Voiceover announcer: And now, to induct Louie Bastardo into the RDCW Hall of Fame...the RDCW Heavyweight Cheese Champion: Joe Mama!
Joe Mama steps out as "Ecstasy of Gold" plays. He walks towards the podium, but stops short. He takes a few steps back and stands, absorbing the crowd reaction (overwhelming cheers) and the Bastardo Family's theme music. As Morricone's piece winds down, Joe Mama stands behind the podium.
JM: When discussing a wrestler's Hall of Fame credentials, the criteria are easy: titles held, length of title reigns, impact on the sport, and influence on future generations. With managers, the criteria are surprisingly the same, but there is the added factor. What makes a manager is what he himself brings to his wrestlers, and the promotion as a whole. And there is no doubt that Louie Bastardo exceeds all criteria.
Louie Bastardo came to the RDCW from Hollywood. He brought with him an agent's eye for talent, a promoter's ability to get his clients the matches and pushes they needed, and a mind that understood the intricacies of the wrestling world, both in and out of the ring. He never himself wrestled, but what he lacked in physical attributes he more than made up for with mental acumen, financial brilliance and the ability spot talent that would complement his own abilities. It's no surprise that Grace, whom others would dismiss as a valet, was hired by Louie as his personal assistant and right hand in business. Louie knew of her excellence in the academic and business world. Her own business acumen and boardroom ruthlessness allowed Louie to focus on the acquisition of talent and development on strategies for both in and out of the ring.
To understand Louie Bastardo's brilliance in uncovering talent, one need only remember the first two wrestlers to join his Family. King Snarf was shortly removed from the losing end of a feud with myself, and was wasted in irrelevant matches that did nothing to advance his career. And Chris Oakley was nothing more than a jobber. Under Louie Bastardo's care, power, and influence, these two men went from being punchlines to fans' jokes to ruthless, fighting champions. And while their own skills were a major factor in winning their titles, it was Louie Bastardo who opened the door to them. It was Louie Bastardo who got them their shot...their moment to shine. And shine they did.
It wasn't long until he developed and introduced the Bastardo Family, and it's here that his place in history was secured. While the influence of the Four Horsemen is seen clearly in the Triple Set and (of course) the IV, the Bastardo Family took the concept of the Dangerous Alliance, and vastly improved on it. In the Family, Louie Bastardo created a faction that captured the fans' attention and imagination. Louie Bastardo crafted a group whose sole focus was on winning titles and the byproduct of this was a powerhouse team of personalities that struck fear into the hearts of the other competitors, the fans, and the wrestling world. It was common knowledge that the Bastardo Family members did not necessarily care for one another. What was also known was that, if you faced one member, you stood a fair chance of having to face another - or the rest of the Family - sometimes in the same match. Speak out against the Family, and your promo might be rudely interrupted. Turn against the Family, and your ouster would be painful and often final. It's no surprise that neither King Snarf nor Chris Oakley were ever the same after they left the Bastardo Family.
But the Bastardo Family had an unexpected side effect on the RDCW. By creating a faction as powerful and as effective as the Bastardo Family, Louie created a need for a faction to combat his own. The Sudden Death Connection was a direct response to the Bastardo Family, a faction of fan favorites to combat the "evil" that the Family represented. Would there be a need for the SDC if there was no Bastardo Family? COULD there be a SDC without a Bastardo Family to organize against? Furthermore, the creation of these factions, and of Chris Oakley's surrogate "family" led to some of the greatest promos and matches the RDCW fans - Hell, the wrestling world! - had ever seen.
Joe Mama pauses and steps back. The lights dim and the Cheese-O-Tron comes alive with clips of Louie Bastardo and The Bastardo Family: Louie's arrival on the scene, Chris Oakley winning the IC title, King Snarf winning the World title, Oakley, Nuriko, Los Azules, and James Fantastic demanding Louie fire Snarf, and Louie's response, The Fenway Park match with Louie turning on Oakley and firing those who stood with him, The Godfather Bastardo promo, The Bastardo Elimination Chamber and the unveiling of the new Bastardo lineup, The Bastardos brawling with the SDC at RobbleMania, the Bastardos parody of the SDC at Rehash, Wargasms, and many more. The clip reel concludes and Joe Mama steps back to the podium.
JM: I want to conclude on a personal note. I can honestly say that working with Louie Bastardo was, for me, a huge turning point in my career. Louie Bastardo is a wrestling genius who brought out the best in his charges. His knowledge of the wrestling world combined with his brilliance in all fields of business made him a fascinating source of knowledge that he shared with anyone smart enough to ask. I think it's safe to say that, without Louie Bastardo, I - and the rest of the RDCW - would not have achieved the heights that we did. It is my great privilege and pleasure to induct Louie Bastardo into the RDCW Hall Of Fame Class Of 2007.
"Ecstasy of Gold" plays again as Louie Bastardo heads out onto the stage in a powder blue tuxedo with a huge grin on his face. He walks up to Joe Mama and the two embrace while slapping each other on the back. Louie takes the podium as JM steps back. We see a shot of Grace and Charlie in the audience applauding, as well as Johnny Evil and Ariel.
"I'd just like to take a moment to thank the RDCW and Rob Kamphausen for the opportunity to come in and do what I did. I saw a need in the RDCW. A gaping hole that needed to be filled. And fill it we did. We really seized the moment and caught lightning in a bottle. I saw some guys with a lot of potential floating around this company, looking for a way to make an impact, but lacking the proper means of doing so. So I provided them with that means. King Snarf, Chris Oakley, and myself created near riots in this arena when we joined together and began taking championships. It was a great time and a helluva lot of fun as fans poured into the Cheesedome in droves waiting to see which of their heroes could knock us off of our perch.
Chris Oakley, although he wasn't a Bastardo for very long, opened the door for some great storylines that lead to the Family becoming even more hated than ever. Can you imagine a faction consisting of two wrestlers, a manager, and a secretary being the hottest thing in a promotion? Well, we did it. And when we replaced Chris with Joe Mama we did it a second time and got even hotter!
Then when we unveiled the new lineup with Snarf, Joe Mama, Sneaky Bunny, El Superbeasto, Johnny Evil, and the Legbreakers, we really went into a new era. This was the defining membership of the Bastardo Family. This was the lineup that brought home the gold so many times and was so hated and fought so many wars. We were a success.
Managers and factions began popping up in our wake. I would say that without the success of the Bastardos, Willie Williams, Arnold Rimmer, Meeko, and many others would not have arrived in the RDCW and been as successful as they were. It was a helluva ride for everyone involved and whether you loved us or hated us, you paid your money to see us and we thank you for it. I thank you for it. For this honor and being in the first class of people inducted into the RDCW Hall of Fame, thank you all and I'll see you later tonight at the after party!"
The crowd stands and applauds as Louie holds up his Hall of Fame plaque and Joe raises his hand. They then head backstage.
