RME Show, Taking Pride & Winnipeg Is Not a Toilet!

Just a quick one today. I'm still irate over Saskatchewan playing so poorly against Toronto and costing Winnipeg first place in the East. We really needed that extra week to get healthy. But I guess it was our own damn faults. Montreal should be easy pickings for the Bombers...so we'll probably lose. We need to win three in a row to win the Grey Cup. When was the last time we won three in a row?

Looks like Toronto/BC.

A few people have told me they were looking forward to my blog today since I attended an RME event last night. I won't give an in depth review because I don't have the patience and I'm not in the mood to bury anyone. Truth be told, it was an improved performance over the last two events I saw.

The house at Glenwood was really good, about 60-70. From what I understand (and I could be wrong), RME is not running CC's anymore at all and last night was the last one. If that is true, that is unfortunate because they had a good crowd. I think RME maybe tried to do too much by equating quantity with quality. ie. they wanted to run as many CC's as possible and pat themselves on the back for having so many shows. In reality, three bad shows are not better then one good show and I think if they had focused on Glenwood from the beginning (which I was told was considered their premier venue), then perhaps the success would have warranted keeping the necessary insurance to keep running. Ofcourse, it is entirely possible that I don't know what I'm talking about and they planned to drop CC's no matter how well they did there. Perhaps one show would not warrant the expense of the extra insurance, I don't know.

I kind of feel for Ryan Price. From what I understand, he's not in the office anymore, but he seems to really take pride in what he does. He watches the matches closely and you can tell by his expression when something is going well or when it isn't. On the other hand, Angus seems mostly blissfully unaware of when things are going poorly, though I could not see him very much last night. Talking to Price a bit, I think his opinion should carry more weight in RME and I say that having had a few disagreements with him. But he has a good grasp of the realities of the situation and means well.

I thought RME did a great job of cutting out the Larry Zbyszko bullshit. I complain about that a lot. If you're going to do the repeated heel stalling, you better know what you're doing. There was method to Larry Z's madness...he wasn't stalling because they had a short crew. So good job there.

I thought everyone did their thing in the ring and I didn't really see a bunch of blown spots. Every show will have some fuck ups etc, so I wouldn't rip someone apart for acceptable errors. I would say what stood out the most to me was that the show was repetitive and boring.

Nothing really exciting occurred and the booking wasn't building to anything. It had a real spot show feel in that none of the matches, it seemed, were pre-announced and set up by the previous booking. They didn't need a booker last night. Perhaps that's because of the small crew and trying to get enough guys together, I don't know. But I'm not saying the show was bad. It wasn't bad. Compared to our shows, I would say, sure it was fucking terrible. But the RME crew isn't the PCW crew and while they may take exception to that, I live in the real world and you have to grasp reality and realise you have limitations. It didn't help that their best worker, Gene Swan appeared to be hurt and could only work a two minute match.

The big issue and something that came up in the group I was with was the repetitiveness. Numerous spots were repeated in match after match. I would attribute that to guys just picking the easiest manner to accomplish their goal, rather then using some creativity and "spicing" up the show. Kids might not notice, but I hate this argument that "it's a kids show" to excuse poor work or whatever. Good work is good work. Period.

At the first Glenwood show I went to, Rob Stardom seemed ready to take on the world, like he wanted the pressure of trying to improve the product. It looked to me last night like even he was a bit deflated...uninspired. And that's not a knock on Stardom. It's a comment on the appearance of morale. I have no idea how morale is. When I used to read their hidden board, they always seemed like they thought they were on top of the world, so what do I know, but I don't see inspired, passionate, prideful work.

Bubbles looked to be working as hard as he could, but he was out of his league and trying to do more then he should have been asked. Mo, a talented guy in my opinion, was wasted because of the short match with Gene.

I really felt, as I thought about it after the show, that they could be better then they are. Everyone says RME sucks and RME keeps on letting people think that. Then they put on an uninspired show with a way too small crew and people say "see, we were right". Well, fuck guys, you should take more pride. Work harder. Have more creativity. Know your limitations. I don't ask Dave Dixon to go 20 minutes in the semi-main event with Scotty Raver. And if I did, they'd both look at me like I was crazy. Know your limitations.

The office has the responsibility of fielding a quality crew. If you have 6 guys, and none of them are elite level performers, then how can you expect them to look around and feel really positive about the show? They know they can't hit a homerun. The office has to give the crew the tools they need to go out there and put on the best show they can. That means the booker (or 10 man booking team) needs to work harder to showcase strengths and hide weaknesses and they have to get more guys available. If you use a small crew because you lose money and you dont have the talent or the ability to pull it off, then don't run the fucking show. It's a dis-service to the business, the boys that give a shit and the paying public.

On the flip side, the boys have a responsibility to do the best they can. That doesn't mean lower card guys go extra long and try things they know they can't pull off. It means being a leader and speaking up when you have a valid opinion. If it doesn't make sense, say so. Protect the business and have some pride. Don't say to yourself "well, I think my match will be okay and thats what matters". No, the show matters. You're a part of the entire show and everything reflects on everbody. Know your limitations and make sure other guys know theirs. If 90% of the guys are sitting around after the show wondering why one of the shittiest guys in the locker room got the longest match, maybe you should stand up and tell the booker. Take pride.

It's frustrating to go to shows and see a group that should be better and for whatever reason, they aren't. And then I feel like I shouldn't say anything because I'm a competitor or I don't want to be judged the same way. Judge my shows. I don't care...I welcome constructive feedback.

RME apparently has a great new venue for their regular shows in the new year. I have no idea where it is. But it's either no big deal or perhaps they secured a great venue that could be a positive for the local industry. The problem is, if you take your current product to a great new venue, it's still the same uninspired product that will either not draw, not do the industry proud or get a guarantee pulled as soon as the owners realise they're getting a second rate product.

And excuse me for insulting RME, but dont take offense...take note of reality. If you go into the greatest venue of all time with the same product and the same tiny crew, it's going to be the same result. So the boys in RME, if you're excited about a new venue, you should look around and ask yourselves what you're excited about? A venue that hasn't been burned yet? A fanbase that doesn't know RME isn't very good? What happens when that venue doesn't work out? Then what? Get on Angus' ass to make sure the office is doing their part. Get more guys, get quality guys, do what needs to be done. Get a booker (one, not 10) with a vision, right or wrong, who can take charge and give guys the feedback they need to hear whether they like it or not. If the office won't do their part, fuck 'em then. They can't expect the boys to either. If the office comes through, then do your part - work hard, take pride, know your role and be happy with it, know your limitations and get asses in the seats.

Things can be better in this town. RME made, in my opinion, a strong improvement last night over the last show I saw. But they can be better. You can't ride Stardom and Mo into the ground and thats what's going to happen.

And one last thing, Ernie Todd and I are on decent terms right now, or at least I think we are. But I am so fucking sick of reading him shit all over the Winnipeg industry, calling it a toilet every chance he gets. Fuck you. Why is Winnipeg a toilet? Because the best guys won't work for you? Because you havent had any success in Winnipeg in 7 years? Tell Kenny Omega who went to WWE and has an incredibly bright future that Winnipeg is a toilet. Tell Mentallo who just came back from Mexico that Winnipeg is a toilet. Tell Mike Angels, who is the hottest act in the city, that he represents a toilet. It's bullshit. It's an insult to those guys that work their asses off and it's a big insult to fans who pay money to see a product. Maybe the CWF is in the toilet in Winnipeg, but Winnipeg has some fine, fine wrestling. No offense, Ernie, but you're better than that. Give the devil it's due...Winnipeg has quality workers, quality shows and quality fans.

And that's one guys' opinion...

Go BLUE

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