Post by Baumer on Apr 28, 2020 15:09:40 GMT -5
WRESTLER'S STATS
Real Name: Cassandra Baumer
In-Ring Name: Cass Baumer
Nickname(s): The Headliner
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 141 lbs / 64 kg
Hometown:Karori, Wellington City, Wellington, New Zealand
Billed From: Karori, Wellington, New Zealand
Personality: While more comedic than the majority of the SCUM roster, Cass is determined to redefine her legacy and prove herself in SCUM. She values her friends but she's never been afraid to speak her mind.
Division: SCUM Championship Division (1RP @ 2K)
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Notable Features:
Thanks to her DTW Death Dojo training, Cass has faint dark circles under her eyes and slightly gaunt cheeks only noticeable in close-up shots. Wounds are seen covering the length of her arms, too. Some of them are in the process of scarring over while others are fairly fresh, bandaged with dark-colored gauze haphazardly. Her teeth are slightly yellowed from smoking, and her dirty blonde hair is often at least a little messy.
At the tail end of 2017, Cass suffered a hairline distal radius fracture in her left wrist at the end of what would be known as the Baumer Invitational. See weakness number five.
Ring Attire: The Kiwi dons an open lightweight, glossy green lambskin leather moto vest with an asymmetrical zip closure and black highlights. The outerwear features an embossed, distressed 'Cass is SCUM' cannabis leaf emblem at the back of her coat. It has a notched lapel collar with stitching details at the shoulders above the symbol and slanted pockets, too. Under the jacket, Baumer wears a black seamless racerback sports bra with a scoop neck and a ribbed band at the bottom while her left hand is wrapped in navy blue athletic wrist tape. She's got high-waisted navy blue skinny cargo pants over unseen kneepads too. A pair of black buckled wrestling boots complete the in-ring attire. The buckles and zippers are silvery colored, including the buckle at the front of her belt.
Entrance Attire: Same as ring attire.
Pic Base: Marta Piekarz / “Marta The Martian”
Thanks to her DTW Death Dojo training, Cass has faint dark circles under her eyes and slightly gaunt cheeks only noticeable in close-up shots. Wounds are seen covering the length of her arms, too. Some of them are in the process of scarring over while others are fairly fresh, bandaged with dark-colored gauze haphazardly. Her teeth are slightly yellowed from smoking, and her dirty blonde hair is often at least a little messy.
At the tail end of 2017, Cass suffered a hairline distal radius fracture in her left wrist at the end of what would be known as the Baumer Invitational. See weakness number five.
Ring Attire: The Kiwi dons an open lightweight, glossy green lambskin leather moto vest with an asymmetrical zip closure and black highlights. The outerwear features an embossed, distressed 'Cass is SCUM' cannabis leaf emblem at the back of her coat. It has a notched lapel collar with stitching details at the shoulders above the symbol and slanted pockets, too. Under the jacket, Baumer wears a black seamless racerback sports bra with a scoop neck and a ribbed band at the bottom while her left hand is wrapped in navy blue athletic wrist tape. She's got high-waisted navy blue skinny cargo pants over unseen kneepads too. A pair of black buckled wrestling boots complete the in-ring attire. The buckles and zippers are silvery colored, including the buckle at the front of her belt.
Entrance Attire: Same as ring attire.
Pic Base: Marta Piekarz / “Marta The Martian”
WRESTLER'S IN-RING INFO
Alignment: Face
Gimmick: The horror movie trope "Final Girl" feels fitting here in SCUM. Cass is a fish out of water DTW Death Dojo student against the best deathmatch icons in the world right now deep in the heart of Genocidal Hate Brigade territory. She's clever, resourceful, and tough but she's visibly outgunned by all the experienced psychopaths around her. Will she be able to hold her own in SCUM despite the overwhelming odds or is she out of her depths against some of the most terrifying monsters wrestling's ever seen?
Wrestling Style: Ultraviolent brawler/showman
Strategy: With brains over brawn, Cass Baumer is one of the most crafty and resourceful brawlers in the sport today. Highly adept in impromptu strategies against more technically skilled opponents, she's been known to create spontaneous plans throughout the match that rival even the most experienced veterans utilizing the knowledge she discovers before the match has even begun as well as during the fight itself to its absolute fullest potential. She might not be the most skilled fighter in a given match, but she's been known to be a more than capable combatant because of her quick wit and her brilliant improvisation.
Taunts/Mannerisms: Cass will occasionally mount herself on the ropes with one foot on the second rope and the other on the bottom rope, raising her fist to the rafters.
Taunts/Mannerisms: Cass will occasionally mount herself on the ropes with one foot on the second rope and the other on the bottom rope, raising her fist to the rafters.
Strengths:
1. V'S SELF-DEFENSE - As her first teacher, the legendary V taught Cass how to protect herself. At first, this meant staying mindful of positioning, spatial awareness, and defensive maneuvers to break free from moves that would otherwise send her to the hospital. After some convincing, Baumer soon got taught how to use her fists to become a vicious brawler capable of outfighting opponents big and small with the right strategies!
2. FILTH PARADE ALLY - After spending time with members of the Filth Parade faction, she learned to fight with unrelenting ferocity. She stays on her opponents with daredevil feats and tremendous heart. Joints and nerve clusters are some of her favorite targets, too.
3. VINCENT MORETTI'S LEARNING TREE - Current General Manager of MWE Riot Vincent Moretti taught Cass how to best avoid her opponent's offense using their tendencies and weaknesses against them thanks to her keen perception from her journalistic background.
4. SETH ISER'S NOTEBOOK - Work smarter, not harder! The former journalist takes extensive notes on her co-workers by hand thanks to the IYHWF veteran's suggestion and that helps her create effective strategies as a defensive fighter.
5. DTW DEATH DOJO TRAINING - Pain today! Strength tomorrow! The infamous deathmatch school in the heart of Tokyo, Japan taught Cass how to best dish out punishment with whatever weapons are available while improving her pain tolerance, too. She's become highly durable so she can take a beating, and she has enough cardio to fight through multiple matches a night.
1. V'S SELF-DEFENSE - As her first teacher, the legendary V taught Cass how to protect herself. At first, this meant staying mindful of positioning, spatial awareness, and defensive maneuvers to break free from moves that would otherwise send her to the hospital. After some convincing, Baumer soon got taught how to use her fists to become a vicious brawler capable of outfighting opponents big and small with the right strategies!
2. FILTH PARADE ALLY - After spending time with members of the Filth Parade faction, she learned to fight with unrelenting ferocity. She stays on her opponents with daredevil feats and tremendous heart. Joints and nerve clusters are some of her favorite targets, too.
3. VINCENT MORETTI'S LEARNING TREE - Current General Manager of MWE Riot Vincent Moretti taught Cass how to best avoid her opponent's offense using their tendencies and weaknesses against them thanks to her keen perception from her journalistic background.
4. SETH ISER'S NOTEBOOK - Work smarter, not harder! The former journalist takes extensive notes on her co-workers by hand thanks to the IYHWF veteran's suggestion and that helps her create effective strategies as a defensive fighter.
5. DTW DEATH DOJO TRAINING - Pain today! Strength tomorrow! The infamous deathmatch school in the heart of Tokyo, Japan taught Cass how to best dish out punishment with whatever weapons are available while improving her pain tolerance, too. She's become highly durable so she can take a beating, and she has enough cardio to fight through multiple matches a night.
Weaknesses:
1. BARE NECESSITIES - While Cass might be able to outfight her opponents, she typically won't be able to outwrestle more talented competitors without the right strategy. In other words, she's much more comfortable on her feet than lifted into a powerbomb, although she'll attempt to break out of those positions the best she can.
2. KENNEDY EFFECT - It's possible that her stubbornness to stay on her feet has the very real impact of hurting herself in the process. This means she's prone to self-injury, taking ridiculous risks regardless of whether or not it's worth it. This includes opting to use exotic weapons with the possibility that the same weapon could be used against her.
3. DESPERATION TRIGGER - In intense high-stake matches, Cass could become increasingly desperate. This has a negative impact on causing her to fight much more sloppily than she usually does, albeit hitting harder as a consequence. She's not as observant in this state and her strategy is mostly forgotten. She won't play to the audience like she usually would, either.
4. ATTENTION ADDICT - While Cass feeds on the energy of the crowd, this showmanship could be taken advantage of by an opponent who catches her from behind while she's got her mind on the adulation she's receiving from the fans.
5. ACHILLES' WRIST - At the tail end of 2017, Cass suffered a hairline distal radius fracture in her left wrist. Smart opponents could target this and attempt to put her back on the shelf.
1. BARE NECESSITIES - While Cass might be able to outfight her opponents, she typically won't be able to outwrestle more talented competitors without the right strategy. In other words, she's much more comfortable on her feet than lifted into a powerbomb, although she'll attempt to break out of those positions the best she can.
2. KENNEDY EFFECT - It's possible that her stubbornness to stay on her feet has the very real impact of hurting herself in the process. This means she's prone to self-injury, taking ridiculous risks regardless of whether or not it's worth it. This includes opting to use exotic weapons with the possibility that the same weapon could be used against her.
3. DESPERATION TRIGGER - In intense high-stake matches, Cass could become increasingly desperate. This has a negative impact on causing her to fight much more sloppily than she usually does, albeit hitting harder as a consequence. She's not as observant in this state and her strategy is mostly forgotten. She won't play to the audience like she usually would, either.
4. ATTENTION ADDICT - While Cass feeds on the energy of the crowd, this showmanship could be taken advantage of by an opponent who catches her from behind while she's got her mind on the adulation she's receiving from the fans.
5. ACHILLES' WRIST - At the tail end of 2017, Cass suffered a hairline distal radius fracture in her left wrist. Smart opponents could target this and attempt to put her back on the shelf.
Entrance Theme: "Smooth Sailing" by Queens Of The Stone Age
Entrance Description:
As the vocals of Queens Of The Stone Age burst through the crackling arena speakers, the crowd stand to their feet in anticipation! A thin wisp of smoke swirls and mingles with the green spotlight beaming down at the entryway. The shot slowly descends, gradually revealing a self-assured Cass Baumer with a small lighter in the path of the hairspray valve at an upward angle. The Kiwi's confident smile glints against the glow of her oscillating aerosol flamethrower. The boisterous audience pours down appreciation at the gaudy display. Once she's finished with the theatrics, The Headliner defiantly struts down the aisle in a green leather vest, weapons still in hand. As she nears the center of the clearing, she spins and steps backward, unashamedly showing off the glossy "[SYMBOL]" emblem at the back of her distressed jacket.
"Smooth Sailing" continues while Baumer's lips form a triumphant smirk, her head turned to the side 'til she leisurely twirls back with her arms extended when she nears the apron. She stops at the steel steps to set down the hairspray, then slides into the ring. The palpable cheers grow in intensity as she bounces back to her feet and mounts the ropes, raising the ignited lighter with pride as she answers the visceral reaction of the crowd with a guttural shout of her own!
As the vocals of Queens Of The Stone Age burst through the crackling arena speakers, the crowd stand to their feet in anticipation! A thin wisp of smoke swirls and mingles with the green spotlight beaming down at the entryway. The shot slowly descends, gradually revealing a self-assured Cass Baumer with a small lighter in the path of the hairspray valve at an upward angle. The Kiwi's confident smile glints against the glow of her oscillating aerosol flamethrower. The boisterous audience pours down appreciation at the gaudy display. Once she's finished with the theatrics, The Headliner defiantly struts down the aisle in a green leather vest, weapons still in hand. As she nears the center of the clearing, she spins and steps backward, unashamedly showing off the glossy "[SYMBOL]" emblem at the back of her distressed jacket.
"Smooth Sailing" continues while Baumer's lips form a triumphant smirk, her head turned to the side 'til she leisurely twirls back with her arms extended when she nears the apron. She stops at the steel steps to set down the hairspray, then slides into the ring. The palpable cheers grow in intensity as she bounces back to her feet and mounts the ropes, raising the ignited lighter with pride as she answers the visceral reaction of the crowd with a guttural shout of her own!
WESTLER'S MOVE-SET
Most Used Moves:
01. arm drag
02. back body drop
03. baseball slide
04. battering ram
05. belly-to-back suplex
06. big boot
07. biting
08. brainbuster
09. corner running European uppercut
10. corner running shoulder block
11. corner shoulder block
12. discus knee strike low blow
13. diving bulldog
14. diving leg drop
15. double axe handle
16. double underhook suplex
17. dragon screw leg whip
18. drop toehold
19. dropkick to oncoming opponent
20. elbow drop pin
21. enzuigiri
22. eye rake
23. facewash
24. fireman's carry gutbuster
25. front facelock STO
26. German suplex
27. hammerlock twisted into a short-range lariat
28. headbutt to nose or mouth
29. inverted atomic drop
30. inverted headlock backbreaker
31. inverted stomp facebreaker
32. inverted suplex, sometimes from an elevated position
33. jumping DDT
34. legsweep DDT
35. Lou Thesz press into mounted punches
36. pointed elbow drop, sometimes from the second or top rope
37. powerbomb, as a hurricanrana counter
38. rope-hung swinging neckbreaker
39. running DDT
40. running shoulder block
41. running sliding dropkick low blow
42. Samoan drop
43. schoolgirl pin
44. scoop slam
45. sitout suplex slam
46. slide tackle
47. spitting
48. standing elbow drop pin
49. stomp onto fingers
50. stomp onto fingers on steel steps
51. swinging fisherman neckbreaker
52. topé suicida / suicide dive
53. tree of woe running sliding dropkick
01. arm drag
02. back body drop
03. baseball slide
04. battering ram
05. belly-to-back suplex
06. big boot
07. biting
08. brainbuster
09. corner running European uppercut
10. corner running shoulder block
11. corner shoulder block
12. discus knee strike low blow
13. diving bulldog
14. diving leg drop
15. double axe handle
16. double underhook suplex
17. dragon screw leg whip
18. drop toehold
19. dropkick to oncoming opponent
20. elbow drop pin
21. enzuigiri
22. eye rake
23. facewash
24. fireman's carry gutbuster
25. front facelock STO
26. German suplex
27. hammerlock twisted into a short-range lariat
28. headbutt to nose or mouth
29. inverted atomic drop
30. inverted headlock backbreaker
31. inverted stomp facebreaker
32. inverted suplex, sometimes from an elevated position
33. jumping DDT
34. legsweep DDT
35. Lou Thesz press into mounted punches
36. pointed elbow drop, sometimes from the second or top rope
37. powerbomb, as a hurricanrana counter
38. rope-hung swinging neckbreaker
39. running DDT
40. running shoulder block
41. running sliding dropkick low blow
42. Samoan drop
43. schoolgirl pin
44. scoop slam
45. sitout suplex slam
46. slide tackle
47. spitting
48. standing elbow drop pin
49. stomp onto fingers
50. stomp onto fingers on steel steps
51. swinging fisherman neckbreaker
52. topé suicida / suicide dive
53. tree of woe running sliding dropkick
Comeback Sequence: (A match changing comeback that your character would use to shift the match in their favor. Ex. John Cena's Flying shoulderblock, flying shoulderblock, clothesline-duck-into side-release spinout powerbomb, Five Knuckle Shuffle, Attitude Adjustment. BE CREATIVE AND USE AS MUCH SPACE AS NEEDED!)
- Cass slowly crawls into position at the turnbuckle and insults the opponent to get their attention. This makes them rush her but she dodges just in time and lets her opponent hit the turnbuckle with all their momentum and all their weight used against them.
- When her opponent charges at her again after their recovery, Cass hits a dropkick. On smaller opponents, she aims for the head but larger opponents are struck in the midsection. The dropkick isn't pretty. Cass is no gymnast, but it gets the job done. The trap is successful, and her opponent falls to the mat (or at least to one knee).
- When their opponent tries to scramble up to a vertical base, their hands aren't fully up yet. With this opening, Cass hits her Bleeding Edge running penalty kick signature move. If Cass is lucky, her opponent might stumble into the kick itself which makes the Bleeding Edge even more effective. Exhausted, Baumer falls on top of her opponent and goes for the pin. This might win the match.
- If the opponent kicks out of the Bleeding Edge, Cass positions herself just right to hit the Fact Check running somersault reverse DDT finisher from behind. She stays in their blindspot, taunting her opponent to get to their feet (or dealing with other opponents in multi-person matches the best she can) in the lead up to get the crowd involved. She transitions this Fact Check into a pin combo. If the opponent rolls to the apron instead of climbing to their feet in the ring, Cass alternatively hits her Fly By Night spear suicida signature once her opponent is in position.
Trademark/Signature Moves:
- Bleeding Edge (Instep drive penalty kick to the head of the opponent, using the top part of the foot covered by shoelaces as soccer players do instead of the tip of the shoe. With a running start (occasionally bouncing off the ropes beforehand), Cass plants her foot right next to her target and swings her ankle-locked kicking leg forward to connect her laces with her opponent's head in one fluid motion. Both feet leave the ground, and her arms support her balance too. If the opponent is below Cass in any way, Bleeding Edge can connect. It could make them bleed, too.)
- Fly By Night (spear suicida through the ropes into the opponent(s) standing on the apron. It's typically aimed with the intention to slam their opponent into the barricade, a steel chair, a table, etc. Her opponent could dodge, allowing Cass to hurt herself significantly. Either way, this move always hurts Baumer too and she'll show the effects.)
- Tangled Web (surprise schoolgirl pin transitioned into a schoolgirl grapevine leglock wear down submission. Alternatives include a drop toehold transition occasionally into weapons/hard surfaces.)
Finishing Move(s):
- Fact Check (somersault reverse DDT, or a running somersault reverse DDT; transitioned into a pin combo. This could be a reversal. A double Fact Check to two opponents is possible, too.)
- Miramira (spear dropped into a lifting side slam to oncoming opponent. On opponents over 300 pounds, it's a non-lifting side slam instead. This is most often used as a surprise reversal but it's also used after an Irish whip. Adopted from V's former signature move Lanzarse.)
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
2x FAW Hardcore Champion
1x CWC United States Champion
1x GWA Millennium Pro Cloud Gate Champion
1x Liberty Pro Trials Champion
1x SCUM #CannibisCup 2020 tournament winner
1x CWC Vengeance Pro: Undisputed Championship #1 Contender
1x GWA Liberty Pro: Liberty Championship #1 Contender
1x GWA Liberty Pro: Gotham Championship #1 Contender
1x GWA Heritage Championship #1 Contender
1x SCUM Championship #1 Contender
1x CWC United States Champion
1x GWA Millennium Pro Cloud Gate Champion
1x Liberty Pro Trials Champion
1x SCUM #CannibisCup 2020 tournament winner
1x CWC Vengeance Pro: Undisputed Championship #1 Contender
1x GWA Liberty Pro: Liberty Championship #1 Contender
1x GWA Liberty Pro: Gotham Championship #1 Contender
1x GWA Heritage Championship #1 Contender
1x SCUM Championship #1 Contender
CHARACTER BIOGRAPHY
Cass grew up in Wellington, New Zealand, not unlike most Americans. With two older brothers, she naturally grew into a tomboy, unafraid to share her thoughts in the bluntest way possible. Sometimes her mouth even got her in trouble back in grade school, but nothing too serious. When she got older, she joined the soccer team and became a natural fit. Her brash personality and her unapologetic attitude lent itself well to her on the field, but she didn't take it as seriously as she could have. Cass was naturally good at the sport and had fun doing it, but she wasn't exactly after a spot on any FIFA team.
She took a journalism elective for a couple of years and learned her way around an article. She was great at investigating and getting to the truth, thanks again to her personality. She wasn't afraid to ask the hard questions, even if it made people uncomfortable, pressing until she got the story. In the middle of junior year, just like with soccer, she didn't apply herself and ended up dropping the class in favour of more free time. In her senior year, she picked it back up again and would later get a masters in journalism at the Victoria University of Wellington. Years after graduating from grade school and shortly after gaining a degree in journalism, she left her static life as a writer for a small New Zealand online newspaper for a multitude of reasons. That's the 'official story,' anyway.
In truth, wrought with the recent death of her eldest brother, John Baumer, at the hands of an inexperienced armed robber, Cassandra was fired from The Wellington Post news outlet for speaking out against the new boss' stance on profit over substance in early 2016.
John Baumer was a fledgling professional wrestler himself who despite proficient training and a pension for competing in great matches where he respected his opponents' skills, could not get a major wrestling promotion in New Zealand to hire him. Before he could make the trip to the United States, John was slain, and Cass would soon pick up the mantle where her late brother left off out of a responsibility to keep a promise she made to him. She swore she would make sure the name Baumer would be a prominent name in the world of wrestling across the globe as a way to make sure he would never be forgotten and she promised to do whatever it took to make it happen.
She used to watch wrestling on TV and on her computer almost constantly, following some of the bigger names from her couch. She loved the sport, but again, she didn't think she'd ever actually become a wrestler in her wildest dreams. It was right up there with being drafted for a major soccer team or being an actual news anchor on TV in the list of things that would probably never happen. When one promotion finally did a New Zealand tour and landed in her hometown, she offered her services as a backstage interviewer. She was accepted, and for a while, she worked as an independent wrestling journalist. She finally had a reason to go to where all the action was - the United States of America - and she gladly left her old life behind.
Since then, a legend of the sport took her aside and offered her lessons to defend herself. He is only known as V. This unlikely mentor grew into somewhat of a father figure to her, teaching her things that any normal trainer wouldn't have been able to teach. In time, the lessons grew more complicated, and she was starting to learn how to wrestle. That's when she vowed to pick up the torch dropped by her brother.
After her short, unsuccessful stint as a wrestler in #FSociety Wrestling, she decided to stick to what she knew as an interviewer for the time being. That is, until finally deciding to try one more time.
Using what she knew as a former journalist to get out of the shadows of obscurity, Cass pulled herself up by the bootstraps into becoming one of the most recognizable names in wrestling at the time from the beginning of 2017 to mid-2018 with limited talent under her belt. Put in matches against some of the best competitors in her federations at the time thanks to her mouth/tweets, she learned what it would take to defeat them, but it was clear her in-ring potential was far from reached at the time. She was complacent with her spot, gaining five high-profile championships but lost each of them in the first or second title defence.
At first, she disguised her lies as rumours, but it didn’t take too long at all for #BaumerReport to grow. Soon, Cass allowed anonymous sources to DM “rumours” they’ve heard and tweeted them out to the world with little oversight. Of course, some of the rumours were true, but most were instantiated lies used as weapons to hurt the people around her with the repeated mantra that all publicity was good publicity. #BaumerReport became infamous, but there were always those who enjoyed it - so long as those same people never became the victim of it themselves. Contrarily, some people even proclaimed they hadn’t made it until there was a #BaumerReport about them. It wouldn't be arrogant to acknowledge that the wide-reaching impact of the service when it was most popular was a moment that was unrivalled at the time.
It was a trend that Cass Baumer proudly called her own and all the while, the anger she garnered from all these people earned her more prominent spots in the wrestling world. Main events came, and posters were created with her face on them. People paid to see Cass Baumer get what she deserved. In the process, she managed to win five prominent championships within two years of the beginning of her career. She learned to fight the toughest, strongest, fastest opponents alive with her smarts, her creativity, and her durability.
In the end, though… All trends fade. People grew out of the #BaumerReport. It stopped becoming a commodity and started to become background noise. With it, Cass started to struggle. The matches she received were not nearly as prominent. She attempted to keep the brand alive, to keep herself relevant, but it was no use. Everyone moved on. And it was time Cass did the same after two straight years of superstardom success. She might not have won a world championship, but she did more than she ever thought she would have when she decided to move to America on a whim three years prior.
When the national hatred of journalists died down, and the #BaumerReport trend died, she needed to rely on her in-ring talent to get herself noticed with little success. Reluctantly, Cass Baumer decided to take her ball and go home. Despite everything, she was confident in the thought that nobody would forget the name Baumer any time soon and she was proven right when she returned in an After Dark ring against Jersey” Jim Luzzatto in a winning effort.
After five months of time spent back in Wellington, New Zealand, Cass knew she couldn’t let that be the end of her career. She couldn’t allow herself to work in a call centre for customer support forever. She grew an empire, became a household name with wrestling fans, and she didn’t want to be ordinary again. She wanted to reshape her entire legacy, and so she closed #BaumerReport for good to start from the bottom on her in-ring merit alone. She's intent on challenging herself in Yamashi Promotions and SCUM, even knowing this was the last place anyone expected her to be right now!
Taught by the deathmatch specialist V, and the ex-girlfriend of Yamashi Promotions' very own Ace Of DTW Josh Kennedy, Cass knows she has what it takes to be successful in this brand of wrestling, but it won't be an easy road.
She took a journalism elective for a couple of years and learned her way around an article. She was great at investigating and getting to the truth, thanks again to her personality. She wasn't afraid to ask the hard questions, even if it made people uncomfortable, pressing until she got the story. In the middle of junior year, just like with soccer, she didn't apply herself and ended up dropping the class in favour of more free time. In her senior year, she picked it back up again and would later get a masters in journalism at the Victoria University of Wellington. Years after graduating from grade school and shortly after gaining a degree in journalism, she left her static life as a writer for a small New Zealand online newspaper for a multitude of reasons. That's the 'official story,' anyway.
In truth, wrought with the recent death of her eldest brother, John Baumer, at the hands of an inexperienced armed robber, Cassandra was fired from The Wellington Post news outlet for speaking out against the new boss' stance on profit over substance in early 2016.
John Baumer was a fledgling professional wrestler himself who despite proficient training and a pension for competing in great matches where he respected his opponents' skills, could not get a major wrestling promotion in New Zealand to hire him. Before he could make the trip to the United States, John was slain, and Cass would soon pick up the mantle where her late brother left off out of a responsibility to keep a promise she made to him. She swore she would make sure the name Baumer would be a prominent name in the world of wrestling across the globe as a way to make sure he would never be forgotten and she promised to do whatever it took to make it happen.
She used to watch wrestling on TV and on her computer almost constantly, following some of the bigger names from her couch. She loved the sport, but again, she didn't think she'd ever actually become a wrestler in her wildest dreams. It was right up there with being drafted for a major soccer team or being an actual news anchor on TV in the list of things that would probably never happen. When one promotion finally did a New Zealand tour and landed in her hometown, she offered her services as a backstage interviewer. She was accepted, and for a while, she worked as an independent wrestling journalist. She finally had a reason to go to where all the action was - the United States of America - and she gladly left her old life behind.
Since then, a legend of the sport took her aside and offered her lessons to defend herself. He is only known as V. This unlikely mentor grew into somewhat of a father figure to her, teaching her things that any normal trainer wouldn't have been able to teach. In time, the lessons grew more complicated, and she was starting to learn how to wrestle. That's when she vowed to pick up the torch dropped by her brother.
After her short, unsuccessful stint as a wrestler in #FSociety Wrestling, she decided to stick to what she knew as an interviewer for the time being. That is, until finally deciding to try one more time.
Using what she knew as a former journalist to get out of the shadows of obscurity, Cass pulled herself up by the bootstraps into becoming one of the most recognizable names in wrestling at the time from the beginning of 2017 to mid-2018 with limited talent under her belt. Put in matches against some of the best competitors in her federations at the time thanks to her mouth/tweets, she learned what it would take to defeat them, but it was clear her in-ring potential was far from reached at the time. She was complacent with her spot, gaining five high-profile championships but lost each of them in the first or second title defence.
At first, she disguised her lies as rumours, but it didn’t take too long at all for #BaumerReport to grow. Soon, Cass allowed anonymous sources to DM “rumours” they’ve heard and tweeted them out to the world with little oversight. Of course, some of the rumours were true, but most were instantiated lies used as weapons to hurt the people around her with the repeated mantra that all publicity was good publicity. #BaumerReport became infamous, but there were always those who enjoyed it - so long as those same people never became the victim of it themselves. Contrarily, some people even proclaimed they hadn’t made it until there was a #BaumerReport about them. It wouldn't be arrogant to acknowledge that the wide-reaching impact of the service when it was most popular was a moment that was unrivalled at the time.
It was a trend that Cass Baumer proudly called her own and all the while, the anger she garnered from all these people earned her more prominent spots in the wrestling world. Main events came, and posters were created with her face on them. People paid to see Cass Baumer get what she deserved. In the process, she managed to win five prominent championships within two years of the beginning of her career. She learned to fight the toughest, strongest, fastest opponents alive with her smarts, her creativity, and her durability.
In the end, though… All trends fade. People grew out of the #BaumerReport. It stopped becoming a commodity and started to become background noise. With it, Cass started to struggle. The matches she received were not nearly as prominent. She attempted to keep the brand alive, to keep herself relevant, but it was no use. Everyone moved on. And it was time Cass did the same after two straight years of superstardom success. She might not have won a world championship, but she did more than she ever thought she would have when she decided to move to America on a whim three years prior.
When the national hatred of journalists died down, and the #BaumerReport trend died, she needed to rely on her in-ring talent to get herself noticed with little success. Reluctantly, Cass Baumer decided to take her ball and go home. Despite everything, she was confident in the thought that nobody would forget the name Baumer any time soon and she was proven right when she returned in an After Dark ring against Jersey” Jim Luzzatto in a winning effort.
After five months of time spent back in Wellington, New Zealand, Cass knew she couldn’t let that be the end of her career. She couldn’t allow herself to work in a call centre for customer support forever. She grew an empire, became a household name with wrestling fans, and she didn’t want to be ordinary again. She wanted to reshape her entire legacy, and so she closed #BaumerReport for good to start from the bottom on her in-ring merit alone. She's intent on challenging herself in Yamashi Promotions and SCUM, even knowing this was the last place anyone expected her to be right now!
Taught by the deathmatch specialist V, and the ex-girlfriend of Yamashi Promotions' very own Ace Of DTW Josh Kennedy, Cass knows she has what it takes to be successful in this brand of wrestling, but it won't be an easy road.
HANDLER INFO
Handler Name: Mike
Twitter Account: @ HashtagBaumer
How did you hear about SCUM?: Yamashi Pro segments / Twitter
Any other OOC Info?: Nope!