Traditional Championship Wrestling EP#16

Match of the Week: Ultimate Warrior vs Orlando Jordan

Once upon a time I was in a locker room at a show watching two young men, via the monitor, having a really bad match. All of a sudden Bill Dundee walks up to me and says "Why are you watching this shit?". To which I replied "Because sometimes, Bill, to know what does work you have to also know what doesn't." The Match of the Week isn't always going to be a Picaso.. sometimes its gonna be "What hell are they doing?". This is one such match. As a professional wrestler, I think one of the hardest things to deal with is not delivering in a big match situation. Holding yourself to a higher standard is a must. Watch this match, as painful as it is, and decide where they went wrong.

"The Future of the Business" by Pokerface

I often think a lot about how wrestling will be in the future. First let's talk about how it used to be. For the most part it was a closed industry. Not everyone could "get in". Even though there were people who believed in it and others who thought they had it figured out, it was always that veil of mystery.That supposed veil is now, gone. There are no longer the proverbial bouncers standing at the gates of the industry who will only let the select few in. Now anybody can get in and are in the business. And just about anybody's girlfriend who has at least a decent pair, become involved in the biz. So o saying all that, leads me to my topic, The Future of the Business.

The business, how it used to be, it pretty much dead in my opinion. The respect level for this art form has diminished as well as respect for the veterans. Guys who have done very little, in comparison to the vets of yesteryear, have got a serious attitude problem. There is a misconception that because you constantly or known for throwing a few "spuds", that you are a tough guy or bad ass. That shit don't work in the street. You got guys who think cause they have mountains of muscle that they run shit. I would have loved to see a musclehead get in a bar fight with Terry Gordy. Guys, for the most part, we've forgotten this thing we claim to love, is first and foremost, business. I've seen guys bicker about getting an opportunity to be champ or doing the dreaded "job" rather than trying to better their company. Truth be known, I've did business with ALOT of guys who didn't deserve it and still don't or who didn't appreciate what I had done. What I had done was understand the nature of our business and did business.

When I was thinking about what i was gone put in this article, I was gonna gripe about the need for veterans to step aside for the up and comers. To be truthful, they aren't totally at fault. The promoters today, not limited to the indy circuit, don't know how to make stars. They have no idea of how to market their wrestlers or their company. So to make up for their lack of creativity, passion, and business sense. They bring legends to attempt to pull off a decent box office draw. Now don't get me wrong, most of the veterans I watched as a kid, I respect them and enjoy their company.But if you bring in a vet and your top guy can't beat him you've 1) wasted you're money in the long run 2) done absolutely nothing for your company. If you are gonna bring a legend in, have them be part of the supporting cast and not necessarily the star of the show. Even though I'm a wrestler, I'm tired of watching certain wrestlers take the spotlight from the younger guys. You cant groom a future star or believable champion if they are playing second and third fiddle to guys who've had their day in the sun.

I'm not saying that vets should go to the old wrestlers graveyard, so don't get me wrong. But we all gotta do what's best for the business now and for the future. I've wrestled for a company who had great potential, who in my opinion who could have been the number three promotion in the US. They were drawing 6,000 people at their big events. But instead of growing, they fucked it up. I watched it spiraling out of control every week. Even when the figure head of the company was gone for about two months, they still made no attempt to make new stars. The ones they did attempt to give the shove to, they never gave them the right opponents. Trust me. I lobbied a many of times to no avail. Well I will say that the company is no longer around. A word to promoters, especially in my area, TRY SOMETHING NEW! If you don't have a clue, ask the right person. Hell ask me. I'm on Facebook, Twitter, Jerry Springer (cheap plug) For the most part, I have an unbiased opinion, and want every promotion to draw. Drawing around 100 per week is not a good crowd, but some seem to think so. That shows you how far the standards have sank. Just be mindful of the present or there will be no biz in the future. Take care. God Bless. Keep your pimp hand strong!