If you've been around the site long enough, you may have seen some references here and there to a Young Lioness Program. As of late, there's been some discussion of it both on the site and in the Discord, so I thought that it was about time someone wrote something down to establish the details, and what it means for the site and its characters. Consider this a hub for what information has been established about the Young Lioness Program and how to use it in your RPs.
What is the Young Lioness Program?
The first user to reference the program, to the best of my knowledge, was @kite2014 - but other users, myself included, saw potential in the idea and wanted to make use of it themselves. To sum things up, the Young Lionesses are trainee wrestlers, working under LAW and its gyms on their way to become full-fledged talent. The concept comes from the Young Lions, a system in New Japan Pro Wrestling in which novices signed to the promotion typically spend some time in development, with basic movesets and generic gear, and typically wrestling in pre-show dark (untelevised) matches with each other, or occasionally in matches with more experienced and established wrestlers (of which they typically lose) as a training exercise, until they work their way up to the main roster. Another comparable concept would be the WWE Performance Center and its developmental talent.
Can I make a character for it?
As of now, there are no rules or requirements for making a Young Lioness. The idea is that it's a lore detail that users can use as they wish - they could, for example, make a character whose backstory involves graduating from the Young Lioness Program, or a character who is currently in training with the program. These are simply tools to build stories with. For instance, a character who is a Young Lioness graduate might lend themselves to forming relationships with other graduates of the program (such as being rivals, teammates, friends, etc.), and a character currently in the program could be involved in training threads or might establish a more experienced main roster member as a mentor.
There have been ideas proposed incorporating the concept, such as Young Lioness-specific events or tournaments, or even developmental rosters. Further details may be locked down as time goes on. However, as it stands right now, there isn't enough relevant content on the site to justify this as a priority.
Any user can make a Young Lioness and play them as they wish - their profiles go in the same sections as any other character, and they can use any reference images and be involved in any matches one wants them to. Common sense still applies; if your character is in training, they probably shouldn't be winning all their matches and busting out complicated technical moves.
Every user has their own headcanons and personal interpretations of LAW and its universe, and the same goes for Young Lionesses. There is no hard and fast canon about the program or what it involves, and users are free to interpret it as they wish. These are some ideas proposed by users, based on previous discussions and on the actual Young Lion Program in NJPW, that may guide you if you wish to be involved, but are not set in stone:
- Young Lionesses might wear simple, generic outfits when they start in the program, and might earn the opportunity to customize their attire at a later date - for instance, for Meiyun and Sheila I currently use reference images of their faceclaims in black leotards, but I intend to start using unique outfits for them once they've been established for a while.
- Young Lionesses might use simpler moves while starting out, like basic strikes, grapples, holds, and throws, and might not have finishers or signature moves yet. A Young Lioness learning a new move could be tied to the progression of her storyline.
- Young Lionesses might be implied to primarily be wrestling other Young Lionesses, and these matches might not get as much attention as those on the main card from an in-universe perspective. Some users might choose to have these matches take place "off-screen;" others might play them out like any other match. Young Lionesses can wrestle main roster members, and this might be considered a privilege or a point of pride, depending on the character and the storyline. There is no rule against using a Young Lioness in a more high-profile match if it is justified in-story; for instance, Sheila Chihara participated in a TLC match because she had connections with a main roster member who could make it possible for her.
- Young Lionesses might participate in classes and training exercises, which might be coached by trainers or experienced wrestlers. Again, it is up to each user as to how much of this happens off-screen.
- Young Lionesses might be used as ring crew when they aren't wrestling, or might be used as background characters for other segments (for instance, a heel beating one up during a promo). These can be generic NPC trainees written into a post as background detail if one wishes, but user-controlled characters might be able to be used for this purpose with their user's permission.
- Young Lionesses might train under a more established wrestler as a mentor. If you wish to use a character played by another user for this purpose, you should check with them to obtain their permission first. It is also valid to have your character not have a mentor when you create them, but have them take one on at a later date.
- A Young Lioness might participate in a graduation match against their mentor or against a different opponent with their mentor judging, where after the match their mentor might decide if they are worthy of making it onto the main roster (not necessarily depending on if they win or lose).
- As part of their training, a Young Lioness might be sent on "excursions" to wrestle in other promotions or countries. Each user is welcome to handle this as they wish.
- Young Lionesses might be established to be staying at LAW-owned dormitories when not training or wrestling. They may have other Young Lionesses as roommates. Again, it is best to coordinate this with other users if applicable.
- A character might be demoted from the main roster to the Young Lioness program if they are inexperienced or have few wins, or if the management believes they could benefit from it. This is voluntary on the part of the user if that's the story they want to tell, and will not be enforced by the moderation.
- I have used the term "Young Lioness" thus far for ease of reference. However, it is fair game to create a male Young Lion and to use them (or Young Lionesses) in intergender matches.
I’d like to be involved in a Young Lioness storyline. What characters should I be aware of?
Below is a list of characters established to be either current or former Young Lionesses. As usual, it is recommended to approach a user to pitch any ideas you might have for stories, threads, or matches before you go through with them. You can also make a comment on this thread if you want to have a character open for involvement in such storylines, in case users with Young Lionesses are looking for characters to involve them with.
Current Young Lionesses:
See here
Current Young Lions:
See here
Young Lioness Graduates:
- Piper Sherwood
- Petra Nikolas
- Cinza Ferreira
- Sanae Saitou
- Thea Asters
- Niko Tomiji
- Isabella Williams
- Katarzyna Zawislak
- Astrid Ostberg
- Akira Koizumi
- Tiki Lowell
- Momoi Satsuki
- Amano Jaku
- Eleanor Gray
- Rita Brisefer
- Alizeh Midori
- Jonathan Steele
- William Ashworth
- Ryan "Fireball" Brown
- Antonia A. Aunt
- Tina Kelley
- Huan Lei Brightspring
- Reina Izara
- Jezebel Lucifer - willing to train with Young Lionesses
- Elena Vandersteen - willing to interview Young Lionesses
- Rita Princeton - willing to manage Young Lionesses
- Shiori Takeda - willing to be involved with management activities
Links to stuff I wish more people would read
Peace, Love, and Sexy Wrestling Roleplay Stories 
