YCW

YouTube Championship Wrestling, or YCW, is an online YouTube CAW fed using the Nintendo GameCube video game WWE Day of Reckoning 2 and most recently the Xbox 360 version of '''WWE SmackDown! vs RAW 2008'''. It is created by account member CMPunkLiddell4LifeO9, real name Lee Hayman.

It is the only known CAW fed of which the creator is based in Wales.

The Pre-Internet/Videotape Era (2002-2003)
YCW first started as VCW (Virtual Championship Wrestling) in late 2002 and early 2003. The shows were created by recording the game footage onto a VCR tape. VCW used mostly in-game wrestlers from WWE SmackDown!: Shut Your Mouth! and had only two created characters. The only created characters in VCW were HardKore (first created in 1999 on WWF Attitude) and Angel (first created in 2002 on WWF SmackDown!: Just Bring It!. The VCW shows have never appeared on the internet and therefore are virtually unknown.

The No Mercy Era (2007)
YCW started as a one off show on the now defunct WrestlingMachineXXX account. It simulated matches between members of YouTube's internet wrestling community such as DarkMaul666, Kent Jones and Bill and Doug (rvdtito4life). The quality of the videos was very poor, having used a screen recorder and Windows Movie Maker. The videos were lost when the account was closed.

The Comedy Era (February 2008)
YCW returned for a pilot episode of "Rage" as an SMF style comedy fed in February of 2008. This version of YCW's production had greatly improved as this was the first YCW show where the footage was captured using a Dazzle Video Creator Platinum and was edited with Windows Movie Maker. This is also the first YCW show to feature commentary from Lee Hayman and his 10 year old brother Lewis Hayman who respectively potrayed the characters Johnny Blayze and Benjamin Smith.

The Original Era (May 2008 - Present)
YCW revamped it's style once again in May of 2008 opting for a more "serious" approach to CAW wrestling, similar to that of the Dynasty Wrestling Franchise.

Until "Battle" Episode 2 YCW used the video game "WWE Day of Reckoning 2". However, since the "SummerBash" CPV Pre-show it has reverted back to using "WWE SmackDown vs RAW 2008".

Out of all of the characters mentioned in the comedy pilot the only characters to survive are commentators Johnny Blayze and Benjamin Smith and former Hardcore Champion John McCoy, who potrays a stereotypical "emo" gimmick.

Benjamin Smith was axed at the "SummerBash" Pre-show, Lee Hayman, in character as Johnny Blayze, gave a Kayfabe reason that Benjamin had "pulled a Scott Hall" and no showed the event. The real reason was that Hayman didn't think that people would take YCW seriously as a legit CAW fed if it had a 10 year old commentator.

Also, YCW now uses Pinnacle Studio 10 Plus for editing.

Partnership with the DWF, problems and return
After the "SummerBash" Pre-show was uploaded Hayman was contacted via a YouTube message by the user adjeagles76 (owner of the Dynasty Wrestling Franchise) about using one of his CAW characters in YCW. Hayman accepted and a cryptic promo was posted on YouTube slating the debut of the mystery superstar (who later was revealed to be JT Money) at the "SummerBash" CPV, (which was due to be uploaded in August but due to Hayman's headset breaking was pushed back until October). The CPV was finally uploaded on October 18th, 2008, however it had no commentary.

Hayman posted a video giving reasons for YCW's 2 month abscence which was caused by his Xbox 360 being inactive due to the Red Ring of Death and also not being able to get a headset to do commentary until after the WWE SmackDown house show he went to.

The CMPunkLiddell4LifeO8 account was deleted on November 10th, 2008. However, YCW is now up and running on the newew CMPunkLiddell4LifeO9 account.

Weekly

 * Battle
 * Rage (Originally a WWE Sunday Night HeAT style B-show, now a CPV Pre-show)

Occasional

 * (Day of upload) Night's Main Event

CPV

 * SummerBash
 * Uncensored
 * Christmas Eve Massacre
 * Aggression
 * Ground Zero
 * Frantic Friday
 * Bound For Greatness

Champions

 * YCW World Champion - PJ Walker
 * YCW Internet Champion - Tornado
 * YCW Tag Team Champions - The United Nations
 * YCW Hardcore Champion - John McCoy (title is defended under 24/7 rules)
 * YCW Vixen's Champion - Aimee Lovejoy

Show Themes
Battle Rage Tough Enough SummerBash Uncensored
 * "Speak" by Godsmack
 * "Rage" by Jim Johnston
 * "Tattoo" by Big Mother Thruster, "Getting Away With Murder" by Papa Roach
 * "All Summer Long" by Kid Rock, "Orpheus" by Ash
 * "Loose" by Primer 55 (Promo), "Face The Pain" by Stemm

CAW Themes
PJ Walker JT Money Cody Punk Malice Brett Clarke Titan Bryan Payne Tornado HardKore Angel Kid America The United Nations Jay Hawkins and CJ Spears Tokashi Sato Flamin' Mike Jermaine Jacobs and Braden Hardy "Emo Kid" John McCoy Loco Jose Martinez Amber Aisha Lopez Jessica James/Wynter Aimee Lovejoy
 * "I'm So Sick" by Flyleaf
 * "I Get Money" by 50 Cent
 * "Basket Case" by Green Day, "We're All Dudes" by Less Than Jake, "Lucifer's Angel" by The Rasmus
 * "Voodoo" by Godsmack
 * "Headstrong" by Trapt, "Misery Business" (instrumental) by Paramore
 * "Twisted Metal 2 Theme", "Voodoo" by Godsmack
 * "Fuel" by Metallica
 * "Defy You" by The Offspring
 * "Swamped" by Lacuna Coil, "Save Me" by Burn Halo'''
 * "FU System" by Dale Oliver, "Mainlining Murder" by Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards
 * "Stars & Stripes Forever", "Born and Raised" by Dale Oliver
 * "Allied Powers Theme" by '''Jim Johnston
 * "In The Middle Of It Now" by Disciple
 * "Yamato Suite Pt. 4"
 * "Reminded" by Drowning Pool
 * "Bad Boys" by Bob Marley
 * "Letters To You" by Finch
 * "Heaven" by Uncle Kracker Ft. Paradime and Kid Rock
 * No theme, yet to debut.
 * "Survive" by Rise Against
 * "Fergalicious" by Fergie, "Glamorous" by Fergie
 * "Voodoo Child" by Rogue Traders, "Voodoo" by Godsmack
 * "Tattoo" by Big Mother Thruster