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.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Making Sense of the Senseless
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.
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.
Friday, June 22, 2007
McMahon Death Angle & Effects on Indy Wrestling
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.
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.
Friday, June 15, 2007
RIP Sherri Martel, Special Return Tomorrow in Danvers
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.
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.
Friday, June 08, 2007
Gary Cassidy, Weekend Thoughts, NESN, Memo to Chris Collins
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 !
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.)
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See you all tomorrow night and Sunday night !
Monday, June 04, 2007
Hot Dog Safari Notes and IRON 8 Preview
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.
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.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Catching Up: MIT, Mega Month, NWA & more!
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.
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.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Western MA This Weekend, MIT On Monday
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.
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.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Imus & A Lesson for Pro Wrestling
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
WrestleMania 23 and WWE's Effect on The Indy's
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Weekend Thoughts on MARCH BADNESS & WWW's 1st Anniversary
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!
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!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
R.I.P. Arnold Skaaland
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.
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.
Monday, March 05, 2007
WWW Proves The Pundits Wrong
"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.
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.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
GENESIS 6, WWW Pick Your Poison Notes
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.
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.
Friday, February 16, 2007
WSX Considered, R.I.P. Bob Luce, NECW Notes
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.
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.
Monday, February 12, 2007
R.I.P. Jim Melby
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.
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.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Things They Don't Teach in Wrestling School: Part 2
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Things They Don't Teach in Wrestling School: Part 1
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!
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!
Monday, January 29, 2007
SNOWBRAWL Thoughts, Books & DVD's and more
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.
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.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Omissions from Last Night's Blog
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.
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.
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