Sheldon Goldberg on Wrestling

TAG CLASSIC Notes, Salute to Jim Kettner, Worcester Debut

2010-09-20T16:10:00.000-04:00

NECW's 2nd Annual TAG TEAM CLASSIC was a great event, in my not-so-humble opinion and really delivered a ton of action and excitement for the money.

The Logan Brothers made an auspicious return to NECW. "The Talent" T.J. Richter and Mr. Mini-Roe found themselves in the unexpected position of being the fan favoriotes in their opening round match with the G3 Network. The Red Devil Fight Team looked great in their journey to the finals for the 2nd time in a row. Even undercard teams like "H2O" Rayan Waters and Matt Magnum, stepped up their game to where they performed as well as any team in the tournament. Da Hoodz turned a lot of heads in winning the Classic, even if they didn't win the NECW Tag Team Championship at the end of the night.

The TAG TEAM CLASSIC is a great device to put the spotlight on tag team wrestling, which is often an afterthought on the independent scene. It's also interesting to see talent from outside the regular roster (a la another signature NECW event for singles competition, the IRON 8 Championship). It gives our fans something new and different on a card and that something promoters have done for decades to keep things fresh.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

What a lot of promoters will not admit is that the "tournament concept" was really the invention of the greatest independent promoter in American pro wrestling, the recently retired, Jim Kettner of the ECWA (East Coast Wrestling Association) who had been promoting shows since 1967. Jim's ECWA introduced the annual Super 8 Tournament, which became "THE" event of the year for independent wrestling. Kettner would bring in the top independent talent from around the country and put them in a one night, single elimination tournament. People would come from far and wide to see it, and it still gets coverage every year in the national wrestling magazines.

Jim Kettner also holds the distinction of being one the nicest and classiest men in our business. His retirement is a remider that nothing is forever, but the legacy of what he built will continue under new owenership. I personally learned a great deal from Jim - much of that from a distance - but if NECW is thought of as a promotion in the same league with Jim Kettner's ECWA, it's because I tried to follow much of his example.

I wish my friend Jim Kettner the very best and I will always be grateful for what he's given our business.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This Saturday night, NECW is presenting a very special event, making our debut in Worcester, MA at the Central Community YMCA. It's a benefit for TEAM FOX, which is the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

NECW Triple Crown Champion, "The Real Deal" Brandon Locke takes on former WWE Tag Team Champion and Worcester native, Kenny Doane (the former Kenny Dykstra), plus 2 more title matches and much more, including a huge raffle of great memorabilia donated by WWE and Florida Championship Wrestling, as well as gift cards from from some great local merchants.

There will be a special after party as well, where you can get up close and personal with the stars after the show.

Click on over to http://www.necwwrestling.com/ for all the details, including how to order tickets.

I expect a great crowd and a great night of action and I hope you will see fit to join us. These are the kinds of events where NECW often shines the brightest. I hope to see you in Worcester this Saturday night.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sheldon's DVD Picks:

If you were a fan of wrestling in the 80's, most likely you saw World Class Championship Wrestling out of Dallas, TX. WCCW and the Von Erichs revolutionized pro wrestling and took their company to dizzying heights only to suffer tragic fall after tragic fall. It's a fascinating story and one no true student of the business shouldn't study.

There are two great DVD's available on the subject. Heroes of World Class, produced and directed by Brian Harrison with the help of Kevin Von Erich priror to the sale of the World Class tape library to WWE, is a haunting and powerful epic. All the great angles and clips are here, along with very unique insights from Gary Hart, Skandar Akbar and others. The commercial edition is two discs and has some great extras on disc two.

WWE's version is called The Triumph & Tragedy of World Class Championship Wrestling. Equally powerful in its own way. The WWE version has comments from Michael Hayes, Jimmy Garvin and Buddy Roberts that Heroes lacks. This is also a 2 disc set, with disc 2 containing a lot of memorable matches from the early years, as well as the heyday of the Dallas promotion.

Much like WWE's Rise & Fall of ECW and the independentlky produced Forever Hardcore DVD's. Each one compliments the other and both are worth going out of your way to add to your library.

I can also highly recommend the auto biography of Gary Hart, which I beleive is out of print, but you may be lucky enough to get a copy on Amazon..com or eBay.

This is the best wrestling book I've ever read, bar none. Hart takes you through his life with keen insight and no stone left unturned.

Hart was the booker for much of the heyday of WCCW and his take on that period is even more detailed in the book than it is on either the Heroes of World Class or Triumph and Tragedy DVD's.

I can also recomend the Gary Hart Guest Booker DVD from http://www.kayfabecommentaries.com/, which contains even more great insight and historical perspective.

UFC 118 Leaves Much To Think About

2010-08-30T18:01:00.001-04:00

In case you didn't hear about it, UFC 118 and the UFC Fan Expo took over Boston this past weekend. When I say "took over Boston," I mean that quite literally.

It seemed that everywhere you looked in this city, UFC was there. From billboards and taxi tops, to media stories and coverage the likes of which would be the envy of any PR guy anywhere, UFC got coverage that was absolutely unprecedented. Hell, I was listening to the oldies station on my way to a radio remote last Thursday and even the DJ on the oldies station mentioned UFC. If you are a Bostonian and didn't know UFC was coming to Boston, you were either a) deaf, dumb and blind or b) deceased, so check your pulse.

Boston is home to some of the greatest franchises in professional sports. Between the Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots and Bruins, those entities suck up media coverage like a dry sponge sucks up a small puddle. UFC was given coverage akin to a major sports franchise in the playoffs or championship finals. It was fascinating to watch, purely from a media standpoint.

The event had such buzz that it attracted stars from the local sports community such as the Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady, the Celtics' Glen Davis, Shaquille O'Neal and many others. This was more than just a sporting event. This was a very big deal in this city.

The post-fight press conference was also fascinating to watch due to the make up of reporters and the level of questions. To me, it sounded like 2/3 of the media in attendance regularly cover UFC and asked the more sport-oriented questions. The other third sounded like the reporters with no connection to the sport, covering it purely as a media event.

For those of us in the pro wrestling business, what does it mean? What does the level of coverage say about UFC and what does it say about pro wrestling?

Obviously, UFC is a very hot ticket. While the Garden was not sold out, at a $600 top ticket, it was a very, very healthy gate. Combine that with tens of thousands who attended the Fan Expo at the Hynes Convention Center across town and you have an event that even made Pat Moscaritolo, the head of the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, sniff around the UFC like a dog to a brand new fire hydrant.

You could chalk this level of coverage up to first time curiosity, but the sheer magnitude of coverage says something else entirely. The locally based WCF (World Championship Fighting) run by long time Dana White friend Joe Cavello, had been drawing several thousand fans on a regular basis to the venerable Shriners' Auditorium in Wilmington for a couple of years now. It's clear that the area has a substantial MMA fan base. (By the way, let's be clear about terms. UFC is hot. MMA is a cult item. Some shows draw, but local MMA is like outlaw pro wrestling back in the territory days - hit or miss and mostly the latter.) WFC has had an association with UFC, so that has given them the aura of credibility other local MMA events don't
have a prayer of getting.

I have always maintained that a large element of the success of UFC is the failure of WWE/TNA to present a pro wrestling product with a greater aura of athletic credibility. I believe it is - to a large degree - an overreaction to lack of sports in "sports entertainment." By and large, people want to be able to suspend their disbelief and the more difficult that become, the less interested they are going to be.

The other issue I see is simply change. The world changes every day. Society changes. Trends change. No matter what your field of endeavor, you have to change with society in order to survive. UFC is one of the great brand names in sports now. They have done an incredible job of creating and defining a major league sport. Pro wrestling is still defined by one company and that company is resistant to change.

No one knows what the future will hold. UFC is here to stay and so is pro wrestling - whether its WWE, TNA or some independent brand. One thing is certain. Boston felt the world change this past weekend. How many others in our industry will get the full meaning of that change?

10 Years of New England Championship Wrestling

2010-07-30T18:11:00.000-04:00

On August 7 & 8, New England Championship Wrestling, the promotion I founded and currently operate with 3 fantastic partners and the help of numerous others, celebrates it's 10 year anniversary with a 2 night spectacular you can learn more about at http://www.necwwrestling.com/.

This post is not about hyping these events, although it may additionally serve that purpose. This post is about its title "10 Years of New England Championship Wrestling."

NECW has run consistent live events for a decade. It has produced weekly original television distributed via the Internet for more years than there has been a You Tube or a Hulu and was the first to do so. It is currently producing original weekly television that can be seen throughout New England on Comcast Video On Demand - another first in the industry.

On Saturday, August 12, 2000, I stood in front of a group of young men in a former arcade in Wethersfield, CT and told them, "This company is about making you guys the stars. I live and die with you guys."

At the time, that was a radical statement. The conventional wisdom at the time was that TV stars drew the fans, and if you didn't have those stars, you weren't going to make it. In fact, I remember after our 3rd event, which took place at the old Good Time Emporium in Somerville, MA, our then ring announcer sat me down, looked at me and said, "If you don't start booking the big names, you'll be out of business in six months."

Keeping that promise was not easy. It took years before people started to believe that "local wrestling" was a viable way to conduct business. It still isn't easy. But today, when I call the matches for TV and see young men and women who are bound together by a near irrational love of pro wrestling and the burning desire to make it in this profession, and the audiences, no matter how large or small, touched by their in-ring stuggles, I continue to be inspired and priviledged to have had a hand in making those dreams into reality.

The list of athletes that have benefitted from the stage NECW has provided over the years is a long and impressive one. Whether they worked for one night, a few months or a numerous years, all had a part to play in the history and legacy of New England Championship Wrestling. Whether they were local or made the trip to our area from across the U.S. or overseas, they sought NECW out because it provided that stage that gave them credibitlity and exposure.

Some of NECW's alumni include, John Cena, Beth Phoenix, Trinity, Doug Williams, Sumie Sakai, "Die Hard" Eddie Edwards, "Prince" Fergal Devitt, Nikki Roxx, Mercedes Martinez, Antonio Thomas, Rebecca Knox, Jonny Storm, Jody Fleisch, The All Knighters, and many, many, many more.

The local stories are often the most compelling. When NECW decided to seriously promote women's wrestling and created the Wordl Women's Wrestling brand, Nikki Roxx, tapped to be the company's first champion appeared in every major local newspaper on radio and TV, garnering more press than any other wrestler - male or female - in New England wrestling history. It was a springboard to a tryout in WWE and a run in TNA.

Speaking of women's wrestling, this Sunday the World Women's Wrestling brand returns with a very unique main event - WWW Champion, Mistress Belmont vs. Alexxis Neveah for the title in a steel cage. These two women have improved so much since they started with us to the point that they are two of the best women in pro wrestling bar none.

Next weekend, as we celebrate 10 years and embark on our second decade, I hope you will make it down and share this extraordinary promotion and experience with us. I can say with every confidence that New England Championship Wrestling takes a backseat to nothing and no one. It has absoultely made an impact on this sport we call professional wrestling. If you've followed us at all, come back and you'll remember why. If you've never been to NECW live before, come down and be a part of a very special event and a very special group of people.

Thanks for reading and thanks for your support.

Happy 4th of July! Random Thoughts on NECW, WWE, TNA, Lesnar/UFC, Heyman

2010-07-04T18:07:00.001-04:00

Hope everyone is having a great 4th of July weekend. We are overdue for an update and there's lots to cover, so let's get to it.

We are getting closer and closer to a huge milestone for New England Championship Wrestling - our 10th anniversary. We are cerebrating with a huge 3 night spectacular with a banquet on Friday, August 6, the main Bash 10 event on Saturday, August 7 and a combination World Women's Wrestling event and NECW TV taping on Saturday, August 8 at 1 PM. Everything takes place in Quincy. All the details, as well as a tremendous 3 event discount package, can be found at http://www.necwwrestling.com/.

If you are a wrestling fan, you really don't want to miss NECW live. We're back in Quincy this coming Saturday night and the action of late in the company is on a par with anything we have ever done.

If I have one frustration, it is that I believe NECW is the single most underrated wrestling promotion in the country. We made a choice to specialize in local wrestling. Maybe some people think that isn't sexy enough, but I would put this company up against anything out there and I believe those who haven't seen it would absolutely find it worth their time and money.

I am lucky that I get the best the seat in the house to call the matches for TV and home video and having watched wrestling for as long as I have, I can confidently say that if I weren't involved in putting this on, I would be following everything and buying tickets.

Not only do I think its great wrestling, its a great value too. With tickets normally well under $20, you can't go wrong, especially if you have a family and want to bring your kids out for a great night of action and fun.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I want to apologize to our fans in New England who had to wait until later in the week to see the latest episode of New England Championship Wrestling on Comcast On Demand. Comcast has technical issues on their end and the show did not get up correctly until Friday. The shows aired as scheduled online, and all previous shows are available on Vimeo.

If you have Comcast On Demand, live in New England, and aren't seeing NECW on your menu, or if there are technical issues with the show, please e-mail me directly at NECWOffice@aol.com, because I want to know.

I'd also like to hear your thoughts on our On Demand series. This is another innovation for NECW, as there has never been another original wrestling program made available in this way.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

WWE has been raising eyebrows with the NXT program and the rookie invasion dominating RAW. The company sees the need to elevate young stars and this is an ideal vehicle to do it.

Whatever criticisms I have read about the way the company has presented this, I applaud them for the effort and find a lot to be interested in.

Pro wrestling is a talent driven business. To keep people interested, stars have to be made. Talent needs to be developed and brought to the top of the roster effectively.

With MMA siphoning off some of the best young fighting talents, pro wrestling in general and WWE specifically, needs to address how to recruit top athletes and develop them. We are in an age when the territory system no longer exists and instead we have "developmental." I am happy to see that Jim Ross will be back involved in the developmental area, because of the top stars in the company today, Ross recruited most of them.

I want to see WWE, as well as TNA succeed. As someone in the business of professional wrestling, when the top players do well, that interest trickles down. What is good for WWE & TNA is good for NECW, ROH, etc.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

TNA has been struggling of late after the aborted move to Monday nights. There are rumors of Paul Heyman being courted to be the "savior" and frankly, pro wrestling needs a mind like Paul Heyman's actively working in it.

Heyman was in Brock Lesnar's training group at UFC 116 last night, and I happened to see a video interview with him. Heyman claimed his days in pro wrestling are over and that he's got a couple of book projects and other things going on in addition to his Heyman Hustle website.

Do I think Paul Heyman is done with pro wrestling? No. Do I think he'll be picked up by TNA? I would say that for Paul to jump in there, he would have to have a very lucrative deal, one where he would be able to execute his concepts fully. Control is a tough thing for any company to give up, so we'll see what happens. If anyone could make TNA more competitive, it would be Heyman.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Amazon Video Recommendation

Andy Kaufman's run in Memphis Wrestling was so far ahead of its time. "I'm From Hollywood" chronicles the story of Andy run vs. Jerry "The King" Lawler in a feud that changed pro wrestling forever.

This is a DVD you'll want to watch again and again. An absolute 5 star classic!

More thoughts later in the week!

P.W. Why?: Does Anyone Read Pro Wrestling Illustrated Anymore?

2010-06-07T16:25:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday, on my way to doing the Mouthpiece Wrestling Show, I stopped off at a Barnes & Noble to kill a little time and wait out a brief thunderstorm. As the skies opened up, I gravitated to the magazine section to see what, if any wrestling magazines were on sale.

A little over 10 years ago, there were at least a half dozen pro wrestling titles available on every major newsstand. Apart from the Pro Wrestling Illustrated family of magazines (PWI, The Wrestler, Inside Wrestling) you had WOW, the Starlog titles, Wrestling's Main Event and some others. Back in the 70's, titles like The Ring's Wrestling, The Big Book of Wrestling and Wrestling Revue populated local newsstands and were prized collectables of kids like me all around the country.

Today, you have WWE Magazine and PWI. That's it.

There are people who will tell you that these are changing times, that printed media is a dinosaur and how everyone gets their information from the Internet or TV. I won't argue that trend, but I look at newsstands today and I see just as many titles as I ever did. Most are glossier, many are thinner, but they are still there.

Back to Barnes & Noble last Thursday. Browsing through their huge selection of magazines, I saw the latest issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated - the "State of the Game" issue.

I flipped open to the article called "The State of Independent Wrestling." It talked about Ring of Honor (on national TV and touring around the country, so that's hardly an independent), DGUSA, Jersey All Pro Wrestling and something called EVOLVE. And that was it.

Ugh. It was as though wrestling did not exist beyond the NY, NJ, PA area.

I thought to myself, "How crappy is this? This is so not thorough. Why would anyone bother to read this?"

A couple of months ago, we got an e-mail asking us to send in pictures and profiles for the annual PWI 500, an issue where the top 500 wrestlers in the business are listed. Every promotion around the country PWI has an e-mail address for gets solicited for this and we're happy to send in names, photos and bio information.

But why does it stop there? Why is it that PWI has such a narrow focus? Is it a lack of resources?

Back in the territory days, promoters would pay to fly in a Bill Apter, who would take photos of the big shows, write stories about the top stars in a given territory and highlight certain talent. While WWE has its own magazine and doesn't need PWI to expose its talent, WWE still dominates PWI content as it should. But shouldn't there be more coverage or more avenues for coverage for the significant independent companies around the country?

Any wrestling fan can get all the latest news for free on any number of wrestling news sites. The internet has done more to usurp the importance of the newsstand wrestling magazine than anything else. PWI has allowed itself to be pretty irrelevant by not embracing the online world.

I think there is still a value to the newsstand wrestling magazine, but not if its going to focus only on a few companies.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Amazon DVD Deal

If you've never seen the 5 disc Wrestling Gold box set chock full of great 70's and 80's matches, you owe it to yourself to get this set.

10 hours of old school wrestling for less than $15? Yes inded. This is the best wrestling DVD bargain out there.

This DVD set is special because the bouts are presented with not only the original commentary, but also with a special alternate commentary track featuring Dave Meltzer and Jim Cornette, who give great background and stories about the matches and the territories and what was going on in the business at the time.

You owe to yourself to add this to your collection and the price is most definitely right.

IRON 8 Thoughts & more

2010-05-02T15:24:00.002-04:00

Last night's NECW event was a great night of action and entertainment in Somerset, MA for the 7th annual edition of the IRON 8 Championship. Fans were treated to a live performance by the great local band Tester, whose "King of the World" was the official song of the IRON 8. If you haven't checked this band out, they are pretty damned awesome and "King of the World" has hit written all over it - check it out at http://www.tester13.com.

Hats off to producer/director Bryan Nadeau for putting that together. NECW and the local music scene are a great fit, especially considering the media assets NECW brings to the table.

As for the wrestling end of the evening, it was a phenomenal card and kudos to every athlete who participated.

This year's IRON 8 was marked by several injuries prior to the event taking place, which caused numerous changes to the line up. There was a certain flavor missing this year, but when it came to bell to bell action and intrigue, this one was hard to beat.

Full results will be available soon on the NECW website, but congratulations to Handsome Johnny who won this year's tournament in dramatic fashion. The result leaves a lot of unanswered questions regarding The Handsome One and his protetge, "Sensational" Scott Levesque, but there is no question that Handsome Johnny elevated his game in NECW last night.

The night also featured a phenomenal Triple Crown Championship Match that saw "The Real Deal" Brandon Locke and NECW Television Champion, "The Heat" Kris Pyro take each other to the absolute limit in a match that I would consider an all time classic in NECW. While Pyro showed he has the goods to be a top dog by any measure, Locke is a superb athlete and in my no-so-humble opinion, the Triple Crown has elevated Locke to his peak as a performer. I watched this match and got that same vibe I would get watching a classing NWA World Title defense by Harley Race or Ric Flair.

When this one comes out on DVD, I would get it for that title match alone.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This summer New England Championship Wrestling will celebrate its 10th anniversary. In our business, that is a very significant milestone and plans are afoot to celebrate in a big way.

Stay tuned.

Mania/Holiday/Spring Thoughts, NECW in Carver, MA This Saturday, Mouthpiece Update and more

2010-04-05T15:26:00.003-04:00

I hope everyone had a great Easter or Passover, whichever you celebrate. It looks like spring is finally making itself present and that is a very good thing.

I watched WrestleMania at the home of super fan, fellow wrestling collector and NECW devotee, Jay DeChellis last weekend. Joe Matterazzo and I, along with another of the NECW faithful, Jerry Lane, enjoyed the PPV event, in particular the Undertaker-Michaels bout.

While I hate to see the industry lose a great talent, Shawn Michael's farewell speech on Raw was touching and hit the points perfectly. I hope Shawn keeps his word and stays out of the ring, unlike Ric Flair.

I am as big a Flair fan as anyone, but frankly, I think Flair really damaged his legacy with his return. And while I understand that financial necessity was involved, it is going to be hard for fans to take any wrestler's retirement seriously after Flair returned to the ring after last year's ultimate send off.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

New England Championship Wrestling comes to Carver High School in Carver, MA, which is on the way to Cape Cod, this coming Saturday night, April 10 at 7 PM. The event is called "A Fight for Alex" and for all you long time fans, it does not involve any real or imagined friend of Killer Karl Kox.

Alex is Alex Wawryzniak, a 3 1/2 year old child suffering from brain cancer. His grandfather is Bill "Buzz" Lopez, a former area wrestling manager who did a brieft stint with NECW doing interviews for our Internet TV show. Pro wrestling is very much "family" to those involved in it. And when one of our family is in a time of need, we respond.

I hope that if you are at all close to the area, you will see fit to join us that night for a great event and a great cause.

Head on over to http://www.NECWwrestling.com for all the details, including how to order tickets.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

There will be a major announcement concerning Thge Mouthpiece Fight Block, the three fight talk shows on Boston's 1510 the Zone, later this week.

We have a lot of loyal listeners who have followed the show no matter how many times we've changed time slots over the past 21 months, and I want to thank all of you profusely for your support.

This week, we will be live from our studios on Thursday night, April 8 at 7 PM EST, as we will be pre-empted from our now usual Saturday night slot due to Red Sox baseball.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

New England Championship Wrestling on Comcast On Demand continues to perform well both on TV and online.

This week's edition is an exceptional episode featuring a first-ever World Women's Wrestling Title vs. Hair Match, between champion Alexxis Neveah and challenger, Mistress Belmont, managed by Sean Gorman. If Belmont loses, BOTH she and Gorman lose their hair. It's a tremendous match up, and I can tell you that the next few weeks of New England Championship Wrestling are "must see" episodes.

Check it out at http://www.NECWwrestling.com

GENESIS 9, Mouthpiece Moving & Random Thoughts

2010-03-06T15:39:00.004-05:00

Last weekend's GENESIS 9 from New England Championship Wrestling was the first NECW event I have ever missed due to some kind of 48 hour virus. I thought I was going to need a trip to the emergency room at one point, but thankfully that was not the case and I am back to 100%.

I'm told the event was really terrific, and if you missed it, it will be available on DVD on March 20th both online and at all of our NECW live events.

The highlight of the night was the crowning, in very controversial fashion, of a new NECW Triple Crown Champion in "The Real Deal" Brandon Locke, dethroning Max Bauer, who held that title for a record 23 months. In this day and age, to hold a pro wrestling championship for that length of time is quite the achievement. Locke has all the tools to carry the ball splendidly. I don't expect Bauer to exit the title picture easily, as frankly he was robbed in Pembroke, MA. He knows the culprit and has a rematch clause to boot.

For all the results, visit http://www.necwwrestling.com/.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show, which I host along with Joe Matterazzo and Mike Johnson, has been doing a lot of moving around lately, due to some of the sports currently aired on the WWZN 1510 The Zone in Boston.

To be honest, I can't count how many times the show has changed time slots, but thanks to the miracle of podcasting, we have kept a loyal audience and the numbers in that regard have been healthy and steady.

The show is also part of a 3 hour "fight block" combined with a Mouthpiece MMA show and the original Mouthpiece show - the Mouthpiece Boxing Show, hosted by station GM, Anthony Pepe. The Fight Block, which was Pepe's concept, has been gaining steam this year and sponsor interest has been building.

In order to preserve the integrity of the 3 show block, we're moving to a more permanent time slot on Saturday nights from 9 PM to midnight, starting March 20th. Mouthpiece Wrestling will kick things off at 9, followed by MMA, then Boxing.

The best news is that there will be more of an opportunity to be live with the move. We will still be doing our monthly live shows from the world famous Golden Banana Gentlemen's Club on Route 1 in Peabody, MA and our next live show there will be this Thursday, March 11 starting at 7 PM. You are welcome, and in fact, encouraged, to come out in person and check us out live, along with the gorgeous dancers. Live from the Golden Banana is usually a wild night of radio, but even better experienced in person .

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

New England Championship Wrestling is into its 3rd month on Comcast On Demand in New England and is doing quite well so far. Numbers are encouraging, both in terms of viewership of the shows and live attendance. Fan feedback has been great.

There has been a lot of speculation as to why the shows are not airing on Comcast SportsNet as was the original intention. We did announce some technical problems with the first few episodes, but during that time, CSN informed us that they could not live up to the originally contracted Friday afternoon time slot for the term of the contract. Moving the show to the On Demand platform was a mutual decision made in the best interests of our company and our fans.

This is the first time a weekly pro wrestling show has been distributed in this manner and is another pioneering effort by NECW, similar to when NECW began offering weekly original wrestling programming via the Internet more than 5 years ago, long before there was a You Tube or a Hulu.

NECW is now available to roughly 2.2 million Comcast subscribers in portions of 5 of the 6 New England states. For those that are not Comcast subscribers, the shows are being made available online through our website, so pretty much anyone who wants to see it can see it in some way.

One of the hallmarks of NECW has been thinking outside the box and using new school devices to push the old school foundations of our product. Like all pioneering efforts, there are bumps in the road and fixes to be made along the way, but make no mistake about this, New England Championship Wrestling on Comcast On Demand has been a success so far and we are only scratching the surface of its potential.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Speaking of NECW on Comcast On Demand, I have been very impressed with some of the newer talent we have been featuring. Names like Vinnie Marseglia, Julian Starr, Biff Busick and Marco Mac, along with others may not be familiar to NECW fans, but these are kids who have brought a lot to the table, even in efforts where they didn't walk away with a "W."

There is a pretty healthy pool of wrestling talent in the area and all the more reason to watch every week.

I was sad to hear of the passing of the Poffo Family patriarch, Angelo Poffo the other day. Apparently, he had been ill for some time and my deepsent sympathies go out to his family and friends.

I met Angelo on a few occasions and he was always nice to me, thanks to our mutual friend, Phyllis Lee.

Poffo was famous for a lot of things in wrestling - other than his offspring Lanny Poffo and "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Poffo once set a record for most sit up performed by a human being at one time in 6,033. In fact, he would wear that number on the back of his ring attire in later years.

Poffo, when he managed his sons in later years, was known as 'The Miser" as he was also famous for being, shall we say, tight with a buck. Mr. Poffo did indeed live that gimmick, and it served him well in his later years.

Again, my deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

RIP Georgiann Makropoulos

2010-01-26T14:59:00.002-05:00

It's a sad day in pro wrestling as we mourn the loss of Georgiann Makropoulos, who passed away from a heart attack yesterday at the age of 67.

Prior to the advent of wrestling insider newsletters and the Internet, there were newsstand magazines and their were fan clubs set up for wrestlers by some of the more diehard fans. Georgiann Makropoulus was the queen of wrestling fan clubs, having been founder and president of the fan clubs for Buddy Rogers and, most notably, Bruno Sammartino.

She went on to write for numerous wrestling magazines and, later started her own newsletter, "The Wrestling Chatterbox" which continuously published until her passing. As the online medium developed, she wrote for Bob Ryder's 1wrestling.com, and later and most recently for Wrestling Collectables' wrestlingfigs.com web site.

Georgiann was freinds with many of the top stars in the business. She and Bruno Sammartino were as close as family. Anyone who met Georgiann was instantly struck by her kindness and willingness to befriend anyone who was a wrestling fan.

She was involved in the business from the late 50's and transcended eras, never losing her passion for pro wrestling, in spite of all the changes to it in this last generation. I first met her in the 70's here in Boston at the old Garden, but didn't really get to know her until I started publishing the Mat Marketplace newsletter in the early 90's. She was always ready to help with anything if asked.

While she was first and foremost a fan, she was known for brokering deals for wrestlers with both big and small promotions, and looking out for autograph signing opportunities for her friends. I don't know anyone who ever said anything negative about her, and that is a rare thing in such an ego intensive business.

Georgiann was truly one of a kind. Her passing is the true end of an era. The most apt statement was one I read from someone on Facebook, saying she was a treasure to our business that can never be replaced.

Post BIRTHDAY BASH 9 Shockwaves Continue as NECW Announces TV Deal

2009-08-23T17:14:00.003-04:00

It's been just over 2 weeks since NECW's 9th anniversary show, BIRTHDAY BASH 9: RAGE IN A CAGE and the announcement that NECW will premiere a weekly one-hour TV show on Comcast SportsNet New England starting in January 2010.

While the announcement and the huge implications of it dominates the public and not so public discourse on the event, let's not lose sight of the fact that it was one hell of a wrestling event in front of a great crowd.

The NECW roster was at its best, perhaps energized and inspired by the TV announcement. That announcement was kept secret from the roster and crew until a pre-show meeting at 5:30 PM that night.

The main event was a tremendous cage match between NECW Triple Crown Champion, "The Enforcer" Max Bauer and "The Golden Greek" Alex Arion, which saw Bauer retain the title in a thrilling battle with former Triple Crown Champion, D.C. Dillinger as the special guest referee.

Alexxis Nevaeh regained the World Women's Wrestling Championship over "The Portuguese Princess" Ariel in a match that can best be described as a clinic.

"The Heat" Kris Pyro defeated "Superstar" Ryan Matthews to become the new NECW Television Champion in a fantasic opening bout.

All the results can be found at www.necwwrestling.com.

But results only tell a portion of the story of this particular night.

Wrestling, like any other form of sports or entertainment, is a field of dreams and dreamers. Independent wrestling, in particular, is a place populated by those who have a dream to become stars. Some fulfill that dream in front of small crowds in armories and halls of all shapes and sizes and are content and satisfied that they journeyed the road less traveled. Others are intent on following that road to a bigger destination. And while everyone in our business dreams of being a star on TV, not everyone will make it.

The Quincy Armory at 5:30 PM EST on Saturday night, Auguest 8 was a collection of all types of dreams and all types of dreamers. There were some who have wrestled on Monday Night Raw. There were some who have wrestled in Japan, Mexico, Europe, Puerto Rico, Memphis, Louisville, Canada and on and on. There were some who perform at a stellar level, even though they've been told they aren't big enough, tall enough, jacked up enough, etc.

In introducing the video that was shot in the studios of Comcast SportsNet officially announcing our TV deal, I told them all that in 5 minues their lives were about to change. As the video played, I watched the faces change. Expressions that ranged from bug-eyed, jaw-dropped shock to childlike excitement to tears of joy from grown adults appeared before me. When the video ended, all were on their feet cheering.

I am used to people looking down at what New England Championship Wrestling is and does. I'd been told countless times that it was never going to survive, never going to work, never going to be anything other than a little operation than put on shows in front of a few hundred people. I never listened to any of them.

By 5:45 PM on Augsut 8, 2009, the roster, crew and staff of New England Championship Wrestling saw that they now had something everyone in our business hopes for and dreams of - a real chance.

This week's NECW TV, which you can watch by clicking here, shows how the announcement was made to the audience. What the clip doesn't accurately convey is the emotion of the fans. After the announcement was made and at intermission, I was literally mobbed by people who wanted to offer their congratulations. One fan told Joe Matterazzo that it was like they got a TV deal too, and they did.

Since that night, I've received literally hundreds of well-wishes from fans, family, friends and associates. I haven't been able to scratch the surface of responding to them all, but please know that mere vocabulary can't convey the depth of my gratitude.

The shockwaves have yet to settle down since August 8th. Naturally, there's been a boo bird or two, criticizing our announcement and predicting the same doom and gloom for NECW that's been predicted for much of the past 9 years. You'd think they'd get it by now.

The NECW team looks forward to the coming months as we build toward our television debut. I would not miss our next event - the 1st Annual NECW TAG TEAM CLASSIC - which takes place on Saturday night, September 19th. Go to www.NECWwrestling.com for tickets and info. You'll be hearing more as the weeks and months go forward.

Thank you again for your support.

Pre-BIRTHDAY BASH 9 Notes, Mouthpiece Milestone

2009-08-07T09:34:00.002-04:00

Wow, I can't believe it's been so long between posts!

It's been a very busy time here for all of us in New England Championship Wrestling, as we get set to celebrate our 9th anniversary this Saturday night in Quincy at the Armory.

Those of you who are regular fans get to see the great action and the great production and presentation. What you don't see is the greatest team in this end of the industry putting their hearts and souls into delivering these great events, DVD's and TV broadcasts. The real joy of promoting wrestling is not what I do myself, but the company that helps me to do it. Tomorrow night is their night and it will be a very special occasion for all of us.

9 years of promoting wrestling is a milestone for certain. When you come to NECW's BIRTHDAY BASH 9 tomorrow night, I promise you an event that will be talked about for some time to come. I look forward to seeing you there and thank you for your support.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Speaking of milestones, The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show is now in its second year on WWZN 1510 The Zone in Boston.

We are now on Saturday afternoons from 4 to 5 PM as the third hour in a three hour "fight block" with the Mouthpiece Boxing Show at 2 PM and the Mouthpiece MMA Show at 3 PM. If you are a fight fan, this is great listening.

I have had a blast with Joe Matterazzo and Mike Johnson hosting the shows and talking to so many great stars and personalities in the world of pro wrestling. Thankfully, fans have responded with over 20,000 podcast subscribers listening to the show in addition to over the air and Internet streaming listeners.

The move to Saturdays has forced us to pre-tape the shows, but very soon we'll be going live once a month, which will allow us to take phone calls and perhaps see some of you in person as we take the show on the road.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I'll have more at the end of the weekend with BASH 9 thoughts and big news.

R.I.P. Ted Tanabe

2009-06-15T19:24:00.003-04:00

I was deeply saddened to hear that Japanese pro wrestling referee, Ted Tanabe, died suddenly yesterday from a heart attack suffered during a show for Osaka Pro Wrestling. Tanabe was just 46 years old.

Tanabe may be best known to American fans as the referee for Michinoku Pro Wrestling who officiated the great 6 man tag match at ECW's first pay per view, Barely Legal in April 1997. I was closely involved in Michinoku appearing at that pay per view and had the chance to get to know Tanabe a little bit during that period of time.

My first time meeting Ted Tanabe was in February 1997, when Michinoku Pro Wrestling owner and star, The Great Sasuke, brought a group of wrestlers to Boston to appear on an ECW TV Taping and a Century Wrestling Alliance show (the late Tony Rumble's company and the pre-cursor of NWA New England) headlined by then WCW booker, Kevin Sullivan. A deal was going to be made on this trip for the Michinoku stars to appear on the Barley Legal PPV for ECW with myself playing middle man.

Tanabe was more than just a referee for Michinoku at that time. He was clearly the guy who kept track of the boys, most of whom were young stars equivalent to the upper end of their American counterparts on the independent scene.

Ted Tanabe looked something like a Japanese version of Lou Costello - jovial, and obviously a huge wrestling fan. When I met him, I was told he had promoted independent shows in Japan and was also a referee for FMW and Battlearts, as well as Michinoku.

When they were in Boston before, Tanabe expressed an interest in American wrestling magazines, buying up whatever he could find on the newsstands. I brought him a number of magazines I had, as well as some old programs.

When I saw him again in Phildadelphia just prior to the Barely Legal PPV, he produced a whole pile of things for me, including old Japanese magazines, posters, trading cards and other assorted goodies. I reciprocated with bag full of things I’d brought to give to him.

My favorite memory of Ted Tanabe would be at Boston's Logan Airport when the Michinoku crew were going back to Japan after the February trip. It was time to say goodbye and the young boys did not know whether to bow, shake hands or what. Ted looked at them, looked back at me and then threw his arms around mem gave me a hug and thanked me. All the others lined up and follwed suit, including the great veteran Gran Hamada.

My deepest sympathies to his family and friends. Ted Tanabe was a good man and a person who made an impact on the business he truly loved.

Post IRON 8 Notes, Dr. Death Steve Williams, RIP Mitsuhara Misawa

2009-06-14T18:28:00.004-04:00

So we are now just a little more than two weeks removed from NECW's 6th Annual IRON 8 Championship. I am still waiting for my feet to once again touch the ground.

The biggest and most important reason that I promote professional wrestling is that I am a fan. I flat out love this.

As a wrestling promotion, we believe that we know what it good and have a vision for how to present professional wrestling that suits our particular circumstance. To say that we have an old school mentality would be an apt description, although we have brought numerous innovations to our business that are absolutely "new school."

Whatever NECW (or any other company for that matter) does, it can never turn back the clock and make wrestling "like it was." The best we can do is to stand on tradition and build smartly on that foundation.

It was only fitting that we had Harley Race as our special guest this past Saturday night. No one epitomizes the values of "old school" like Harley Race, one of the greatest world champions ever and a true iron man in the annals of wrestling history.

The IRON 8 event was, in my not-so-humble opinion, the greatest NECW event ever presented. It struck the perfect balance of action, storytelling, comedy and drama. All the talent on the event did phenomenal work in front of an enthusiastic and appreciative audience - an audience that included Harley Race.

If you watch the current episode of NECW TV (click here to watch it), you will hear Harley Race himself praise the IRON 8 and its participants. He told us after the show that we were the best independent promotion he's ever seen. And folks, praise doesn't come higher than that.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This week's Mouthpiece Wrestling Show had "Dr. Death" Steve Williams as our special guest. The story of what Steve Willams has accomplished and the battle with throat cancer he endured and eventually won, is compelling radio to be sure.

I'm still waiting for the mp3 file, but when it is online it will be in our Mouthpiece Wrestling Show archive, that you can access by clicking here. All the past shows are online, and we've had some great ones.

Wrestlers Rescue is currently holding a raffle to raisde money for a hands-free voice box for "Dr. Death." Go to www.wrestlersrescue.org and buy some raffle tickets. You could win an autographed cowboy hat from WWE Hall of Famer, Jim Ross. I believe they also have a number of items for sale on eBay that you collectors may find interesting.

Wrestlers Rescue had a table at our IRON 8 event, and they have been invited to have a continued presence with NECW at our live events. I hope to be able to do more with this very worthy organization in the future.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mitsuhara Misawa died tragically in the ring yesterday in Hiroshima, Japan. He was just shy of his 47th birthday.

Misawa was truly one of the greatest stars in the history of pro wrestling, and it's a shame that American fans did not get to see more of this gifted athlete.

Misawa, who made his fame in All Japan Pro Wrestling after becoming a national amateur champion in high school, was President of Pro Wrestling NOAH, the company that continued the traditions of classic All Japan after the death of All Japan founder Shohei "Giant" Baba.

I never had the opportunity to meet Misawa, but former NECW star "Die Hard" Eddie Edwards, who toured for NOAH, always spoke of him with great reverence. If you followed his matches, particularly in the 90's, his talent spoke for itself.

The fact that the death was so public makes this tragedy even more monumental. My condolences to the family and friends of Mitsuhara Misawa, the staff and talent roster of Pro Wrestling NOAH and the legion of fans who loved this incomparable talent.

This Year's IRON 8: A Can't Miss Night of Professional Wrestling

2009-05-21T16:13:00.004-04:00

On Saturday night, May 30th, NECW will present the 6th Annual IRON 8 Championship, an event that has a lot of personal meaning for me. The event takes place in the hallowed halls of the Armory in Quincy, and I fully expect that this year's IRON 8 will be a landmark event for New England Championship Wrestling.

The IRON 8 has become a defining event for NECW - a signature of the company. That's because it is that rare occurance in professional wrestling - an original twist on an overused idea.

Years ago, Jim Kettner's East Coast Wrestling Association in Delaware created an event called the Super 8. It was an 8 man elimination tournament featuring the best talent on the independent circuit. It became the Super Bowl of independent wrestling - the one event everyone in the industry, at least on this level, looked up to as a "state of the art" event. In fact, the Super 8 was such a success that the 8 man elimination tournament became somewhat of an independent wrestling cliche.

In 2003, I was looking for something that would become the "Super 8" of NECW - an event that was unique to the promotion and to the wrestling scene here in New England. That year, in August, on NECW's 3rd Anniversary, NECW booker and former WWE announcer, Kevin Kelly, came up with a rather unique main event. It was Maverick Wild, then the NECW Heavyweight Champion, defending the title in a 4 way, 45 minute Iron Man match against, not one, but the three top contenders for his title - "Brutal" Bob Evans, "The Golden Greek" Alex Arion and Antonio "The Promise" Thomas. The match was an all time classic in NECW history and such a compelling athletic display, that the bell immediately went off in my head, that this kind of match could be the culmination of a tournament and exactly the kind of signature event I had been searching for. Thus, the IRON 8 was born.

The first two years of the tournament saw the IRON 8 held as a two consecutive night event. While the first year had a tremendous field, including British stars, Doug Williams (currently in TNA) and Paul Tyrrell (a terrific worker from England, who gets nowhere near the pub he should), the two night format spread the audience out and took away from the effectiveness of the event.

In 2006, after the merger of NECW & PWF, the IRON 8 became a one night event and really came into it's own. The audiences have grown steadily for the IRON 8, to where last year's tournament was the most successful in the series.

The IRON 8 is described as "the ultimate test of skill, stamina and strategy." It consists of an opening round where the 8 competitors face off in a series of single matches. The winners earn the right to proceed to the second round, which is the IRON 8 final - a 4 way, 45 minute iron man match with the man scoring the most pinfalls or submissions in 45 minutes becoming that year's IRON 8 Champion. To win, you have to have the ability to wrestle for an hour over the two matches. It is presented more like an athletic event and, in fact, the IRON 8 is the true showcase of how great the talent is in New England. While not all competitors are local each year, this year, everyone is either currently local or has had local ties, such as Kenny Doane, who grew up in Worcester before siging with WWE. Kenny was also a former 2 time PWF Tag Team Champion as well.

This year, the winner will receive the trophy from the legendary 8 time former NWA World Heavyweight Champion, WWE & WCW Hall of Famer, Harley Race. Race is a true iron man of pro wrestling. One of the game's greatest athletes in his prime, Race wrestled 60 minute matches against the best talent in the world on a nightly basis, so who would understand the challenge of the IRON 8 better than Harley Race?

Kenny Doane, Antonio Thomas, Slyck Wagner Brown, "The Heat" Kris Pyro, "The Real Deal" Brandon Locke, Maverick Wild, "The Natural" Scott Osbourne and Davey Loomis are this year's entrants. Athletically, this is one of the best fields ever in an IRON 8. It will be a night that futher establishes the fact that New England talent does not have to take a back seat to any other part of the country. It is also a tribute to the business that Harley Race did so proud - the business of professional wrestling, not sports entertainment.

We also have an additonal feature match on the card - a special mixed tag team grudge match, pitting NECW Triple Crown Champion, "The Enforcer" Max Bauer and Alexxis Nevaeh against "The Golden Greek" Alex Arion and Mistress Belmont, with Sean Gorman in their corner. Each one of these individuals is a great talent. Max Bauer has become the most popular champion in the history of the promotion, a title once held by his arch nemesis and opponent in this match, Alex Arion. Alexxis Nevaeh and Mistress Belmont have both blossomed as talents since coming into the NECW/World Women's Wrestling fold. These are two teams with some deep personal issues between them. Add manager, Sean Gorman to the mix and the question becomes not whether this situation is going to explode, but how fast and how big.

Whenever we do anything here in NECW, I always ask myself one question: "Honestly, would you buy a ticket to see this?" If I can't answer yes, something is very wrong. Not only is the answer yes in this case, but if I were just a fan, I would be the first in line to get a ticket to the IRON 8 this year.

We are blessed with a fantastic crew of athletes, ring crew and creative staff who have poured their hearts into this event on Saturday night, May 30th. Let's face it, pro wrestling is not exactly what you'd call an honored or respected profession in the minds of the general public. The IRON 8 is one night where everyone involved undeniable earns respect.

If you are at all accessible to the area, please join us for this extraordinary event. We have a live radio broadcast that will be taking place prior to the IRON 8 event from 4 to 6 PM on WWZN, 1510 The Zone, as a special 2 hour edition of The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show, so you'll want to be there early to meet Harley Race and to see a truly great night of professional wrestling.

For tickets and information, visit www.NECWwrestling.com. Thank you for reading this. Thank you for your support. I look forward to seeing you there.

Integrity, New Mouthpiece Wrestling Radio Time, IRON 8 & More

2009-05-05T21:47:00.002-04:00

Pro wrestling has never been considering a hallowed ground for good citizenship and exemplary behavior. In fact, quite the opposite. The carny mentality the was the very foundation of what became the art of professional wrestling often bred the kind of chicanery and skullduggery that have become the stuff of legend amongst those of us who study the history of this business.

But history teaches another lesson too and one that is often overlooked.

Some of the greatest promoters of all time had one common trait - intergrity. In this world of showmen, conmen, hucksters, tricksters, scammers and the like, there were men who carried themselves with class and dignity. Men like the late Sam Munchnik and Paul Boesch, whose word and handshake were as good as a stone tablet engraving. These were men who were above the idea of cheating their boys, their colleagues or their customers. They were men who earned the respect of their communities and were revered figures in their respective territories.

Too many times, I see small time "promoters" delight in the idea of screwing someone. Our business is too public and too transparent to get away with that kind of thing for very long, if at all. Those who embrace that standard of behavior are generally doomed to be undone by it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show moved to a new day and time this past week. Last Wednesday's show with Jim Cornette, was our last live broadcast in the 5 to 6 PM Wednesday time slot on WWZN Boston 151o The Zone.

Last Wednesday's show was repeated in the show's new time slot, Saturday afternoons from 4 to 5 PM. The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show is the 3rd hour of a new 3 hour "fight block" on the station, with The Mouthpiece Boxing Show at 2 PM and Mouthpiece MMA at 3 PM. Our shows will be pre-taped, except for rare occassions, but I am excited about the 3 hour block, which was our general manager's original concept.

This Saturday we'll have former WWE star, Kenny Doane, the former Kenny Dykstra and Kenny of The Spirit Squad, whs is also participating in this year's NECW IRON 8 Championship on 5/30 in Quincy. This should be a great interview, as Kenny has a very interesting story to tell.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Speaking of the IRON 8, we announced about 2 weeks back that 8 time former NWA World Champion and WWE & WCW Hall of Famer, Harley Race, would be on hand to present the trophy to this year's IRON 8 winner. Who better than Harley Race, one of wrestling's true iron men, to be on hand for this unique event.

Check out all the details at www.NECWwrestling.com.

Catching Up: MARCH BADNESS Notes, WrestleMania 25 Thoughts & more!

2009-04-06T17:30:00.003-04:00

With so much going on in Goldberg-land, I've barely had time to think, let alone blog. One thing about promoting wrestling, there is always something to do and always something left undone.

Last night's WrestleMania was a good show with a phenomenal Undertaker-Michaels match that ranks among the greatest WrestleMania matches of all time. When you realize that those two men are probably double the average age of the rest of the WWE roster, it makes their level of excellence that much more amazing.

I have a lot to say about the Chris Jericho-Legends-Mickey Rourke segment. This was a huge letdown on a lot of levels. Roddy Piper and Jimmy Snuka should not have been in the ring. It was sad to see two great stars portrayed as washed up has-beens. Ricky Steamboat made an excellent accounting of himself, and looking back, it would have been better if it was just Steamboat, with Flair in his corner, vs. Jericho. Mickey Rourke brought nothing to this. There was no build up for him, no emotional investment. I've heard the term "SportsCenter moment" with regard to Rourke's appearance. The time could have been used better on something else.

I'll have more on the subject this week on The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show, Wednesday at 5 PM EST on WWZN Boston, 1510 The Zone. We'll be recapping the show, getting your thoughts and opinions and getting some first hand reports from folks who were there for the WWE events, as well as some of the other wrestling events taking place in Houston that weekend.

NECW's MARCH BADNESS (yeah I know Roy Jones Jr. ripped that name off from us, as we have used it for years) is in the books and was another great night of action in front of another great crowd in Quincy, MA.

NECW has been doing great business of late, which I attribute to a number of different factors - great booking and creative effort, great talent and great promotion and marketing would be a few of the reasons. I think the current economy plays a role too, as NECW is a far more affordable option than mainstream major league franchise sports and is a more family friendly option as well.

MARCH BADNESS saw the return of Sean Gorman, shockingly aligning himself with "The Golden Greek" Alex Arion. There are also new tag team champions in NECW, as The Crown Jewels, you should pardon the expression, upended PRIDE to take the titles.

Antonio Thomas had a great match with NECW Triple Crown Champion, Max Bauer, and if it were not for the interference of Alex Arion, that title could have changed hands as well.

By the way, I think the Bauer-Arion bout at GENESIS 8 was in the same league as anything on this year's WrestleMania. I am looking forward to the rematch between those two taking place at NECW's SPRING BREAKDOWN on Saturday night, April 18 in Quincy at the Armory.

All the results are up at the newly redesigned NECW website - www.NECWwrestling.com. We've gotten a lot of positive feedback on the new site, which was the brainchild of Brian Wilkins. This is a project that took a long time to implement, but the results are outstanding and there will be more features added in the coming weeks.

I'll more thoughts later this week.

GENESIS 8 Thoughts, Dan Severn, Gagne Tragedy & more

2009-02-26T00:21:00.003-05:00

I don't think my feet have quite touched the ground yet from this past weekend's GENESIS 8 event in Quincy, MA. A sold-out, standing room only crowd witnessed one of the greatest NECW events ever presented in the near 9 year history of the promotion.

My humble thanks to all those who made it down to the Armory in Quincy, MA for the event. For those who did not, a DVD will be released as soon as we can get it together.

The main event bout between NECW Triple Crown Champion, "The Enforcer"Max Bauer and "The Golden Greek" Alex Arion was the best NECW title match ever presented. Both men were phenomenal, giving all time career performances. As the "net marks" say, this was a "match of the year" candidate, a ***** match and all that other stuff. The fans in attendance were riveted to the action, and it was a privilege to sit ringside and call the match live.

And yes folks, if you missed it, this event will be released on DVD in the near future.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Today's Mouthpiece Wrestling Show featured UFC Hall of Famer and former NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Dan "The Beast" Severn. This is was one of the most fun interviews we've done. Tim O'Connor from the new Mouthpiece MMA Show on 1510 The Zone joined us as we discussed both pro wrestling and MMA with Severn.

This show was a blast and Severn was a phenomenal guest. Check it out by clicking here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The heartbreaking story of Verne Gagne and his attack on an elderly roommate, who later died, is a real tragedy.

Verne Gagne was a true wrestling auteur - promoter, producer, businessman, elite athlete, trainer and top star - who made an indelible impact on pro wrestling. He was a man of class and generosity and I will always fondly remember my conversations with him at some of the Cauliflower Alley Club events from years back.

Verne Gagne does not deserve to leave this world without the dignity of his mental faculties. My heart goes out to his family and friends.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

NECW will begin to offer its fans the ability to charge tickets by phone for upcoming events. We're pleased to be able to offer this convenience and hope it is taken advantage of. In addition to producing great events at reasonable prices, we want to make the experience of getting a ticket in advance easier.

By the way, at Saturday night's GENESIS 8, we sold a record number of advance tickets for the March 21 event. Once again, thanks to all who have supported us.

Weekend Words: Super Bowl Thoughts, Fairplay, NECW TV, T.J. Richter, Another Funzie Onezie & more

2009-01-31T16:03:00.004-05:00

Super Bowl weekend is here, and while I am not what you would call a big football fan, one can't help but get caught up in the hoopla. Of course, here in New England, a Pats-less Super Bowl means a lot less local media buzz than otherwise. As for a prediction, I like Cinderella stories and the Cardinals are the closest thing to it this year.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

If you missed Wednesday's Mouthpiece Wrestling Show with reality TV star and former TNA star, Jonny Fairplay, I urge you to give that a listen, as it was one of our best shows. Fairplay, who was once Roddy Piper's personal assistant, brings a whole lot of insight to this interview.

Before this aired, I heard from a lot of people how they didn't like him and what a poor choice for a guest. Well, I guess we're leaving bootprints on a lot of backsides, because this was really good.

You can check it out in the Mouthpiece Wrestling archive, as well as any of our previous shows, by clicking here.

By the way, according to today's stats, The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show now boasts over 15,000 podcast subscribers. That would be in addition to those listening on the radio station live or on the live stream. Those numbers are pretty impressive to me.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Also impressive is this week's NECW TV. It features a great fatal four way match featuring "The Talent" T.J. Richter, "The Natural" Scott Osbourne, "The Heat" Kris Pyro and Makoto. While these types of matches can often turn into train wrecks, this was a great action-packed bout with some interesting developments after the bell.

In addition, there is some great footage of the benefit event we were part of with the Lowell Devils hockey team, including a chat with former WWE star, Christopher Nowinski, whose Sports Legacy Group received a portion of the proceeds. Chris is an eloquent speaker and a compelling advocate for concussion research.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"The Talent" T.J. Richter is often derided by fans, and perhaps deservedly so, as he is (as Jim Ross would say) a true antagonist. Recently, I read a message board post from a local low level promoter, who dumped on Richter, claiming he wasn't properly trained, etc. While I take this with a grain of salt, as the source is a wannabe competitor who can't draw in the same league as NECW, even with "big names," I want to go on record as saying that the nickname "The Talent" indeed apt in this case. You may not care for his personality, and much of that is by design, but I have never seen Richter have a bad match and he has been a key contributor to NECW and prior to that, PWF.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In one of my previous blogs, I spoke in depth about "funzie-onezies" - individuals with no experience in the business of pro wrestling who decide to become promoters, because they have deluded themselves into thinking that just because you watch wrestling, are a big fan, and read the Internet or subscribe to the Observer or Torch, that you can rent a ring, a building, get a bunch of guys together and be a wrestling promoter.

Well, I guess you CAN do that, but it never works. Apologies if I sound like a broken record, but this is a highly skilled profession, and if you truly respect pro wrestling, you will endeavor to start from the bottom and pay your dues, and in the process learn exactly what it is you are trying to do. I have seen so many of these individuals with good intentions lose large sums of money and damage the business they purport to love, simply because they found out the hard way that you can buy people's services, you can rent equipment and you can call yourself a wrestling promoter, but experience, expertise and respect have to be earned.

To the fledgling "promoter," who actually wrote to me for advice, let me answer you publicly right here: You are in over your head and you should have walked away after your first cancellation. You don't have the background or experience to do this the right way. Save yourself the pain, blues and agony you are certain to endure otherwise. You say this is your dream. Dreams are for sleeping. Wake up and get a clue.

Late Night Musings

2009-01-27T02:14:00.003-05:00

It's almost 2:30 am, still wound up from a meeting of the NECW ownership. I wish I could tell you all about that, but what happens in North Providence, stays in North Providence.

I'm sorry I missed the Royal Rumble on PPV Sunday, as I was here at home working on segments for the next edition of NECW TV, which should be up on line within the next day or so. The Rumble was always one of my favorite WWE events, and the reports I read made it sound like this was a pretty darn good one. Hopefully, someone I know taped it for my later consumption.

I'm looking forward to Jonny Fairplay appearing on The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show this Wednesday. He's a pretty interesting character with a lot to say on the subject of pro wrestling.

Last week's show with Mickey Grant was a way too short hour, and I will be setting a return visit with the former World Class TV director soon. Check out his great documentary on the life of Gentleman Chris Adams at http://www.gentlemanschoice.tv/. This is one of the best wrestling documentaries out there and I highly recommend it. You can watch it online for an $8 fee, or buy the DVD.

NECW's next event is a big one in GENESIS 8. This is one worth going out of your way to see, with a big double main event, featuring Bauer and Arion for the Triple Crown and a huge tag title match with PRIDE defending against ECW Originals, The Blue Meanie and Mikey Whipwreck, who will be making his final New England appearance before hanging up his boots for good. That alone is a newsworthy event and worth going out of your way to see. I will write more on that subject at a later date. Head on over to http://www.necwwrestling.com/ and grab tickets now as we expect a great crowd on hand for this one.

I find it really interesting how Vince McMahon has done a complete 180 degree turn on the movie "The Wrestler." All reports were that McMahon hated the film and didn't even want it advertised on WWE programming. But ever since Mickey Rourke won the Golden Globe for Best Actor and received an Oscar nomination, WWE is not only on the Wrestler bandwagon, but Mickey Rourke is now appearing at WrestleMania. Speaking of which, if you haven't seen the movie, do so. It is a great, great film.

Enough for now, I'll have more soon.

The Devils Made Us Do It!

2009-01-21T23:29:00.004-05:00

Some of the stars of NECW, specifically Max Bauer, Handsome Johnny and Sammi Lane, joined me and Joe Matterazzo, Matt and Kyle Storm and J.P. Griffin at the Lowell Devils game vs. the Springfield Falcons at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, MA this past Monday for an autograph session during the game.

A portion of the proceeds of Monday's game went to former WWE star, Christopher Nowinski's Sports Legacy Group, which promotes research and education on the sports concussion crisis. Chris, who was forced to retire from pro wrestling due to post-concussion syndrome, has become the leading voice for change in all sports regarding the issue of concussions and head injuries. I have a lot of personal admiration for Chris, who is championing a very important cause. If you love wrestling, or any other sport, and you love and respect the athletes who participate, you should be supporting the Sports Legacy Institute. Check out www.sportslegacy.org for more information.

The Devils organization really welcomed us, as well as the Tsongas Arena staff. We had a lot of autograph traffic during the game and it was great to meet all the fans in Lowell.

I am proud to say that the NECW talent, most of whom had never done a "meet and greet" event quite like this, all represented the promotion and themselves perfectly. This was a unique opportunity for these young stars to experience the concept of being more than just a local wrestler, but a local sports figure as well.

Mike Harold of the Lowell Devils contacted me months back about participating and helping to promote the event. Mike is a first-class guy and there was not a moment's hesitation on our part in terms of getting involved. I applaud the Devils as a sports franshise for standing behind this great cause and it was an honor to be associated with all the great people involved, including the Devils mascot, The Devil Dawg. The Devils, who are an AHL team, are a great take in for a hockey fan and an affordable experience for families. Check out www.lowelldevilshockey.com for more info on the Devils and to purchase tickets. We look forward to working with the Devils again in the future.

You will see footage from last Monday's event on the next NECW TV, and that will be a must-see episode.

"The Wrestler" Thoughts

2009-01-02T23:17:00.003-05:00

I finally had the chance to see "The Wrestler" this week. I really have to separate my feelings about the movie into two distinct categories: How I liked it as a movie and how I liked it as someone in the wrestling business.

As a movie, and ultimately that's how it should be judged, it is a brilliant film, well written, well directed, perfectly detailed and brilliantly performed, particularly by Mickey Rourke. In fact, if Rourke does not win the Oscar for Best Actor, everyone in the wrestling community should serve up a beating to the Academy voters.

The parallells between Rourke's Randy "The Ram" Robinson's character and Cassidy, the stripper he is attracted to, are interesting and compelling. Both are "workers" in different ways. And while Randy copes better with the love he gets from wrestling and being Randy The Ram, Cassidy walks the fine line of peforming to seek the approval of her audience, while looking to retreat to the "real world" outside the strip club.

Both professions have a profound effect on their participants. And while I could give you a dissertation on how and why, I will spare you the psycho-babble and leave it by saying that there is real truth in that aspect of the movie.

Mickey Rourke truly becomes "one of the boys." It is a performance that simply surpasses brilliant. He is everything that underside of 80's pro wrestling is about. It is no wonder that Roddy Piper cried after seeing the film. I saw a lot of old friends in that performance myself who are no longer here to share this with.

"The Wrestler" is an absolute must-see movie and a brilliant piece of film making.

That said, my reaction as a wrestling promoter was a bit different.

There is a great big bundle of truth in much of what "The Wrestler" portrays as the world of independent wrestling. As someone who tries hard to elevate the independent wrestling promotion to the level of being a family-friendly, mainstream acceptable endeavor, I cringed at the thought that people might think all independent wrestling is like this.

I questioned the inclusion of certain things in the movie. For instance, and Mick Foley pointed this out as well, you would never see someone openly peddling drugs in a locker room. Outside, maybe. In a car, maybe. But in the locker room, where everyone is around and eyes and ears pry? Never.

I also found fault with the hardcore stuff. If you've been around wrestling long enough, especially 80's veterans, the vast majority want to do less in a match and not more. It would have been more realistic if Randy had to be talked into the match, maybe demanding more pay, then suffering the heart attack as a consequence.

I can forgive those things as plot devices and chalk them up to dramatic license. But geez, I watched and said to myself, this isn't going to make our jobs promoting wrestling any easier. I can understand why Vince McMahon hated it for that reason.

It almost made me want to do a movie called 'The Promoter."

Myself, Matt West and Kellan Thomas all of NECW were listed in the credits of the movie, along with many others in the wrestling community that helped the producers with the film. My good friend, Evan Ginzburg has been involved with this project for 6 years and to see him get an Associate Producer credit and to see how well the movie turned out made me feel good for him and everyone else involved.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It is 2009, and I wish you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous New year. 2008 was a tough one for a lot of people, and I am hoping 2009 is a brighter one for all.

Holiday Thoughts & Wishes

2008-12-22T00:01:00.004-05:00

It's time to bring the best out in our nature and wish each other happy holidays and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

2008 was not the easiest of years and with a faltering economy and uncertainty in the lives of most Americans, the season comes with a dark cloud over many whose jobs and ways of life may be in jeapordized by conditions they have no control over.

This holiday season, I wish you the happiness of being here to enjoy the season, the blessing of loved ones to share it with and the gift of good health to continue this wonderful journey we call life.

I look forward to a great 2009 and look forward to sharing it with you.

Happy holidays!

R.I.P. Steve Bradley, POWER OF LOVE Thoughts & More

2008-12-16T00:11:00.004-05:00

There is not much I can add about the tragic death of Steve Bradley. There are things that happen in life that are not fair and this was one of them. I thought we had a nice tribute to him on The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show two weeks ago. I hope people will remember the positives that Steve brought to this world and our business and not the downsides.

I got a rather annoying message from an "anonymous" individual who felt that such a tribute coming from me was "pathetic." Any heat Steve Bradley and I ever had was squashed years ago. In fact, one of the last conversations I had with him was after the rather ugly split with a former booker. Steve called me to say how sorry he was that it had happened, how this individual was wrong and that he planned his little escapde deliberately and for quite some time. Steve also told me that I shouldn't give up on the business and that it needed me. I appreciated that phone call on a lot of levels and his words meant a lot to me at the time.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Saturday night's NECW POWER OF LOVE event at the Billerica Memorial High School was a very gratifying night, being a benefit for Toys for Tots.

While the crowd numbers were a disappointment, those who were there were vocal and enthusiastic. The action more than held up its end of the bargain with some real standout matches. Complete results are up at www.NECWwrestling.com.

I am looking forward to making this an annual event. With a little more lead time next year and perhaps moving the show earlier to avoid the crunch of the holiday season, we should get significantly better numbers.

Even still, Saturday night's event managed to fill 4 huge bins full of toys for needy kids and I'm especially proud to say that the NECW stars and staff pitched in big time, not just by their work on Saturday night, but by bringing so many unsolicited donations of toys that the NECW crew filled one whole bin by themselves.

I believe that it's important for our company to involve itself in worthy community causes. It is the responsibility of every athlete and entertainer to display the positive personal traits of doing good deeds and charitable acts. What a blessing it is to have a roster full of young talent that so eagerly took the chance to do something so worthy.

The staff at the high school and the United States Marine Corps Reservers who run the Toys for Tots program were great to work with and all enjoyed their first taste of NECW action up close. Some new fans were made Saturday night, and I would be remiss not to thank our many Quincy regulars who made the drive to Billerica to support this event.

Thank you all and happy holidays!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show, that I host every Friday on Boston's 1510 The Zone, is taking a bit of a holiday break. We will be returning on a new day and time - Wednesday afternoons from 5 to 6 PM EST - starting January 7th. The show has been such a great experience for me and I look forward to bringing you more great guests and more great talk on pro wrestling in the new year!

Thanksgiving Weekend DOUBLE INTENSITY Preview

2008-11-26T20:14:00.005-05:00

I am really excited for this weekend's DOUBLE INTENSITY events. Years back, Thanksgiving night used to be one of the biggest nights of the year for pro wrestling. Many of the great territories had special Thanksgiving night shows, and especially in cities that didn't have a lot of major league sports in those days, they always drew well.

So here in NECW, we are experimenting with something that I would like to see become an annual tradition - the Thanksgiving weekend 2 night spectacular - NECW and World Women's Wrestling back to back on consecutive days.

Saturday night's NECW show should be a hot one with a six man tag on top, the tag team championship gauntlet match, a WWW title match, a mixed tag and much more. Sunday's WWW event, with Malia Hosaka challening the winner of Saturday night's championship match between Ariel and Taeler Hendrix should be an excellent bout. I look forward to welcoming Malia back to our company as she is a great asset to any company fortunate enough to employ her services. The WWW shows have been known for being fun and unpredictable, and if you haven't experienced one, make sure you get down to Quincy this weekend.

Another important aspect of this weekend's events is the price. You can buy a 2 night VIP front row ticket that includes a free WWW T-shirt for just $35. If you're just interested in general admission, we have a 2 night package for just $22. That's $22 for both shows. I do not anticipate our company raising ticket prices in the next year, as we extremely conscious of being affordable to families with children, which makes up the bulk of our business.

I hope to see you in Quincy this weekend.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

If you haven't checked out the 4th anniversary episode of NECW TV, it's available by clicking here. I thought it was a great episode with a mix of old clips and good build up to this weekend's shows.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This Friday on The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show, it's a special on women's wrestling in honor of the return of World Women's Wrestling to live action. We'll have the current WWW Champion, "The Portuguese Princess" Ariel in the studio, joined by Dave Prazak of Shimmer who will be on the phone. Joe Materazzo co-hosts this week and Mike Johnson of http://www.pwinsider.com/ will have all the top stories of the week.

We'll also have another 3 question Trivia Challenge. Be the first to answer all 3 questions correctly and you'll win a big prize package from JR's Family BBQ and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross, plus DOUBLE INTENSITY Tickets and the NECW or WWW DVD of your choice.

Join us Friday from 6 to 7 PM EST on Boston's 1510 The Zone or http://www.1510thezone.com/.

Thoughts on Lexxus, Pro Wrestling & The Economy, NECW - The Best NE Promotion? and NECW TV Celebrates 4 Years

2008-11-23T23:03:00.005-05:00

As my schedule lightens up this week, I finally have a chance to catch up on things like this blog.

The big news from Friday's Mouthpiece Wrestling Show, which you can listen to if you missed it by clicking here, is that NECW/WWW star Lexxus will be changing her ring name due to a threatened legal action by Toyota Motor Corporation. Toyota consider the ring name "Lexxus" an infringemment of their Lexus automobile brand. I'll be posting the story here on this blog for you to read, but collectively, NECW and the wrestler currently known as Lexxus, have to just take this situation in stride. As I said in the story we released, this is actually more of a compliment to us than anything else.

Oh, and just one of the reasons NECW is the top promotion in New England is that no other local company received such a letter from Toyota's law firm. That alone should tell you how a multi-national conglomerate views things from the outside. More on this later in this post.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Two weeks ago on The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show, we scratched the surface of a discussion of pro wrestling and how the current economy will affect it. We've already seen roster cuts at WWE after a recent stoockholder's report citing a 37% decrease in revenue for the company. I have heard of numerous promotions around the country citing major drops in business.

So exactly how bad is it going to get for pro wrestling? Is there a silver lining to the dark cloud that is our nation's current economic condition?

During the Great Depression, pro wrestling more than held its own for the most part. Historically, during down times, sports and entertainment tend to suffer the least.

Today, however, the world has changed. Where local pro sports franchises used to thrive off the average fan and a family trade in decades past, today pro sports tickets are largely consumed by corporate and well-to-do clients. The average working person tends to be frozen out of that end of the marketplace.

Pro wrestling was always at the lower end of the spectrum of pro sports and entertainment ticket prices. However, with today's high arena costs, even WWE and TNA are charging relatively high prices for house show tickets.

Also, society has changed. Today, more families see both parents holding jobs. People are busier. Entertainment options are far more plentiful, and many of those options, like DVD movies, cable TV and the Internet, are consumed at home.

In short, people are far more selective about their entertainment choices than they ever were before, simply because there is so much more to choose from. Boston, in particular, has far more entertainment and leisure options than most cities.

Do I think pro wrestling is going to be hurt by the current economy? To some extent, yes. We have seen a big drop in PPV buys for WWE, and that may well be because there are too many PPV's and fans are just picking and choosing the ones they will go out of their way to spend money on. The same thing applies to house shows. TNA did record business when they brought a PPV event to the Tsongas Arnea in Lowell, MA. But a regular house show a few months later, died at the gate.

A company like NECW operates on a different philosophy. Regular, low priced events, with quality content and good continuity have kept our business relatively strong. I see the future of independent wrestling as one with future potential for solid operators like NECW. I don't think the rash of newcomers to promoting in this area have any chance at all to succeed. They just aren't going to be able to do a better job than anyone currently in the area using the same talent pool.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A couple of weeks ago, I was reading an article recently in a leading wrestling publication which shall remain nameless that claimed that a certain CT based promoter was the best promotion on the independent scene based on the fact that he bases his shows around big names and generally draws big crowds.

To say that this individual is the best independent promoter in the country is buying Fool's Gold. Don't get me wrong. This guy is great at what he does. I give him props for running that particular business model successfully.

But dig a little deeper and put what he does in perspective. He draws houses based on name talents that were built by major promotions. Most of his shows are fundraisers and the local sponsor is responsible for selling the tickets. In very few instances does he run a town regularly. His shows have no storyline content. You are paying to see the stars and the local guys are just filler. Let me be clear, there is nothing wrong with this, and the man does an excellent job doing what he does.

But it's not a wrestling promotion. It's just putting on shows. If you took the stars away, he'd be done.

On the other hand, NECW has never used big names to draw. The company runs consistently with top notch show production, is storyline based, produces weekly TV and draws respectably month after month after month. No company in this area gets local talent over to where they are legitimate draws than NECW.

Are we perfect? No. There are downsides to our way of doing business. But if you look at what NECW produces and the effect it has clearly had on the local scene, it's hard not to give us props as the true leader in the area. But hey, that's just my opinion!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This coming week, probably Tuesday, will see the posting of the 4th anniversary edition of NECW TV. Four years and nearly 150 episodes of television distributed worldwide via the Internet is a pretty impressive achievement.

NECW TV was a true pioneering effort. The first long form wrestling show produced specifically for the Internet, it currently gets between 23,000 and 30,000 views per week worldwide.

The shows have matured to where it is a consistently solid product and the best showcase possible for our talent. It's a real source of pride for us and it has been a real priviledge to be able to have shared so many great matches and moments with fans all over the world. We are very grateful for your support of this great experiment we call NECW TV.

One day, people will look back at what we did and realize how far ahead of its time it was. NECW TV was here before YouTube and iTunes.

Thanks for watching... and listening... and reading!

Random Thoughts & Considered Opinions

2008-11-15T00:37:00.004-05:00

It's been quite a while between blogs, as my other work in the trade show industry has kept me super busy this month. Lots of early starts and long days, but the worst is over and I am looking forward to getting caught up with life.

There's a lot of territory to cover, so let's dig in:

I thought this year's TOXIC WALTZ was the best one of the three that have been presented under the post-merger NECW banner. "The Golden Greek" Alex Arion took home a controversial victory in the TOXIC WALTZ match, which is in my not-so-humble opinion, one of the most unique events in pro wrestling and a real asset to NECW.

The talent depth in the promotion is currently outstanding. Max Bauer is doing a fine job as NECW Triple Crown Champion. Ditto for Handsome Johnny as Television Champion. PRIDE's current domination of the tag team division is a reminder that great tag team wrestling is alive and well in NECW. The champs had a great match at the TOXIC WALTZ with NY's Team Zero.

The TOXIC WALTZ DVD will be worth getting for the commentary of myself and Joe Matterazzo, particularly where it involves the antics of one Pat "The Brat" Piper. Let's just say we found out what a Scotsman wears under his kilt and the commentary was a challenge from that point on.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The DOUBLE INTENSITY Thanksgiving Weekend Spectacular is something not to be missed. We have a great card of NECW action in store on Saturday night, November 29 at the Armory in Quincy, and the return of World Women's Wrestling the following afternoon in the same venue with a special 5 PM bell time.

Triple W comes to Quincy for the first time ever and I am excited to see that product presented with the full NECW level of production. The Triple W shows always drew a loyal following and I am really looking forward to seeing both the fans and the stars. I have missed Triple W and I can assure you that we are going to have a great event on Sunday, November 30.

We have 2 great combo packages for the weekend shows which you can only get online at http://www.necwwrestling.com/ and http://www.worldwomenswrestling.com/. We have a VIP package, which included front row tickets for BOTH shows, plus a free WWW T-shirt for $35 and a 2 night general admission combo for just $22.

Given the current state of our nation's economy, now more than ever, NECW is conscious of giving our fans the greatest value possible for your dollar. We pride ourselves on being affordable family entertainment. I do not foresee any price increases on our part in the near future.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Some time ago I wrote about these one-off "funzie-onezie" promotions that seem to be cropping up in the area.

The most recent of these - and I won't dignify which one by revealing its name - is a particularly sad story. The "promoter" is actually a long time fan of NECW who is, as he put it, "living his dream."

The reason it is a sad story is that this individual has no idea that he is dead before he starts. He does not know that the talent are laughing at him behind his back. He does not fully understand the scope of what he's getting into, and when he finally does, he will understand that he was totally naive with his plans, a ton of money will be lost and he will wake up from that "dream" with a very different view of things.

There are no shortcuts in pro wrestling. It is a highly skilled profession. It amazes me that someone would be so dumb as to think you can just walk off the street with no experience in the business of pro wrestling and be a successful promoter. Can you walk into hospital without a single days worth of medical school and perform surgery? I don't care how long you've been a fan. That is no substitute from actually working in this business and paying your dues.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I am pleased to be involved a couple of very important charity projects in the months to come:

Saturday, December 13, NECW & WWW will present a benefit event with 100% of the proceeds going to the Toys for Tots program, which is run by the United States Marine Corps. The show will take place at the Billerica High School with a 7 PM bell time, and we'll have more info next week on this.

Monday, January 19, which is Martin Luther King Day, we will be supporting former WWE star Christopher Nowinski and his Sports Legacy Institute at the Lowell Devils hockey game at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell. Game time is 2 PM. Your admission gets you a free autographed picture or photo op with Chris. I will be there along with some of the NECW crew signing autographs as well. We'll have more details on the NECW web site this coming week.

Thoughts On PWI's Female 50

2008-10-05T21:11:00.009-04:00

Pro Wrestling Illustrated's latest newsstand issue features a first time ever listing of the 50 top female wrestlers. A companion to the magazine's annual PWI 500 featuring the top 500 wrestlers in the industry, it's an interesting list that merits some discussion.

NECW has never actively participated in the PWI 500, more due to the amount of work involved in compiling photos, bios, etc. in the format the magazine wants. I am also not a big believer in the importance of the list. In a perfect world, we would have the staffing to do more outreach to a newsstand magazine like PWI, but in balancing all we do with our company, it's just not possible.

I also think PWI should do a better job of developing coverage of the major independent companies, but that's another story for another post.

The PWI Female 50 is an interesting list because it contains a number of stars who have worked for NECW and World Women's Wrestling and a few whose careers were significantly impacted by our company. It's also a list that gives equal weight to women on the independent circuit, as well as those who work for the national promotions. Here in the list in total:

1. Awesome Kong 2. Beth Phoenix 3. Gail Kim 4. Mickie James 5. MsChif 6. Sarah Del Ray 7. Roxxi Laveaux 8. Melina 9. Michelle McCool 10. Candice Michelle 11. Mercedes Martinez 12. Victoria 13. Taylor Wilde 14. ODB 15. Daizee Haze 16. Angelina Love 17. Jacqueline 18. April Hunter 19. Natalya 20. Sumie Sakai 21. Allison Danger 22. Traci Brooks 23. Velvet Sky 24. Sarah Stock 25. Moose Knuckles 26. Katie Lea Burchill 27. Cherry 28. Cheerleader Melissa (a.k.a. Raisha Saeed) 29. Maria Kanellis 30. Amber O’Neal 31. Lexie Fyfe 32. Kelly Kelly 33. Cindy Rogers 34. Jillian Hall 35. Malia Hosaka 36. Christie Ricci 37. Becky Bayless 38. Alere Little Feather 39. Layla El 40. Kelly Couture 41. Jaime D (a.k.a. Sirelda) 42. Christy Hemme 43. Milena Roucka 44. Annie Social 45. Lufisto 46. Rhaka Khan 47. Danyah 48. Jennifer Blake 49. Daffney 50. Portia Perez

Beth Phoenix comes in at number 2. Beth had a few appearances with NECW before she hit it big, and even then was impressive and a pleasure to work with. She carried former TNA & ECW star Trinity to a very good match in what was Trinity's first singles match. That took place in NECW and is available on the NECW Home Video release GATEWAY TO GREATNESS. Beth worked extremely hard to get her spot and deserves every bit of the success she's achieved.

Roxxi Laveaux, the former Nikki Roxx, came in at number 7 - a high ranking and ahead of some some pretty notable names. I can't say it's not deserved in this case. The former NECW Women's Champion and World Women's Wrestling Champion proved to be a potent attraction when given the right portrayal, a good push and the opportunity to shine. How far she goes on the national stage depends on how well she can play the politics.

Mercedes Martinez came in at #11, ahead of former WWE Women's Champion, Victoria among others. The PWI bio correctly states that Mercedes got her first break in NECW, and for quite some time, she was the most popular attraction on the roster (much to the chagrin of the booker at the time). Martinez started with NECW in its first year. From the moment she went through the curtain at Good Time Emporium that first time, it was obvious she was something special. The challenge was getting her good opponents and keeping her in a place where she could show off her abilities effectively.

Mercedes suffered in NECW from a clash with the booker at the time. This individual hated women's wrestling and would always run down Martinez behind her back. I would try and bring the two together, but sometimes that's just not possible. I would end up booking the women's matches myself most times, as I know they were effective and often bright spots on the cards. A funny story about this period is that one time we had the legendary Les Thatcher in to one of our shows. He was here because the booker, who also had and still has a wrestling school, brought him in for a seminar that weekend. Thatcher sees the show, which had a pretty fair amount of the booker's students on the card, and who does he tell me is the best worker in the promotion? You guessed it. Mercedes Martinez.

Martinez branched out from NECW/WWW, in large part because of her work in our company and my recommendations to other promoters. I have not seen her recent work, but my take on her is that she is a super talent who needs to evolve. The best and most successful workers try to adapt to the marketplace and improve on their look and their style. The minute you start thinking that you don't need to learn anything new or reassess your look, you will be left behind. Martinez should be in TNA and I hope she gets a shot there.

April Hunter had a couple of brief runs in NECW in the early years of the company. I can't say that we are the best of friends or that we send each other Christmas cards. April Hunter is a unique case in pro wrestling. She broke in as an NWO girl in WCW, saw an opportunity for a career in pro wrestling and then trained to actually work in the ring. She came up here to Killer Kowalski's School in 2000, I believe. She worked hard at it, and did perhaps the best job of self-marketing any independent worker has ever done.

I read the she retired from wrestling earlier this year due to accumulated injuries (she'll still work as a manager), and I felt bad when I read that. My take on April is that she rushed into the ring before really knowing how to work and more importantly how to protect herself. She had a tremendously marketable look and she got herself booked worldwide, which is no small feat. However, if she had learned to master other aspects of the game, such as promos and psychology, she could have lasted longer and perhaps had more success.

Sumie Sakai clocked in at #20 and I was surprised to see her on the list, let alone in that position. This is not due to her ability, but due to the fact that I haven't seen her in many match results this past year. I believe she is living in the Atlanta area now. I took Sumie under my wing when she first arrived in the U.S. She had her first match in America in NECW against Mercedes Martinez and she was actually the inspiration for World Women's Wrestling. Her arrival in the area and how she was promoted here upon that arrival had a profound effect on me and on the promotion. She hasn't been back to the area in quite awhile and she is missed.

Cindy Rogers ranked 33rd. Cindy is a great worker, but another case of someone who has not evolved. In the right situation and with the right presentation, she'd be a draw.

Malia Hosaka is way underrated at #35. She may be the best female wrestler on the continent. A consummate pro who can go with anyone, Malia should not only be on national television, but she should be schooling girls on what pro wrestling is all about. She is a terrific person to boot.

Alere Little Feather at #38 has been plagued by injuries lately, but she can be effective when booked properly and with an opponent who can bring the best out of her.

Portia Perez rounds out the list at #50 and I have a ton of respect for this great young talent. She has shown the ambition to travel anywhere to get more experience as a wrestler and that means a lot to me as a promoter. There is no substitute for desire and Portia has it in spades.

The fact that the PWI Female 50 exists is due in large part to the efforts of one Dave Prazak, promoter of SHIMMER. His promotion of women's wrestling was the precursor to, and most likely the inspiration for, TNA's women's division and if you look at their roster, it is no coincidence that so many have worked for his promotion.

There are some serious omissions from the PWI list, which is why I don't put much stock in it. The fact that "The Portuguese Princess" Ariel and Lexxus are absent from the list, hurts its credibility with me.

Still it's nice to see women's wrestling getting its due as something other than a fetish interest. And for those of you who have continued to ask about when our own World Women's Wrestling will return, we hope to have an answer for you within the next few weeks.

Jim Ross: Class Act

2008-10-04T01:19:00.004-04:00

We had Jim Ross on The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show today (Well technically yesterday, as it's past midnight) and it was great visit with one of the true class acts in a business that is notorious for not having a big supply of such. You can listen to the show at this link.

One of the things we touched on during the interview is that this is a guy who has had more than his share of challenging days at the office so to speak. Between suffering with Bell's Palsy and the strong personalities and egos that go with territory in pro wrestling, Ross never failed to hold his head up and deliver his best - a best which was consistently better than anyone elses.

Whenever I felt overwhelmed or under appreciated in or out of wrestling, I thought about Jim Ross and how his passion for his profession and his desire to be the best overcame any obstacle he faced - physical or otherwise.

There is a huge lesson there for anyone in any walk of life. But particularly for you young wrestlers and those who aspire to be part of the business is some way, the lesson is that it doesn't matter what the role is or what you think of the circumstances, persevere and commit yourself to being the best you can be.

Thank you Jim Ross, a true main event human being!

AUTUMN UNLEASHED Notes

2008-09-22T23:22:00.003-04:00

Saturday night's AUTUMN UNLEASHED event at the Armory in Quincy was a great outing for NECW. We had a terrific crowd on hand to witness one of our best cards of the year.

There is a full report online now at www.NECWwrestling.com, but here are a few of my notes:

We had three stars visiting from Australia in Ryan Eagles, Madison Eagles and Jessie McKay. All three made a tremendous showing for themselves and you'll be seeing their matches in upcoming episodes of NECW TV.

The triple threat tag team title match was excellent. The champions, PRIDE, showed why they are one of the most durable teams in New England wrestling history. In fact, Freitas and Nunes are textbook examples of how a good tag team can create a value for themselves that is greater than the sum of their parts. They are a great centerpiece to the tag team division, which is heating up big time with Team Nightmare and The Crown Jewels doing some tremendous work.

Pat's Pit was an eventful segment that ended up with Sean Gorman losing an impromptu "Loser Leaves NECW" match to Pat Piper. Gorman is gone for no less than 90 days, which made the Quincy fans happy. I would not count on Gorman being gone for good however. The wily "Manager of Champions" is sure to use his "time off" to plan and scheme his way back into the thick of things in NECW.

I have been really enjoying the feud between NECW Television Champion, Handsome Johnny and former titleholder, "The Real Deal" Brandon Locke. Their matches have been outstanding and it will be almost sad to see one eventually prevail over the other. Handsome & Locke write what could be the final chapter of their epic at THE TOXIC WALTZ on November 1 in a rematch with no time limit.

Makoto is becoming a great attraction for NECW. The masked man from the Orient adds a little exotic flavor with both his ring attire and his action-oriented style.

The women's tag match was very well executed and the fans really responded to this one. (They responded to everything really. Just a great crowd.)

The main event was a memorable one to say the least. The Alex Arion turn came out of nowhere and the hush that came over the crowd was amazing when Arion struck Max Bauer with the Triple Crown title belt the first time.

I really enjoyed coming out at intermission and meeting our fans. It gives me a chance to thank people personally for their support of our promotion. I have always been a big believer in "the personal touch." In this day and age, people have almost unlimited choices for their entertainment. I am always honored and grateful that they chose our event on that night, and it is never lost on me that their patronage is not a given or a guarantee.

R.I.P. Norman Whitfield

2008-09-18T13:40:00.003-04:00

I just saw that one of the greatest songwriters and record producers of all time, Norman Whitfield, passed away yesterday at the age of 67.

Norman Whitfield was a big part of the Motown juggernaut of the 60's and 70's. Whitfield wrote and produced some of Motown's biggest hits, including "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," "Just My Imagination," "Ball of Confusion," "War," and others. He also won a Grammy for his score of the 1976 film "Car Wash."

Back in 1982, I created and produced a musical revue that was a salute to Motown called "Dancin' In The Street!" The show was a smash hit in Boston at the old Next Move Theater and ran here for a total of 70 weeks. The show also ran at the historic Ford's Theater in Washington, DC. The success of that show was a testament to the enduring legacy of "The Motown Sound" and the singers, songwriters and producers who truly delivered "The Sound of Young America."

Thanks to Norman Whitfield and the other members of the great Motown family, it is a sound that will live forever as the true American songbook.

My condolences to the family and friends of the great Norman Whitfield.

More Not-So-Random Thoughts

2008-09-17T22:35:00.003-04:00

We will have open phone lines on this week's Mouthpiece Wrestling Show this Friday at 6 PM Eastern on 1510 The Zone in Boston.

It's a somewhat abreviated show this week, as we will have to cut away at 6:45 for a Harvard Football pre-game show. This will be the only week we will have to do this, so we want to open up the phone lines to as many of you as possible. I will be giving away some prizes tomorrow too, so tune in if you can or listen live online if you are outside the Greater Boston area.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

To answer Josh Ray's comment from my last post (Josh's comments in italics):

I hope you aren't suggesting that I am a know-it-all, haha. If I was one then I would have already attempted to put on a show instead of treading softly and (GASP!) building relationships and reasearching.

Josh, I am not suggesting you are a know-it-all. I am suggesting that if you haven't worked in the business on any level than you have no idea of the scope of what you're trying to do.

I have no desire to be a full time promoter. I'd like to help those that are already out there (specially the wrestlers) promote themselves.

I am not technically a full-time promoter, but I can tell you that I spend upwards of 50 hours a week on all things NECW, along with other employment and a radio show.

Also, wrestlers should not promote themselves. Ideally, that's what promoters do. I say ideally, because most promoters, at least on the independent level, do not really build talent. They just put on shows.

You're right that wrestlers should try harder to help the promotion they work for be more successful, but many of them probably feel that they do enough for $50 (or less). That's just two cents from a guy that "takes a different approach".

One thing I have learned in my years of being involved in wrestling is that it is a small world and reputations can build or deteriorate quickly. Independent wrestling is not a business, generally speaking, where much money is made, if any is made at all. Independent shows are where talent gain experience and build a reputation. The size of the pay day is irrelevant. When you walk in any dressing room, you should be prepared to do your best and leave a good impression. People who make a positive impression with both their work and their attitude are generally the ones who get booked and become sought after.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It has been a challenging week for me personally.

I was diagnosed last week with Type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, it is reversible and I have already made some significant lifestyle changes in order to reach that goal.

It was also a wake up call and put some perspective on what is most important in life. So please take care of yourselves and keep your head where it ought to be.

Not-So-Random Thoughts

2008-09-14T15:10:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since my last post, so it's catch up time.

The passing of Walter "Killer" Kowalski is truly the end of an era in New England wrestling. Apart from what Walter meant to wrestling as a worldwide star and one of the greatest ring villains ever, his legacy as a trainer in New England is carried on by the many companies in the area who use talent touched by his hand. The independent scene in New England would be a vastly different thing had there been no Killer Kowlaksi Institute of Professional Wrestling. There would certainly have been no NECW without it.

While my business dealings with Walter were not always what I would have hoped they would be, he was someone I loved, admired and respected.

The last time I saw him was at an autograph session we did in Wilmington to benefit Toys for Tots. I hugged him when I saw him and was glad I made that gesture. His friendship and kindness will never be forgotten and every time we ring the bell at an NECW event, I will be reminded that he was the foundation for what it has become.

On September 5, we did a great tribute to Walter on my radio show. You can listen to that broadcast, which featured Dory Funk, Jr., Frankie "Kaz" Kazarian from TNA, "Strangler" Steve King and "The Extreme Enforcer" Paul Richard by clicking here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I got some interesting feedback to my last post about fledgling "promoters."

I love it when someone with no experience in the wrestling business says, "But I have a different approach." That is usually code for "I am a know-it-all and don't want to pay my dues. I will just pay someone who has already paid them for me."

By the way, if you insist on taking the plunge, I am available as a consultant for a reasonable fee. Just joking there. My fee is actually unreasonable.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Several months ago, Dory Funk Jr. wrote in one of his online columns that the job of a professional wrestler is to draw money for the promotion he or she works for.

I wish more young talent would take that statement to heart.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This Saturday night, NECW has an extraordinary event lined up for the National Guard Armory in Quincy, MA. In addition to our regular crew, we will have 3 young stars from Australia who will be making their debut in NECW.

Madison and Jessie McKay will be opposite sides in a special World Women's Wrestling International Tag Team Challenge Match. Madison, is no stranger to this country as she used to work for Heartland Wrestling in Ohio a while back. This will be her first US appearance in 3 years as she teams with "The Portuguese Princess" Ariel, the World Women's Wrestling Champion, against former champion Lexxus and Jessie McKay, who makes her American debut in this match.

Aussie star, Ryan Eagles will take on our own self-proclaimed "Future Superstar" Ryan Matthews in another international challenge match. I believe this is Eagles' American debut as well.

NECW has had a history of giving opportunities to overseas talent. Among the international stars NECW has introduced or showcased over the years are Britain's Doug Williams, Jonny Storm, Jody Fleisch and Paul Tyrrell, Ireland's Fergal Devitt (now Prince Devitt in New Japan), as well as Japanese star, Sumie Sakai. You never know who you will be seeing in NECW today that will be making a global impact tomorrow.

For more details on Saturday's event and to get tickets, visit www.NECWwrestling.com.

Attack of the Funzie-Onezies

2008-08-26T00:01:00.004-04:00

You see them more and more of late. "Promoters" running shows who have never run anything before. They book the talent established promoters in the area use. They bring in "big names" if they have the budget. They tell you they are going to "revolutionize the area" or "change the industry."

And every one of them meets the same fate. One and done.

I don't understand how people think they can walk into pro wrestling and be a promoter, never having done it before and never having been around the business before. Do these people honestly think that because they watch wrestling every week and read the inside scoops on the Internet or subscribe to the Wrestling Observer that they are qualified to promote wrestling?

Years ago, I used to produce plays. I had a few successes too. But when trying to raise money for these projects, I would continually run across people who had never been in the business, but wanted to tell you who to cast, what to change, how to write. etc. Before I started producing, I worked as a press agent for different producers and theaters. I saw many a well meaning person lose huge money because they wanted to call shots they had no business calling.

Like these amateur wrestling promoters, these people were doomed from the start. All manner of leeches attached themselves to these folks, in hopes of a run in the spotlight and an inflated paycheck.

In wrestling, I call these people "funzie-onezies." They are not in the business to make money. They are in it to be happy. They are in it to convince themselves they have a talent that doesn't exist. They don't want to work with established promoters, because they think they know what it takes or they know better.

What they all end up learning is the pro wrestling, like any other business, is a highly skilled profession. If you have never been around it before and don't know what you're doing, you are certainly going to lose money and lots of it.

Another by-product of these "funzie-onezies" is that often unwittingly damage the very business they purport to love so much. They over pay talent or don't pay them at all, leave buildings in disrepair, and allow things to happen on shows that either kill that building as a venue for wrestling or sour fans on independent wrestling altogether. I have seen promoters run shows so badly that the town they ran in actually banned wrestling from ever coming back.

When I started promoting wrestling, I had been around indie shows for over 10 years (working at them and not just attending them), and I didn't know nearly as much as I thought I did about putting on wrestling then as I do now.

So when you see one these "funzie onezies" - shows that pop up from an organization you never heard of before, don't bother. 99 times out of 100 they are dead before they start.

Killer Kowalski Memorial Fund

2008-08-25T23:56:00.002-04:00

A fund has been established to help pay the medical expenses and other needs of Walter "Killer" Kowalski. The fund has been established by Walter's wife Theresa.

You can send donations in any amount to:

The Walter "Killer" Kowalski Memorial Fund
Citizens Bank
876 Main Street
Malden, MA 02148

At this writing, Walter is still clinging to life. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Radio Dreams

2008-08-02T22:15:00.004-04:00

"The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show" just had it's 4th episode this past Friday with special guest Chris Cruise on 1510 The Zone, and it was one of those shows that was just too short. We could have gone on for at least a couple more hours, and that is a sign that what we are doing is working.

We've gotten a ton of positive feedback from listeners and the station staff, for which I am very grateful.

From a personal standpoint, it's been an absolute blast. While I am new to hosting talk radio and still getting used to it, when I was a teenager, I would have given anything to have been a DJ on a Boston station. Needless to say, I matured from that career path, although there are those who would argue that promoting professional wrestling does not exactly fit their definition of mature. Nonetheless, it is incredibly ironic that 34 years later, my radio dreams came true, thanks to pro wrestling.

I am especially looking forward to next Friday's (August 8) show, as it will mark the return of my broadcast partner, Sean Gorman, after his several week battle with Lyme Disease, and special guest from TNA Wrestling, Jeremy Borash, who is someone I hold in very high regard.

I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to listen, as well as all the station's staff, especially General Manager, Anthony Pepe. Please tune in this coming Friday at 5 PM Eastern.

If it's not convenient to listen live, you can now subscribe to the show as a podcast on iTunes, Podcast Alley and other podcast sites. We've had over 1,300 subscribers so far and I can't thank you all enough for your support.

World Women's Wrestling Update

2008-07-28T22:14:00.002-04:00

I have been getting a lot of e-mails and questions about what is happening with World Women's Wrestling now that it's home, Good Time Emporium, is no longer in business.

World Women's Wrestling will return late this fall, most likely at the National Guard Armory in Quincy. This will be an interesting experiement to see how WWW works in a more arena-like atmosphere.

I do expect that Good Time Emporium will reopen in Brockton, but that is a lengthy process.

According to the Quincy Patriot Ledger newspaper, Good Times received zoning approval for the new venue they are trying to open in Brockton.

There are two more steps in the process before it's a done deal. They have to get a City Council ordinance revision to lift the cap of 35 automatic amusements to accommodate Good Time’s request for 300 machines, and a liquor license hearing before the License Commission where they will ask for a 2 a.m. weekend closing time.

The Zoning Board approval is a major step, so hopefully they will be able to make it happen. According to the paper, Dan Hayes is buying the building, which was an old warehouse, for $14 million and it will take millions more to renovate it.

If all goes well and swiftly, it will most likely be the end of the year or early next year before a new facility would come on line.

Obviously, we hope that it does and that we will be able to run that new facility with WWW and possibly NECW on a regular basis.

Killer Kowalski Health Update

2008-07-28T22:00:00.002-04:00

Today's Boston Herald features an article by columnist Joe Fitzgerald about the health of our friend, the legendary Hall of Famer, Walter "Killer" Kowalski. You can read Joe's article by clicking here.

There are few larger than life legends who exceed your expectations in real life. Walter Kowalski is one of the few.

The legendary villian of the ring, whose exploits are forever stamped into our memories as fans of pro wrestling, is in a very different kind of battle right now. As the Herald article states, Kowalski's knees are gone, and corrective surgery, such as a knee replacement, is a high risk procedure due to his age and physical condition. This once vibrant man is now bed ridden and relegated to a nursing home.

Anyone who ever met this gentle giant with a heart of gold, will tell you how such a fate is so undeserved. Please keep Walter and his lovely wife Theresa in your thoughts and prayers.

The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show Debuts!

2008-07-11T22:20:00.003-04:00

Earlier this afternoon, our Mouthpiece Wrestling Show made it's debut on WWZN, Boston's 1510 The Zone.

Sean Gorman and I were fourtunate enough to have two great guests to kick things off - Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com and the legendary Jim Cornette.

We also had a lot of support from fans who called in - even former NECW/PWF star Ebony Blade.

Thanks to everyone for their support. If you didn't get to hear the show, you can find the mp3 file by clicking here.

The Good Times Come To An End... For Now

2008-06-30T22:17:00.004-04:00

Tonight was the last night of operation for Good Time Emporium in Somerville, MA after 17 years. The building is being redeveloped for an Ikea store. The owner threw a big party for customers, vendors, former employees and friends tonight. It was a night full of memories and emotions, as we said good bye to one of the most unique venues in the country, if not the world.

Good Time Emporium was over 150,000 square feet of almost every kind of entertainment from batting cages to bumpers cars, arcade games to basketball and bowling, plus laser tag and an indoor go kart track. Not mention, 80 regulation sized pool tables, over 70 big screens for sports and all the wrestling and MMA pay per views. Plus, 3 big bars, a nightclub and a large birthday party area. Good Time Emporium was the largest indoor entertainment complex in New England. Nothing else came close.

Good Time Emporium, of course, was the scene of so many great NECW events, as well as World Women's Wrestling. Our company would not have taken hold had it not been for the home that Good Time Emporium provided for us. Had there been no Good Times, there would have been no NECW.

In fact, had there been no Good Times, the entire landscape of wrestling in New England would be different.

The first promoter to run wrestling at Good Times was Rocky Raymond. While Raymond didn't last long, the late "Boston Bad Boy" Tony Rumble ran the building consistently for the 5 or so years until his death in 1999, first under the Century Wrestling Alliance banner, then as NWA New England.

I have some great memories of those years, but more importantly, it was the Good Times shows that were the first real consistently run independent promotion in the area and a chance for local talent to work consistently. The company which was backed by a pretty darn good cable access show, had spotty results as a draw at Good Times, but nonetheless brought fans some great action and introduced some great talent to the area.

One of my favorite memories of NWA New England and Good Times was the time we had then NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Naoya Ogawa scheduled to appear. I had the foresight to make up posters with Ogawa's picture and distribute them to some of the Japanese grocery stores in the area. Ogawa was a silver medalist in judo in Japan and a national hero, prior to embarking on a career in pro wrestling. Ogawa's plane was late that day and he didn't actually make the show. We had about 40 Japanese fans in attendance who came specifically to see Ogawa. We asked them to wait and when he arrived, he graciously signed autographs for everyone and posed for pictures.

Also in attendance that day was boxer, "Hurricane" Peter McNeely, famous for being destroyed by then heavyweight boxing champion, Mike Tyson. We did a photo op in the dressing room for the Japanese press, where McNeely challenges Ogawa with yours truly in the middle trying to0 break it up between them. The photo of that ran in almost every major newspaper in Japan.

My most precious memories of Good Times will always be the NECW shows and the talent we introduced to the area. Guys who never had a chance to be anything more than filler on a New England wrestling card before got the chance to shine. Young talent from England, Canada and Japan made a mark in this area thanks to NECW at Good Times. Two future WWE World Champions appeared for us at Good Times before they became famous - John Cena and Beth Phoenix. Good Times was the house that made the career of Nikki Roxx, now Roxxi in TNA. British champion, Doug Williams, now signed to TNA, appeared for us many times at Good Time Emporium after making his debut in America with NECW on our 2nd show in Wethersfield, CT. I will always be proud of how we launched World Women's Wrestling at Good Times and changed how women's wrestling was viewed in the area.

I don't know of any wrestling company anywhere that got as much publicity as NECW & WWW did at Good Times. We even had a front page of the Boston Herald a few years back. No company in this area ever made a mark at a building, like we did at Good Times. So many stars, so many shows, so many memories.

Tonight, as I walked around the building, I felt like I was losing a dear friend. I shook hands with many of the fans who came regularly for our events and was touched at the thanks I received from many for all the entertainment we brought them.

Many of the staff from years back came by to say goodbye as well, and there were lots of handshakes and hugs from those who helped us so much over the years.

I thanked owner Dan Hayes and gave him a copy of our Gateway To Greatness DVD, which had the Cena match, Beth Phoenix and more from Good Times. Dan told me that the thing he felt saddest about was his employees, many of whom had been with him for most of the 17 years of its existence.

The good news is that they are close to closing a deal to reopen in a larger facility in Brockton, so "The Good Times" may roll again soon.

As I drove away and looked at the lighted sign in front in my rear view mirror, it sunk in that this was the end of an era that made a big difference to a lot of people, myself included. Thanks for the Good Times.

Postscript: Two weeks ago myself and videographer Bryan Nadeau shot extensive footage inside Good Times for a forthcoming DVD tribute to this unforgettable venue. Look for that to be released this fall.

A Fuller Achievement

2008-06-24T19:45:00.003-04:00

One of the most gratifying things in this end of the wrestling business is seeing the talent you've worked with and provided a stage for reach a higher plateau in our profession.

The people who really succeed in wrestling are the ones that have that unmistakable passion and drive to be very good at what they do. You see that hold true in all walks of life, but wrestling, especially on the independent level, is something else again. The commitment one must make is extraordinary. To commit to the training, to the constant effort to improve and market oneself and to physically put yourself on the line in hopes that one day you will make it in a business that has few top level opportunities is something I find most compelling. The guys who make that effort inspire me to make the effort that I make - to build a wrestling promotion that that strives to showcase extraordinary talent in an extraordinary way.

In July, NECW will be missing three of its top stars, all of whom are working overseas.

"Die Hard" Eddie Edwards is currently in the United Kingdom and will also be appearing elsewhere in Europe. Antonio "The Promise" Thomas will be making his debut with All Japan Pro Wrestling, and will, in fact, be staying for two tours. And lastly, Big Rick Fuller will be leaving next week for his first tour with New Japan Pro Wrestling and tagging with Giant Bernard, better known to U.S. fans as the former Prince Albert or A-Train.

We in NECW are extremely proud of all three men, each of whom is richly deserving of the opportunity they are getting.

However, I am especially happy for Rick Fuller who is getting an extraordinary opportunity at this stage of his career. I first met Rick years back when he worked for the late "Boston Bad Boy" Tony Rumble, who introduced him to Kevin Sullivan, then booker of World Championship Wrestling. Fuller's WCW run was not as impactful as it should have been. Fuller should have been a main event level guy on a national basis years ago.

Locally, Fuller has done some great work in NECW. He's in terrific shape - the best shape I've ever seen him in. He has been a true asset to our company, both in and out of the ring. But I will always have a soft spot for Rick over an incident that took place in 1998 when Tony Rumble was alive and we were running NWA New England.

One of the high points of our run with NWA New England was when our company had the NWA World Tag Team Titles, being held by The Brotherhood, consisting of Knuckles Nelson and Eric Sbraccia, managed by Tony Rumble. The NWA wanted to bicycle the titles around to different member promotions, but Rumble and I had begun to make some real noise in the business with the titles.

We did a one night title change with the late, great Public Enemy. I convinced Wally Yamaguchi through his brother Shun to book The Brotherhood on a couple of independent tours to Japan - the first time the NWA Tag Team Champions defended there in many years. The NWA Tag Team Champions were all over the major wrestling magazines, thanks to Rumble's friendships with then magazine mavens Bill Apter and George Napolitano.

The NWA, however, had made commitments to the NWA promoter in Texas, Ken Taylor, to put the titles on a very good team there called Team Extreme. A deal was made where The Brotherhood would go to Dallas and appear on a big show Taylor was promoting in the Bronco Bowl, which is a bowling alley and entertainment complex with a 2,000 seat theater. I even went along on the trip at my own expense and did color commentary on the Dallas promotion's TV show for the World Tag Team Championship Match.

But there was a problem along the way. Eric Sbraccia, who was one half of the tag team champions, decided he wasn't going to Texas. Sbraccia had just gotten back from Japan and claimed that his job would have been in jeopardy and that he would "rather stay home and swim in my pool."

The NWA was having issues with The Brotherhood holding on to the belts and the appearance in Texas was a mandatory title defense. If the champions no-showed, Rumble would have been on the hook for a $5,000 penalty.

Rumble made the call to Rick Fuller, who was still working for WCW at the time. Fuller agreed to step in to replace Sbraccia at the last minute.

The next hurdle happened at the airport in Boston. The plane ticket purchased for Sbraccia bared his name, not Fuller's. Rumble managed to pull off something you could never pull off today. He told the gate agent that the travel agent made a mistake and put the ticket under Fuller's "stage name." The agent bought the story and Fuller was on the plane.

So that one night in Dallas, Rick Fuller was one half of the NWA World Tag Team Champions and saved Rumble and myself and NWA New England from what could have turned into a major problem.

Should Fuller and Giant Bernard win the IWGP Tag Team Titles at some point, me and "The Boston Bad Boy" will be smiling extra wide.

Goldberg & Gorman On Radio: "The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show" Premieres July 11 on Boston's 1510 The Zone

2008-06-19T17:58:00.006-04:00

Here is a press release we just sent out the other day:

WWZN, BOSTON’S SPORTS STATION, 1510 THE ZONE SLAMS INTO THE WORLD OF PRO WRESTLING WITH “THE MOUTHPIECE WRESTLING SHOW” HOSTED BY NECW’S SHELDON GOLDBERG & SEAN GORMAN, PREMIERING FRIDAY, JULY 11 AT 5 PM

WWZN, Boston’s Sport’s Station, 1510 The Zone announces a new program focusing on the world of professional wrestling. “The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show,” a compliment to the station’s successful “Mouthpiece Boxing Show,” premieres on Friday, July 11 at 5 PM.

The show will be hosted by New England Championship Wrestling promoter, Sheldon Goldberg and the notorious “Manager of Champions” Sean Gorman. Goldberg is also a noted wrestling historian and has appeared on A&E, ESPN and MSNBC.

In making the announcement, WWZN General Manager, Anthony Pepe said, “Our station has been a leader in broadcasting niche sports programming and we are looking at “The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show” to be a great compliment to that effort. New England Championship Wrestling has a substantial local following and Sheldon Goldberg and Sean Gorman offer keen insights into the world of pro wrestling because they are real insiders in that industry.”

The show will focus on all the happenings in WWE, TNA and ECW, as well as international and independent promotions, including New England Championship Wrestling. Guests will range from current national stars and industry figures to legends of the mat game to the stars that are making a name for themselves here in New England.

Sheldon Goldberg says, “Most importantly, “The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show” is going to be fun. We’re going to get into some interesting discussion, take listener phone calls and do a lot of contests and giveaways. We’re looking to make an impact on Boston radio and have a great time doing it.”

WWZN, 1510 The Zone’s “Mouthpiece Wrestling Show” will air every Friday afternoon from 5 to 6 PM beginning July 11. The station is streamed live on the Internet at http://www.1510thezone.com/.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Needless to say, I am very excited over this extraordinary opportunity. What could be more fun than getting to talk about a subject I am so passionate about with a large potential audience? The show is going to cover everything in pro wrestling, but will also be a platform for us to introduce a whole new audience to our great New England Championship Wrestling promotion.

The choice of Sean Gorman as co-host was a no-brainer. Gorman is as talented as many of the great wrestling managers of days gone by. While Gorman is normally my number one antagonist in NECW, he is also a charismatic, intelligent individual and a real student of the game. It should be an interesting combination and please spare me the Monsoon-Heenan comparisons.

Make sure you listen in on Friday, July 11 at 5 PM Eastern time!

Response to Comment

2008-06-07T20:22:00.002-04:00

Anonymous writes:

I agree with you to a degree. I've promoted shows in the past, present, and future. Don't you think that bringing in "Name" talent sometimes works as long as you do the right thing with that talent? If you pay $1000 for someone to come in and they sell approximately $2000 extra in tickets, isn't it a wise investment? No one in TNA is going to bury your talent unless you let them. Now, in my opinion, no one in TNA except for Angle, Booker, or Christian Cage is really going to draw big numbers but as a "once in while" thing couldn't you promote your champion facing Samoa Joe in a "World Title Match" similar to the old days of Brisco, Funk, or Race? I mean, the local guy could really get the rub if he has a knock-down drag out 15 or 20 minute match with The World Champion and loses. You could even do a DQ. I think you can make it work, but I see your point as well.

Anonymous (great name by the way), there are many ways to promote wrestling. The old "big name main event, local boys as filler" method worked well for decades. It stopped working in the mid-90's when WWE stopped third party bookings of their talent and WCW was on fire and their talent was unavailable. ECW talent showed up on limited independent dates, but they were a rarity. That formula, in certain situations, may well be valid.

The key sentence in your response was, "Don't you think that bringing in "Name" talent sometimes works as long as you do the right thing with that talent?" The truth is most promoters don't. Most of the time their view is "the stars draw the crowds," so doesn't it stand to reason that you set yourself up for not being able to draw without those stars?

There are many exceptions and variables. If you are in an area that is starved for live wrestling, the "big names" formula may be the way to go and you may not care about building up local talent.

There is a certain promoter out there, whose name I will not mention, that has been called "the most successful independent promoter in the country." His shows are dominated by name talent. That is the whole selling point. And right now he's doing great with that business model, because that name talent is available to him. But if you took those names away, I would bet you he wouldn't draw 100 people.

The point I made in the original post is that you are walking a slippery slope if you are 100% dependent on names that are contracted elsewhere. There have been instances when TNA has pulled talent off independent dates if they needed them for TV or a PPV. How would you like to be the promoter who has rented a venue, sold tickets, advertised TNA talent, only to be told "Sorry we need those guys elsewhere?" Do you think TNA is going to reimburse you for the ad money and building deposit you just lost, or the posters you just printed or the time you just wasted? As the late Gorilla Monsoon would have put it, "Highly unlikely."

You also say, "If you pay $1000 for someone to come in and they sell approximately $2000 extra in tickets, isn't it a wise investment?" The answer is that depends. If you are looking to make a quick $1,000 maybe. But if you intend to run regularly, you are now at the mercy of talent not contracted to you, that may be booked elsewhere when you need them, or booked against you by another promoter in the same area.

Another consideration is what type of operation you run. If you want to sell a DVD of your show that could be distributed to retail stores, TNA won't let you use their talent on the DVD. If you do TV, you won't be able to have those names appear. And at that point, there goes your upside. If you just run live shows, there's no problem, it may be worth the risk. But there IS a risk.

NWA 60th/Ric Flair Controversy & The Lesson It Teaches

2008-06-06T18:15:00.003-04:00

As you may have read on any of the major wrestling news sites, the National Wrestling Alliance is putting on a big 60th Anniversary event at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta, GA on this Saturday June 7th.

Part of the event is scheduled to include an NWA Hall of Fame induction ceremony that was announced as including WWE Hall of Famer, "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. The controversy arose when WWE decided to pull Ric Flair from appearing at the event and from doing any personal appearances for any other NWA promoters, which NWA promoter, David Marquez had contracted with Flair to arrange.

Paul Heyman, in his weekly Sun newspaper column, which you can find by clicking here, discusses the matter in detail and lambasts the NWA and specifically it's Executive Director, Bob Trobich, for announcing Flair without written confirmation from WWE.

As most people know, I am friends with both David Marquez and NWA Executive Director, Bob Trobich. NECW is not a member of the NWA, though we have worked with them on occasion. I was very involved in the NWA when the "Boston Bad Boy" Tony Rumble was alive and promoting under the NWA New England banner. One of my closest friends is former NWA president, Howard Brody, who is no longer involved in the NWA and hasn't been for several years.

While I am not privvy to all the inside details, to defend my friends, Marquez and Trobich, I would have to believe they had a deal, based as I understand it, on dealings with Flair's agent. Obviously, WWE, to whom Flair is undisputedly contracted, decided to veto the arrangement.

As Paul Heyman, so smartly put it, "This industry is driven by an investment of time and money, and the allotment of minutes given to someone on whose performance and marketability that first investment is made."

The NWA situation is a more blatant example of a danger many independent promoters expose themseleves to.

There is a trend in the wrestling marketplace currently that is seeing a lot of promoters basing their cards around talent that are contracted to TNA. TNA freely allows these so-called "third party bookings" where their contracted talent are allowed to be booked on any independent show. TNA books these talents through their office.

On the other hand, TNA is booking more and more house shows under their own umbrella. It doesn't take a genius to see where this is leading. The day is going to come, and my guess is that it will be sooner rather than later, that TNA will decide that it's not in their best interest to have their talent performing for anyone other than them. After all, had this policy been in effect, TNA's top star, Kurt Angle, who was injured on an independent date in Korea to the point where there is a dark cloud hanging over the man's career, would be a more certain option for the company he is contracted to. How many serious injuries on a third party dates will it take before TNA says, "Gee, maybe this isn't such a good idea?"

You can't build a business around talent that are contracted elsewhere. The NWA just found this out the hard way.

IRON 8 & Hot Dog Safari Notes

2008-06-03T22:39:00.003-04:00

I am still recovering from this past weekend's events - the 5th annual IRON 8 Championship on Saturday night and the Hot Dog Safari on Sunday. It was a phenomally successful weekend for us and my most sincere thanks to everyone who came out and joined us.

Saturday night's IRON 8 was quite an event and something that our company is very proud of. Everyone involved in the IRON 8 gave an extraordinary effort and are to be congratulated on making a good accounting for themselves.

"The Golden Greek" Alex Arion proved to be the true iron man of the night by winning the IRON 8 tournament. "Die Hard" Eddie Edwards came very close to "three-peating" but narrowly missed when Arion scored the go-ahead fall with just 15 seconds left in the final 4 way match. The fans were solidly behind "The Golden Greek" and it was great to see Alex Arion take home that trophy.

Alex Arion has come a long way since breaking in to wrestling in 1998. First trained by Al Snow, I go back with Alex when he was a rookie in the old Century Wrestling Alliance and later NWA New England. In my not-so-humble opinion, Alex really came into his own when he won the NECW Heavyweight Championship from "Brutal" Bob Evans in March 2002. Alex has always been able to capture the emotions of the fans through good basics and psychology. All he needed was the right spotlight and when he got it, he delivered. Prior to NECW coming on to the scene at that time, no one really pushed local guys. Arion was the first real success of anyone in that role locally and paved the way for everyone who came after him.

I thought the first round match between Arion and Kahagas was a fantastic, hard-hitting match. Kahagas really impressed me this weekend both in the ring and out. There is a guy who could really make an impact in this area, should he ever think about relocating.

I had not seen Julio Dinero since the Tony Rumble days and he was a great addition to our tournament. Julio is a polished pro and one of the most underrated talents in pro wrestling.

Gran Akuma was also a fantastic addition to the IRON 8. Another guy who is just as impressive outside the ring as he is in it, Akuma is a real blue chip talent and someone who has the potential to be a big time player in our business.

I do not own a crystal ball and cannot predict the future with absolute certainty, but if Scott Osbourne does not become a big star in this business somewhere down the road, I will be shocked.

On the other hand, one does not need a crystal ball or lay claim to any sort of future predicting ability to know that "Die Hard" Eddie Edwards is one of the greatest talents in wrestling. Yes, he came up short in this year's IRON 8, but again, Eddie Edwards is someone who is destined for greatness. Edwards is leaving for a European tour soon, which will be a great experience for him and will only serve to add to his already impressive resume.

Speaking of people going overseas, congratulations to Big Rick Fuller who will be going over for New Japan Pro Wrestling this summer. Antonio Thomas will be heading for All Japan later this summer as well.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sunday's Hot Dog Safari was a great day for everyone associated with it, especially The Joey Fund, which is the beneficiary of the gate proceeds. The event drew over 25,000 fans, which the Hot Dog Safari website claims was the biggest crowd ever.

NECW and World Women's Wrestling presented a nearly 5 hour long combined show which included a 16 man tournament to crown a new NECW Television Champion. The ring area was packed with fans all day long. We've received quite a few e-mails from people who attended, praising our company and looking forward to seeing us in our regular settings.

All of the talent and crew deserve praise for taking part in the event and working hard to put on a fantastic day's event. We had a lot of new faces at the Safari, some of whom are going to be great additions to the NECW roster down the road.

You'll be seeing some of the matches from the Safari over the next several weeks on NECW TV.

I want to take a moment to once again thank Eddie Andelman for his warmth and hospitality this past Sunday. It was also an honor and a pleasure to meet the legendary sportswriter, Frank DeFord, who is heavily involved in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

We were blessed to be a part of this truly one-of-a-kind event and look forward to next year.

Huge Weekend Coming Up, Thoughts on Chikara & What It Means To Make Your Own Tracks

2008-05-25T23:16:00.004-04:00

Hope you are having a great Memorial Day weekend and that you have paused to keep our armed forces in your thoughts and prayers.

Before I get to talking about NECW's huge weekend next weekend featuring the 5th Annual IRON 8 Championship and the 19th Annual Hot Dog Safari, I want to share the experience I had this past Friday night at the venerable Framingham Civic League to see the Pennsylvania-based Chikara promotion, run by the current NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion, Mike Quackenbush.

There are lots of different ways to promote wrestling. Some base their events on booking big name talent. Some stick to local stars. Some run their live events off a school using primarily students. In my experience, I find that most wrestler led promotions ultimately fail because the wrestler loses perspective and books what they have around them rather than what is good and will actually draw.

Chikara was a breath of fresh air on a lot of levels.

The best way I can describe Chikara to you is that it is an Americanized lucha libra styled promotion that takes the pageantry and working framework of the Mexican style of lucha libre and adds some over the top character and smart humor. It's sort of like a Harlem Globetrotters of pro wrestling.

To accomplish something like this, you need to train students to be able to do the style. Mike Quackenbush is the trainer, promoter and working wrestler in his company - a pro wrestling auteur who has managed to create "the perfect storm" of style, talent and creativity.

Chikara is the student-based wrestling promotion that gets it right. These students are completely respectful and 100% behind the promotion. They deliver a product that is fresh, colorful and superbly entertaining from top to bottom. Mike Quackenbush has done something that takes a lot of vision and patience, as well as great intelligence and impeccable leadership. Chikara takes pro wrestling and adds numerous creative twists to where it almost surpasses the genre as art. In fact, they even had a match from Kajiu Big Battel, which is a company that puts on "wrestling cards" with actors dressed up as anime type monsters - a perfect fit in the tweaked world of Chikara. He also had some real veteran luchadores - Jorge "Skydae" Rivera and Pantera - who worked a classic lucha match and worked out with the students. They bring a credibility to the style that is part of what keeps Chikara from veering into parody.

Their business model functions a lot on DVD sales which are conducted through Smart Mark Video. This doesn't work for every independent, but the Chikara product is so unique, you can see why it would develop a following among independent DVD buyers.

While Chikara is not without its flaws (too many matches on the show for one), it's imperfections are minimized by good booking. I'm not sure Chikara is something that could succeed as a monthly type of promotion, but a series of bi-annual tours, like the analogy I made with the Harlem Globetrotters, would probably work like crazy.

Hats off to everyone involved with Chikara, and most especially Mike Quackenbush, who could very well be one of the most creative men on the independent scene in America.

Of course, the real lesson of Chikara is that being different is important. Quack could have easily followed every other independent company doing the same basic American pro wrestling approach and it would never have gotten out of their home in Pennsylvania. It is always easier to make your own tracks than to try and retrace the steps of others.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Speaking of things that are unique, this coming Saturday night we have our 5th annual IRON 8 Championship Tournament at the Armory in Quincy, MA. This could very well be the best field we have ever presented for this annual classic, which is a real twist on the typical 8 man tournament you see many independent companies run across the country trying to emulate promoter Jim Kettner's ECWA Super 8 Tournament. The Super 8 is - as Jim Crockett Promotions used to say about Starrcade - "the granddaddy of them all."

One of the things I am most proud of with NECW is that we managed to develop this event over time to where it is a truly original athletic event. Eight men start, paired into 4 singles matches. The 4 winners then go on to face each other in a 4 way, 45 minute iron man match. Whoever scores the most pinfalls or submissions in the 45 minutes is the winner and that year's IRON 8 Champion. To compete in this event, you have to be able to wrestle for an hour against a high caliber of opponent. The final 4 way is guaranteed to be a match filled with great athletics and great drama.

This year's tournament features: "Die Hard" Eddie Edwards (who has won the last two tournaments), Gran Akuma from Chikara, "The Exotic" Kristian Frost, "The Real Deal" Brandon Locke, "The Golden Greek" Alex Arion, "The Natural" Scott Osbourne, former ECW & TNA star, Julio Dinero and from Florida, "The Japanese Nightmare" Kahagas.

In addition to the tournament, we have a special mixed tag team "Champion's Challenge" with NECW Triple Crown Champion, "The Mohawked Enforcer" Max Bauer teaming with "The Gorgeous Greek" Elektra Arion taking on the team of former Triple Crown Champion, Big Rick Fuller and World Women's Wrestling Champion, "The Portuguese Princess" Ariel.

New England did not have any kind of top flight annual independent event that local fans and others from outside the area could make into a high point of the year. The IRON 8 is our attempt to do that and in recent years, particularly since we turned into a one night event rather than something spread over two nights, it has gelled into a real jewel of our promotion.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The following day, NECW heads to Suffolk Downs in Revere, MA - a horse racing track - which is the site of one of the most unique charitable events in the country - Eddie Andelman's 19th Annual Hot Dog Safari.

What is a "Hot Dog Safari" you ask? Eddie Andelman, who is a sports talk radio legend in Boston is noted for being one of the nation's great connoisseurs of hot dogs. 19 years ago, he created this event where he got a group of people together to search the area for the best hot dog. The proceeds from the event went to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's The Joey Fund, which funds medical research seeking to cure this horrible disease. The event grew to where dozens of vendors supply a variety of hot dogs, sausages, ice cream sundaes and other treats. For a small admission price ($12 in advance, $15 at the gate, with kids under 6 free) you can eat as much as you like (no extra charge for the food) and the entire gate proceeds go to The Joey Fund.

The event draws tens of thousands each year, and for the past three years, New England Championship Wrestling has presented the featured entertainment at the event - a live professional wrestling card. Our matches are free as part of the event. The gates open at 9 am. Wrestling starts at 11 am and continues until somewhere between 3 pm and 4 pm, when the event closes.

This year, we will be presenting a 16 man tournament to crown a new NECW Television Champion, plus other bouts including the stars of World Women's Wrestling and the top stars of NECW, including Triple Crown Champion, Max Bauer.

We are absolutely thrilled and proud to be a part of this terrific one of a kind event for a very worthy cause. Last year, this event raised over $200,000 and I hope this year's beats that figure handily.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My thanks to Eddie Andelman for having myself, Max Bauer and Elektra Arion on his Sports Huddle show on 96.9 WTKK FM last night to help promote the Hot Dog Safari.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A quick note about upcoming DVD's: This Saturday night, we will be selling not one, but TWO new releases - NECW Best of 2007 (a deluxe 2 disc set) and Best of NECW TV 2007. I really enjoyed putting these together as they contain a treasure trove of great matches and mayhem. I am really proud of these DVD's and hope you pick them up at the IRON 8 on Saturday or online the following week.

WWW BELLE OF THE BRAWL Notes & More

2008-05-05T19:23:00.003-04:00

World Women's Wrestling had another successful event yesterday with BELLE OF THE BRAWL at Good Time Emporium in Somerville, MA. The full event report is up at http://www.worldwomenswrestling.com/.

This was one of those events that was a challenge going in. Several talents cancelled out after confirming the date with us. We had two others that we had to worry about whether they would make the show for transportation reasons. Both did and everything came off fine.

My hat is off to all the girls of WWW who worked hard yesterday in front of a very appreciative crowd.

My MVP pick for yesterday's event is a two way tie. First is Della Morte for a successful singles match, a victory in the BELLE OF THE BRAWL match, and very nearly toppling "The Portuguese Princess" for the WWW Championship. Tied is Roxie Cotton for making the WWW event after working in Georgia the previous night and driving from there to make an afternoon card in Somerville, MA. If I ever decide to take up bank robbery, Roxie Cotton is my first choice to drive the get away car.

An honorable mention goes to the WWW Champion. I may not be approving of the in-ring attitude change of "The Portuguese Princess" Ariel, but boy, is she ever the consummate pro. There was an incident yesterday where a fan who perhaps enjoyed a little too much liquid happiness, got a little too close to the champion and got shoved back down on his backside for his trouble. The crowd roared its approval, but I developed an even deeper respect for the even-more-capable-than-I thought "Portuguese Princess."

There are quite a few rising stars on this WWW roster, who are going to get better and better the more chances they have to work. Sammi Lane, Elektra Arion and Taeler are all great additions who not only work hard on the ring, but are quite easy on the eyes.

The next WWW event will be the joint NECW-WWW card at Eddie Andelman's 19th annual HOT DOG SAFARI, Sunday, June 1 at Suffolk Downs. I expect a return to Good Time Emporium for WWW in August, but that won't be official for another few weeks.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The new World Women's Wrestling DVD: 2nd Anniversary Spectacular was a big seller yesterday. We went through everything we brought along, and my thanks to everyone who bought a copy. You can order it online by clicking here.

Speaking of DVD's, the next two titles that NECW Home Video will be releasing are: Best of NECW 2007 and Best of WWW 2007. Both will be double disc sets and both will be just loaded with great action that took place over the past year.

I continue to get great feedback on the BIRTHDAY BASH 7 and IRON 8 DVD's that we've recently released. We have been slowly ramping up the pace of DVD releases and have been gratified by all the positive response.

More later in the week!

NECW Gets Bauer Power, New DVD's, WWW This Sunday, IRON 8 Coming & More

2008-05-01T16:03:00.005-04:00

Finally getting some blog time here, as my 2 cents on many subjects is adding up to about enough change for a cup of coffee!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"The Mowhawked Enforcer" Max Bauer captured the NECW Triple Crown Championship last Saturday night, April 26 in Quincy, MA going over former champ Big Rick Fuller and Antonio "The Promise" Thomas in a triple threat match for the championship. The crowds have really embraced Max as a fan favorite, since he parted ways with "The Talent" T.J. Richter and his DNA faction.

Last Saturday's SPRING BREAKDOWN was quite a memorable event for many reasons. Apart from the title change, there is the developing feud between NECW Tag Team Champions, Fred Curry and Chase Del Monte and PRIDE. PRIDE took out Curry in a pre-match, leaving Del Monte to face both Freitas & Nunes alone. Del Monte managed to garner a count out win, saving the titles, but you can bet this rivalry is just warming up. While I may not condone their tactics, it is good to see PRIDE back in the NECW fold and in the thick of things. PRIDE are one of the great teams in New England wrestling history and they have a lot of gas left in the tank. I would not rule out another run at the top for the boys from Fall River.

In the upset of the night - maybe even the year - Team Cairo's Scott Osbourne got a pinfall victory over former NECW Television Champion, Brandon Locke in a great match for both men, but a breakthrough match for Osbourne. Ever since Osbourne came onto the scene in NECW over a year ago, he has quietly made this company take notice. Osbourne is one of those guys who has taken advantage of the NECW atmosphere - a mix of top young talents and veteran hands who can really help you grow, if you open yourself up to the opportunity to do so. Osbourne's performance this past Saturday night earned him a spot in the 5th annual IRON 8 Championship. More on that later.

"The Exotic" Kristian Frost was back in NECW this past Saturday night, picking up a win over young Brandon Webb with the beautiful Taeler in his corner. While Frost may have been the victor in the match, Webb and Taeler got some revenge after Frost tried to get rough with Taeler.

Of course, even though I suspended him last month, D.C. Dillinger just couldn't stay away last Saturday night. Dillinger, who was about as welcome as a ham sandwich at a bar mitzvah, was sent packing in his skivvies by "The Golden Greek" Alex Arion. We saw a lot more of D.C. than any of us cared to, and it doesn't look like this situation is going away any time soon.

The Oriental masked man, Makoto, made an impressive debut in Quincy going over Rayan Matthews, who had his moments in the match. By the way, Makoto is a word in Japanese that means sincerity, honesty, fairness, straightforward, something that is very true and pure. You can tell by the masked man's style that he embodies these qualitites in what he brings to the ring.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Two new DVD's from NECW Home Video are out now and I think you'll enjoy them.

BIRTHDAY BASH 7: CAGED FURY is NECW's 7th anniversary show topped by a great Triple Crown Title Match pitting D.C. Dillinger against "Straight Edge" Brian Fury in a steel cage. Lots of great matches. Lots of never-before-seen footage and extras. This may be the best "storytelling" DVD we've put out to date.

WORLD WOMEN'S WRESTLING: 2nd ANNIVERSARY SPECTACULAR is a special 2 disc set from the great event we had on March 9th. Lexxus vs. Ariel in a Title vs. Career bout and much more, including bonus Q & A footage from the luncheon held before the show that day.

Both DVD's on sale now at www.NECW.tv

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This Sunday, World Women's Wrestling returns to Good Time Emporium for BELLE OF THE BRAWL. 3 PM is the bell time. All details are up on www.WorldWomensWrestling.com.

"The Portuguese Princess" Ariel defends the WWW Championship against the winner of the BELLE OF THE BRAWL Rumble match earlier in the day.

This is an opportunity for one of the WWW roster to step up and elevate herself. We have a number of new faces in WWW and I expect big things from many of them - Sammi Lane, Elektra Arion and Roxie Cotton come to mind immediately.

Something I have not brought up in previous blogs, but Good Time Emporium is scheduled to lose its lease, as the area is being redeveloped for more upscale usage. Exactly when the place will close is not known at this writing. Attempts are being made to find another location, but Good Times, which is a 150,000 square foot facility and the largest indoor entertainment complex in New England, is not an easy kind of place to move due to licensing issues, zoning issues and other concerns that vary from town to town.

NECW would not have taken off if it were not for Good Time Emporium. World Women's Wrestling could not have been launched anywhere else. In recent years, NECW has grown to where it's outgrown Good Times as a venue, thought WWW works fine there and has done well. The management has allowed multiple other "promotions" to run there, and that really doesn't do any of them any favors. WWW isn't affected because it's such a unique product, but the special nature of the venue has been lost somewhat in recent years. It will be a sad day when Good Times finally closes its doors. We hope to have at least one more event there after this Sunday.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Saturday night, May 31, NECW will present the 5th Annual IRON 8 Championship Tournament in Quincy, MA.

The IRON 8 is a unique event that has become a calling card of sorts in NECW. It's one of the more original concepts in a business where very little is original. It's an 8 man tournament that starts as your typical single elimination tournament, but after a first round of four singles matches, the four winners face each other in a 4 way, 45 minute iron man match - most pins or submissions in 45 minutes wins, and the winner is that year's IRON 8 Champion. It's a grueling test and a real exciting night of professional wrestling at its best.

"Die Hard" Eddie Edwards has won the last two. He is joined by Brandon Locke, Scott Osbourne, Gran Akuma from Chikara and "The Japanese Nightmare" Kahagas. 3 spots remain to be announced.

What can I say? This is a huge night for NECW and, so far, a tremendous field of competitors. If you really want to get a feel for the IRON 8, get the great DVD we put out on last year's tournament at www.NECW.tv. This is as good as anything you will see on the independent circuit.

I hope to see you there! More blog stuff soon.

Paul Heyman Doing The Hustle

2008-04-13T17:19:00.004-04:00

Paul Heyman is indisputably one of the best booking minds and wrestling personalities of his generation. After the fall of the original ECW, Heyman took his considerable talents to the WWE where he went through a volatile few years butting heads with the McMahons and playing a key part in the revival of ECW. Heyman never seemed to be able to get the kind of creative control to have the kind of impact he might have wished for, and that relationship came to an unsurprising end.

Since then, Heyman has moved on to a project called "The Heyman Hustle" - a series of web based mini-shows produced under the auspices of the London-based Sun newspaper that feature Heyman hanging around New York interviewing all sorts of major and minor celebrities all examining whatever their particular "hustle" is. It's Paul Heyman's creative mind turned loose beyond a ring and set of ropes, and with that much personality power behind it, it's enormously engaging stuff.

Heyman is now a father of two and trying to move on to other dreams and aspirations outside of wrestling. Pro wrestling is touched on here and there in the series, but this is Paul Heyman proving that wrestling needs Heyman more than Heyman needs wrestling. I tip my hat to Paul, because his kind of ability deserves an outlet that is suitably rewarding.

There are all sorts of opinions about Paul Heyman. Most of them are something like "creative genius, but a lousy businessman."

I had some personal experience with Paul while he was running ECW. Through a chain of events that is well covered in Scott E. Williams' book, Hardcore History, in 1997 I ended up being the middle man between ECW and Michinoku Pro Wrestling, facilitating their appearance on the first ECW pay-per-view, Barely Legal. Even while being "hustled" by Heyman, I still liked the man immensely and liked and respected Tazz and Tommy Dreamer, along with the rest of the ECW crew. I was put in a position of being able to do something positive for people who were earnestly trying to overcome long odds and was glad I did.

The experience gave me a bit of an insight into Heyman. I disagree with anyone who says that Paul Heyman was a lousy businessman. Anyone who could have done what Paul did is one hell of a businessman. Paul's problem, ironically, was similar to the problems that plagued many of old time promoters he criticized.

For example, Paul would talk about Verne Gagne not being able to adapt to the times. In the world of territorial wrestling, Verne Gagne thrived. But when that world was altered by the expansion of the World Wrestling Federation and Vincent K. McMahon, Gagne couldn't adjust in order to compete. Ironically, the same thing happened to Paul Heyman.

When ECW was a touring East Coast promotion with syndicated TV, Paul Heyman could control his universe. But after Barely Legal, when pay per view entered the picture and suddenly this little fly-by-the-seat-of-its pants company had to deal with things big corporations and due diligence and a level of scrutiny and responsibility to something other than itself, then ECW's universe changed and Paul Heyman did not adapt to those changes and become a real corporation with a staff and management team that could efficiently handle its business.

A hustler can only hustle you if he controls the environment at hand. In my opinion, all Paul was guilty of was losing that control. Yes, a lot of people got hurt in that process, but most of them achieved something they could never have achieved without him.

So watch "The Heyman Hustle" and enjoy Paul Heyman - free to create and in control of his universe.

Best wishes Paul!

NECW Home Video Update: BIRTHDAY BASH 7 Ready Next Week

2008-04-11T00:19:00.004-04:00

We have been making a real effort at getting more DVD releases into the marketplace. It's hard to do with limited staff and difficult schedules. But demand has been encouraging and they are a great calling card for our company.

I mentioned in my last blog that the BIRTHDAY BASH 7 DVD is almost ready to ship. BIRTHDAY BASH is our annual anniversary show and the biggest night of our year. I really enjoyed putting this one together, because it showcases more of the "storytelling" strengths of NECW. Every match on the show was part of a feud that was many months, and in some cases, over a year, in the making.

The DVD contains never-before-seen footage shot specifically for the DVD, as well as promos and a few great extras. Check out this preview:

The recently released DVD called The IRON 8 Championship is a 2 disc effort, also well worth your time. The annual IRON 8 tournament is an NECW creation and one of the few truly original events in our business. It's an 8 man tournament with a unique twist. Instead of the standard single elimination format all the way through, the event has a first round where the 8 men pair off into singles bouts and a final round where the 4 winners compete in a 4 way, 45 minute iron man match - most pinfalls or submissions wins.

The result is an athletic showcase like no other. All the action is covered, along with over an hour of bonus features and interviews.

Check out this preview:

We have more great releases planned for the next few months. They include:

NECW Best of 2007, WWW Best of 2007, WWW 2nd Annniversary, Genesis 7: Battle of the Giants and The Toxic Waltz.

So Much to Blog About, So Little Time: An Attempt to Catch Up

2008-04-10T16:25:00.003-04:00

Life has a funny way of keeping you from the things you really want to do - one of them, in my case, is updating this blog. So much has been happening in the world of pro wrestling, both in and out of NECW, and I have a ton of comments to share with you:

WrestleMania 24:

While I enjoyed the show and marveled at the spectacle that only WWE can deliver, apart from Flair-Michaels, Show-Mayweather and Edge-Undertaker, I found the rest of the card lacking from an emotion standpoint. Of course, absolutely nothing could compare to the three matches I just mentioned. I look forward to the DVD to see the Hall of Fame, which I missed.

Ric Flair's in ring swan song was done beautifully. A match and a finish for the ages. I was crying right along with Flair when Michaels hit the sweet chin music. More on Flair below.

Show-Mayweather had one of the most creative finishes I think I've ever seen. I'd bet money Pat Patterson had something to do with it. A fantastic piece of business.

Edge-Undertaker was a phenomenal match. Edge is at his athletic prime and one of the greatest workers on the major league level of this business. Undertaker truly deserves the moniker "phenom." Taker has had one of the most amazing careers in modern wrestling history.

C.M. Punk winning "Money In The Bank" was nice to see. Punk is a good guy and a great worker who is a franchise player waiting to happen.

Gordon Solie Inducted Into the WWE Hall of Fame:

Gordon Solie was the greatest wrestling announcer of all time and you can ask Jim Ross if you don't believe me. (J.R. comes in second in my book. One of these days I'll do a whole blog on wrestling announcers.) Hats off to the WWE for acknowledging "The Dean."

I was extremely fortunate to have met Gordon through the Cauliflower Alley Club and, later through my work with the late Hiro Matsuda and Howard Brody on "Ring Warriors."

While our encounters were brief, they are nonetheless memorable. I first met Gordon at a Cauliflower Alley Club banquet in Springfield, MA. If you know Gordon, appropriately enough, we first met in the Marriott hotel bar. I will never forget this as long as I live, because about four words into our conversation, Gordon uttered an expletive. When asked about different people he encountered over his career, the expletives continued to fly. Not everything was negative mind you, but it struck me so funny that this articulate gentleman that I had watched on TV for so many years and so respected was using language that would make a sailor blush. Imagine, if you will, Walter Cronkite bidding his audience farewell by saying, "And that's the $#@!%-ing news, and if you don't like it, &*$#@! @#$!&!!!!! I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.

Gordon is a person I wish I had gotten closer to when I had the chance, but the encounters we had were warm and friendly. Gordon was a truly good man and a person I feel fortunate to have encountered on a professional level.

In my role as a wrestling announcer for the NECW TV shows and DVD's, I study old tapes of Gordon religiously, as I do Jim Ross and Lance Russell.

Sadly, there will never be another Gordon Solie - a truly deserving Hall of Famer.

Ric Flair's Retirement:

Like Gordon Solie, there will never be another Ric Flair. Flair said himself on Raw the day after WrestleMania that he had the greatest career in the history of pro wrestling. Boy, he sure did.

Flair is the last of the great touring NWA World Champions and a real bridge between the territory era and the national era. He and Sting are the last two major stars of any long standing that Vince McMahon did not create. In many ways, Flair's true greatness can be measured in the fact that Vince McMahon and the WWE allowed his to be himself and allowed his considerable legacy to be acknowledged and celebrated.

An interesting fact: The WWE Ultimate Ric Flair Collection DVD grossed more than it cost WWE to buy the intellectual property and trademarks of WCW.

People talk about Hulk Hogan as being the greatest star in the history of wrestling, and on some levels he is. But the greatest wrestler, the greatest worker, the most emotionally enduring figure in pro wrestling in my lifetime has been Ric Flair.

The farewell celebration on Raw has been called one of the greatest televised moments in wrestling history. It was as sweet and as perfect as a farewell could be.

In thinking back on this, it's too bad that Flair couldn't have been sent off by a younger guy - not that there was anything wrong with Michaels in that role. But it would have been nice to have seen Flair "pass the torch" to an Orton or a Cena, someone with more years ahead of them in the business than behind them. Then again, the business that Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels came to prominence in is at an end too. For those of us who grew up on Ric Flair, there has to be that tinge of sadness that we are all growing older and our heroes fade with time.

While new history will be written and new stars will be born, the brightest of them all was Ric Flair and the memories of his exploits have been largely preserved on video. Thus the old adage is really true: Diamonds are forever, and so is Ric Flair.

NECW Notes:

We had a terrific event in Quincy a couple of weeks ago with MARCH BADNESS. The title situation in NECW is really heating up with Big Rick Fuller being hotly pursued by Antonio Thomas and Max Bauer.

It has yet to be determined how the ankle injury to Handsome Johnny will affect his reign as NECW Television Champion, but the Handsome One is blue chip material and will come into his own in NECW.

We have a very unique event talking place on Friday night, April 18. It's a benefit show for the South Middle School in Brockton, MA. The event is only open to students, faculty and staff at the school and their families, but a large crowd is expected and we look forward to a great night in Brockton on the 18th.

We have a great DVD our right now called The IRON 8 Championship. It's last June's tournament along with over an hour's worth of bonus features. If you like hard hitting athletic wrestling at it's finest, you will love the IRON 8 DVD. The 2008 IRON 8 Tournament is scheduled for Saturday night, May 31 in Quincy, MA, so circle that date on your calendars.

Speaking of DVD's, next week we will be releasing last summer's BIRTHDAY BASH 7: CAGED FURY on DVD, complete with never-before-seen segments and bonus features. This and the IRON 8 DVD are the best DVD's we've done to date. I am really proud of the way they came out and the way they represent NECW.

I often think that our company is a well kept secret among the major wrestling web sites. They will announce our shows and publish our results, but unless you watch the TV's and get the DVD's, you don't know how really good this company is.

I will have more soon!

Thoughts on WWW's 2nd Anniversary Show

2008-03-10T13:26:00.003-04:00

If you missed yesterday's World Women's Wrestling event at Good Time Emporium in Somerville, MA, you missed a truly special day.

I want to thank everyone who participated yesterday - from the athletes to the staff to the fans to the management of Good Time Emporium. It was one of those days that can only be described as a triumph.

We started with a luncheon at 12:30 where the fans had a chance to interact with the stars and management. This is one of my favorite events of the year, because the WWW fans are so loyal and it's great to be able to have a one-on-one experience with the people who are most supportive of the promotion. It's like a reward for them and a statement by us that we appreciate them enough to give them the opportunity to be up close and personal and to be heard by the promotion.

We had fans of all ages in attendance and from as far away as England. There were a lot of interesting suggestions and it was nice to see the talent in an informal situation. Fan favorites or otherwise, the WWW roster is an extraordinary group and it was nice to see them so honored by their most loyal fans.

The event itself was a terrific afternoon of professional wrestling. All the girls worked hard and, of course, Sean Gorman ended up on the short end of things again - first with Elektra Arion and then with "The Human Nightmare" Evan Siks.

Luscious Latasha, who was scheduled to appear, was in a car accident the night before. We understand she is okay, but her car was totalled. We wish her the best and look forward to seeing her soon.

The debuting Barbie, Sammi Lane and Roxie Cotton all impressed, as did The Daughters of Darkness, Jana and the returning Amber, who looked great.

A tremendous main event with Lexxus and "The Portuguese Princess" Ariel was the topper, and it was classic stuff.

I've said this before, and it bears repeating. World Women's Wrestling is some of the most creative stuff we do. NECW is blessed with a loaded roster of great talent. There is not as deep a pool of female talent locally, but every girl who worked for us yesterday delivered and you won't find a harder working group anywhere. This was a day where everyone got a lot more then their money's worth.

A complete report with all the results is up now on http://www.worldwomenswrestling.com/.

WWW 2nd Anniversary This Sunday & Notes On The News

2008-03-05T21:24:00.003-05:00

Lots going on in Goldberg-land these days, so I haven't had much time for blogging. There are a lot of things I do want to comment on so I will try and touch on some things now with a longer post next week.

This Sunday is the 2nd Anniversary of our World Women's Wrestling promotion taking place at Good Time Emporium in Somerville, MA.

The WWW shows have been some of the most creative stuff our company has done, and you can look forward to a terrific event this coming Sunday. We have a luncheon with the stars at 12:30 PM, which is a great event in and of itself. It's a chance for us to break bread with our most loyal fans and get to spend some quality one-on-one time with them. We have an informal Q & A and just a fun time with the folks who appreciate us most. This is not the typical indy wrestling Q & A. It's a real sincere personal experience and if you are close enough to get here, you really want to be a part of this.

The show itself starts at 3:00 PM and is topped by an interesting main event with Lexxus defending her title against "The Portuguese Princess" Ariel, who is putting up her career. We have The Daughters of Darkness, The Soul Sistahs, Amber, who is back after a long absence, the debuts of Sammi Lane, Roxie Cotton, Barbie and more. I promise you a great afternoon and sincerely hope you join us.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

One of the biggest pro wrestling stories recently is the move of WWE's Smackdown from the CW Network to MyNetwork TV.

I was actually glad to hear that news, because the MyNetwork stations need the ratings boost Smackdown will provide. WWE's programming will be a more valued player on that network and not an afterthought, which is important.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show at WrestleMania: Boxer vs. wrestler gimmicks have been around for decades. While Mayweather isn't the kind of mainstream celeb like a Mike Tyson, it will still be a headline grabber. It just goes to show you that the old time gimmicks can be recycled for current times.

And about that alleged $20 million payday... If Floyd got it, bless his heart. I feel bad for some of the talent in WWE who are undervalued and underpaid, but it is often a business where value is anything but objective.

GENESIS 7 Notes, WWW Notes & IRON 8 DVD

2008-02-20T21:01:00.002-05:00

It's been a crazy couple of weeks here between preparation for GENESIS 7 and other work projects that seem to have peaked all at the same time. I'm putting in some pretty crazy hours these days, but have a lot to be thankful for.

GENESIS 7 was simply a super event. All of our athletes worked hard, the matches were all great and we had a packed house of great NECW fans to boot. You can't ask for much more than that.

We debuted a new upgraded entrance way and video projection set up that looked phenomenal. Hats off to Matt and Kyle Storm for their hard work in putting that together. It gives our events a real "big time" atmosphere that the quality of talent deserves.

I used to think that the physical presentation of wrestling was not so important. After all, wrestling was presented with just a ring and a few lights for decades. One of the things that has changed about our world is that people's expectations have changed. Their view of pro wrestling is what they see on TV and while there is no way that an independent company can match the physical presentation of a WWE or TNA, a strong physical production does make a real difference. I'm proud to say that NECW has a physical production that is the best in the region. Our fans deserve the very best event we can give them and attention to "the little things" is a big part of what sets us apart from everyone else in the area.

Back to the GENESIS event itself. I was really thrilled with the matches and so proud of our roster. One of the great stories of the night for me was seeing "Rocket" Fred Curry Jr. and Chase Del Monte capture the tag team titles. I always liked both talents, partcularly Curry who broke in to New England with NECW on our very first event back in 2000. This duo seems to have really clicked and I expect big things from them in the coming year.

D.C. Dillinger and Alex Arion tore it up with Dillinger coming up on the short end thanks to a quick thinking Alex Arion. Dillinger's post match attack on the sister of the Golden Greek was just despicable. I lost my cool over that one, as I have little patience for man on woman violence.

Eddie Edwards and Bobby Fish had another classic with Edwards picking the pocket of Fish with help from Sean Gorman for the win. I don't know about you, but I could watch these guys for hours. It's a feud that I hope never ends, because these two guys are magic together.

Antonio Thomas and Brian Fury had a tremendous match and as I have said before, Thomas is doing the best work of his career in my not so humble opinion.

While I may not agree with his tactics, I am happy that Big Rick Fuller is getting a chance to lead the charge in NECW as Triple Crown Champion. I can't think of a more credible titleholder than Fuller, though Max Bauer is going to give him a major run for his money. With Antonio Thomas in the hunt as well, the Triple Crown title picture has suddenly developed a whole lot of intrigue.

The one thing that struck me about GENESIS 7 more than anything else was watching the fans and how they were so into what was going on. It's nights like this that make me so happy, because it proves that if you present pro wrestling with that old school mentality, it still works and the people still respond.

A very gratifying night indeed.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

World Women's Wrestling makes it's return on Sunday, March 9 for the 2nd anniversary of the promotion.

It will be an interesting afternoon with a pre-show lunch with the stars at 12:30 and the show itself at 3 PM.

There will be a lot of new faces at this event and I am looking very much forward to it.

The luncheon is an unusual opportunity to get up close and personal with the stars. Last year's lunch was a really fun time and you owe it to yourself to be a part of it. Tickets are already moving fast and we have orders from as far away as England!

Make sure you get your tickets early for this one!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The just-released IRON 8 DVD that we've put out is really something you should go out of your way to get.

It's our most ambitious release yet - a 2 disc set with over an hour's worth of extras.

The IRON 8 Championship is one of those rare things in wrestling - a completely original concept that really showcases the athleticism of its participants. 4 singles matches with the winners facing off in a 4 way, 45 minute iron man match. To win, you have to be able to wrestle for an hour or more. .

As I was doing the commentary for the DVD, I was struck by how really good it was and that the talent in this is so extraordinary. It's a real showpiece for NECW and pro wrestling at its best.

Make sure you pick one up at our TV site.

WWE Smackdown/OVW Thoughts, GENESIS 7 Notes, IRON 8 DVD This Saturday

2008-02-11T23:01:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how busy it's been this past month. We have a lot of things going on in NECW and some cool stuff in the works for the warmer months. I'm really excited about GENESIS 7 this Saturday, but more on that later.

The big news stories in wrestling last week were the CW network dropping WWE's Smackdown and WWE ending their relationship with Ohio Valley Wrestling as a developmental territory.

It seemed to me that CW dropping Smackdown was something totally out of left field. While I'm sure Smackdown will end up on another network (My Network TV seems most likely), I don't see NBC giving it a slot (or ABC or CBS for that matter). It may help boost My Network TV, which needs some destination programming, and WWE might be able to leverage a better upside for itself in terms of ad sales revenue.

The dropping of OVW as a developmental territory was no surprise to anyone in the business, as WWE is making a serious investment in the Florida Championhip Wrestling territory and consoldating its developmental programs there. I hope OVW continues on as an independent entity because quality promotions are a real need in today's business.

I am sorry to hear about my old friend Al Snow being released from his contract. He's one of the true good guys in the business. I hope Al continues to stay involved in wrestling.

Saturday night's GENESIS 7: BATTLE OF THE GIANTS is going to be a tremendous card. I am especially looking forward to the main event with Fuller and Bauer. But there is so much here that is going to rock the house - Edwards vs. Fish, Dillinger vs. Arion. Sain and Siks in a Dog Collar Match, New Tag Champions will be crowned, plus the TV Title match with Locke battling Handome Johnny, Ariel vs. Luscious Latasha and more. This one you don't want to miss. GENESIS is a New England tradition! Make sure you get tickets!

Also, we have just finished the IRON 8 DVD from this past year's tournament. This is the best DVD we've ever done. The IRON 8 is a unique event that really showcases the great athletic talent we have here in NECW. There aren't many truly original wrestling concepts, but the IRON 8 is one of them. This 2 disc set has over an hour's worth of extras, including never-before seen interviews will all of the IRON 8 Finalists and myself.

See you in Quincy this Saturday night!

WWE World Class DVD; NECW SNOWBRAWL, Best of Polls and Year End Awards & 2008 Notes

2008-01-25T00:21:00.000-05:00

First off, let me wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2008. Thank you for taking the time to read this stuff as your support is very much appreciated.

I finally got a copy of WWE's Triumph and Tragedy of World Class Championship Wrestling last week, and it was well worth the wait. While the WWE's version does not have the same emotional power of Brian Harrison's Heroes of World Class DVD, which you can get from Big Vision Entertainment, it has a lot that Heroes didn't have, such as commentary from Michael Hayes, Buddy Roberts and Jimmy Garvin and a good selection of matches.

The story of World Class Championship Wrestling is something the likes of which will never be seen again. A wrestling territory so far ahead of its time, so hot, so innovative destroyed by unimaginable tragedy after tragedy. It is a story so incredible, if it were not fact, it would never pass as fiction as it would be too implausible.

I will spare you the detailed review, but both the Heroes of World Class DVD and the WWE's Triumph & Tragedy deserve a place in your DVD collection.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

NECW has SNOWBRWAL coming up this coming Saturday night in Quincy, MA and it will be a barnburner of a card. We have a terrific 8 man tag team elimination match on top with NECW Triple Crown Champion, Big Rick Fuller, D.C. Dillinger, "Die Hard" Eddie Edwards and Antonio "The Promise" Thomas on one side and "Straight Edge" Brian Fury, Alex Arion, Bobby Fish and Max Bauer on the other. This one is contested under elimination rules and it is an absolute must-see.

We have 7 other bouts, including two title rematches as Brandon Locke defends the TV title against Handsome Johnny and Lexxus puts the gold on the line against "The Portuguese Princess" Ariel. Check out http://www.necwwrestling.com/ for the complete card and ticket info, but I want to see you there!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This is the time of year for all the "Best of 2007" polls. The granddaddy of them all is the Wrestling Observer Awards. Dave Meltzer does the most complete job of this. And while it is a flawed awards list, it has become the standard by which all other polls of this sort are judged by.

I have issues with a lot of stuff in the Observer awards, though this year Dave did a much better job of separating the pro wrestling awards from the MMA awards. I've always maintained that the two are different animals and should not be judged side by side.

It's worth going out of your way to get, especially if you are either in the business or a serious student of it.

We do not do any sort of "Best of 2007" awards for NECW. There is a message board site that primarily covers the New England scene that has a year end poll, but it is so flawed in so many areas that it can't be taken seriously.

If I were to give you my own NECW "Best of 2007" winners, some might be offended because it's like telling you which of my children I like best. We will be coming out with a "Best of 2007" DVD in the next couple of months. In fact we have 3 releases in process right now: the 2007 IRON 8 Championship, BIRTHDAY BASH 7: Caged Fury and The Best of 2007, which will again be a 2 disc set. There will be a best of WWW DVD too in the not too distant future.

Without calling this a "Best of 2007 Awards," here are some of my thoughts on the year just passed:

You judge a wrestling company best by who it's champion is and what they have done. By that standard, D.C. Dillinger proved himself to be the top independent wrestler in New England. Dillinger toppped more sellouts than any other NECW Champion ever. His feud with Brian Fury was everything a great wrestling feud should be - hot issues, great promos, a great chase until the final conflict in a cage.

Brian Fury held up his end very well and delivered the goods in his role. Fury had a chance for the first time to play out a long program and he grew in that environment.

"Die Hard" Eddie Edwards and "The Infamous" Bobby Fish had a phenomenal series of matches in 2007 and those two are as good as any workers anywhere on the face of the planet.

Brandon Locke had a fantastic year and became a big fan favorite very quickly. Some workers need you to build them up to get the desired reaction. Brandon had the people almost immediately. This is a guy with great talent and finally the stage to show it.

Rick Fuller was such a solid performer for NECW in 2007. He finished the year winning the Triple Crown, but Fuller has had a tremendous positive impact on the promotion all year. If anyone deserves a big run on top, it's Fuller.

Michael Sain and Antonio Thomas have done great work in NECW in the latter part of the year. Sain was one of the better NECW Champions and has become a very good student of the business. Antonio Thomas is one of the best workers New England has ever produced, and his latest work is some of the best of his career. If you haven't been watching NECW TV and his promos, you are missing something special.

On the women's side, Tanya Lee grew tremendously as a performer as WWW Champion. One of the true rewards of promoting wrestling is seeing people get better when given the stage and the spotlight. Tanya Lee is going to get even better as time goes on. I cannot say enough good things about Lexxus. This is a girl who so totally upped her game in taking the WWW title in August, it's amazing.

This is the strongest roster in NECW history and I think we delivered an excellent product - one that I am so very proud of.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

As we look to 2008, we have some huge things on the horizon. We will be announcing some pretty interesting shows and relationships in the coming months that are really going to elevate the company.

We will be doing the Hot Dog Safari again this year. That takes place on Sunday, June 1 at Suffolk Downs in East Boston.

We will be launching a new web site in March that I think is going to be as good as anything on the net.

It's going to be an exciting year for NECW and WWW and I look forward to seeing you at the matches.

WALTZ Notes, Thoughts on 2007 & 2008

2008-01-07T00:42:00.000-05:00

The NECW year 2007 came to a close on Friday night, December 28th with the annual TOXIC WALTZ. You can read the complete results at the NECW website, and watch highlights on this week's NECW TV, but I thought I would share a few notes on the show.

The big news of course is Big Rick Fuller being crowned NECW Triple Crown Champion. Fuller is a long time veteran and a guy who deserved a big run in this business. It would not shock me if he got that run somewhere, foriegn or domestic, within the next year or so.

Max Bauer was the 2007 TOXIC WALTZ winner, and it was Bauer's night to shine. Max is a tremendously gifted kid. He's got size and power, but also is intelligent, well-spoken and a student of the game. Now that he is out of the shadow of T.J. Richter, look for Bauer to have a huge impact on NECW in the coming year.

2007 was a great year for NECW. It may well have been the best year as far as the in-ring product goes in the history of the company. Guys like Dillinger, Edwards, Fish, Fury, Locke, Fuller, Frost, Arion and so many others have had consistently good matches. Michael Sain coming back on the scene in dramatic fashion at BIRTHDAY BASH 7 was a highlight. The NWA Championship Tournament Matches were so memorable, especially the return to NECW of "Prince" Fergal Devitt from Ireland, who is now full time in New Japan Pro Wrestling.

2008 looks like it could be an even bigger year with the emergence of some talents like Max Bauer and Antonio Thomas.

Our focus right now is to examine our business and look for ways to improve every aspect of what we're doing. Much is in the works, and I can promise you that you will see a bigger and better NECW in 2008.

One thing to mark on your calendar and look forward to is the return of World Women's Wrestling on Sunday, March 9 at Good Time Emporium in Somerville, MA. This will be the second anniversary of WWW and you can look forward to seeing some great action on that date, including familiar faces and new talent as well.

While you won't see as many WWW shows as this past year, we have some big plans for that as well.

I got an e-mail this past week asking me about DVD releases. Right now, we have the 2007 IRON 8 in production. After that will be BIRTHDAY BASH 7, Best of 2007 and one or two WWW releases. We hope to step up DVD production and bring you some great releases in the new year.

Thanks for your support. I will have more later in the week.

TOXIC WALTZ Preview, The Patriots & Thoughts on 2007

2007-12-26T20:48:00.000-05:00

NECW is presenting its final event of 2007 this coming Friday night at the Armory in Quincy, MA. THE TOXIC WALTZ is one of our "signature events" - an event unique to NECW that is one of the high points of the year.

Before I even get to the WALTZ, we made a decision about a month ago to change the date of this event. It was supposed to be Saturday night, December 29th, but seeing that the New England Patriots could be deciding a potential undefeated season, we moved the show to the prior night. Hell, I want to stay home and watch that! So yes Virginia, you can enjoy NECW and the New England Patriots too.

If you're in the Boston area, or drivably close, THE TOXIC WALTZ is an event you want to go out of your way for. THE TOXIC WALTZ is a tradition dating back to 1998 in Mayhem Wrestling. It is one of the most unique concept matches I have ever heard of - a 10 man gauntlet match, with a unique twist and a very important reward. Nine men are selected. Two men begin and the loser of each fall chooses the winner's next opponent. The final loser can chose anyone in or out of NECW to face the last contestant, and the winner gets a shot at the NECW Triple Crown Championship in February at GENESIS 7. The loser of each fall picking the winner's opponent means anyone could face anyone - friend may be forced to battle friend. It's a one-of-a-kind bout where anything can happen.

The participants already signed for THE TOXIC WALTZ include: Former Triple Crown Champion, D.C. Dillinger, 2006-2007 IRON 8 Champion, “Die Hard” Eddie Edwards, “The Golden Greek” Alex Arion, Michael Sain, “The Human Nightmare” Evan Siks, Antonio “The Promise” Thomas, “The Talent” T. J. Richter, Scott Osbourne and Matt Spectro. The 10th man can be anyone in or out of NECW. This is an interesting field full of former titleholders, any and all of whom are still threats to the Triple Crown in NECW. This is one where anyone can end up on top and the winner will dictate the course of NECW for months to come.

We also have the huge rematch between NECW Triple Crown Champion, "Straight Edge" Brian Fury and Big Rick Fuller. Last month, Fuller won the match via count out, when Fury was distracted by Antonio Thomas. This time, no one will be allowed at ringside - not Fuller's manager, Brian Cairo, not Antonio Thomas, or anyone else, as I have stipulated that if anyone interferes in the match, they are gone from NECW. Last month, Fury gave Fuller an amazing fight and showed that he could more than hold his own against the big man. Fuller has a size, power and experience advantage that makes the champion the underdog in what will be an epic rematch.

NECW Television Champion, Brandon Locke defends his title against top contender, Handsome Johnny. The Handsome One is one of the top talents in the area and he is an asset to any locker room. He'll be a title holder in NECW in the future if he wants it bad enough. That being said, Brandon Locke has taken off like a rocket in NECW this year and rockets are hard to catch.

World Women's Wrestling Champion, Lexxus puts the gold on the line against newcomer, Sammi Lane, making her debut in Quincy. It will be interesting to see what Sammi Lane brings to the women's division. Lexxus has really blossomed into a strong and effective champion and her best days are in front of her.

Plus D.C. Dillinger says he and Alex Arion will confront each other face to face at THE TOXIC WALTZ. This past week on NECW TV, you saw Dillinger put Frankie Arion on the shelf permanently in NECW. Alex Arion is not going to let that pass without collecting some serious retribution.

In addition, there will be a tag team title qualifying match pitting the team of Dave Cole and Scott Osbourne against the duo of Chase Del Monte and "The Rocket" Fred Curry. These four are all great competitors. Cole was one half of the Canadian Superstars and held the tag belts for a year. That's all that needs to be said about his credentials. Scott Osbourne is going to be a very big deal in this business if he keeps moving forward like he has been. Del Monte is a great talent, who has yet to land in a position where he can really show off his potential. "The Rocket" Fred Curry is a guy who has so much potential and just needs a shot of confidence and the focus to pull his game together enough to where he can make an impact. This will be a very interesting bout to watch.

We have another tradition in NECW and that's our annual calendar. We always give then away at the last show of the year as a gift to our fans for their support. We do our very best to earn your patronage each and every time we open the doors.

2007 was an extraordinary year for us. I really believe that this incarnation of NECW is the best roster we have ever had. We have had some incredible matches, some compelling feuds and it has worked because we often drew more than other shows in the area with so-called "big names."

Please join us Friday night for what is going to be a really terrific night of wrestling. Thank you!

Holiday Wishes, Bravo Kofi, TOXIC WALTZ

2007-12-12T22:56:00.000-05:00

Is it me, or did this holiday season seem to be upon us too fast? What used to be a happy, spirited time of year just seems like a rush and a blur these days. That's probably a comment on our over-worked society more than anything else.

In any case, I hope you have a great holiday season and that at least one good wish of yours comes true.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Nice to see Kofi Kingston getting called up to ECW with a push. Kofi worked for NECW a bit in 2006 before getting signed to a WWE developmental contract.

Kofi is a great guy, a first class individual and a terrific talent. You'll see him do great things because he had the right blend of undeniable charisma, quality athletics and the open minded respectful attitude that comes along with being a great student of the game.

I am looking forward to following what I think is going to be a stellar career for a very gifted and deserving man.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Lots of things in the works for 2008 that I can't talk about yet, but I am looking forward to a great new year.

Before we get there though, NECW has its final event of 2007, THE TOXIC WALTZ, on Friday night, December 28 at the National Guard Armory in Quincy, MA.

THE TOXIC WALTZ is something that was originally developed in Mayhem Wrestling, was carried over into PWF Northeast and now into NECW. It's one of the most original concept matches I've ever heard of and something I am so proud to have as part of the promotion.

The idea is pretty simple. It's a 10 man gauntlet match, where the loser of each fall picks the winner's next opponent. Lots of interesting possibilities come out of this and that's what makes it such a brilliant concept.

This is one you don't want to miss. Check it out at www.NECWwrestling.com.

Book Review: Bret Hart: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling

2007-11-18T22:44:00.000-05:00

"To me there is something bordering on beautiful about a brotherhood of big tough men who pretended to hurt one another for a living instead of actually
doing it" - Bret Hart

"Bret Hart: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling" is a powerful, roller coaster of a book - a journey through hard times, triumph, tragedy and survival. Bret Hart's is a life like few others have ever lived.

The book is based on an audio diary that Bret kept through his entire career starting in his early twenties. The pictures and details aren't always pretty, but they never fail to fascinate. Even at 553 pages, I found it hard to put the book down.

The Bret Hart revealed in this book is a diamond with many facets and unashamed to hide it's flaws. On one hand, you have the wrestling hero - a loyal, dilligent and often brilliant artist of the squared circle. Then you have the troubled husband finding solace in the temptaions of the road, the loving father, the prodigal son at odds with his siblings and the man trying to stay on track while personal tragedy and professional disappointment take their shots at him.

One of the things that comes through in the book is that the greatest love of Bret Hart's life was wrestling. There are those in the business who have criticized him for taking himself and the business too seriously. The book confirms my opinion that most people who are in it today don't take it seriously enough. Bret's book is a look at how pro wrestling has changed and not in too many ways for the better. Bret's example of hard work, loyalty and doing what's right for the business are qualities that both wrestlers and people in any field of endeavor would be well served to emulate.

If you are in the wrestling business or a student of it, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Even if you are not a wrestling fan, Bret Hart's incredible life is a literary adventure well worth taking.

I am still stunned over how well done this book is. Bret wraps his life up perfectly for us and I found much of it very moving. When I was finished with the book, I wanted to shake his hand, thank him and just chat about what I'd read.

As a wrestling promoter, it saddens me that we don't have Bret Hart in our business anymore. He has so much to give with his knowledge and as a personal influence, that it strikes me as so unfortunate that Bret couldn't make himself a presence in wrestling, even if it were strictly behind the scenes. Bret talks in his book about playing a wrestling hero, but in so many ways, he became a very real one and is even moreso in my eyes after reading this great book.

Toys for Tots Signing, Killer Kowalski & more

2007-11-18T22:07:00.000-05:00

It was a fun day today for a good cause at West Real Estate in Wilmington, MA, as we participated in an autograph signing to benefit Toys for Tots.

Our Chris Sullivan did a great job putting this together with Frank and Karen West who have been doing these signings for the past several years.

This was a really well attended event that featured the legendary Walter "Killer" Kowalski, and in a rare show of babyface compassion, D.C. Dillinger and Sean Gorman actually signed autographs. If you ever been around NECW shows, you know that Dillinger and Gorman signing autographs is about as common as Haley's Comet making a pass.

A ton of toys were donated and I had fun chatting with some of the folks who come by. We even had a couple of guys from PA who were up in the area and donated a whole box of new unwrapped toys.

Frank had a pretty impressive collection of vintage programs and memorabilia on hand. One woman who came by named Ann had a really impressive autograph book with a ton of autographs from the top stars of the 50's. She talked about going to some of the tapings of the original "Bedlam from Boston" TV show in the late 1950's that aired on WBZ-TV.

It was really nice to see Walter Kowalski and his wife Theresa, whom I hadn't seen in a quite a while.

On the ride home, I thought to myself about how much Walter has done in the wrestling business - not just when he was active, but afterwards as well. Kowalski was always generous with his time and stories and not many men who who achieved so much in their field of endeavor are like that. He could have very well kept his knowledge to himself. Instead, he's touched the lives of hundreds of men and women who have become a part of pro wrestling and unselfishly shared his greatness with all of them, myself included.

The man is a true treasure.

We will be back at West Real Estate, 386 Main Street in Wilmington, MA, next Sunday, November 25 from 12 noon to 2 PM.

For a small fee of $5 or a new unwrapped toy you will receive a signed photo of all the stars at the signing. There will be refreshments, a DVD of different NECW matches going, and a special raffle with some great prizes and all money going to Toys for Tots.

On Sunday, November 25 it will be Antonio "The Promise" Thomas, "Mad Dog" Matt Storm, "The Human Nightmare" Evan Siks and Brian Cairo signing autographs. Please come out and see us and do something great for children who would have no toys this holiday otherwise.

For more information go to www.WestRe.com (West Real Estate's website)

Tony Rumble, More on Moolah, Jericho's Book

2007-11-15T16:18:00.000-05:00

It was 8 years ago this week - November 13, 1999 - that "The Boston Bad Boy" Tony Rumble dies of a massive heart attack at the age of 43.

If you were part of the wrestling scene in this area at that time, you know how much of an impact Tony Rumble and his NWA New England promotion had around here. His passing left a void that will never be filled.

Rumble was a unique character. He made his fame as a wrestler, announcer and producer for Mario Savoldi's ICW in the 80's and early 90's. While, by his own admission, he was not a great wrestler, he was one of the great personalities and a talented booker and TV producer. He was able to take a crew of the good, the bad and the goofy and turn them into an entertaining product. He was also a streetwise promoter who built a solid sold show business second to none. His friendships with guys he worked with in ICW, who went on to become major stars, helped elevate the local business and opened doors for many local talents who went on to work for WCW and the then WWF. He would be as proud of guys he knew who made it, as if he made it himself.

More than any of that, Tony Rumble was a very close friend in a business where few real friends are made. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him and wonder what he would think of what our business has become. I would not be surprised to hear him say in that inimitable way of his, "Wow Goldberg, what a bunch of half-wits."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dave Meltzer had a great obituary on The Fabulous Moolah, along with a history of women's wrestling in U.S. in his Wrestling Observer Newsletter last week.

Moolah is not a member of of the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame and in Dave's article he goes into the pros and cons of her career and what works against her for Hall of Fame consideration.

One of Dave's issues is that Moolah was never really a money draw and seldom a main event attraction.

I think you have to see the bigger picture with Moolah. She came around at a time when women's wrestling was simply a special attraction used to spice up cards, much like the midgets and specialty acts like Haystacks Calhoun or Andre The Giant. The women generally weren't booked as consistent acts with programs and angles and that was how the promoters of the day did business. Moolah just provided them with an attraction, keeping herself as the top female star. Had the promoters of the era shown interest in making women consistent pushed characters, there would be more validity to that argument.

I would say that Moolah herself was a solid mid-card attraction. Anytime she appeared on a card and the promoter could bill a World Title match, it added something special to the hype for that particular show. I know as a young fan in the late 60's and 70's, I always had my interest piqued anytime Moolah was on the bill.

Moolah survived and thrived in a mans world and she should be recognized for having kept women's wrestling in business for decades. I have my doubts that women's wrestling would have fared much better without her booking the girls. In that era, most likely someone else would have come along and did the same thing.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I've been busy with a number of non-wrestling projects these past few weeks and have been getting a fair amount of reading in.

Chris Jericho's book, "A Lion's Tale," is a laugh-out-loud fun read. Jericho is a great writer and storyteller who takes you through his career up to his WWF debut.

Anyone who was worked in the business will appreciate Jericho's story all the more. In fact, younger wrestlers who are just starting out should be required to read it.

Even if you don't like wrestling, it's a great book about one man's journey through a strange and often bizarre world to realize a boyhood dream.

Remembering The Fabulous Moolah

2007-11-04T22:17:00.000-05:00

Lillian Ellison, better known to you as The Fabulous Moolah, was one of a kind.

I have been very fortunate to have met and befriended many of the legends of wrestling that I watched growing up. It was a special honor to be able to say that Moolah was a friend.

In the 90's, I started going out to Las Vegas every year for Moolah's LIWA (Ladies International Wrestling Association) conventions. The LIWA was essentially a lady wrestler's reunion, with a banquet and awards and an all girl's show featuring many of the older girls. They were some of the best times I've ever had around wrestling, and Moolah was the ever-gracious hostess.

She loved wrestling more than anything apart from family, and if you loved wrestling and respected the girls, she loved you too and treated you like an extended family member.

She inspired me to promote women's wrestling and I will always be grateful for her insight into the business as well as her friendship.

I will follow this up with more historical insight at another time.

Fury Announced for ECWA's Super 8 Tournament

2007-10-16T17:03:00.000-04:00

NECW Triple Crown Champion, "Straight Edge" Brian Fury was announced as one of the competitors in this year's Super 8 Tournament, presented by the East Coast Wrestling Association and taking place on Saturday night, November 10 in Newark, Delaware.

This is the 11th annual Super 8 Tournament, which has become the premiere event of the independent wrestling world.

ECWA, which has been in business since 1967 under promoter Jim Kettner, is the longest running independent company in America. I am not ashamed to tell you that ECWA has been a big influence on me as a promoter. Jim Kettner is a first class gentleman and a true credit to the sport of professional wrestling.

There are a lot of wrestlers based here in New England who are extremely underrated outside of our area, and for years, Brian Fury has been one of them. I am thrilled for Brian and am glad he's getting such a richly deserved recognition.

Book Review: Brody by Larry Matysik & Barbara Goodish

2007-10-09T15:36:00.000-04:00

People may complain about the current era of pro wrestling in terms of the product being put out by WWE, TNA and others, but this era is noteworthy for a new value placed on the history of pro wrestling. This era, having been launched by the success of the A&E special The Unreal Story of Professional Wrestling, and by Mick Foley's first best selling book, has produced a rash of wrestling books and some unique looks into the people and events that have shaped this industry we call professional wrestling.

Brody, by Larry Matysik and Barbara Goodish, is the story of the late, great Bruiser Brody (real name Frank Goodish). Brody, who murdered in a dressing room in Puerto Rico in 1988, was one of the top stars in the history of the mat game - a fiercely independent bear of a man, who was highly intelligent both in and out of the ring, as well as being a great friend, father and husband.

Brody is a fascinating and compelling book on many levels. The book chapters are written alternately by Matysik (the protege of the late NWA founder and St. Louis promoter, Sam Munchnik) and Barbara Goodish (Frank's widow). A balance is struck between Bruiser Brody and he what he meant to pro wrestling and Frank Goodish and who the man was behind the character of Bruiser Brody. The result of this choice is a book that is as informative and thought provoking as it is tragic and compelling.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the book is the discussion of the what the wrestling world was going through in the mid to late 1980's and the total upheaval of the pro wrestling business as Vince McMahon began his national expansion of the then WWF, and the world that was then called "independent wrestling."

Bruiser Body was an icon and an idol for many who were in the wrestling business during his sadly curtailed career. I remember my dear friend, the late "Boston Bad Boy" Tony Rumble speaking in reverential tones about Brody and what a great friend he was and what a great credit to the business he was.

Brody, who made his greatest impact as a star in Japan, was not really a part of the great national TV era of the 80's. The book speculates on what might have happened had Brody lived longer. It is a shame that younger fans who did not live in the territory era, did not get the chance to experience Bruiser Brody and understand his impact first hand, and another reason that this book is such a treasure.

Brody is one of the greatest wrestling biographies ever - brilliantly written, emotionally charged and a fitting tribute to a pivotal figure in the annals of professional wrestling.

Book Review: Pain And Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling

2007-10-01T12:15:00.000-04:00

"Pain and Passion" is the perfect title for Calgary Herald reporter Heath McCoy's chonicle of the history of Stampede Wrestling and the legendary Hart family. Those few words sum up the experience of the professional wrestling business - the ups and downs, the triumphs and tragedies.

The book plays out like a sweeping epic, from the bitter childhood and hard life of patriarch Stu Hart to the rise and fall of Stampede as a full time territory to the numerous Hart family tragedies to the resurrection of Stampede as a small independent company and the next generation of Hart kids up to and including the Chris Benoit tragedy.

One could argue about which old time territory was the greatest, but there is no denying that Stampede was one of the most influential operations in the history of pro wrestling. The talent that came through Stampede over the years is staggering. This is a fair and balanced "warts and all" type of story. The author's skill as a journalist is also balanced by his obvious fondness for the glory days of the territory.

In the introduction, McCoy says that "the game has lost something special,' a statement that I wholeheartedly agree with and one that applies to all professional sports today. In "Pain and Passion," McCoy deftly captures and conveys that "something special" that made Stampede and the territory era one those of us that grew up in it remember with reverance.

The saga of the Hart family itself is fascinating reading. Even if you were not a wrestling fan, it would be hard not to be intrigued by the Harts and all the personalities within the family.

If you are a true student of the wrestling business, I can't recommend a book more strongly than this one.

Post BIRTHDAY BASH 7 Notes, Best of 2006 DVD

2007-08-20T22:41:00.000-04:00

I am 48 hours removed from BIRTHDAY BASH 7 and have still not come down from the experience yet.

Saturday night's anniversary event may well have been the greatest card in company history.

It had the big show atmosphere, the crowd anticipation and great talent that elevated themselves and great matches to boot. NECW put its best foot forward Saturday night and if you were there and I didn't get to say it to you directly, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support.

In the locker room before the show, I told everyone that in the last 18 months the company has become what I believe independent pro wrestling can and should be. NECW is on a march to fully realize its potential. We aren't all the way there yet, but anyone who was there Saturday night could see it in the ring and feel it in the air.

As a promoter, I get the most satifaction from seeing people live their dream. I believe if you can make someone's dream come true or at least give them the boost they need to reach it, then you have done something special and eventually that comes back to you.

I also get a great amount of satisfaction from seeing the fans enjoy themselves and get in to the matches. We are blessed with a lot of great fans and there were people at the show Saturday night that have been following NECW since the beginning. I can't even express what a priviledge that is, and one I never take for granted.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Our new Best of 2006 DVD is now available online, along with the new WWW DVD, Pick Your Poison.

Best of 2006 really moved off the table Saturday night. I am very proud of this release and highly recommend this 2 disc DVD, as it is a tremendous representation of NECW & World Women's Wrestling.

Watch the trailer by clicking here. Check out the match list and order online by clicking here.

WWW Notes, New DVD's & BIRTHAY BASH 7

2007-08-14T21:34:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday's World Women's Wrestling event was a terrific event in front of another full house at Good Time Emporium in Somerville, MA. Congratulations to Lexxus who defeated Tanya Lee, along with Jana and Natalia to become the 3rd World Women's Wrestling Champion in a bout that quite simply has to be seen to be believed. Ths was one of the most intense title matches we've presented and one of the wildest bouts in the history of the company. I see Lexxus as someone who will really rise to the occasion in the role of champion and I look forward to seeing her defend the title.

Jana suffered a mild concussion in that title match and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. She was able to go home the same night and will be fine with a couple of weeks rest. Jana is a true bright spot in World Women's Wrestling and someone who has a lot to give to our business.

Luscious Latasha made her debut Sunday night, so the Soul Sistahs (Jana & Latasha) are united now in WWW. Lastasha was impressive in her bout with former NECW Women's Champ, Violet Flame and will be another "impact player" in the promotion.

Some thoughts on Tanya Lee, whose 10 month reign as champion was halted this past Sunday. It's possible that she could recapture that title, as she does have a rematch scheduled for this coming Saturday at BIRTHDAY BASH 7. However, Tanya deserves props for her perfomance as WWW Champion. She has had some terrific matches and is still young enough to grow even more as a wrestler, should she apply herself to that end. She has looks, talent, athletic ability and is only scratching the surface of her capabilities.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

NECW Home Video has two new DVD's that are done and coming out on the market shortly.

World Women's Wrestling's PICK YOUR POISON was a great night of action from February 25, 2007. The main event of Tanya Lee vs. Nikki Roxx is worth the price of the DVD alone.

NECW's Best of 2006 is a long-awaited release that will be available at BIRTHDAY BASH 7 this weekend and online the following week. This is a special 2 disc set of the best matches of the past year. There are 12 full length bouts on the two discs, and roughly 7 hours of great matches. Three of those bouts are World Women's Wrestling matches. This is really a great representation of what NECW and WWW are all about and I am really excited about this release.

We hope to be stepping up our DVD releases and we have a couple more titles in the works that should be available in the next 60 days.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This Saturday night is BIRTHDAY BASH 7: CAGED FURY, the 7th anniversary of New England Championship Wrestling.

The story of NECW is a story of making positives out of negatives and trying to make our company and our business better as we go along. Our seven years of continuous operation, innovative concepts, like NECW TV, great cards and great local stars speaks for itself.

This could not be done without the staff, the wrestlers and the fans. I am also blessed with great partners who have embraced my vision of what wrestling in New England can and should be and have worked hard with me side-by-side to make that vision a reality.

Saturday night is about the triumph of local stars and local promotion. I promise you an unforgettable night of action that the true fan will not want to miss. I look forward to seeing you there on Saturday night and will look forward to thanking as many of you as posible in person for your support.

NECW TV Celebrates 100 Episodes

2007-08-09T16:46:00.000-04:00

This week, NECW celebrates the 100th episode of our original Internet television broadcast, NECW TV.

It's an interesting show this week, featuring classic clips from past shows, current bouts and promos as we lead up to World Women's Wrestling this Sunday in Somerville, MA and the 7th anniversary of NECW, BIRTHDAY BASH 7: CAGED FURY at the National Guard Armory in Quincy, MA on Saturday night, August 18th.

I have a lot of pride in NECW TV (no pun intended, referring to the tag team of the same name) because it was a true innovation at the time in a business where innovations are few and far between.

NECW TV began in November 2004 as an attempt to create an alternate means to distribute a TV product for New England Championship Wrestling. Our other choice at the time was cable access, which has to be placed town by town and requires a lot of bicycling tapes or discs around. By going directly on line, we gave our Internet audience another way to follow our promotion and our fans attending our live events a way to stay engaged with NECW bteween shows. It also gave our talent the valuable experience of performing for television, as well as giving the booking structure and focus.

As soon as we started posting episodes, imitators started popping up. There are now dozens of independent companies that distribute shows on line, giving them an economical means to give voice to their product. Wrestling fans worldwide have been given an alternative to WWE and TNA. While it is not a substitute for conventional TV, it is a real means of getting significant exposure.

When I first posed the idea to my crew at the time, there were people who looked at me like I was nuts. "Who's going to watch wrestling on a computer?," they asked. NECW TV is currently seen by anywhere from 3,000 to 6,000 viewers per week from over 60 countries.

Behind this 100 episode effort is a very dedicated crew. I thank my partners Matt West and Kyle White, along with talent coordinator George Carroll, local promoter Paul Richard, plus Bryan, Mike, Jonathan and entire NECW and WWW roster for keeping this vision alive and helping it grow into the great representation of our business it has become.

Make sure you check out the shows at www.NECW.tv!

Thanks for watching!

Catching Up: Notes On Recent Shows, WWW This Sunday & More

2007-07-26T22:21:00.001-04:00

It's been busy times here and we've got some catching up to do.

The June 30th NECW show in Quincy was another great house and another great night of action. It was especially good to see Fergal Devitt back in NECW - at least for one night - as he faced West Perth, Australia's Mikey Nichols in a first round NWA World Title Tournament match. This was a great bout with Fergal, the adopted home town hero, getting the "w."

Fergal, who spent a few months with us about a year and a half back, has become a rarity in the business - a foreign wrestling living and working full-time in Japan. "Prince" Fergal Devitt is a top young star with New Japan Pro Wrestling and is a name you will be hearing much more about in the years to come. Mikey Nicholls proved himself to be a great young star as well and another one who is a future superstar. If you were there on June 30th, you saw two of the wrestling world's best kept secrets in action.

The July 20th NECW show in Quincy was a tremendous event as well. The big news coming out of that card was "Straight Edge" Brian Fury finally getting the #1 contender's spot and facing D.C. Dillinger for the Triple Crown at BIRTHDAY BASH 7, Saturday night, August 18th inside a steel cage.

Fury has really come on strong since coming back from when Dillinger injured him in December. He's wrestled some of his best matches since that time as well, including his performance in the IRON 8 and last Friday epic battle with "Die Hard" Eddie Edwards. Does that mean Fury is a lock to defeat Dillinger in the cage? I'm not so sure.

In spite of all of his underhanded tactics and the those of the Dynasty, D.C. Dillinger has become a great wrestler in the past year. In my opinion, Dillinger hasn't had a bad match since becoming champion. The cage is indeed a weapon and with that added factor, it could be the champion with the advantage, though I think this one may be too close to call. One thing is certain. These guys are going to go out and give it 1000% at BIRTHDAY BASH 7, and you'd be wise not to miss it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Speaking of things you shouldn't miss, World Women's Wrestling returns this coming Sunday, August 12 at Good Time Emporium in Somerville, MA. It's a 7 PM bell time and it should be a wild night of action.

One of the great feuds this year has been Tanya Lee and Lexxus. This should be a barn burner of a bout as these two have really stepped it up in recent battles.

If you haven't seen World Women's Wrestling, you owe it to yourself to give it a try. Simply put, WWW is the most unique pro wrestling promotion in America. Yeah, I know Shimmer gets all the "indy buzz," but WWW is something different. Not a collection of matches, but a real women's pro wrestling promotion.

I hope to see you there.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Later this week, and I'll have a separate post dedicated to it, we will be uploading the 100th episode of NECW TV.

In the TV world, that's quite a milestone. We will have some classic clips on the show, as well as current matches and promos leading up to WWW and BIRTHDAY BASH 7. It will be a must-see episode, so look for it later this week.

Thoughts On Wrestling History, A&E Special & Book Review: National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling

2007-07-26T21:17:00.000-04:00

The history of pro wrestling is a subject that is near and dear to me for a lot of reasons. Pro wrestling was never a business that relished its past as much as it should have. As a result, many important facts, figures, personalities, footage and stories that shaped this uniquely American creation called professional wrestling have vanished into the mists of time.

In 1996, I was contacted by a producer from a company called Actuality Productions. They were working on a TV special for the A&E Network which they described as a 2 hour history of professional wrestling and they were looking for people to assist them on this project. I asked the producer, Bob Ziel and his boss Chris Mortenson, how they viewed the project, what they knew about pro wrestling and what their notions about it were. Ziel said that he had very little knowledge of pro wrestling and had no preconceived ideas about it. Chris Mortenson said that he wanted to do the subject justice and not simply make fun of it. For me, that was the right answer, and I provided them with names, phone numbers, sources of footage, photos and advice. I even convinced a few people that they needed to participate.

After all, here was a TV network that was going to devote two prime time hours to the history of pro wrestling, what better opportunity would the legends have to tell their story.

I was unexpectedly asked by the producers to appear on camera in the role of "wrestling historian" to provide some commentary to fill some gaps in the special.

The end result was a program called "The Unreal Story of Professional Wrestling" and when it first aired it was the highest rated program in the history of the A&E Network. I believe it is their largest selling home video of all time.

While the special was criticized by many for being inaccurate and leaving out many key figures, I thought that it was well produced and a decent thumbnail sketch of how we got from what pro wrestling was to what it is. No one is going to get a history of 100 years of anything 100 percent right in two television hours.

"The Unreal Story" did make an invaluable contribution to the business of pro wrestling. It made millions of people aware that pro wrestling did indeed have a history. It proved that people were just as interested in the past as they were in the present. And an imperfect history often breeds other attempts. "The Unreal Story" spawned the interest in more TV specials and documentaries, books by former greats and the marketing of older footage into videos, DVD's and the creation of WWE's 24/7 Video On Demand service.

A&E still shows 'The Unreal Story of Professional Wrestling" from time to time. I am very proud of that special for what it was, and just as proud for what it inspired.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I just finished reading "National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling" by Tim Hornbaker, published by ECW Press.

If you are an aficionado of wrestling history or someone who is interested in the subject, this book is an essential volume in your library of wrestling literature.

It tells the story of the National Wrestling Alliance, formed in 1948 by a group of promoters who were being frozen out of booking key talent by the wrestling syndicates and cartels of the day. The NWA sought to be a fair governing organization that not only shared talent with its members and friends, but sanctioned a single set of World Champions and built a positive image for the sport.

By the 1950's, the NWA became the preeminent authority in pro wrestling. It boasted roughly 40 member promoters worldwide at its peak. In becoming the powerhouse conglomerate it turned into, the NWA promoters employed some of the same tactics it was formed to combat, such as blacklisting of wrestlers who took sides against member promoters. It also used questionable tactics to stifle competition against its members.

These practices brought complaints, which eventually brought the attention of the Federal government to the NWA, and a 1956 investigation into anti-trust violations. The case was settled by the promoters signing a "consent decree," which acknowledged past unfair practices and promised not to engage in them past that point.

Tim Hornbaker's book chronicles this period well and the book is a treasure trove of information on the key figures of the era, many of whom would be totally unfamiliar to today's fan.

Just reading about the roles of men like Sam Munchnik, Pinkie George and the true father of pro wrestling, Joseph "Toots" Mondt, make this book a must-read.

The 372 page volume, while generously packed with information, is not without its flaws.

The book suffers, in my opinion, from being too ambitious. While trying to cover every aspect of the NWA from its formation to its decline to it's current incarnation, some of the information is glossed over or not given the proper depth or context.

For example, when discussing the current incarnation of the NWA, Horbaker does not explain the difference between the territories of old, which were full time offices, and the independent promoters who banded under the NWA banner under the late Dennis Coralluzzo, who were all small, part time operators.

Some of the book's subjects cry out for volumes of their own. Toots Mondt and Pinkie George are just two of the figures that I wanted to know more about. Ditto Vince McMahon Sr. This I don't consider a flaw, but the real triumph of Hornbaker's book. It gives you a lot of food for thought, but leaves you wanting more.

In spite of its shortcomings, "National Wrestling Alliance" is an important book I would recommend as being absolutely worth your time.

Steroids On The Indy Scene

2007-07-15T22:11:00.000-04:00

Bix replied to my last post and wrote:

"On this level of the business, the monies made don't support a drug-fueled lifestyle."Then explain the physiques of much of the ROH roster, which includes a wrestler whose gimmick is that he is on steroids.There are also plenty of roided up guys in indies much smaller than ROH. It's disingenuous to suggest otherwise.

Bix, I am not suggesting that no one on the indys takes steroids. My point was that the money one makes as an independent wrestler isn't so great that you could support a significant drug habit on it. As long as the national companies put a premium on the bodybuilder physique, and endorse cosmetics over talent, people who want those spots badly enough will turn to whatever aids them in reaching that goal. Are you suggesting that ROH encourages steroid use? I highly doubt that.

I can't say for certain what other promotions do, but I can say what NECW does. We push people based on working ability, not based on physique.

The most important thing that we can do as a wrestling promotion is to continue to operate with that standard and have success with it. Meaningful change comes when you lead by example.

Weekend Notes & Even More Benoit Fallout

2007-07-02T14:54:00.000-04:00

I want to thank all the great fans who showed up to support NECW this past Saturday night in Quincy. This was just a great night of action and you should kick yourself if you missed it, because this one was something special. I will address the card in another post.

To be honest with you, I was scared of what Saturday might bring. Our company had put up six straight sell outs in Quincy the months previous to this past weekend's event. We skipped a month due to National Guard activity that made the venue unavailable to us for the month of May. We had a tremendous event on paper going in.

The Benoit tragedy changed everything.

As much as I tried to rationalize the situation as it pertained to NECW, I was still scared. Ours is a business where when scandal hits it's like a truck driving at high speed through a great big puddle of condemnation. It's not about whether or not you will get wet, but how wet you're going to get and how fast you can get dry again. My hope was that after close to 7 years of presenting professional wrestling, our fans would see past the Benoit tragedy and know that we have yet to let them down. Thankfully, my faith in our fans was not misplaced.

The Benoit situation has started an outcry for stricter regulation both from inside and outside the industry. There is a hysteria that has begun to swirl around this issue because a heinous crime was perpetrated in this latest tragedy. Sad to say, if there were no murder and just "another dead wrestler," no one would be talking about this. But in the news business the credo is, "If it bleeds, it leads." And underneath the blood shed in this latest tragedy, there is that long string of fatalities in our business in recent years. It's easy for the press to pick up the steroid flag and fly it high. And while the Benoit situation goes much, much deeper than steroids, the sordid history of death in recent years is now becoming a media battle cry for some greater level of scrutiny in pro wrestling.

Let me say here that "wrestling" is not the villain. There is a drug culture that has grown around WWE's version of wrestling due to the "success" of the bodybuilder look. The demand by WWE for chiseled physiques on a challenging road schedule is what has to change. The view of what a "wrestler" looks like is what has to change.

In NECW, and many dozens of independent companies throughout the country, the prerequisite for getting a spot is talent and ability over cosmetic appeal. We want guys in shape, but not looking like they are ready to explode. Our job has been to build our business to where that mentality and approach becomes a viable business strategy and it is starting to happen.

It is inevitable that our company will be painted with the same stained brush as those who attack what they think "wrestling" is. It isn't fair.

My friend, Zach Arnold, wrote a very interesting piece for CBS Sportsline that you can read by clicking here. I was quoted in the article and am rather upset about it, because I covered a lot more territory that put those quote in greater perspective.

I said that most independent companies would cease to exist if they had to pay for drug testing. On this level of the business, the monies made don't support a drug-fueled lifestyle. I would suggest that in WWE, you could do all the testing you want but you can't test people and regulate how they live their lives.

What it does not say is that our company was specifically meant to present pro wrestling in a way that gets away from the image of impossibly built behemoths. In fact, if anything, wrestling has shrunk since the 80's. Very few big bodybuilder types are signing up at local wrestling schools. Most of the guys who come through the ranks these days are smaller in size.

We cannot and do not test our athletes for steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. Do some of our guys take them? I couldn't tell you. It certainly isn't apparent from the looks of them. On our level, it's not necessary. The shows are drawing because they are well booked with capable athletes telling compelling stories. Wrestling works without that type of "jacked up is better" mindset.

Let's not confuse "wrestling" with WWE. Not all of wrestling is WWE. Not every promoter has the same mindset. In fact, many of our fans, particularly families with children, express to me that they come to our shows specifically because they love wrestling, but don't like the WWE's presentation of it.

If there is any answer to the long string of premature deaths in pro wrestling, it's to create a true alternative to the drug fueled culture that WWE represents. We need companies that can be financially viable by going back to the old school philosophies of doing business. Just because it's not being done on a national stage right now, doesn't mean it couldn't work. That approach, however must start from a local level and be built upward. Few people have the patience to do that. I have spent the past 7 years building my business that way and we are slowly coming to a place where that is happening. We are still years away, but I am more convinced than ever that it will happen.

I am also convinced that pro wrestling will survive and thrive. My hope is that WWE will make significant changes, including philosophical ones, that make this business, and more importantly the perception of this business, a healthier one for those who are in it.

More Benoit Notes and GLOBAL IMPACT This Saturday Night in Quincy, MA

2007-06-27T19:36:00.000-04:00

Thanks for all the positive responses I've received on the Benoit tragedy. As news reports reveal more details on this situation, the darker and more heartbreaking it becomes. I watched Vince McMahon's statement that was played at the start of the ECW TV show last night and I have to say he was right on target. I applaud the WWE for their public handling of this terrible ordeal.

I made a decision yesterday not to do any sort of ten bell salute or acknowledgement at Saturday night's NECW event. As much as all of us are deeply moved by this senseless loss, I see no need to call more attention to something that has been so exposed in the media. The most important thing we can do as a company is to move on and present our fans with another great event in Quincy.

New England Championship Wrestling has a very special night of wrestling in store this Saturday night, June 30th at the National Guard Armory, 1000 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA with a 7:00 PM bell time. It's an international extravaganza called GLOBAL IMPACT.

The main event is one of the most intriguing match ups ever presented by NECW. The NECW Triple Crown Champion, D.C. Dillinger defends the title against giant-like Big Rick Fuller. Fuller was the man who cost "The Human Nightmare" Evan Siks the championship last February, when he turned on his former friend and that interference gave Dillinger the opportunity to score the pinfall on Siks and claim the Triple Crown. Fuller is now calling in his marker and will face Dillinger one-on-one for the gold.

The new NECW Television Champion, "The Real Deal" Brandon Locke was set to battle 2007 IRON 8 Champion, "Die Hard" Eddie Edwards in his first title defense. However, Locke is out of action with a severe virus and Edwards has issued an open challenge for Saturday night's event. Who will step up and challenge the 2007 IRON 8 Champion and NECW Tag Team Champion?

In another first round match in the NWA World Heavyweight Championship Tournament, Ireland's Fergal Devitt makes a triumphant return to New England Championship Wrestling. Devitt has risen to become one of the world's top competitors since NECW fans saw him some 18 months ago in our ring. The former NWA British Commonwealth Champion faces the pride of West Perth, Australia in Mikey Nicholls. Nicholls, who is the top star for NWA Australia, has also appeared for New Japan and has trained at the Inoki Dojo in California. This is a rare opportunity to see two of the world's best head-to-head as they try to win the legendary "ten pounds of gold."

In other bouts, Big Max Bauer takes on "Straight Edge" Brian Fury as Fury continues his campaign to win a title shot against D.C. Dillinger. Bauer has been known to accept bribes from Sean Gorman to run interference on Brian Fury to keep him from getting to D.C. Dillinger. Can Fury chop down the big man?

"The Golden Greek" Alex Arion continues his battle against the faction known as DNA as he faces "Sensational" Scott Reed with T.J. Richter and Max Bauer in his corner. This is a heated feud and Alex Arion has held his own against DNA.

Former NECW Triple Crown champion, "The Human Nightmare" Evan Siks takes on Handsome Johnny. Siks is still looking to resolve his issues with Rick Fuller and The Handsome One, who is a force to be reckoned with, could be the spoiler who send Siks' gameplan off course.

In a special 6 man tag team grudge match, 2D Edge and Triplelicious collide with The Canadian Superstars and Scott Osbourne. Is Osbourne finally taking on Brian Cairo as his manager? Cairo has been courting the up and comer for months now. This is one to watch.

All this, plus a World Women's Wrestling feature match pitting WWW Champion Tanya Lee with manager Sean Gorman in her corner against Lexxus in a non-title match. In order to counteract the antics of Sean Gorman, Lexxus has received permission to have former WWW Champion, Nikki Roxx in her corner as her manager for the evening.

Advance tickets are available at all FYE & Strawberries locations, K.C.'s Sports Cards, 3 Temple Street in Quincy Center and online at www.NECWwrestling.com.

I hope you will join us to enjoy a great evening of professional wrestling.

Making Sense of the Senseless

2007-06-26T16:25:00.000-04:00

I have been sitting at my desk today trying to wrap my head around the Benoit family tragedy. No one can make sense out of this senseless turn of events, and yet we all have a need for answers at a time like this.

I don't have a personal connection to Chris Benoit. We met once, briefly, backstage at a WCW event in Boston. We didn't even speak long enough to form any mutual personal impressions. Like most of you, I knew Chris Benoit by reputation - and what a sterling reputation it was until the past 24 hours.

A shower of facts and innuendo have cascaded over TV, radio and the Internet about exactly what happened. Fans are shocked. The industry is reeling.

One thing is certain to me. Anyone who blames WWE or the wrestling business in general is flat out wrong. While Vince McMahon may be guilty of bad taste and poor timing, he is innocent of anything else in this matter. Some media outlets are citing steroids and the condition known as "roid rage" as a possible cause of this tragedy and are trying to implicate the business of pro wrestling in the process. This is just the media's thirst for easy answers in a time and place and circumstance that is anything but easy.

Wrestling has always been a brotherhood with complex contradictions. When tragedy befalls one of our number, we are saddened, stunned and grieving. But the show must go on, because this is our life. And if that sounds callous or unfeeling, you are someone who has never made the sacrifice required to be a part of this thing we call professional wrestling. Those who have understand completely.

The best thing we can do to honor the memory of Chris Benoit, the wrestler and for his contributions to our business, and the brothers and sisters in wrestling that he left behind, is to let the show go on. As for Chris Benoit the man, that is someone that apparently we didn't know. God will judge him now. I pray for him, his wife and innocent child, and his family and friends.

McMahon Death Angle & Effects on Indy Wrestling

2007-06-22T20:08:00.000-04:00

The one question I've been asked more than any other in recent days is my opinion on the McMahon death angle currently going on in WWE and what effect, if any, it will have on independent wrestling.

Ever since I started promoting wrestling, I've tried to make it a point not to publicly criticize other companies. I am going to make an exception here, because this is one time that a very important line has been crossed by WWE.

What makes pro wrestling unique is that while we present a form of entertainment with a dash of fiction, our participants are real to our fans. Many work under their real names and their in ring personas are simply exaggerations of their own personalities. What makes wrestling really work is creating the credible combination of action and emotion that makes you care enough to buy a ticket and keep coming back to watch.

The staged death of Vince McMahon is a story with no payoff. It has played with the very real emotions of its most loyal fans and they have been made to feel like fools for it. It is not good business for the company and its shareholders.

Does this effect the independent wrestling scene? Everything WWE does has some effect. For the average person, WWE is pro wrestling. Everything else that calls itself that will always be compared to it. This is certainly not going to bring our business more respect. In fact, it makes the job of a company like ours more difficult, because we have to live down the negative stigma that this kind of bad taste creates.

The silver lining to this cloud is that perhaps this underscores the idea that choice is good and if you live wrestling, but hate WWE's version of it, seek out the alternatives - whether it be TNA, ROH, NECW or something else. Wrestling does not begin and end with WWE.

RIP Sherri Martel, Special Return Tomorrow in Danvers

2007-06-15T22:15:00.000-04:00

I am deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Sherri Martel this morning. Sherri was one of the greatest female wrestlers of the modern era. She was a woman who rose to the top in what was very much a man's world. It's nice to know that she lived to experience the honor of being inducted into WWE's Hall of Fame this year, because she truly deserved that distinction.

As a women who was both a great wrestler and a great manager, she is in an elite club of stars who excelled at both.

We actually tried reaching out to Sherri a few months ago about coming up to appear in WWW, but did not connect. I think Sherri would be pleased that our company, along with Shimmer, is making a real effort to open up the business for talented women.

I met Sherri on a number of occasions and she was always charming and fun to be around. We took a picture together at a Cauliflower Alley Club Banquet in Burbank, CA back in 1997 and had a chance to talk some walking from the banquet hall to the hotel itself. I will always remember that conversation because I saw in her a real good hearted person - someone you would admire for who they were and not what they did.

My deepest sympathies go out to her family and children and her many friends.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In all the press and hype for tomorrow night's NECW event in Danvers, I neglected to mention that it also marks the one night return of one of the most important figures in NECW history.

Former WCW referee, Scott Dickinson, who actually helped me found NECW and was the promotion's first booker, will be donning the zebra stripes tomorrow night. Scott has been living in California and it will be nice to have him in the house tomorrow night.

I hope to see you there.

Gary Cassidy, Weekend Thoughts, NESN, Memo to Chris Collins

2007-06-08T14:50:00.000-04:00

I had coffee yesterday with Gary Cassidy, who comes to us from Ireland for this year's IRON 8 Championship.

We had our first look at Gary this past Sunday at the HOT DOG SAFARI, as he managed to score a fall on "The Talent" T.J. Richter, which is no small feat. Gary made quite a positive impression on us both in and out of the ring.

Gary wrote to me earlier in the year letting me know that he was planning this trip and that he was interested in being booked. He was trained by the great Irish star, Fergal Devitt, who makes his return to NECW later this month. Fergal gave Gary his seal of approval and we booked him for this year's IRON 8.

This is Cassidy's first visit to America. His life as a wrestler in Ireland isn't an easy one. He is 5 hours away from the place he trains at. In his area, he works once or twice a month. It is purely his own effort and desire that gets him booked outside of his home area.

Few companies would take a chance on someone like Gary Cassidy, but NECW has always had an open door for talent from overseas. It's the same door the Doug Williams, Sumie Sakai and others have walked through and shined. My theory has always been that the Gary Cassidy's of
our business bring a different kind of appreciation to the locker room, as well as a different style and set of experiences. It helps the roster to grow by seeing that there is wrestling beyond our area. It is also one more thing that makes NECW stand out from other area promotions.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Tomorrow night is the IRON 8 and the excitement is building. There has been and will be a lot of mainstream newspaper mentions of Saturday night's show and Sunday's World Women's Wrestling event, which is very gratifying on a lot of levels.

Both the IRON 8 and World Women's Wrestling are great examples of how New England Championship Wrestling is the true innovator of independent wrestling. If you are in the area and a wrestling fan, you owe it to yourself to give us a try.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

We'll be having a film crew from New England Sports Network (NESN) at tomorrow night's show filming scenes for the reality show SOX APPEAL. Antonio "The Promise" Thomas is the crew's subject and we look forward to seeing both Antonio and the NESN crew!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I ran into Chis Collins from New England Cable News this morning. I had been on Chris' show years back before I started NECW and have been trying to get him to an event for the longest time. Chris is a good guy and one of the area's brightest sportscasters and it's nice to see him thriving in a market as tough as Boston. (Memo to Chris: NECW and WWW are a hell of a story. Hint, hint.)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

See you all tomorrow night and Sunday night !

Hot Dog Safari Notes and IRON 8 Preview

2007-06-04T14:34:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was one of those days that makes all the hard work and sacrifice worthwhile.

NECW & World Women's Wrestling were part of a day long charity event called The Hot Dog Safari, which took place at the Suffolk Downs racetrack in East Boston, MA. This event, which benefits The Joey Fund (to battle Cystic Fibrosis), raised over $500,000, which was then matched by one of the track owners. So, in excess of $1,000,000 was generated for a very worthy cause yesterday!

Our gratitude goes out to the people responsible for this wonderful event: Eddie Andelman, the O'Donnell family, Anthony Pepe, Jo Ellen Coen, Bill McColgan and many, many others. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be part of this extraordinary event. We will always be in your corner whenever you need us.

The stars of NECW and WWW really stepped us yesterday. Everyone gave 110% and a few went way beyond the call of duty. Congratulations to Handsome Johnny who won the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest and to Nikki Roxx who actually came in second! Both took a dietary hit for the team and it is appreciated beyond words.

Most importantly, we are grateful to all the fans who came out to support this great cause and enjoyed tons of free food and drink and great NECW and WWW action. A lot of our regulars were in attendance and I was thrilled to make a lot of new friends who will hopefully become fans.

The weather may not have been the best, but that did not deter anyone. Thank you all!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This coming Saturday night is the 4th annual IRON 8 Championship. It takes place at the National Guard Armory, 98 Montauk Road in Brockton, MA with a 7 PM bell time.

The IRON 8 is one of my favorite NECW events of the year. It is a unique twist on the 8 man tournament that has sort of become a cliche after ECWA's Super 8 started the trend. What's different about the IRON 8 is the structure of the tournament. 8 men are chosen and paired into 4 one on one match ups. The winners then go on to face each other later that night in 4 way, 45 minute iron man match, with the wrestler scoring the most pinfalls or submissions declared the winner and that year's IRON 8 champion.

The IRON 8 is a real athletic test. You have be able to go for an hour and be able to out think and out maneuver your opponents in the finals. The final is guaranteed to be a classic match up just by the nature of what it is. Add a skilled field of contestants and you have something very special.

This year's field is one of the strongest in the brief history of the tournament. "Die Hard" Eddie Edwards, last year's winner, is on his way back from Japan. Edwards is a tremendous, tremendous talent and if he can focus himself on the task at hand, could walk away with this year's trophy. "The Infamous" Bobby Fish, another strong contender, has shot up the ladder in NECW like a rocket and is one of my favorites to win it all. Jason Blade has all the tools, but his recent spate of injuries could hold him back. If Blade is healthy, he is a favorite. "Straight Edge" Brian Fury might be the man with the most desire to win, because a victory is a shortcut directly to a Triple Crown title match with D.C. Dillinger. Antonio "The Promise" Thomas was a finalist last year and, in my mind, the most underrated singles competitor in the field. "The Real Deal" Brandon Locke, fresh off a non-title pinfall victory over D.C. Dillinger this past Sunday, showed me that he is a real threat to win this year. If anyone is rapidly coming into his own in NECW, it's Locke. Handsome Johnny is the biggest competitor in the tournament and conditioning might be an issue, especially after winning Sunday's hot dog eating contest, but the Handsome One is a true talent and this will be a great showcase for him. Last, but not least, Gary Cassidy, representing NWA Ireland, made his American debut yesterday with an impressive win over "The Talent" T.J. Richter. Cassidy beating Richter is no small feat. Cassidy is young, but in great condition and very skilled and will be a great addition to the IRON 8.

More later in the week.

Catching Up: MIT, Mega Month, NWA & more!

2007-05-24T22:43:00.000-04:00

I've had a crazy schedule this past couple of weeks so this is a catch up blog.

Monday, May 14, I had the honor of speaking to Sam Ford's MIT class on pro wrestling. I was accompanied by "Mad Dog" Matt Storm, "The Human Nightmare" Evan Siks and the lovely Jen, along with the never popular "Mouthpiece of the East" Sean Gorman.

We had a great time watching matches and talking about many of the business aspects of our business that are seldom discussed in a public forum. I was really impressed with the level of the questions, which is no surprise, considering we were at MIT. This class had also heard from Jim Ross and Mick Foley among others this semester. I remarked to Sam in an e-mail before the class date that these kids have most likely gotten a better education to the business than most people who are actually in it.

I want to public thank Sam Ford and his students for welcoming us and I hope it was half as much fun being there for them as it was for us.

Coming up in June is the biggest month in NECW history - a MEGA month - with 5 huge live events.

We kick it all off with Eddie Andelman's 18th annual Hot Dog Safari at the Suffolk Downs racetrack in Revere, MA. The Hot Dog Safari, for those of you who have never heard of it, is a benefit event for The Joey Fund, which battles Cystic Fibrosis. Andleman, a legendary sports radio talk host for decades in Boston, and a self-proclaimed expert on hot dogs, decided to put on a hot dog tasting event for charity. He got numerous companies to donate hot dogs, sausages, ice cream and other food, all available free along with entertainment and local sports and media celebrities. This day long event (gates open at 9:00 am and the event closes at 5:00 pm) will again feature a live combined event from NECW and World Women's Wrestling. I believe we will be offering a total of 16 matches throughout the day. The admission is $10 in advance, $15 at the gate and their are also VIP tickets on sale. Admission includes all the hot dogs, sausages and ice cream you can eat. You can visit http://www.hotgogsafari.com/ for all the details.

We did this event last year and it was a phenomenal time. Everyone here at NECW is looking forward to being there and if you are at all close to the area, you should make plans to attend what is the hands down most unique charity promotion in America.

This year's Safari is being telecast live from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on Comcast's CN8. We expect to be showing some of the great in-ring action live on that telecast.

The following Saturday, June 9th is the 4th annual IRON 8 Championship at the National Guard Armory in Brockton, MA. The IRON 8 is just a fantastic event - a true athletic experience that really defines our promotion as a sports entity. It consists of 8 great athletes who square off in an opening round of 4 singles matches. The 4 winners face each other later the same night in a 4 way 45 minute iron man match - with the man scoring the most pinfalls or submissions in 45 minutes the winner and 2007 IRON 8 Champion. Each man has to be able to last an hour and there is a great deal of strategy involved in winning the final. I am really proud of this event, because it is pro wrestling presented at its finest.

The next night, Sunday, June 10, World Women's Wrestling returns to action at Good Time Emporium in Somerville, MA. Another great WWW event is on tap with Tanya Lee defending against Amber, plus Nikki Roxx vs. Alicia, Malia Hosaka, Lexxus and much more.

On Saturday night, June 16 we return to Danvers with a TV taping and a whole host of great matches, including the first one-on-one match up between "The Human Nightmare" Evan Siks and Big Rick Fuller. We will also be hosting an opening round match in a tournament to crown a new National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Champion as Claudio Castignoli faces off against Pepper Parks, who "Mad Dog" Matt Storm tells me is a great hand from the Midwest.

On Saturday, June 30, we make a triumphant return to Quincy looking for our 7th straight sell out at the Armory. The main event will be something to behold as NECW Triple Crown Champion, D.C. Dillinger squares off against Big Rick Fuller. Talk about a Clash of the Champions! Fuller cornered me and demanded a shot against Dillinger. Frankly, he didn't have to do much convincing, because he was certainly entitled by any means you can measure. This does not mean that I approve of what he did to Evan Siks, quite the contrary. But Fuller did make a poignant case, and he gets the nod on June 30. Also on the card, another NWA World Title Tournament bout - an international extravaganza - as Fergal Devitt, the great Irish star, now a standout for New Japan Pro Wrestling, returns to NECW to face Perth, Australia's, Mikey Nicholls, a great competitor from all accounts I've seen and heard.

A lot of people are asking me questions about the tournament. Is NECW now a part of the NWA? How did this all come about?

Well, NECW at this time has no plans to join the NWA. I was approached by NWA Pro Wrestling promoter, David Marquez about hosting these matches. I consider Dave a good friend and would be happy to oblige him in any case. NWA Executive Director, Bob Trobich is also a long time friend and someone I have a great deal of respect for.

They are trying to perpetuate the tradition of the NWA in a changed universe, much like how NECW is trying to redefine the concept of the regional territory for the market conditions of today. I felt that the best way that I could do for our business is to support their efforts and collaborate with them rather than be an island unto ourselves. There has always been an open door here in NECW - a door that is open to those with the talent, creativity and dedication that real success in wrestling requires. We have provided a stage for many great talents to display their abilities. This time we are providing a stage for the tradition of the NWA to be transformed into a window into the future of this industry.

Before I started promoting wrestling, I became known to many through my appearances on A&E and other wrestling TV specials as a historian of professional wrestling. To know and share the history of this great business is wonderful. To make history is even better. NECW has been a true innovator in our business. To truly innovate, you must understand and respect tradition. We look forward to hosting these two historic bouts.

Tickets for all the June events are on sale now.

Western MA This Weekend, MIT On Monday

2007-05-10T00:18:00.000-04:00

Thanks to all the great fans in Danvers, MA who came out to our debut event there at the National Guard Armory. We look forward to seeing you all again next month.

This weekend we make an all too rare appearance in Western Massachusetts. We return to Indoor Action Sports in Greenfield and I hope all of you who are close to the area come out and see us. We have an interesting card planned with three title bouts on tap and what should be a great night of action in Greenfield.

I have a rare honor this coming Monday. I'm speaking to Sam Ford's class on pro wrestling at MIT. This is the same class that was visited by Jim Ross and Mick Foley in recent weeks. This lucky group has probably gotten a better eductaion on pro wrestling than most of the people who actually work in it. I just hope Sam told them which Goldberg was showing up.

We have a huge month in June with 5 events on the schedule, starting with the 18th annual Hot Dog Safari. If you are unfamiliar with this event, which benefits The Joey Fund/Cystic Fibrosis, it's something really special and a family event you don't want to miss. We will have a combined NECW and WWW event that day as part of the festivities and I hope to see you there. Visit www.hotdogsafari.com for all the details and to order tickets.

Next week, we will be announcing the contestants in this year's IRON 8 Championship, taking place on Saturday night, June 9 in Brockton, MA. The IRON 8 is one of the premire events on the NECW calendar and a unique concept event. 8 stars square off in 4 singles matches, with the winners proceeding on to a 4 way 45 minute iron man match with the man who scores the most pinfalls or submissions declared the winner and 2007 IRON 8 Champion. The 4 way final is guaranteed to be a great battle and the talent pool in NECW is more than up to the task of putting on a state of the art display.

We have a lot of other stuff coming up in June that will get tongues wagging. Tickets for all the June events are on sale at www.NECWwrestling.com and at all FYE and Strawberries.

Imus & A Lesson for Pro Wrestling

2007-04-13T16:51:00.000-04:00

Unless you've been living in a cave or have been in a coma, you know that famed radio personality, Don Imus was fired by CBS yesterday for making disparaging, racially charged comments about the Rutgers University Women's Basketball team.

Imus referred to the women on the team as "nappy headed ho's," which sparked an outcry from many quarters, including the Reverend Al Sharpton and the Reverend Jesse Jackson for Imus' dismissal. Major advertisers pulled their sponsorship from Imus's show and finally CBS President, Les Moonves, pulled the plug on Imus, an icon in the world of radio.

I don't believe that Imus was being especially mean or vindictive at heart. This was most likely an irresponsible and ill-considered attempt at humor. I do believe that CBS was right in cancelling Imus' show and removing him from the airwaves.

Many times in our society, humor of the racial kind, while seemingly harmless on the surface, is a softer way of perpetuating stereotypes and limiting people by categorizing them unfairly.

Pro wrestling has openly and blatantly done this for decades. And it's wrong.

I will never forget a car ride I had with a former WWE star who will remain nameless. He maintained that "blacks never draw," ignoring of course, Bobo Brazil, Ernie Ladd and numerous others, up to and including The Rock. The statement came from a man I have a great deal of respect for and who taught me a lot. But on that point, he was absolutely wrong.

I don't know how many old school wrestlers and old school wrestling devotees have told me that women's wrestling sucks and will never draw on its own. "It's just a little T&A break for Dad before the "real matches" come on," said one such individual. Our World Women's Wrestling promotion and Dave Prazak's SHIMMER promotion, are proof that the opposite is true.

I always had a special admiration for women in wrestling, because it's a tough world to enter. Before places like WWW and SHIMMER existed, women's matches were usually less than 10 minutes and presented purely as a special attraction. Seldom in the Northeast did you ever see an angle involving women wrestlers on their own. Elsewhere, it was a rarity.

While WWW and SHIMMER have a long way to go, the fact that women are finally having a forum for good credible matches and seizing the opportunity, is a major step forward for the entire business. It also underscores that talent, when treated as such without regard to gender in this case, or race, will rise to the occasion and deliver.

Unlike the portrayal of women in WWE, not all good wrestlers have to have bikini bodies. And not all male wrestlers have to be jacked up, looking like they stepped out of the pages of Muscle & Fitness.

I think a big reason why WWW has worked so well, and why NECW has also, is that we're more about credible talent that average people can relate to and then become engaged in their stories. Wrestling will always prize the element of the larger-than-life, whether in body type or character, but talent first and image second is what drives good professional wrestling.

Back to Imus. I don't think the public world of broadcasting (or the public world of pro wrestling to a lesser extent) should tolerate the perpetuation of racial discrimination or stereotypes and I applaud Les Moonves for both his decision and his statement denouncing the incident. High social standards are not exactly a hallmark of professional wrestling. But we are a business of the people - ALL the people - and to devalue anyone, in any way, due to their race, gender, sexual preference or nationality is both morally wrong and just bad business.

WrestleMania 23 and WWE's Effect on The Indy's

2007-04-04T20:41:00.000-04:00

I watched WrestleMania 23 at our stomping grounds - Good Time Emporium in Somerville, MA this past Sunday night. One measure of the health of WWE is how many people go to Good Times to see a PPV event. The cover charge is $5 and a lot of area fans who don't want to pay the high cost of getting the PPV at home head to Somerville to catch these events.

Sunday's crowd was the largest I've seen in a very long time. You attribute that to a lot of factors, including this year's Donald Trump angle creating a lot of mainstream publicity.

As for the show itself, overall, I enjoyed it. When WWE puts on a WrestleMania, all the stops are pulled out and everyone has his working boots on. Was it the best Mania in terms of matches? No. But it was worth the time and money and, of course, the biggest wrestling event of the year on the planet is a must-see.

Without dissecting the card match by match, I'll offer a few impressions. First off, I found it interesting and alarming that so much of the card hinged on older talent. Undertaker, Michaels, Benoit are all on the downhill slope of their careers. Austin is done as an active wrestler. The ECW "Originals" are also guys who have more career behind them than in front of them.

Then there is John Cena. Ask me about John Cena and I will tell you he is a gentleman, conducts himself as a pro at all times, comes from a terrific family and works his ass off with as much passion and dedication as you will ever see. Yet, in spite of all that, he is booed unmercifully at times. One sign in the crown at Mania said "Cen-A Nuff." Man, how cold-blooded is that?

To me, what Cena lacks is that certain aura that the big stars have. Michaels made Cena look like a boy at times and I felt so badly for him. Michaels was terrific in the match and it was a hell of battle. Cena was good, but looked like he was intimidated by the skill and charisma of Michaels and the spot itself. It's a lot of pressure to be a top guy in WWE. Cena has the work ethic, but the question is can he develop that presence that the great ones all have in common.

Watching any WrestleMania also makes me think about the state of the business in general, specifically the independent business.

We are in an interesting time. I see PPV buy rates falling, probably due to over saturation and competition from MMA. I see live gates coming around for WWE in smaller venues. I don't see that one breakout guy that every talks about and tries to emulate.

Independents in New England seem to be seeing an upswing in business. In the case of NECW and WWW, I think much has to do with the vast improvement in the quality of the product, the marketing and the dedication of a staff that really wants the company to succeed. I also think that WWE not having that breakout guy makes people more interested in wrestling in general, as opposed to just what they see on TV. Wrestling will always be driven by stars, but right now people are being a lot more open about who and what a star is. Local heroes (and villians) is a far more viable concept now than it was a few years ago. We are getting more and more people who have never been to an independent show before and come away enjoying it and appreciating the experience. We are also getting more families with kids looking for an inexpensive night out.

I see a bright future ahead for our company and the business in general.

Weekend Thoughts on MARCH BADNESS & WWW's 1st Anniversary

2007-03-27T00:16:00.000-04:00

Wow, what a weekend!

I can't thank all the fans enough who came out to NECW's MARCH BADNESS this past Saturday night and to WWW's 1st Anniversary Show this past Sunday.

There are two great joys in being a wrestling promoter. One is seeing people realize their potential. NECW and WWW both have great rosters. It's very gratifying to me when I see someone improve their abilities, show a new audience what they have to offer or just step up and do something good, because our company set the stage for them to do that.

The other is seeing fans get caught up in the action and really enjoy themselves. I especially love the families who come with young kids who are getting the chance to see great professional wrestling unlike they way they see it on TV. That up close and personal experience really is magic to children and it's a great thing to witness. I'm also pleased that we can present these events at prices that families can afford. Professional sports have steadily priced themselves out of the range of the average working family and I think that's sad. I've had many people comment to me specifically about how much they appreciate the fact that NECW is so affordable. It's so great to see mom's and dad's bringing their kids to the matches every month.

I am one of those promoters that enjoys talking to fans and interacting with the people. At this stage of NECW, I still have the ability to do that. I've always believed that if you own a business and your customer know that you really appreciate their business, they will keep coming back and support you.

We had a fantastic event Sunday afternoon prior to the WWW anniversary show. It was a "Meet & Eat" lunch with the stars - a chance for our most loyal fans to share a meal with us and ask questions, get photos taken, etc. Chris Norman and Amber did a great job hosting this event. It was so nice to see so many familiar faces and to have the chance to give them a personal experience like that. You can bet that will not be the last event we do like that.

We had some great matches this weekend too! Everyone has been raving about the debut of "The Infamous" Bobby Fish as he and "Die Hard" Eddie Edwards battled to a time limit draw. This was just a phenomenal match and I congratulated both men afterward. Bobby Fish impressed me both in and out of the ring and he will be a tremendous addition to the NECW roster.

On the WWW side, I am thrilled to have Malia Hosaka in the promotion. While we had met before many years ago, I did not know her well, though I had always heard good things. Whatever I heard was an understatement. Her impromptu match with "The Portuguese Princess" Ariel was amazing. She is dedicated and professional and a real credit to the business.

I'm too tired to write more at the moment, but fans, friends, workers and staff thanks again for everything this past weekend!

R.I.P. Arnold Skaaland

2007-03-14T20:31:00.000-04:00

I was very saddened to hear of the death of Arnold Skaaland today.

Arnold Skaaland was a key figure in the wrestling business for decades. While most fans knew him as prelim wrestler and the manager of Bruno and Backlund, in fact he was also a partner in the old Capital Wrestling corporation that was the parent company of the World Wide Wrestling Federation. The other partners were Vince McMahon Sr., Gorilla Monsoon and Phil Zacko, who promoted Philly and Baltimore.

He was the guy who deposited the gate receipts for Vince Sr. and Jr. for years - a position which demonstrated that he was one of the most trusted figures in the company. Anyone who ever worked a dark match will tell you that it was Arnie Skaaland who sat at a table behind his trademark Haliburton suitcase that was loaded with cash, checking his list and making the payoffs.

At WrestleMania 14, the late Tony Rumble and a group of us were cast as the Undertaker's Druids. It was an unforgettable experience, but for me, what was most fun was Tony Garea telling us to get in line to get paid. When I finally got to the front of the line, Arnie looked up at me and said, "What's your name son?" He peeled off the cash and put it in an envelope. I thanked him and he winked at me. I looked into that Haliburton and there had to be at least $75,000 to $100,000 in cash in it. I thought to myself, "Now I know why they call him 'The Golden Boy'."

I couldn't help but think after that, how many other guys that I respected and admired stood in that same line and what a priviledge it was to do so. I apologize if this goes over people's heads. It's a little hard to convey the significance of that experience to people whose frame of reference for wrestling is just watching it at home or in the stands. Guys like Arnold Skaaland, who most of today's fans wouldn't even know, was such an important figure in the business. He was one of the "keepers of the castle", another irreplaceble legend who will truly be missed.

WWW Proves The Pundits Wrong

2007-03-05T17:28:00.000-05:00

"I am skeptical of the success of this promotion. History has shown that for a womens promotion to be successful, it needs to be a stand alone promotion so the owner can concentrate on that promotion alone." - Frank Pozen, January 22, 2006

I love proving people wrong. Especially people who have never actually spent 5 minutes in the wrestling business, who post on message boards and purport to be some sort of expert on some aspect of this industry. In the words of that great wrestling philosopher, Antoine Roy (pronounced RU-ah), "Poo poo on you!"

Frank was hardly alone when I made the announcement of spinning the women's division of NECW into World Women's Wrestling as its own promotion. A lot people thought I was out of my mind.

NECW had developed a great track record with women's wrestling. Mercedes Martinez, who was the first woman booked into NECW back in 2000, won her spot due to her extraordinary in ring talent. He booking, was in fact an accident. A no-show at an NECW event led to her getting a spot in match against a guy she had been training with. The minute Martinez stepped through the curtain that night, she had the audience won. The match was another story. She didn't win that, but she got a rematch the next month in Vermont and that match (which is featured on the DVD "Gateway to Greatness," click here to see a trailer and order) cemented her as star in our company and launched her career on the independent circuit.

It also proved that women could be a viable attraction for us. A real turning point was the following May when I got a call from a friend of mine named Shun Yamaguchi, a photographer for the Japanese pro wrestling magazine, Weekly Gong. Shun, who lives locally and covers events in the U.S. for Gong, asked me if would help him book a young lady who was going to be living with him and his family for a few months. Her name was Sumie Sakai, and at the time, she worked for the Jd' Yoshimoto Ladies Pro Wrestling promotion in Japan. Sakai would be bringing a belt and the agreement was that we would co-sanction the title with Jd' and Sakai would win the belt here and take it back to Japan. I got them to agree to a two match program, where Mercedes would win the first match and the title and be defeated by Sakai in the return match. The first match took place the night Sakai had arrived in America for the first time. Though she barely spoke any English, Sakai did something very important that night. She cast a different light on women's pro wrestling as something that could be taken seriously and be effectively featured by an independent company.

Sakai fell in love with America and returned numerous times. She started working with other girls in the area and no doubt had a big impact on the local female talent pool. The number of good women wrestlers in the area was increasing and my interest in expanding our women's division increased with it.

At NECW's 4th Anniversary show, which was a two night event, we featured an 8 woman "Survivor style" elimination match each night. The matches were both well done and well received. At that point my mind was made up that it would enhance our company to take the next step and run an all women's show.

In June 2005, I promoted an NECW event called SUPERSLAM at Good Time Emporium in Somerville, MA. SUPERSLAM was a rarity in these parts - a Sunday doubleheader event that featured our regular NECW crew in the afternoon and a first-ever all women's event in the evening. The women's show featured a tournament to crown a first ever NECW Women's Champion.

What I did not know until just days before the show, was that some of our crew at the time were unhappy that the girls were going on last. Some of the guys felt that it was a slap in the face, and that they should have been "the main event" of the day. In fact, that was the exact wrong thing to do. After all, if you are selling something that would be viewed as a novelty, you don't put the novelty on first, because then people see it and they leave. Not knowing what to expect, how embarrassing would it be for the girls to sell out first and then have half a house for the guys? NECW was still the horse drawing the wagon and putting the men on first protected them.

As it turned out, both shows did extremely well, with the women drawing what was our best house in months at higher ticket prices.

Sadly, the then booker decided that he was going to try and ruin it by giving the girls a hard time and deliberately doing things like screwing up the women's entrance music and a variety of other sophmoric stunts. None of it mattered. It drew, and done properly in the future it would continue to do so.

A second SUPERSLAM took place in September of that year, and again, business held up. We had much of the same gripes internally, and more of the same moronic behavior from the booker and his "boys."

After that, I knew that in order for our women's division to live up to its potential, it needed to be its own brand and have its own identity and lose anyone that couldn't deal with it.

After a spilt with the booker a few months later, I announced that we would take a few months off and be back in March with the premiere of World Women's Wrestling. We announced the day of the event that NECW had merged with PWF Mayhem. With management and booking now committed to it's success, World Women's Wrestling flourished from the start. The promotion has received unprecedented local publicity and done capacity or near capacity business at almost every outing.

The women, who finally had a stage that could really show off their skills, rose to the occasion. Nikki Roxx and Ariel, along with Tanya Lee and all the other workers, put on matches that often equalled or surpassed the men on some level. The World Women’s Wrestling product was something fresh and uinque. Nothing had ever been seen like it in this area, and it quickly found a loyal fan base. By November, we expanded the schedule into monthly shows and World Women’s Wrestling continues to grow and improve. While not a perfect product, World Women’s Wrestling has carved out a solid niche and proved that women can be the main attraction in pro wrestling and not just a special attraction.

March 25th will be a special day for us, as we celebrate the first anniversary of a company that changed the business in a positive way. If you are near the area, I hope you will make an effort to join us.

GENESIS 6, WWW Pick Your Poison Notes

2007-02-22T09:46:00.000-05:00

There is a whole lot of "buzz" going on in our area over this coming weekend's NECW & WWW events.

This coming Saturday night is the continuation of one of the great traditions in New England independent wrestling, GENESIS. GENESIS was PWF's big show of the year and an annual milestone that gave the promotion direction, focus and identity.

Last year's GENESIS was an especially memorable one for me, as on that night we announced the merger of NECW and PWF to the PWF locker room, prior to making a public announcement. I will never forget the looks on the faces in the room that night - happiness, befuddlement, curiousity and, in some cases even anger. The reactions were understandable. In our little corner of the industry, it's a business that is often much more about the emotional than the practical.

In fact, last year's GENESIS truly was a "genesis" - a creation of something new, evolved out of two companies that each had their own storied history. When we discussed the merger prior to it actually taking place, I felt it was important to combine and maintain the traditions of both promotions. As such , we have four "signature events" per year, GENESIS and Toxic Waltz from PWF and the IRON 8 Championship and BIRTHDAY BASH from NECW.

This year's GENESIS comes at a point where NECW has gathered the most momentum as a promotion than at any point in it's six and a half year history. Sellouts right and left. Talent at their most compelling. GENESIS 6 has the biggest advance sale of any event in NECW or PWF history. I promise you it will absolutely be a night to remember.

Speaking of memorable event, the follwing afternoon, World Women's Wrestling returns to Good Time Emporium for "Pick Your Poison." WWW Champion, Tanya Lee, Jana and Portia Perez draw their opponents names at random from Nikki Roxx, "The Portuguese Princess" Ariel and Lexxus. Any combination of possibilites there will be exciting to watch and it's another can't miss WWW event. Of course, Tanya Lee defends against Nikki Roxx at GENESIS the night before and I am sure that result will have a big impact on Sunday afternoon's event.

If you're at all close to the area, I hope you'll join us for a fantastic weekend of wrestling.

WSX Considered, R.I.P. Bob Luce, NECW Notes

2007-02-16T14:15:00.000-05:00

It seems that everyone is talking about the new Wrestling Society X on MTV and some vigorous debate is going on about the show, especially in light of an episode being pulled this week by MTV's standards and practices department.

I watched the debut episode and some of the online content. Producer, Kevin Kleinrock of Big Vision Entertainment, who I've known for a number of years, told me that he thought they would be criticized by "old school fans," yet he was excited by what they were doing and called it "innovative" and way over the top, by MTV's request.

To put WSX in perspective you have to bear in mind that this is NOT a wrestling promotion. WSX is a TV show that hopes to become a wrestling promotion. It's a lot like the late 1960's TV show The Monkees, about a fictitious band, except they actually made records and ended up taking creative control of their music and becoming a real band.

The concept of pre-fab pro wrestling is not new. Paul Alperstein's ill-fated American Wrestling Federation actually taped its shows in front of an audience of paid extras who held signs made by the company and cheered and booed on cue. That failure had more to do with trying to establish the company through paid TV syndication, than whether it was good or not.

WSX is at the very least interesting. The talent is mostly young high flyers and the violent style is laced with a variety of stunts and explosions - kind of like Atsushi Onita and Tony Hawk had a love child and invited some cool bands. After I watched it, I was like, "Yeah this looks like an MTV parody of pro wrestling."

What hurts WSX most is the 30 minute format. There is no way you can draw interest in the matches, feuds and characters in a 30 minute TV format, which translates to about 18 or 19 minutes of action. WSX answers this with WSXtra, a supplemental Internet broadcast that gives you extra matches and features. WSXtra is actually the most innovative thing about WSX - it's attempt to draw fans to the net from conventional TV to flesh out their programming and make that an essential part of the WSX experience. The question is will their fans have the attention span to actually want to do that? There doesn't seem to be enough time to hook people in far enough to want to get in deeper by watching online. The WSXtra shows use an embedded player on the website, which is small in size and not conducive to viewing something like professional wrestling - especially the fast-paced, high flying variety.

Since MTV is a music network, here are some musical analogies about the WSX product. As in MTV itself, not every song is uptempo. Most of the best selling songs in music history are ballads, because they are ones that connect the most with the emotions of the audience. When you go to a concert, the best shows take the audience on a journey with different tempos and pacing. The same holds true with wrestling. Variety on a card makes it more interesting to watch than having every match be the same kind of thing.

Ultimately, WSX will be judged by TV standards and not wrestling standards and that is as it should be. If the ratings hold up, WSX has a chance to survive on the world's biggest TV network. I really don't see it becoming a touring proposition, because you could never recreate that atmosphere live. The fact that MTV has the desire to be involved with pro wrestling on any level is good for the business. It's an endorsement of the industry. It remains to be seen if the network will give the show enough time to find itself.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Bob Luce was one of the great old time wrestling promoters. Based in Chicago in the 60's and 70's, he was associated with Verne Gagne, and I believe, Dick The Bruiser in Indianapolis as well. I first became acquainted with Luce watching a 4 volume VHS set that he put out in the mid-80's called the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame Classics. Luce was a colorful individual, known for being a great local promoter - great with the local press and a larger than life TV host.

Luce was a relic from another era that we sadly won't see again. Guys like Bob Luce were simply irreplaceable. He passed away last week just one day before his 79th birthday after a long illness. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

We are a little more than a week away from another huge NECW/WWW Double Impact Weekend. NECW's next live event, which is GENESIS 6 at the National Guard Armory in Quincy, MA, takes place Saturday night, February 24 at 7 PM. GENESIS was traditionally the biggest event of the year for PWF and we have continued that tradition post-merger. The GENESIS events were always viewed fondly by local fans as something special, and this year's version will be no exception. All titles will be defended, some big feuds will be coming to a head and it's one you don't want to miss.

GENESIS has already generated the biggest advance sale of any show we've done, so if you are looking for tickets, especially VIP tickets, I would act sooner rather than later.

Sunday afternoon, February 25, it's the return of World Women's Wrestling to Good Time Emporium in Somerville, MA with a 3:00 PM bell time. It's topped by a very unique "Pick Your Poison" Triple Main Event, where WWW Champion, Tanya Lee, Jana and Portia Perez choose their opponents at random from the trio of Nikki Roxx, Ariel and Lexxus. All the participants have bad blood with each other and it should be a real throwdown in Somerville.

Check out www.NECWwrestling.com and www.WorldWomensWrestling.com for tickets and information.

R.I.P. Jim Melby

2007-02-12T15:02:00.000-05:00

I was deeply saddened to hear that Jim Melby passed away yesterday at his home in Minnesota. Melby, along with Norman Kietzer, published Wrestling Revue magazine, as well as arena programs for many of the major wrestling offices in the 70's.

Jim was a true gentleman and one of wrestling's great historians. Long after Wrestling Revue went away, Melby published numerous record books on major stars, compiling years and years of match results. He also wrote a book on the history of wrestling in Minnesota.

I first met Jim at one of The Fabulous Moolah's LIWA conventions in Las Vegas, where he regularly attended and often refereed some of the matches on the women's cards they would hold as part of the convention.

Jim was very supportive of the MAT MARKETPLACE newsletter I used to publish and furnished photos and facts on a number of occasions.

Jim was one of those people I would never have met had we not had that common interest and passion for professional wrestling. His love of the grappling game was pure and true. Here was someone who published an important publication and wrote thousands of articles, but if you ever saw him in the presence of one of wrestling's legends, his reverence for those men and women was always evident.

There are a select group of individuals who over the years have kept and complied the photos, clippings, publications, facts and stories of the rich history of professional wrestling. They are guys like Steve Yohe, J. Michael Kenyon, Fred Hornby, Scott Teal, Dave Meltzer and Jim Melby, whose love for professional wrestling never faltered. They have done us all a great service by preserving something truly unique and truly an American cultural phenomenon.

My heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Jim Melby.

Things They Don't Teach in Wrestling School: Part 2

2007-02-09T22:47:00.000-05:00

My last blog entry on this subject got quite the response with almost all of it being positive. There were the few message board posts that accused me of being bitter, but nothing could be further from the truth. I love professional wrestling and it's been a privilege, as a promoter to present it. I have been lucky enough to have made friends with many of my childhood heroes - the pioneers of this sport (and I do believe it is a sport, but that's another blog subject for another day) - and they have shaped many of my views.

I got a few responses along the lines of "the promoters always screw the boys, so it's cool to screw them back." Hey, I have heard a million stories about crooked promoters or clueless marks trying to be big shots up until the time comes to pay up. How many of us have been screwed by our employers in one way or another? Did you still show up for work? Did you still do what you were supposed to do? Of course you did. Does that make it right? No. But in the end it's better to rise above the bad behavior of others than behave that way yourself. Just because independent shows are mostly weekend gigs for short money and ring time does not mean you shouldn't carry yourself like a professional. This is a small business and it takes notice of people who carry themselves with class. Many times, your next booking comes, not from the promoter, but from the guy next to you in the locker room.

There are those who believe that "old school thinking" isn't relevant to today's business. I believe that it couldn't be more relevant. It's not about in ring style or talent or booking choices. It's about being a professional and running your business like one.

In the last blog, I talked about how the dissolution of the territory system and the rise of the "independent promotion" created a wrestling world of lowered standards. Independent promotions, including my own, are not full time companies. That fact should not excuse anyone from not conducting themselves just as professionally as if it was.

I have tried to create a positive stage for the talent that works for me to perform on. Some of them have accused me of taking my company too seriously, but to be true to what pro wrestling is, and needs to be, to achieve viability on any level, it must be taken seriously. Anything less is cheating the talent, the staff and ultimately, and most importantly, the audience.

Very few of today's wrestling schools are run by people who were top or even mid-level performers. Many were never consistent working wrestlers in any major organization. This does not necessarily mean that you can't learn anything from them. But professional wrestling is much, much more than what takes place in the ring. I never cease to be dismayed by the out of ring conduct of some wrestlers and even some "promoters." It's anything but "professional" and it holds the business back.

One of the toughest things about promoting independent wrestling is securing good, affordable venues. In New England, we have a history of a few "promoters" that make it habit of leaving every venue they go to in a state of disrepair. We are constantly having to deal with being painted with the same brush as some of these goons.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard, "You want to have wrestling here? Nahhhhhh. We had that here 6 years ago and they wrecked the place."

I often feel like a grade school teacher when I have to tell guys to pick up the foil packs from their protein shakes and power bars, empty water bottles, etc.

We had a situation that happened here just last week. Ring of Honor ran a show at the National Guard Armory in Braintree, MA. They not only oversold the building, creating a fire hazard, but they left the place a shambles. The Braintree Armory is now no longer available for rental use until further notice. This includes community and youth groups. Though we do not run the Braintree Armory, we do run a couple of other armories in the state. Now, thanks to Ring of Honor, there is a rule in place that we must get a written statement from the local police that they are informed about the event. It's not a deal breaker for us, but it's an extra step that would not have been necessary if that company were not so blatantly irresponsible in this particular case.

Before anyone goes off and says that I'm jealous of Ring of Honor or something equally stupid, let me set the record straight. I respect Ring of Honor. I have known booker Gabe Sapolsky since he was in high school and you cannot knock ROH for its success with a very innovative business model.

That said, why risk it by overselling a building? If there were ever some kind of emergency on the premises, they could lose the whole company over it. Do you want to attend a show in an overcrowded venue? I sure don't. And if the situation were reversed, and I saw a hundred or more fans with money in hand that I could get by putting them in a potentially hazardous situation, the answer is no, I wouldn't do it. I'd turn them away and trumpet the fact that we did that. What better publicity than being able to say "We turned people away?"

Wrestling is not a "quick buck" business. Whether you are a wrestler or a promoter, it's better to think long term than short term. That's not "old school wrestling." That's just common sense.

More to come in this series. Thanks for reading.

Things They Don't Teach in Wrestling School: Part 1

2007-01-31T12:36:00.000-05:00

The older I get the more I see that young people in our business of wrestling have so little regard for its history and traditions. A big reason for this that they simply aren't taught about the way it was and why. Most of the wrestling schools that are out there are run by guys who never experienced the territory days up close. So here we go with the first in a series of "Things They Don't Teach in Wrestling School."

In the days of the wrestling territories, wrestlers lived by a certain code of conduct. That conduct was reinforced by the various wrestling offices, who were, by and large, thriving businesses that ran regular circuits and where wrestlers could make some semblance of a living.

When Vince McMahon took the then WWF national in the mid-80's, regional territories simply couldn't compete and those offices gradually disappeared. Without full time territories, there were many areas of the country still under served by live pro wrestling. This was the real birth of what we now refer to as "independent wrestling." The "indies" are really a relatively new phenomenon in wrestling.

Where once there were territory owners and veteran stars to teach younger wrestlers, and steady work in front of crowds from which to learn, the standards suddenly dropped. Ex-wrestlers opened wrestling schools. Now you had a bunch of "wrestlers" running around who just wanted to wrestle, so in the tradition of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, they put on their own shows just so they could work. Some of those guys then opened up their own schools, so they could charge other kids a few grand a pop, and those guys would run their own shows, so their students could work. The "business", if you want to call it that, became more about working for the sake of working, than about running a successful business.

"Independent wrestling" is a broad term that covers a lot of ground. Not all independents are the same. It used to be that an independent was any company that ran live events, but had no TV and did not run a regular circuit. There are a few independent companies that do have local TV and do run regular circuits, but they are the exception.

Generally speaking, independent wrestling companies break down like this:

"The Sold Show" Promotion: This is the kind of company that only runs fundraisers and events that a third party pays them to do. This was the way independent wrestling operated for the most part in New England for years before NECW came along. The formula was simple: Get two or more ex-national stars to headline and use the local boys as filler underneath. Most of these shows would take place in high schools and in the 80's and 90's, it would not be unusual to get 1,500 to 2,000 fans in a high school gym for shows of this type. In the late 90's, when WWF came out with DX and Steve Austin and the halls of our high schools were filled with kids doing the crotch chop and flipping the bird, many high schools forbade wrestling from coming back and this killed that type of business.

The Wrestling School Promotion: This is the current popular type of structure. A wrestler opens a wrestling school. He gets 20 or 30 students who each pay anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 to train to become pro wrestlers. The school owner uses the tuition money to float small scale shows, which he makes the students appear on for little or no money. Because the shows are so cheap to operate, and because the labor is practically free, Mr. Wrestling School Owner is now a promoter too.

The Vanity Press/Weekend Warrior/Fantasy Promotion: Wrestling school dropouts who weren't good enough to be booked by major companies or guys who trained for a while and just want to go out and have fun decide to put on some shows. They know they aren't going to be making a lot of money if any, but that's not the point. This is the pro wrestling equivalent to poker night or bowling night for the boys, except they take bumps and charge admission. This category also includes the non-wrestler who dreams of being the next Vince McMahon but knows little or nothing about how a real wrestling business is operated, expect what he or she sees on TV.

The Modern Day Territory: These are the companies that aspire to be thriving businesses. They run regular shows. They sometimes sell shows. They try and run their business the old school way in the modern world. This is the category NECW falls under.

It should be noted that none of these categories is necessarily a bad or evil way of doing business. Unfortunately, if you're not on TV, the general public sees all independents as equals and can't discern between one or the other.

Sadly, a lot of wrestlers see it that way too. The "a show is just a show" mentality is pervasive in today's business. It is often difficult for a company that strives to be taken seriously to operate under old school traditions, because the talent doesn't even know what old school tradition is.

For instance, we had a tag team that was set to debut for us recently. We spent months building up their debut with TV promos, promos that screened on our tron at our live events, even a live angle where they appeared on tape. We shot and aired promos specific to who they were debuting against and had a couple of programs already mapped out.

After all this build up, said team - I won't mention their names now - sent us an e-mail saying that they got some dates in Florida and that they can't afford to come back.

This team just wasted months of effort on our part. They screwed up our booking, as well as programs involving other workers. Old school tradition dictates that you NEVER blow off dates you've shot promos and have been built up for - especially your debut! Even WWE lets you play out your commitments, if they sign you. That move was the ultimate disrespect - to the promoters, as well as their fellow workers. We could never trust these goofs again, nor would we suggest any other promoter do so either.

I'll have more on this in future entries. Thanks for reading!

SNOWBRAWL Thoughts, Books & DVD's and more

2007-01-29T22:41:00.000-05:00

What a great night we had this past Saturday in Quincy, MA! A packed house kicked off the year for NECW and I was so happy to meet a lot of new fans over at the Armory.

Last Monday, we had a 3/4 page color photo spread on our Sunday, January 21 World Women's Wrestling event in The Boston Herald. My phone rang non-stop and the e-mails came flooding in after that.

This past Saturday, The Boston Globe ran a full color picture of WWW Champion, Tanya Lee on the cover of The Globe's Sidekick section. That was a real boost, and as a result, we had a lot of fans come who hadn't seen us before.

Those fans saw a heck of night of action. I'll let you click on over to the show report on the NECW website for all the details, but the most remarkable thing about promoting New England Championship Wrestling is having the chance to interact with the fans and talk to them. As I promoter, I like to be visible and accessible to the fans as much as I can. After all, they are the lifeblood of our business. I think showing them that you care about their experience gives them the feeling that they spent their money well.

I got what I consider the ultimate compliment from one of our fans Saturday night. He came up to me and said, "Mr. Goldberg, you make me look like a hero to my kids every time we come here. I'm a divorced father with 3 boys, ages 12, 8 and 5, and for me to be able to come here, buy them tickets, soda, a slice of pizza and have change left from a $100 bill... That's just a great thing that you do. You don't realize what a great thing that is." I was touched by what he said, because that is something important that few other businesses do - provide a quality live entertainment experience at an affordable price. Seeing people enjoy what we do with NECW and WWW, and getting their gratitude, as well as their patronage, is what a business should really be about.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Recommended wrestling books & DVD's:

"Wrestling at the Chase" by Larry Matysik is a look back at Sam Munchnik and St. Louis Wrestling. Matysik, who was the play-by-play announcer for the St. Louis promotion, and later became Sam's assistant and eventual heir to the business, gives a loving and informative inside look at the promotion and the pro wrestling business of the era. For those of you who are students of the game, this book is a real education.

"Heroes of World Class" by Brian Harrison is a must-have DVD that chronicles the rise and fall of Dallas-based World Class Championship Wrestling. This is just a phenomenal piece of work that covers the whole thing from top to bottom. It may not be a slick as the WWE releases, but all the great moments and clips are there, as well as great interviews with some of the key players of that period. A new 2 disc version is out now, distributed by Big Vision Entertainment.

"The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA" is one of the better WWE DVD releases. DVD's are something WWE tends to get right and this one is just tremendous. I am so glad this was done by WWE after buying the footage from Verne Gagne, because it's a history that needed to be told in a forum like this.

Right now, I'm reading the Bill Watts bio "The Cowboy and the Cross", co-written by Watts and Scott E. Williams, who wrote the excellent chronicle of ECW, "Hardcore History" (another must buy).

I am anxiously awaiting Tod Gordon's book, which I am told is pretty explosive. The whole ECW story is fascinating stuff and a real education. The WWE DVD "The Rise & Fall of ECW", the Jeremy Borash produced "Forever Hardcore" and Scott Williams' book are all great pieces of the puzzle that was ECW. I regretted not getting to know Tod better at the time of my involvement with ECW, as he is someone I have a great deal of respect for. I'll update this when I've read Tod's book.

Omissions from Last Night's Blog

2007-01-26T10:38:00.000-05:00

Just a few additions to last night's blog which was written very late last night.

With regard to NECW talent, I neglected to mention The Canadian Superstars as being the dominant tag team in the promotion for the entire year. That's no small accomplishment in today's "He's (She's or They've) held the belt long enough. Let's switch it to (insert talent's name here)" world. Busta and Cole are still young and will get even better as time goes on. Manager Brian Cairo is a great pairing with this talented duo.

Speaking of managers, Sean Gorman may be hard to like as a personality, but as a talent he is hard not to admire. Why this guy was not voted "Manager of the Year" on The Burning Hammer is a mystery to me, because in my not-so-humble opinion, he has no peer in the world of independent wrestling.

I don't want to risk offending the rest of the NECW/WWW roster by omitting them from my remarks. Collectively, our current roster is the best in the history of the promotion, and it will get even better as time goes on.