State Of The Business PART I

Author's Note: The below blog was written on January 28th 2009. It was after a telephone conversation with one of the boys who I respect immensely. It got me thinking about the state of the business and all my frustration and disappointment came to the surface. At the time I felt the local scene had degenerated to the point where too many people were pulling it in so may contradictory directions that it would ultimately tear it down. At the time, I could not have predicted the stupidity and bullshit would actually get worse.

I chose not to post this at the time for a variety of reasons. I felt it was incomplete and never got around to finishing it. I also felt it was emotionally honest and while I am generally a pretty open and honest guy, expressing frustration and disappointment is held up by others as either a weakness or an example that their efforts to cause unrest have been successful and it fills them with joy. I didn't want to give them that satisfaction. The reality, however, is that those people and their actions don't "bother" me - they sadden me. It hurts to see people you once respected and considered friends to fall to such depressing levels of emotional distress.

And finally, I didn't want to shine a light on some of the stupidity that was going on locally. Wrestling in Winnipeg has always existed (and sometimes succeeded) in spite of itself and the incompetence and ego of some of the people in it. I had promised certain people that we'd take the high road, that we'd sit back and absorb the bullshit and keep doing what we do without resorting to the same desperate attempts to turn the business into their personal and pathetic playground. But truly, enough is enough.

So as I sat down to write about the Manitoba wrestling industry and all the ridiculous things that go on, I stumbled across this previously written blog and felt it was a good prelude. Keeping in mind I wrote it in January, I think it sets the table nicely for Part II...If you disagree with me, no problem. If you don't want to read what I write, click away now. This blog has become a little wishy-washy - it's time to get back to throwing the light of reality back onto the wrestling business. Enjoy.


PART I - January 28th 2009

"When all is said and done, more will be said than done".

It's been an inordinate length of time between blogs but there has been some exceptionally legitimate reasons for that.

For one, I've been very busy. Not only do I like to dedicate a lengthy period of time to actually sit down and write one of these, I avoid writing anything when I'm not in the mood to do so. I have to "feel it", and that goes for website content as well. As a bit of a night owl, the times I "feel it" are generally at night, but those nights where I have had time and didn't have to get up early have been few and far between in recent weeks.

Secondly, I've really had nothing to say that I think anyone would want to read. Sure, I could comment on Barack Obama becoming the new leader of the universe or the Winnipeg Blue Bomber's intriguing off-season, but given the state of wrestling right now, would anyone really want to read that?

And finally, I've been on the fence about whether to write about the things people would likely be interested in reading. Too often over the years that I've been in the business, once has had to choose whether to avoid causing heat or to be honest. It's difficult to be honest and not cause heat.

In 2007 I made a decision (I might have stated it in this blog, I don't recall), that 2008 would be my last year in the business. It seems pretty evident that you only leave the business if you're forced out or in a bodybag. You never really leave. I wanted to have an exit strategy. The cyclical nature of the business always provides a great excuse to keep fighting. Either business is bad and you want to prove you can fight through it or business is good and you're enjoying it too much to walk away. There is never an "out". I figured if I gave myself a year, I could do all the things creatively that I wanted and wind PCW down the way I wanted to. And if I had a specific date of departure, then I would walk away regardless of what part of the cycle we were on at the time.

The LID was scheduled to be closed in 2008 and at the end 0f 2007, it looked to be towards the end of the year. If ever there was an "out" for the taking, that would be it.

When the LID did close in March and we drew the largest gate for a non-name show that I can ever recall anyone doing and went out in a very special way with guys from every promotion represented, I was ready to walk away.

PCW started for a variety of reasons. I've said repeatedly that the main hook to get me involved aside form my love of wrestling was watching someone like Mentallo be mis-used in TRCW, for the specific reason that it was a talent like Mentallo but because of what it represented - that the most talented guy on the roster at the time wasn't getting the quality opportunity to develop his skills for whatever reason, mainly because he wasn't a favourite of the booker. And he wasn't the only one.

My idea of a successful wrestling promotion was one that was providing the best place for the boys to develop their skills. Too many guys with too large of egos truly believe that just because they are in the same basic industry as Vince McMahon that he will be looking over his shoulder, concerned that they will somehow effect his business. They determine who gets pushed by who kisses their ass, buys them the most beers or whom they consider their best friend on any particular day.

When guys get past the bewildering realization that they have somehow got themselves into the same business they grew up watching on television, they might see that we are essentially a grassroots level of an industry, much like community theatre. Someone doing bad Shakespeare for free in front of handful of people might be in the same business as Tom Hanks, but they are not Tom Hanks. I think that gets lost on a lot of people.

Bad wrestling offends me because it's a hindrance to what the goal of wrestling at our level should be - to have a healthy industry where guys can develop their skills and hopefully move onto the next level. This shouldn't be to wrestling what playing road hockey on a Sunday afternoon with your buddies, joking about catching on with the Penguins is to hockey. If it is, set up your ring in your backyard, have a few beers and live out your WrestleMania fantasies where you can't do any damage to the business. Using the hockey analogy, this should be the junior leagues, where we are icing a competitive, talented roster with the intent to provide the best opportunities for guys to develop their skills. Not everyone will make the big leagues. Most won't, but a few will or could and that should be our stated goal.

I think PCW has been successful because I've never lost sight of the reasons for our existence. It was for the boys and for the fans who wanted to watch the art form of wrestling. Years later, we can look upon PCW and see Mentallo having opportunities in Mexico, Kenny having opportunities everywhere (and holding championships in three different countries at the same time), which isn't bad for a couple of guys who, not too long ago, were called "Vanilla Midgets" by someone who never had success outside of Winnipeg (not a knock, just the truth). Other guys, Adam Knight training in Japan, perhaps opportunities for Angels and several other guys talented enough to work in a lot of other places. Thankfully PCW did exist and thankfully we kept our eye on what was important about the business.

So what's the point? Well, I didn't walk away in 2008. No one ever leaves the wrestling business.

I had a long conversation with someone today who made some good points (and some not very good points too). The reality is, I don't even like wrestling anymore. Being involved in the business and being exposed to the stupidity and the anti-constructive suicidal tendencies killed any love for it I might have once had. Perhaps that is an exaggeration. Perhaps a small part of me deep down inside still loves it. Maybe not. I think what drives me is the knowledge that the local business desperately needs PCW. I cannot abandon the business, the boys and the fans to whatever would remain if we got out. I respect the guys and the fans too much.

The business creates too many "bad" people, who do and say things that would be considered absolutely unheard of in every other industry and I hate that aspect.I hate the fact a business that doesn't pay me or anyone else a living locally is a full time job. I hate the fact I share a business with people who'd just as soon make your project a failure than make their own a success. In fact, they'd probably prefer that. I hate the fact that for every inch forward you take, there is a team of people with nothing better to do than try and knock you back a foot.

But what I hate the most is the fact the business has made me do things that I wouldn't otherwise do. The person I spoke with today reminded me that I have been very honest and forthcoming about my opinion over the years. He was right. The fact is, I am probably the most criticised and insulted person in the local wrestling business, with the exception maybe of Ernie because he has a few years on me. But it's close. With success, comes the criticism. I have no problem with that. And I think it has to do with the continued existence of PCW. In some ways, I equate it to breaking up with a person you were with for awhile - you might feel it was the best decision for you, but seeing that person happy with someone else drives you crazy. A few guys "broke up" with PCW in 2003 and it still, to this day, drives them crazy to see PCW happy and prosperous with others. These people still talk about "2002" (will probably run angles based on it too), have tried repeatedly to hurt PCW and have boldly proclaimed to many their desire to see PCW put out of business. Really? It's time to get over it.

The same people that say PCW is shitty, that insult our fans, our crew and everything else we do, also desperately want our crew, our fans and our style of show. It's transparent and obvious. The same people who criticise our venue would be down there trying to secure it if we ever left.

But having said that, I've said things too. And that wasn't who I was when I got into the business in the first place. I haven't said anything overly critical in awhile. Two things jump out as reason for that, one being when the LID closed, I was out of the business. And the second, when Dick Walker attacked me on the radio show. That made me realise that a) Dick Walker is batshit crazy (which is kinda cool), and b) that my words were hurtful enough that he was willing to fight over them.

So as rare as this is, I apologize for saying Busgy couldn't book his way out of a wet paper bag (Bugsy seems to give a shit and that's more than some people). And seriously, I apologize for being overly critical of people in the business. To me, the frustration comes in having such a solid grasp of what the business should be and feeling like it's such an uphill battle to get everyone to play nicely in the sandbox. The business shouldn't be about your friends kissing your ass for a spot or putting on average-at-best shows but bragging about how they were the greatest of all time. It should be about whats best for the business, boys and fans. Period.

I got into the business to help give guys who wanted it a good place to develop their skills and work on quality shows without having to worry about sucking up to the booker. My vision of the business, where the best performers are pushed, where the good of the show is of paramount importance, where attracting fans to the art of wrestling, has turned out to be the correct one. In the grand scheme of things, the market is weak. It's the "drunken smarks" that prop up the business. Popping a number means getting our friends and family to come out and support us. This is clearly evident on certain shows.

People criticise my promoting because I was honest in saying I consider myself more of a showrunner than a promoter. Where are all the genius promotional ideas that were promised, that I am too stupid to have thought of? 3000 posters? Handing out flyers at a WWE event? Running ads on a station no wrestling fan would listen to? Perhaps I don't do those things, not because I am a bad promoter, but because I'm smart enough to know what works and does not work and because I value, at the end of the day, making back at least as much money as I put in.

PCW is not an investment for me. I am not looking at PCW to be my retirement nest egg. It needs to break even in order to survive because it exists for the boys and the fans, not for me. A show that might draw 50 more people but spent $2000 more to do so is not a business plan I would want to emulate. But the people involved in that show will brag about it until they're blue in the face. If it wasn't so sad, it would be hilarious.

In August 2003, PCW went out of business, driven out of the business by the same person who guided three other promotions to the same fate since then. My vision is to survive so the boys and the fans benefit, not to stroke my ego or to try and get a job in the business somewhere else. It's a simple vision and we've been more successful than anyone else ever has running local wrestling in Winnipeg.

On Christmas Day when no one was online to read it (except for the guy who emailed me I suppose), Danny Duggan announced his intention to start his promotion. The first person to make any public comments about it were me, wishing them luck. In truth, I thought (from what I was hearing), that Danny was tired of being a good worker surrounded by less than quality workers in SPW and RME. I thought 'finally, someone else wants to run quality wrestling, to put the show first'. I eagerly anticipated an email or phone call from Danny where we would share our vision and happily do everything in our efforts to make the local industry a success and reward the best talent in the city. But it never came. All that came was badmouthing on the Internet and badmouthing to guys behind my back.

Foolish me, to think that Danny would contact me after asking me to email Rob Stardom as a "courtesy" when I wanted him to come work for PCW. Seems rather hypocritical to me.

No, no contact. But I did hear from promoters who received emails purportedly from me, trying to set up members of my crew to look unprofessional. Fans being called terrible things for the sin of liking PCW. This 'burn the oil fields' mentality where they'd rather lose a paying fan as long as PCW does too...ridiculous.

Reading blog postings from someone attacking me when he lives in the most fragile of glass houses was more amusing than aggravating, but a great example of what this new promotion was going to be.

When people are told specifically that the goal is to put PCW out of business, why would I endorse my crew working those shows? Two other projects had the same stated goal and are now a distant memory. What's the point of that anyway?

There isn't a promotion in Manitoba that I would not gladly do business with if it was to the benefit of the business and the boys and the fans. I'm the only promoter who feels that way. The others join a "blacklist", with the intent of trying to put us out of business.

Angus emailed me in December to make a "deal" that, in his words, did not include the Danny/Davidson project. He was encouraged to remain with the blacklist and would not even respond to the response to his suggestion. All of this...all of it leads to a business worse off than it was, not better.

I was at CWE's show. It wasn't a great show. I'll apologize in advance. I suppose my opinion carries more weight than a "paying fan" (and I had comps anyway), but the truth is, I expected to be wow'ed. When you cause so much heat, say such terrible things, lie, blacklist, send fake emails, threaten people...I expect the action to back up the words. It didn't.

Speaking of which, here are more words to live by "Action Expresses Priorities". When the actions are to insult fans, insult a promoter's girlfriend, lie to achieve a result, urge a blacklist to hinder a competitor, send fake emails, cause a disturbance on a competitor's show - that shows you the priority. Don't listen to the words. Those are lies. Look at the actions.

Our actions are to continue to fight through the attacks and the efforts to hinder our business to provide the best, most consistent place for the guys to develop their skills and for fans to enjoy quality wrestling. Those are our actions. Those are our priorities.

There is a line in competition that shouldn't be crossed. There is fierce determination to be better than the competition and then there's dirty pool. There is creating success for yourself and then there's trying to deliver failure for others.

In 2003, PCW was attacked by a new competitor. We fought the good fight, stayed true to our vision and excelled as the best place to work and the best shows for the fans. We became a beacon for those that would see us fail to come back to. In 2004, it happened again. Again, we did what we do best - keep chugging along. And we welcomed back everyone who wanted desperately for us to fail, who criticised us, insulted us, lied about us. And now...yet again.

Why must we suffer the consequences of our desire to succeed, our willingness to survive for no other reason than to provide quality shows and a good place to wrestle? Why are others so determined to see us fail, that they would say or do anything to achieve that? Is it the sting of their inability to do it in the past that drives them in the present?

It's stupid. It's anti-constructive. And it's doomed to fail.

Truthfully, the efforts and extent our "competitors" have gone to to try and chase us out of the business have actually emboldened us. We won't quit.

We'll be here when the others are gone. Just as we always are.