- Messages
- 172
- Points
- 93
Wrestling Name:
Drake Armstrong
Picture Base:
Maxwell Jacob Friedman
Current Nicknames:
“The Future” (Primary)
"The Iconoclast"
Pronouns:
He/him
Height:
6’, 2’’
Weight:
245 lbs
Hometown:
Scarsdale, New York
Date of Birth:
February 8, 1998
Age:
26
Disposition/Alignment:
Ruthless and Manipulative Heel
Gimmick:
Due to his upbringing as a socialite under the immensely wealthy and elitist Armstrong Family, Drake Armstrong has developed a vile and twisted personality. While he can easily get along with fellow members of high society, such as shareholders and CEOs, Drake’s narcissism has been described by lower class individuals as having its own gravitational force. This arrogance is exuded from every word he speaks to every action he takes.
The intensely perfectionist ideology with which Drake was brought up has also affected his development: he has used his wealth to optimize his health by hiring personal chefs and trainers to perfect himself. He is determined to undergo permanent evolution to keep getting better in the ring. He is driven by the pressure to live up to the Armstrong Code: to achieve perfection in all things.
His god complex over perceived inferiors has given him a tendency to toy with them for his own sadistic amusement; this manifests in the ring if Drake decides to continue brutalizing an opponent rather than going for the pin at an opportune time. It can also manifest out of the ring by him manipulating other wrestlers and sowing distrust and doubt between wrestlers just to amuse himself.
Finally, Drake Armstrong has the self-declared nickname of “The Future” due to his irreverent attitude about the legends and overall past of the wrestling industry. This attitude manifests as intense disrespect for any legends, veterans, or hall-of-famers he may come across in his career. After defeating Cy, he went further to give himself the secondary nickname of "The Iconoclast"; he views the legends of old and the main eventers of today as commodities to be defeated in order to extract their name value and further his career, before ultimately toppling them and usurping their spots in the EAW hierarchy.
Theme Music:
‘Pride and Arrogance’ by Takeru Kanazaki
Special Entrance:
The lights of the arena shift to an orangish-golden tint as ‘Pride and Arrogance’ begins blaring through the speakers. One of the Minitron screens elevates to reveal Drake Armstrong being driven onto the stage in his Rolls-Royce of the week! As the chauffeur drives onto the ramp, the upper half of the Future’s body can be seen popping out from the open roof of the car. From his elevated position, Drake Armstrong poses with his arms outstretched for EAW’s cameramen whilst being bombarded with boos by the front-row fans that line the ramp.
The Rolls-Royce comes to a stop upon making contact with the ring, prompting the Future to step out from the open roof and onto the hood of the car. From the hood, Drake easily walks right onto the apron before climbing onto the corner closest to the hard cam. He flaunts his physique atop the top turnbuckle with a self-aggrandizing pose before hopping down into the ring. Finally in the ring, the Future dismissively waves off his chauffeur, who completes his thankless job and drives the Rolls-Royce back up the ramp. As his theme song fades out, Drake Armstrong leans against his corner with a despicably cocky smirk, ready to begin the match.
Motivations:
1. Expansion/Usurpation - Expanding the Armstrong Dynasty's 'empire' by conquering the wrestling industry and adding the field to the Armstrong Family's sphere of influence. By the end of his career, he wants the Armstrong name to be respected or feared throughout the sport by becoming one of the few wrestlers to get to the 'pinnacle'.
2. Accumulation - Relentless growth of his own wealth. Despite having enough money to live a thousand comfortable lifetimes, Drake's vile view of the world leads to him constantly wanting more wealth to tend to his insatiable greed. He considers more wealth in his vaults as keeping more wealth away from the working class, which he gets a sick sense of pleasure out of. Accolades, championships, and becoming the face of the company lend to this goal - as a result, that is precisely what he aims to achieve.
3. Elevation - Elevation of the ruling class. Drake Armstrong feels a sense of comradery with big businesses, such as Disney (partially fueled by the stock shares he owns); he sincerely believes that he is destined to become the biggest star of the modern era and lead EAW and Disney to unprecedented prosperity. In the same sense, Drake feels compelled to reproduce the natural order of the world (top 1% always lording over the 99% as a core principle); he intends to be on top in order to ensure that fundamental truth holds strong even in a supposedly equal playing field as sporting/wrestling.
4. Evolution - The Armstrong Code dictates that an Armstrong must strive to achieve perfection. Drake is relentless in his pursuit of constant self-refinement in both the physical and mental spheres until he can truly live up to his family's code. He desires to become the undisputed top wrestler in the world with every fiber of his being.
5. Self-Satisfaction - Though he dislikes the 'savage and vulgar' part of himself, he enjoys fighting and achieving glory through violent force. While he prefers to hold himself to the standards of high-class decorum, he can lose himself to his deeper pleasures during particularly brutal matches
Tendency to Cheat:
Rarely - Following his victory over Cy Henderson, Drake's confidence is at an all-time high and, consequently, he is less likely to consider dirty tactics to win a match. He prefers humiliating the opposition completely and utterly.
Backstory:
Charles, the longest-serving butler of the Armstrong Family, has played more of an active role in raising Drake Armstrong than his parents. Despite that, the ideology of his parents reigns supreme in guiding Drake's own ideology and approach to life. The Armstrong Code, to achieve perfection in all matters, is baked into every thought of the Future; this, along with the inconceivable amount of wealth he's been raised with and the elitist opinion of the family towards "commoners", led to the twisted mindset about fate and hierarchy that Drake has been developing. Despite Charles' attempts to steer Drake in a more positive direction, it appears that the Future has no intention of stopping his path as it stands. Viewing the many companies and vast fortune of the Armstrong Dynasty as an 'empire', Drake views the wrestling industry as something to be conquered to add to his family's empire, being the first of his bloodline to venture into the field of wrestling; he also approached the industry with an approach unique within his family, choosing to enter it as a wrestler rather than a business owner. This is due to the violent hatred Drake has built up within him, thanks to the constant messaging of superiority over the 'unwashed masses'; he would prefer to personally fight wrestlers, so becoming a wrestler himself seemed to be the best way to do so.
Drake Armstrong's immediate family consists of a father, a mother, and a 'former' brother. The father and patriarch of the family, Aldrich Armstrong, has been revealed to own weapons manufacturing and private military contracting companies; his disdain of the poor and less fortunate is clear through nearly everything he says. The mother, Katiya Armstrong, owns a large pharmaceutical company that seeks to assimilate as much competition as possible without breaking laws on monopoly; her obsession with perfection has heavily influenced Drake's own obsession. Jason, Drake's little brother, proved to be 'inadequate' as a son of the Armstrong Family, constantly scoring lesser grades and accolades than Drake himself; in addition, Jason did not follow the Armstrong ideology, choosing instead to care for the poor and the working class. Drake used this to his advantage, turning their parents against the younger son until Jason was eventually abandoned to the streets; by doing so, Drake secured the inheritance of the Armstrong Dynasty's fortune solely for himself. There is no line Drake won't cross or person he won't manipulate to get what he wants.
After having joined EAW, Drake Armstrong has invested in Disney. His reasoning for this is that he is guaranteed to become a champion and a ratings draw; thus, his very presence on EAW television will improve Disney's stock and circle back with more wealth for Drake Armstrong as a result. Drake is not opposed to using this connection to Disney to further his career goals if he deems it to be necessary.
Favorite Match Types:
Special guest referee match, because Drake may attempt to bribe the referee to his favor
Least Favorite Match Types:
A lumberjack match, because it’s more likely that other wrestlers will favor the opponent and have a bone to pick with Drake due to his ego.
Entrance Attire:
A flashy robe with the symbol of the Armstrong Dynasty displayed prominently on the back. If he is not in a match, he is prone to wearing tailored three-piece suits with dress shoes and a Rolex watch for his 'casual' attire.
Character Inspirations:
Frieza - Spoiled heir to a powerful empire, resulting in vehement rage, superiority complex to perceived inferiors, and high amounts of untapped potential (due to coasting on sheer natural talent for most of his life until becoming a wrestler).
Cell - Believes perfection and domination to be his destiny, and relentlessly pursues the actualization of his fate.
Immortal Technique (Rich Man's World) - A caricature of the 'ruling class' in all the forms it manifests in; industrial factories, weapons manufacturers/war profiteering, pharmaceutical industry/raising essential medicine prices, lobbying of politicians, etc.
Shin Megami Tensei 4's Law Alignment - A cruel vision of a 'sublime' world in which he reigns above all with an iron fist, molding EAW into his 'perfect paradise' designed for profit over morals. He views any opposition to his vision as 'filth'.
Azula - Also a spoiled heir, but also the negative relationship with the sibling/other heir. Calculated and precise movements, with the confidence of a prodigy.
Favorite Weapon:
An ornate ring emblazoned with the Armstrong Family's symbol (Similar to the Dynamite Diamond Ring). The ring contains countless tiny gemstones, resulting in a rugged texture that deals heavy damage when used for a loaded punch.
Achievements:
Winner of Brand Warfare 2023 for Dynasty
First New Breed and one of the few elitists to defeat Cy Henderson clean
Interwire Championship x1 (3/16/2024 - Present)
Elitist of the Month (March 2024)
Rising Star of the Week 4x (#369, #378, #385, #392)
Common Wrestling Throws:
1. Suplexes (Dragon, Tiger, German, Delayed Vertical, Electric Chair, Back, Double Underhook, Double Overhook, Belly-to-Belly, Inverted Vertical, Sleeper)
2. Uranage
3. Facebusters (Wheelbarrow, Electric Chair)
4. Powerbombs (Regular, Elevated, Chokebomb)
5. Biel Throw on smaller opponents
6. Front Powerslam
7. Alabama Slam
8. Reverse Alabama Slam
9. Waistlock takedown
10. Hammerlock Backstabber
11. Double Knee Armbreaker to a wristlocked arm
12. Spinebuster
13. Dragon Screw Legwhip
14. Snake Eyes
15. DDTs (Jake Roberts Classic, Lifting, Inverted)
16. Shoulderbreaker
Common Wrestling Holds
1. Transition Holds (Hammerlock, Wristlock, Headlock, Front Facelock, Inverted Facelock, Waistlock, Full Nelson)
2. Kneebar
3. Ankle Lock
4. Rear Naked Choke
5. Armbar
6. Shoulder Claw
7. Spinning Toe Hold
8. Guillotine Chokehold
9. Dragon Sleeper
10. Lying Hammerlock with wrenching of the arm's internal rotating muscles
11. Small joint manipulation, especially of the fingers, when applying other submission holds
Common Wrestling Strikes
1. Chopblock
2. Big Boot
3. Hammerfists
4. Elbow Smashes
5. 12-6 Elbows
6. Grounded Knee Smashes
7. High Knee
8. Knee lift to a hammerlocked wrist
9. Front Kick to a wristlocked arm
10. Hammerfist to a wristlocked arm
11. Lariat
12. Standard Punches
13. Mule Kick
14. Calf Kicks
15. Front Kick to a knee
Signature Moves:
1. ‘Bourgeois Bite' - Drake begins by applying an abdominal stretch to the opponent; then, while it is locked in, he goes even further by applying an abdominal claw to the already-stretched abdomen.
2. ‘Drakenomics’ - Drake puts the opponent in a Tree of Woe predicament before clutching both their wrists. Once the wrists are clutched, Drake begins ruthlessly kicking the chest of the opponent until the referee counts up to 4 due to the opponent’s legs being on the ropes, after which he performs a final stomp to the head of the opponent and dropping them out of the tree of woe.
3. 'By the Bootstraps' - A jumping shinbreaker if the wrestlers are in the ring; if they are at ringside, Drake will choose to perform the shinbreaker onto the apron or the steel steps.
4. 'Natural Talent' - A bridging half-nelson half-chickenwing suplex
Finishing Moves:
1. ‘Halberd from Hell’ - A running front dropkick to the abdomen of the opponent; especially used if the opponent experienced the Bourgeois Bite but refused to submit.
2. ‘Will Killer’ - Drake applies a single leg boston crab, especially if he chose to target that leg of the opponent with ‘By the Bootstraps’; with the single leg boston crab locked in, he adds onto it by applying a heel hook to the trapped foot. In particularly brutal cases, he even kneels on the back of the opponent’s neck while performing this, similarly to the Liontamer.
3. ‘Death Penalty’ - A Gotch-style Tombstone Piledriver, in which Drake is able to use his clasped hands to gravely increase the impact of the move. This finisher gets prioritized if Drakenomics was used earlier in the match.
UF. ‘Scorched Earth’ - This move requires Drake to first apply a double underhook to the opponent’s arms, followed by lifting them onto his right shoulder in a Canadian Backbreaker Rack. With the arms still double underhooked, Drake drops them onto their upper back/neck with a high-angle Tiger Driver. Used as a last resort due to the difficult nature of preparing and executing the move. Especially used if Natural Talent failed to win the match.
Strengths:
- Thanks to his carefully curated diet and training, one of Drake’s strengths is his superb physical condition. He is determined to refine his mind and body to the highest extent possible.
- His wealthy upbringing and position in high society grants Drake access to resources that the less fortunate don’t have. He isn’t beyond bribery nor cozying up to the higher ups to grant himself advantages in the wrestling industry.
-The ambition to expand his family's influence keeps him focused and motivated.
- While his personality may be despicable, Drake Armstrong has magnetic charisma and a larger-than-life personality that makes him more likely to be looked favorably upon by higher-ups due to his potential for being a ratings draw. This is reflected by his budding relationship with Disney officials.
- Drake is prone to doing extensive research on difficult opponents and constructing cunning strategies to make up for any deficit in wrestling experience.
Weaknesses:
- Drake’s arrogance, while not entirely unfounded, can also be his downfall. His overconfidence can lead to underestimating opponents; in addition, his tendency to toy with opponents he particularly dislikes in the ring as opposed to immediately going for the pin can similarly result in a loss.
- While he may be athletic, Drake’s lack of experience is a disadvantage to him against more seasoned opponents with better ring IQ. This weakness will gradually diminish as Drake accumulates more matches under his belt.
- Drake’s narcissism prevents him from taking high-risk maneuvers, including most high-flying moves. He considers his body a temple, and doesn’t want to purposefully put it in danger of injury. As a result, Drake wouldn't execute moves such as suicide dives and tope con hilos to quickly close the distance between himself and an opponent at ringside.
-Continuing from above, Drake's body is his temple, and he refuses to risk injury. If he is placed in a dangerous submission hold (such as a finisher submission hold - heel hook, kimura, etc), he will not endure for too long before tapping, especially if the ropes are nowhere within reach.
Additional Notes:
- Drake prefers to wrestle a cold, cunning, and calculated style in the ring as opposed to a fiery and passionate style. He should use limb targeting moves to target the dominant limbs of his opponents, having done research on them beforehand. He will almost never perform high-flying maneuvers.
- Drake is a deeply self-interested and immoral human being; he views everyone as pieces on a vast chessboard and is inclined to manipulate them for his own advantage, even feigning friendships as long as he gets ahead. Once he sees someone as having no use for him, he disposes of any connection and feels free to backstab them. HOWEVER, if his interests align with someone, he is a valuable 'friend' to have.
- Drake enjoys using a 'friends in high places' approach; after his dealings with general managers went sour, he has begun planning to use other people to have an administrative advantage, even looking to use his growing connection to Disney to his advantage.
- Drake tends to use a sophisticated and pretentious vocabulary; he often calls people, especially fans and other wrestlers, 'filth', 'unwashed masses', 'peasants', and other such insults, provided that they are indeed not members of the owning class.
- Drake is generally amiable to members of the owning class; however, ambition and intra-class conflict for power can lead to competition.
Last edited:
