In the introduction of the storyline, it was established that Mike Rotunda gained an inheritance, turned heel, and changed his name to, "Michael Wallstreet". Using the inheritance to build a financial empire, which included hiring Alexandra York (played by Terri Runnels) to be his manager and financial analyst, who also was computer-literate. Wallstreet and York used the money that they invested into technology and information to create a program that had data about every WCW wrestler and would help Wallstreet win matches.
Fast forward decades later, and a way that AI is revolutionizing wrestling training and performance today is analyzing match footage and providing personalized feedback. The York Foundation storyline was showing signs that it was ahead of its time from the very beginning.
Michael Wallstreet stopped working for WCW two months into the storyline, and Alexandra York gained a more central role, shifting it from being a storyline based around Wallstreet to one based around York. Within six months, she recruited Terrance Taylor, Richard Morton, and Thomas Rich into her new faction, the York Foundation. Prior to joining, all three of them were faces and wrestled under the shortened versions of their ring names ("Terry Taylor", "Ricky Morton", and, "Tommy Rich"). Mr. Hughes was a member of the foundation as a bodyguard for a short period of time as well. York was the manager and strategist of the faction, using computer analysis and statistical data to guide the members in their matches and feuds. With her laptop and its program being a key factor in the victories of the York Foundation, York was never seen without it.
This focus on data, numbers, and strategy was a unique concept in wrestling at the time. While other factions were based on themes like power, rebellion, or supernatural elements, the York Foundation stood out by utilizing an intellectual and analytical approach. They presented themselves as a well-organized, business-minded faction, using statistics to gain an advantage over their opponents. Before their matches, they would turn to the program on Alexandra York's laptop for advice.
Imagine, wrestlers who focus on targeting specific body parts based on their statistical analysis, attempting to manipulate weaknesses and maximize their chances of victory. The idea is fascinating and has a lot of potential, both in a fictional context and, to a degree today, in real-world application. Alexandra York and the York Foundation were created during the period that Ole Anderson was the head of WCW's booking committee.
The York Foundation storyline added a new dimension to the world of pro-wrestling, but it never achieved a high level of success. Terrance Taylor, Richard Morton, and Thomas Rich did become the last ever team to win the WCW World Six Man Tag Team Championship, a significant accomplishment, but the York Foundation never reached main event level.
In my opinion, it was because the storyline was considered by many fans to be too unrealistic to be taken seriously. Personal computers of the early 1990s were like very slow calculators that could show pictures and play simple sounds. You could watch a wrestling match on a video tape, and perhaps use the computer to slow it down or edit out parts. But the computer couldn't understand what was happening in the match. It couldn't see the moves, or tell you if someone was doing them correctly- you would have to figure that out yourself. It's like having a notebook to write down what you see, but the notebook can't read the match for you. So, the storyline took some creative liberties and exaggerated the technological ability of a computer of that period. If you were into technology, it was cool entertainment. However, if you only utilized technology out of necessity, it was unappealing. Little did everyone know that decades later, analytics and data would be frequently used in professional wrestling, as well as baseball, basketball, American football, and many other sports. In a way, the York Foundation's gimmick was showing us the future, their focus on numbers and strategy very forward-thinking. Sports teams and organizations now rely heavily on data analysis to improve performance, make strategic decisions, and gain a competitive edge.
The York Foundation was a unique concept that didn't find its audience in its era. Their focus on technology was very different from the standard wrestling gimmicks of the time, and perhaps most fans were not ready for the idea of a world where technology was nearly as powerful as what was being presented by Alexandra York and her foundation. However, the York Foundation's gimmick gave a preview of the increasing importance of analytics in sports, making them an intriguing case study in wrestling history. They were a faction ahead of their time, a hidden gem that deserves a closer look in the context of wrestling's evolving landscape. The York Foundation may have been lost in the shuffle of the early 90s wrestling scene, but their innovative approach deserves recognition.
What would a modern York Foundation look like? I explore a tech-driven, AI-led version of this classic faction here.
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