Thanksgiving Weekend DOUBLE INTENSITY Preview

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

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

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

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

I hope to see you in Quincy this weekend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Random Thoughts & Considered Opinions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thoughts On PWI's Female 50

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jim Ross: Class Act

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

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

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

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

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

AUTUMN UNLEASHED Notes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

R.I.P. Norman Whitfield

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

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

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

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

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

More Not-So-Random Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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It has been a challenging week for me personally.

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

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

Not-So-Random Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Attack of the Funzie-Onezies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Killer Kowalski Memorial Fund

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

You can send donations in any amount to:

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

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

Radio Dreams

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

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

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

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

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

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

World Women's Wrestling Update

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Killer Kowalski Health Update

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

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

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

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

The Mouthpiece Wrestling Show Debuts!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Fuller Achievement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Response to Comment

Anonymous writes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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