INTRODUCTION

UNLEASHED (Chinese: 释放; pinyin: SHÌFÀNG) is a Chinese professional wrestling promotion based in Hong Kong. The promotion was founded in July, 2022 by Chinese tech billionaire Jonny Wò when he registered the trademark and held a small press release that didn’t receive much fanfare outside of Hong Kong. Over the following year he filled the company hierarchy with people who had experience running combat sports events and promotions, whether boxing, mma, or wrestling.

UNLEASHED events are aired monthly on the Huli-owned streaming service, ZANQU (Chinese: 战区; literal: Combat Zone). ZANQU is available worldwide on iOS, Apple TV, Android, Google TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Windows devices. Events are free to view for subscribers.

SIGNATURE CHARACTERS

JONNY WÒ

Jonny Wò (Chinese: 吴约翰·李; pinyin: Wò Yuēhàn·Lǐ; born 19 November 1970) is a Chinese business magnate, investor and philanthropist. He is the founder, Executive Chairman and CEO of Interlink China Co., Ltd. (Chinese: 互联中国; pinyin: Hùlián Zhōngguó), or Huli, as it’s branded internationally—a multinational technology company specializing in e-commerce, retail, cloud, internet, technology, AI research, and all-electric motor vehicles. Western media often refers to him as the Chinese Elon Musk due to his influence in the tech world and his penchant for over the top behavior and bravado. With an estimated net-worth of 46 billion USD, Wò is the third wealthiest person in China, as well as the 25th wealthiest person in the world, ranked by Bloomberg Billionaire Index.

Wò was born in Shanghai, China. His father, Wò Zhāng-Li owned several large lithium mining operations. Near the end of the 20th century the increase in demand for lithium-ion batteries for cellular devices and electric vehicles dramatically increased the value of the metal. Zhāng died in 1992, at which point Wò took over the company.

One year later he sold a controlling interest in the mining operation to Ganfeng for 1.6 billion USD and used the funds to start Huli. Its first venture was to deliver commercial and residential internet access to China, beating Chinese state-run enterprises China Unicom and China Telecommunications Corporation to market. In 1995, Wò launched Huli-HK, a Hong Kong subsidiary to bring the territory online. In 1997, Huli was the first Chinese company to connect to the newly launched subsea FLAG (Fibre-optic Link Around the Globe) network, connecting China and Hong Kong to the global internet.

From there Wò directed the company to pursue cloud-based storage and oversaw the building of the first of three massive data centers in Nantong. Today, the Tìdāo Wǎng Server Complex is the largest in Asia and counts the Chinese government and practically every major Chinese tech company as customers. Since its founding, Huli has bought hundreds of companies and expanded its portfolio across the tech landscape.

Wò is a well-known fan of combat sports, especially professional wrestling, and has often derided the fact that he had to travel to Japan or the United States to sit in person at ringside, as China has never been a major draw for the sport. His passion for professional wrestling is what inspired him to found UNLEASHED, though this may not be Wò’s first foray into combat sports, as it has been long rumored that he was an angel investor of the short-lived underground fighting tournament known only as The Circuit until its shutdown by INTERPOL in the early 2010s due to its ties to the Russian Mafia.

STAFF

SETTING

XANADU

Outside of Huli, Wò has invested significant money into real estate. In 2010 he purchased a majority stake in the Mandarin Hotel Group, a multinational hospitality and management company which operates 34 properties worldwide, reportedly out of revenge against Jeff Bezos who had booked the New York location’s Suite 5000 for three months straight (allegedly for his mistress), forcing Wò to slum it in the Presidential Suite during his vacation. Shortly thereafter, Wò rebranded the entire company as XANADU. The design of the hotels were updated to conjure the atmosphere of 1920’s/1930’s Shanghai with a modern flair.

The Mandarin Oriental HK was constructed in the 1960s on the site of the former Queen’s Building which itself was built in 1899. No more than 140 meters away, the British built the Supreme Court Building and a tunnel was constructed beneath the street to connect the two, allowing for quick, discrete travel between the two government buildings. The recently renovated tunnel now allows private transport of the wrestlers, on-air personalities, and VIP guests from the hotel to the Forbidden Door arena.

Xanadu provides wrestlers at no charge suites on a blocked off 20th floor. Reservations are made for three nights prior to the event and one night after. Guests are responsible for food, drink, and any damage incurred during their stay. For in-game purposes matches (except signage) both the interior and exterior of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel located at 5 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong.

THE FORBBIDEN DOOR

The Forbidden Door (Chinese:禁门; pinyin: Jìn Mén) in a multipurpose indoor arena in what was originally the Old Supreme Court Building in Hong Kong’s central district. It’s located one block away from Xanadu, at the real world location of the Court of Final Appeal, which serves as the exterior representation of The Forbidden Door. Wò purchased the building in 2019 after the Hong Kong government completed construction on a new location for its highest court.

After renovations to transform the court and halls into a large open auditorium, the HULI ARENA (as it was initially named) quickly attracted musicians, theatrical productions, and both mma and boxing promotions. Wò tried to attract Japanese professional wrestling companies to hold shows at Huli Arena, but Hong Kong and China were seen as dead markets for the sport.

When the idea of UNLEASHED came to Wò, Huli Arena was the perfect location, both by size and its proximity to Xanadu. He envisioned the company to cater to high-end clientele, who were willing to pay top dollar to sit within meters of the ring and witness the combatants express themselves through violence. In early 2023, the Huli Arena was dropped in favor of the more ominous FORBIDDEN DOOR. Tickets for events range from $500 USD to $2000 USD, with the most prized seats being the first two rows on the floor and the first row of the balcony.

Some may assume that catering only to the rich would lead to uninterested, pampered audiences for the televised events but the type of people who can afford to attend UNLEASHED events are raucous and blood-lusted. You won’t find a more committed audience (the majority of which understand English very well) who have been forced for years to watch pro wrestling on television.

The audience for UNLEASHED skews male (80%) with most of the females in attendance being guests of the men. Women tend to be more reserved, but there are always exceptions to the rule. There is no age restriction but it’s rare to see children in the seats, mostly due to the high ticket price.

Address: 8 Jackson Road, Central District, Hong Kong
Exterior Picture Base: Court of Final Appeal
Interior Picture Base: York Hall, London
Capacity: 1,200

FLOOR PLAN

The Forbidden Door has the same seating plan and ring layout as London’s York Hall. It takes inspiration from shows produced by Ring of Honor and REVPRO. Wrestlers enter the arena through one of two curtains in front of a single large LED screen. The small stage is outfitted with lights, lasers and fog machines, but safety restrictions disallow pyro or explosives of any kind. Four steps lead down from the stage to the aisle, which is only four feet wide, making it impossible for wrestlers to avoid the outstretched hands of the fans.

UNLEASHED uses a ceiling mount lighting rig similar to what you see in the Ring of Honor video, rather than a floor rigging surrounding the ring like REVPRO, allowing for better sightlines for both attendees and the camera crew.

The HARD CAMERA is positioned opposite the entrance from the south balcony. Multiple remote controlled cameras are mounted around the arena and two steadicam operators are always at ringside.

GAMBLING

Wò’s connections in both Hong Kong and Beijing gave him the leverage needed to receive approval by both governments and the Hong Kong Jockey Club (who hold a monopoly on legal sports betting) to operate onsite bookies. The Jockey Club sets the odds for matches and offers a wide range of proposition bets. Attendees can make wagers at kiosks in the lobby or at their seats using the dedicated mobile app. Individual betting between attendees is legal. It’s not a strange site to see wads of cash being passed back and forth between members of the audience after a match concludes.

ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE

Alcohol is sold on premises to those 18 and older. Drugs, however, are highly illegal in Hong Kong. Even CBD is considered on the same level of offense as heroin. Smoking, whether tobacco or otherwise, is illegal in indoor public places.

THE TRIAD

There is no known connection between Wò, UNLEASHED, and organized crime in Hong Kong. However, the Wo Shing Wo is the oldest Hong Kong triad and an operation such as UNLEASHED, ripe for exploitation, would not escape their interest.

RULES OF THE RING

DIVISIONS

UNLEASHED has two singles divisions based on weight. We do this because having separate divisions is more aligned with the sports-based product we are presenting. Each division has its own champion. These titles are considered equal both in character and out of character. The current weight classes are:

HEAVYWEIGHT: > 91 kg

LIGHTWEIGHT: ≤ 90 kg

Characters are able to move up or down weight classes if it is realistic given your character’s size and if the proper amount of roleplaying is done to explain the sudden shift. In the future we may add additional divisions if the roster requires it but there are no plans to do so at this time.

DRESS AND ATTIRE

Wrestlers are required to wrap and tape their hands in the open palm style utilized in other grappling sports, such as MMA. This protects the wrestler’s hands and makes it more difficult to cut an opponent’s face with strikes while still allowing them to grab and hold.

Wrestlers are not allowed to wear street shoes or boots in the ring. Footwear must be approved for the use of professional or amateur wrestling. In leu of shoes, wrestlers may go barefoot. Their feet and ankles are wrapped and taped similar to their hands.

Elbow, knee and kick pads are allowed, as are compression sleeves on elbows and knees. Kinesiology tape is also allowed. Braces are not permitted, even if medically necessary.

Male wrestlers are not allowed to wear any clothing on their upper body. Female wrestlers must wear form-fitting tops, with or without sleeves, such as but not limited to tights, rash guards and sports bras.

Both men and women are allowed to wear trunks, shorts or tights with no exposed zippers, Velcro or pockets.

Men may wear protective cups but are not required.

THE OLD WAYS

All matches in UNLEASHED are fought under THE OLD WAYS (Chinese: 老办法; pinyin: LǍO BÀNFǍ). Matches can only end under one of the following criteria: Pinfall, Submission, or Draw in the instance that both wrestlers are knocked out and fail to answer a ten count. Disqualifications are rare but are possible if a wrestler is caught being dishonorable. UNLEASHED isn’t a “hardcore” wrestling promotion in the Western sense. Matches are violent, but there is honor in the violence.

Below is a quick overview of UNLEASHED’s Old Ways. Violating any rule is considered dishonorable and will earn a warning from the official. What rules there are exist are there to promote competition, not protect wrestlers, otherwise every match would simply end with pulling someone’s eye out or repeatedly punching someone in the groin.

• Prior to the match beginning, the wrestlers must bow to one another, and then the official.
• Matches end via Pinfall, Submission, Draw or (rarely) Disqualification.
• Disqualifications are only applied when a wrestler is caught using a foreign object, causing harm to the official, or repeatedly ignoring the official’s instructions.
• No rope breaks.
• No count outs.
• No illegal attacks. No fish hooking, groin attacks, eye gouging, biting or direct throat strikes.
• Using the ring and fixtures around the ring as weapons is allowed and not considered dishonorable.
• No outside interference.
• No foreign objects.
• Do not harm the official and respect their commands at all times.
• Fighting outside the confines of a match is dishonorable and all participants may be subject to punishment, however as long as it takes place on Forbidden Door property, it’s not a violation of the morality clause in the wrestler’s contracts. However, any activity, including fighting, outside of the Forbidden Door, public or private, is a violation of the morality clause and all those involved are subject to termination.

REFEREES

The Official is responsible for enforcing The Old Ways. They have full discretion to maintain order in whatever way is necessary, but there is no replay. If the official doesn’t see it, they cannot call it. Purposefully attacking the official is considered dishonorable and is highly upsetting to the audience. There are no backup officials. If after recovering the official recalls who hit them, they have the authority to issue a disqualification. UNLEASHED Officials are not as easily manipulated as Western referees, however, as they are all highly trained in multiple forms of combat.

FOREIGN OBJECTS

Any fixtures at ringside—such as the ring itself, stairs or barricades—are in play and are acceptable to use to harm your opponent in standard matches. However, foreign objects are unsanctioned in standard matches and their use are considered dishonorable to the Old Ways.

UNLEASHED does occasionally run UNSANCTIONED matches, in which the rule against foreign objects is waived, allowing the use of anything and everything short of committing attempted murder. Furthermore, there are some match types that are more specific in what foreign objects are allowed. Unsanctioned Ladder Match, for example, allows the use of ladders as weapons, but would not allow a baseball bat.

CONTRACTS

UNLEASHED contracts are typically signed for a term between six months and a year and include a base salary which takes into account the athlete’s career, age and projected net return in profit. In addition to their base salary, winners are paid an additional win bonus based on their position on the card. There is also a bonus for Match of the Night as voted by fans online, and is determined by the match with the highest combined player scores awarded by the judges. Match of the Night bonus goes to all participants.

WIN BONUS: $16,000 HK (2,000 USD).
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: $78,100 HK ($10,00 USD)