Hogan vs. Flair (HVF)

Hogan vs. Flair (HVF) is a comedy based fantasy/CAW league that began in January 2010. It is produced by the same owner as EFW and is considered a “brother” league. The league mainly uses Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth for the PS2 and borrows heavily from the game’s provided roster. mDickie’s mPire Wrestling 2008 is used on all special shows such as Empty Arena.

Main YouTube PageJTV Stream

History
The league formed under 3 main influences:

In the Fall of 2009 EFW created a series of “Apple Pie” remixes based from a Botchamania ending where Hulk Hogan saying “yappa pie” is repeated in succession. The videos received excellent feedback and eventually became the most watched videos on EFW’s channel. The HVF channel feature remixes of promos from the Hulkamania Australia tour in addition to additional Apple Pie remixes.

EFW from the start has been a serious original CAW league but with a comedic edge to some parts. Ideas were formed in Fall 2009 for a 100% comedy league using Smackdown SYM and were planned on going into motion after EFW’s Urban Warfare event in March 2010. Some EFW wrestlers have appeared during streamed events but are not members of the official roster.

Around the same time that the HVF YouTube account was created was also when Hogan and Flair jumped back into the spotlight in TNA. The league would be molded into a battle between teams of Hogan’s wrestlers vs. Flair’s wrestlers with comedic surprises thrown in. Interestingly enough in TNA the Lethal Lockdown match in 2010 was Team Hogan vs. Team Flair.

Shows
HVF produces a show usually anywhere in 1-3 month spans. It does not follow a sequential episodic “TV” style format, but rather a series of shows with connected storylines.

To date, 16 shows have aired:

Season 1:

1) Pilot Match

2) Axshiboomba!!!

3) Final Fantasy Football

4) Good MILF Hunting

5) Empty Arena

Season 2:

6) $1 million Dollars

7) Bride of Frankensteiner

8) Do it For America

9) Go Outside Nerd

10) Empty Arena II

Season 3:

11) The Rough Draft

12) Cirqus Deliqious

13) She's Hot (But Then She Talked)

14) White Text on a Blue Background

15) Very Large Wrestling Event XXXVIII

16) Empty Arena III

Production
HVF was originally billed as “The show recorded on a $2 VCR and edited on a $100 editing program” because the video was recorded on tape separately from the commentary. This process changed when said $2 VCR broke and was replaced by a $13 VCR. As commentary was no longer two people in the same room, from EP4 onward the production was done all digital.

Commentary
Commentary is recorded with the match not being viewed beforehand as to add the surprise element to it.

Lead Commentator – Joe Lexington, or “Joe Lex” for short. Lexington is considered as the st raight face commentator.

Color Commentator – “Caveman” Carl Touretta. Caveman is portrayed as a rough, vulgar commentator that pokes fun at the wrestlers. He has been described as “every pro wrestling guest commentator at once.”

Caveman’s commentary is considered as one of the popular points of HVF.

Caveman has been known for his catchphrases including:

“BOTCH!” – One of the ideas of the show was to blatantly and obviously point out gaffs by the game’s AI instead of trying to cover it up on commentary or ignore it. This is emphasized by Caveman shouting BOTCH with text flashing on the screen. There are multiple variations of this, the most common being errors on commentary (COMMENTARY BOTCH!) or a miss from a high spot (ATOMIC BOTCH!)

'''“ANYONE! EVEN YOU! CAN DO A RUSSIAN LEG SWEEP!”''' – Slowly built up gradually in Pilot Match and first mentioned in Pilot Match’s main event. This was due to a large portion of the game roster performing the Russian leg sweep in the show. Since then the phrase usually relates to the wrestler that performed the Russian leg sweep. As a standard rule, all CAW wrestlers have the Russian leg sweep in their move set.

Various one-word commentaries – “SUPLEX!” for every time Steiner/Midget Steiner does a belly-to-belly suplex in a match, “DEATH!” when someone uses a release German suplex, and “SLAP!” when Torrie Wilson does her women’s special slap finisher. Those are some examples of Caveman’s insightful commentary.

Caveman is also acknowledged by his character name on streams though he does not use the Caveman character voice.

Rules
1) Title Belts - In Seasons 1 and 2 any title belts that were awarded in any other company were not recognized in HVF. In addition HVF did not have title belts until The Federation's 95% acquisition at the end of Season 2. Five titles were introduced at "Cirqus Deliqious" with an additional three added at "She's Hot (But Then She Talked). Starting with "Very Large Wrestling Event XXXVIII" and ending with "Empty Arena III" the titles were merged in a tournament. They were as follows:

1) The Campeon Porundia (Champion For a Day) - A new champion is crowned at each show and can be defended throughout the same show. At the next show the title is vacated and the cycle repeats.

2) The Big Shiny Thing - Considered the top prize by The Federation's title system. Contenders to the belt had to be a former WWF or WCW world champion.

3) Tivo Champ - HVF's TV title that was never once defended on a television.

4) Open the Bathroom Gate Champion - Awarded to the best non-American wrestler in HVF.

5) Incontinental Champion - The top champion who isn't ready, brother. Contenders were determined by best HVF win-loss record.

6) The Bam Bam Title - This was not an actual belt but a legal name change. The winner would have "Bam Bam" as their nickname as long as they were champion.

7) Best Friends Forever - The tag team titles of HVF.

8) $1.99 Champion - The women's title of HVF.

2) Win/Loss Record counts – the number of wins and losses coupled with their entertainment value determines a person’s spot on the card.

3) Hogan and/or Flair are in the Main Event at all times, as either managers, referees or wrestlers.

4) All matches are CPU controlled to provide an unbiased outcome to the match. The only exceptions to this rule were the Kevin Nash Burial Gauntlet Match and special referee matches at Empty Arena shows.

5) Popcorn Match – The match before the main event is booked as a throwaway match with jobbers, typically Hardcore Holly and other undercard talent not assigned to a team. The match is normally interrupted with other matches or footage, or has been ignored on commentary and fast forwarded in the past. Past game footage that has interrupted popcorn matches have included “Saturday Afternoon Bowling” (Ten Pin Alley) and “The Mid-South Implosion” (Legends of Wrestling II)

6) HVF JTV stream matches do not count towards a person’s win/loss record. JTV matches are considered house show/test matches used for experimenting with combinations and wrestlers.

Spin-Offs
MEAT Stasiak’s Seasoned Mode – A non-canon JTV stream that followed the game’s season mode with running commentary. Caveman plays through as MEAT Stasiak through 2 years of Smackdown Shut Your Mouth’s season mode. The non-canon mode saw a number of created wrestlers that either were not designated to debut in HVF or have not yet appeared either.

Dumb Enough

Championsips
Champion Porundia - Diamond Studd 5000

BFF Titles - The Cover Band (Bubba The DJ and Wacky Sting)

Tivo Title - Fistpasta

Bam Bam Title - Rob Bam Bam Van Dam

Open the Bathroom Gate - TF British

Incontinental Title - Val Venis

$1.99 Title - Linda Hogan

The Big Shiny Thing - Hulk Hogan

Team Hogan
Hogan’s team is considered as the primary face team. Colors are red and yellow Leader: Hulk Hogan

- Rookie Orton – Randy Orton’s rookie year. Known for having an incorrect entrance video and unfitting piano music as his intro.

Jenna Morasca- One time TNA wrestler and Survivor contestant. Known for being in one of the worst wrestling matches ever. Was originally part of Team Flair before Rough Draft.

Renah Doopwah- Is French.

- Torrie Wilson – her intro borrows from her “corpsing? Send for the man” gimmick from Botchamania. Commentary has been critical of her lack of wrestling skill and intelligence.

- Scott Steiner – a CAW recreation of Scott Steiner that frequently uses belly-to-belly suplexes.

- Midget Steiner – a smaller scale version of Steiner that uses a similar move set but uses stiffer finishing moves. Has only been seen so far in HVF house shows.

- Brutus Briefcase – Brutus Beefcake portrayed as Hogan’s defense attorney in Good MILF Hunting. Wears pink tights and boots with a business suit at the top. Shares an identical moveset and intro to Hogan.

Team Third Dimension- originally part of Team Flair was traded at the main event of Rough Draft.

o.Bowling Shirt- The Fat one.

o.Camopants- The black one. Was injured at empty arena after suffering third degree burns at empty arena.Made his return at Rough Draft to assist Bowling shirt in his match against Bubba the dj.

Team Flair
Flair’s team is the main heel team that has incurred the most losses of any other team in HVF. Colors are Blue and White.

- Leader: Ric Flair – portrayed as a heavily medicated version of his actual self, sometimes dancing and jumping to the ring.

- Miss Handcok – WWE’s Stacy Keibler. Currently carries David Flair’s miscarriaged love child. Known for her frequent feud with Torrie Wilson. Currently inactive due to pregnancy complications and modeling gigs.

- Linda “Troll” Hogan – Hulk Hogan’s CAW ex-wife that is known for her brutish looks and power wrestling moves. Possibly the ugliest CAW wrestler ever created.

- The Man They Call Steve – "The Icon", Sting. An old dude with face paint. The majority of his original mannerisms are still in tact including his finishers. Was known as The Wedding Stinger (Sting dressed up as a lounge singer) prior to Empty Arena II.

- Kurt Angle - With a broken freakin' neck.

- Fistass (FistPasta) -- Italian jobber that looks like Chad Hotti. He has a fist on his ass. Lost Fed tryout match. Joined Team Flair due to losing to Jomo Nixon at Go Outside Nerd.

Meat Stasiak – Known for his spastic running and making his entrance in a shopping trolley/cart. Was originally part of Team Hogan but was drafted to Team Flair at The Rough Draft blind sighting Steiner alongside Kurt Angle.

Val Venis- Originally a jobber, was drafted to team Flair at the Rough Draft after scoring the pinfall for his team in a basement tornado tag match alongside Fistpasta against the debuting Kendrick and Team Weed's Jeff Hardy.

King of Hotsoup- A master in martial arts and groin kicks. Originally part of the Cover band after Sean Pac was injured at Axshiboomba. From final fantasy football to Rough Draft became a member of The Cover Band.Was drafted to Team Flair at The Rough Draft.

The Federation
A group of investors wanting to take over Hogan vs Flair and make it PG only. Made its debut at One Million Dollars where Vince won his own rumble for $1 million. They want to be the new faces of Hogan vs Flair and books themselves to be invincible no matter what the match is. Team Colors: Black and Red

- Leader: Greenich Vince - Angry at the world from when Stone Cole Steve Austin stunned him and signed with Hogan vs Flair. Has a group of investors, a list of advisors and family backing his every move, word, and action.

- H3 - 'invincible' competitors who claims to be undefeated. He buries anyone who mentions otherwise. Jobbed to Kevin Nash in the pilot episode, but noone can prove it before H3 gives them the ultimate Insult

- Tits Mcgee H3's husband. Known for her tits and nothing else

- TF British British rookie. Known for his huge shoulders and terrible teeth. Big Guy with No Charisma. Won the rookie battle royal to join the Federation and not become a jobber.

Beard Samulson- Winner of the first season of Dumb Enough. Current number one contender for the Incontinental title .Known for his beard.

Team Weed
They are a two-person team consisting of Rob Van Dam and Jeff Hardy that was originally considered for Team Hogan. RVD and Hardy missed the captain’s draft because they got high and instead formed their own team. During their matches they have been known to randomly pull out a ladder (The Ladder of Weed) and jump off for no apperent reason. Colors are green and white.

- Leader: RVD - Unofficially holds the record for largest Botch-to-move ratio. Became the first person to "Atomic Botch" in HVF by missing a frog splash from atop a ladder during Axshiboomba!!!.

- Jeff Hardy - Currently maintains the best win-loss record in HVF at 5-0 (as of Empty Arena.) Commentary is again critical of his sloppy wrestling style, teen fan base, and drug usage. No showed a FE club match against Stiener, but was suplexed off a ladder into the arena floor afterwards.

The Cover Band
Originally Nash was an individual member of Team Hogan but broke off to form his own group after Hogan’s roster grew too large. They are known for their theme song and quick replacement of roster members due to outside forces. They are a parody of “The Band” from TNA and of the NWO from WCW/WWE. Colors are Black and White.

- Leader: Kevin “Lucha” Nash – Kevin Nash portrayed as having lucha libre skills. This joke was formed in Pilot Match during the Gauntlet Burial match when he backflipped out of a suplex. Since then he has done the 450 splash in matches.

- Bubba the DJ – CAW parody on Bubba the Love Sponge. Usually serves as an outside manager of the group and advertises his radio station Y93 “The Wolf” on his shirt. Normally gets into matches against other wrestlers of lesser or equal quality.

- Sean-Pac (inactive) – Sean Waltman as a combination of his name and X-Pac. Won the Money in the Botch Ladder Match at Axshiboomba but landed on his neck and is currently out of action.

- Scott Hall – Considered an unofficial member of the Cover Band. After being released from rehab, Hall watched Final Fantasy Football to find that King of HotSoup was named the new Cover Band member. He fought HotSoup at Empty Arena in a 99 Bottles of Beer Deathmatch but lost.

Jobbers
They are a group of wrestlers that are used for Popcorn Matches and minor roles in HVF. Mostly their matches do not get a lot of attention. Val Venis was the only jobber to date to be offered a tryout spot with one of the teams, but did not win.He later advanced to Team Flair at the Rough Draft.

Kendrick – Made his debut at Rough Draft in a losing effort teaming with Jeff Hardy against Fistpasta and Val Venis.Known for wrestling in jeans,barefoot and under the influence of a substance of some kind

-Scotty 2 Hotty – He dances. That’s about it.

-Vance Archer -- INTENSE. (ly boring)

-Raja Lion -- Indian Film star known for his shiny pants and tall size.

-Jomo Nixon - Known for his flippy-shit wrestling style and incredible slow-motion during entrances. Was killed by Hardcore Holly in HVF Dumb Enough Episode 5.

Future Endeavored Club
Losers that have sucked so much that they lost thier job and now work at Denny's

-DEFAULT – the default CAW selection and moveset from the game.

- DDP – described as an old single jobber that performs a “self low five.” Part time yoga instructor as well. Now Full Time

- Maven – Flair’s rookie that does frequent dropkicks and diving headbutts, sometimes unintentionally onto an opponent’s anus. Sells Mochas now.

- Jay Leno - Late-night talk show host that served as DDP's tag team partner and manager. Had a brief run in Good MILF Hunting and Empty Arena as a single's wrestler but was released citing creative issues.

- Hardcore “Bubba” Holly – he is known for having no entrance graphics or music. His matches get interrupted with much more entertaining stuff. Was released when he got eliminated last in the Feast or Futured Battle Royal in Empty Arena II.

Awards Received
Something Cawful 2010 Awards

Won:

Best Production Value

Match of the Year: Scotty 2 Hotty vs Val Venis (HVF Axshibooomba)

Best Commentators: Joe Lexington and Carl "Caveman" Touretta

Best CPV: Empty Arena

Funniest CAW Show

CAW League to watch out for in 2011

Nominated:

Best CPV: HVF Final Fantasy Football, HVF Axshibooomba

Most Underrated CAW Show

Best CAW Theme: 2001 A Space Odessey Metal Theme (Ric Flair) (from HVF Empty Arena)

Something Cawful Awards 2011

Won:

Funniest CAW show

Best CPV : Empty Arena 2

Nominated:

CAW show of the year

Best storyline feud: The Federation

Best Production value

Something Cawful CAW Show of the Week - Final Fantasy Football (Week of September 4th)