldn't change the fact that Austin beat his wife but you could make him drink Bud Light instead of Budweiser.

The funny thing is that when I thought to myself, "Did Flair and HBK ever have a good match?", it led me to wanting to find the HBK-Flair match that was briefly highlighted in the Barber Shop where he threw undrafted through a window. Yup I'm stuck in the 80s.

Here, I found it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsYX6SSRiv4

I'm re-watching Austin/HBK, can someone tell me how that match didn't get 5 stars?

Wasn't Austin/HBK pretty rough? HBK was wrestling through a brutal injury and it was very apparent throughout. It's great history for being Austin's first title win, but I didn't think it was anywhere near 5 stars. That WM 14 match wasn't even the best match between the two of them...their one-on-one match at King of the Ring '97 was better.

From WrestleMania 14? Because Michaels was too hurt to put in his best.

this is true, but he fails in even that. he was a total backstage cancer for the peak of his career. granted, plenty of other people were like that, but if i'm going to take a guy like that at #2, he damn well better draw.

his in ring ability is incredible, his promos are outstanding, but if he can't draw while still being a clique-centered headache, there's no sense at all in taking him that early