Carny Central

Meet my Family

2007-11-23T13:06:00.000-08:00

PRO WRESTLING HERO OF THE WEEK

ROBERT THOMPSON

If I had blogged in the 90's, Robert Thompson would have been my pro wrestling hero of the week many times. He recently had a very good match teaming with Kafu so I have to give him his accolades.

Last blog, I introduced myself. I now want to introduce my family. I am so proud of each and every one of them.

ROBERT THOMPSON
I could write an entire blog about Robert Thompson. I know J.J. Perez uses the moniker Mr. APW but my oldest son, Robert Thompson is the REAL MR. APW. My very first paying student in 1991. He had just lost his father. Probably one of the top 5 graduates in the history of APW Boot Camp. Probably the best trainer in the history of APW. In 2001, when many wrestler graduates and students being swayed to join PWI, Robert remained loyal in spite of the threats made that he would go down with APW if he didn't leave APW and join PWI. Was involved in some of the greatest matches in APW history against Michael Modest and then later with tag-team partner Boyce LeGrande as the West Side Playaz 2000. The playaz might have been the greatest tag-team in APW history. Many fans wanted to rename the famous garage to "Bombers House". I remember his tag-team matches with Matt Hyson (AKA Spike Dudley) as a partner. I could go on and on about my oldest son. I could have avoided telling you all of the above and you would have still understood my love for my oldest son if you just knew this. On two separate occasions, he was offered to join ECW as New Jack's partner and turned down both offers because it was more important to raise his daughter than it was to realize his childhood dream of earning a living in pro wrestling. That says it all!

JASON DEADRICH
I don't think APW would still be here without this son being born in 1997. This is the guy that took the website out of my hands and developed it into one of the better websites in all of pro wrestling. He added the online application. Without the online applications, there is no business. Even the greatest salesman/recruiter needs leads. The phone calls to create stronger leads cannot be made without the online application. There is never a Boot Camp student signed without these online applications. I love the wrestling promotion as everyone else does and he has played a huge part in that division as well but the APW BOOT CAMP still remains the largest revenue generator in APW. Jason also took the production which in 1995 and 1996 was already pretty strong and one of the strongest in Indy wrestling, to a higher level. Jason took that production to an entire different level. Sure, we had great wrestling and great booking but pro wrestling had changed in the mid 90's and production was as large a part of pro wrestling as anything else. I still feel deep in my heart that there is no Indy promotion out there that can put on the quality live show that APW puts on. It is all done on a shoestring budget. Jason was behind the creation of ClickWrestle and has provided the wrestling community with online footage at affordable prices for the last several years. One of his greatest accomplishments in pro wrestling has to be ChickFight. After running King of Indies in 2001, I had no desire to promote pro wrestling any longer. I wouldn't have minded doing a Queen of Indies either separately or in conjunction with King of Indies. I hope this inspired Jason because he finally did a ChickFight tournament. Jason has done with ChickFight what I wanted to do with King of Indies but never did. He took it Internationally and now has television and it continues to grow. I seriously don't think there would be a Shimmer today without ChickFight. Jason has accomplished quite a bit in pro wrestling in the short 10 years he has been involved. He is a Board of Director of Cauliflower Alley Club and I appreciate his involvement in CAC because I am a huge fan of them because without those legends, I would have never had the inspiration to start APW back in 1991. I owe them! Cheap plug but if you are not a member of this organization, you need to be. The fees are only $25 annual and $300 for a lifetime membership and you should attend the banquet every year in Las Vegas. The 2008 banquet will be a good one. APW has always been heavily involved and especially with the training seminars and this coming years seminars are going to be the best with many legend guest speakers. Go check them out at www.caulifloweralleyclub.org . Back to one of my older sons and wiser sons, Jason Deadrich. I am so proud of all his accomplishments in APW and with his own company Black Pants Production. In 2002, I was ready to allow APW to die with all that took place with PWI but there were 4 people among many others that stood out and would not allow APW to die. They were Robert Thompson, Jason Deadrich, Gabe Ramirez and Shannon Ramirez and I will forever be grateful to them. Jason takes lots of heat on the message boards along with Gabe and I still get my fair share but that is always the sign of success and Jason certainly has enjoyed more success in his baby finger with pro wrestling that most of the Idiots on the message boards would dream of.

GABE RAMIREZ
Many refuse to believe Gabe is my son. Sometimes, I wonder. I sometimes think he is my twin brother but I look a few years older than him so I know that isn't possible. Gabe was one of the largest pains in the ass when he first attended a gym wars show in 1996. Jason and I used to have meetings of the minds trying to figure out what to do with the guy. We named him Ultimate Gym Warrior and it only seemed to make matters worse. He now started to develop relationships with some of the wrestlers. We finally came up with a good idea. If you can't beat them, join them so we offered him a position as Head of Security with APW. At least he was on our team now. Gabe made sure to shadow me and it seemed he was around the gym 24/7. These were the days when he wasn't married and had lots of spare time on his hands. He would attend late night meetings. Sometimes, he wouldn't say much because he remembered the old line, "Keep your mouth shut, your ears open and absorb like a sponge". Gabe and I became close because he was a socializer. He was always forcing me to attend strip clubs with him. I used to think the guy had a machine in his home that produced phony $1 bills. That is all I remember about him at the clubs is he passed them out like candy. When I tell him this, he always denies it and claims "How would you know, you fell asleep". If I fell asleep at the strip club, that either tells you the seriousness of my sleep apnea or tells you the quality girls they had at this particular strip club. Gabe would always hold get-togethers and bar-b-q's. I swear, I could go to his house and spend 4 hours and have the funnest time doing nothing but telling stories and bullshitting and eating. Nobody can bar-b-q like this guy. His carne asada w/corn tortillas and a squeeze of lemon are out of this world. Gabe soon began to master everything thown at him in APW. When someone masters something, it is the greatest thing in a company. It allows you to move everyone up. When Gabe mastered something, I would tell Jason it was time for him to move on to something bigger and better and we would move Gabe into the Jason responsibility and find someone that could handle Gabe's job. That would also be Gabe's job to find someone to replace him and train him and you don't know how tough that can be. Gabe has done it all. His greatest accomplishments in APW have been to handle the boys. That is a difficult job. He has somehow mastered it. He is the guy that keeps the communication line open with the wrestlers. Not just APW wrestlers but outside wrestlers we look to bring in. Part of that job entails getting the guys booked on other shows to allow them the exposure and experience necessary to move up to a higher level. Gabe has opened doors in Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico and other Indies in the U.S. Gabe has been very successful with that responsibility. I always measure success by where the wrestlers go and the chatter the idiots on the message boards create. When they begin to bad-mouth you, it only means you are doing something in the wrestling business they always dreamed of doing but either didn't have the know how to do it or the balls to do it. They are couch potato wrestling fans who can only achieve by hiding behind a computer. So Gabe is an asshole. Big deal, while you may think he is an asshole, he is doing something you only dream of doing but can't. Think about the success he has had. Wrestlers have been booked in Japan. Sure, they make the excuse that some have paid their way to Japan. Some have. Some have not. You do what you have to do to get to the next level and get exposure. If that means paying for an airfare while the promotion pays for the hotel and payoff, then so be it. It all washes out. Earlier this year, 4 wrestlers went on tour in Portugal and were paid very well, got free food, hotel, and airfare and made a good enough showing, they are wanted back again with more wrestlers this time. What Gabe did was open a door for the wrestlers, more wrestlers and the promotion. He opened a door for Kafu in Puerto Rico. That has caused bookers like Bushwacker Luke to have some very nice things to say about Kafu. People forget that guys like Luke are still very high on the Vince McMahon list. WWE keeps a close eye on Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is very good experience and was almost a requirement for every wrestlers to go through to eventually get full-time jobs in the top territories in pro wrestling during the 70's and 80's. Gabe opened doors in Mexico and several APW wrestlers had regular gigs in Mexico for a period of time. Their expenses were paid for on those trips but nobody on a message board mentions that because it is positive. They can only dwell on the negative and the booking where they had to pay their own airfare. I'd like to know how many California Indy wrestlers have these same opportunities. Strike that! I want to know how many Indy wrestlers in the U.S. have those opportunities? Gabe has also been a very good match maker. You think matchmaking is easy? Some people can't match make. I'll never forget TC Martin running his promotion in Sacramento and booking Sabu VS. Dan Severn. Talk about style clash!? Gabe has been a very valuable piece of the overall success of APW and helped us keep the doors open for 16 years now. Can you believe we are in our 17th year of business, WOW! He also started a couple of business from it that are doing very well. For Indy wrestlers reading this and are wondering where their next portfolio comes from, you don't have to look any further. www.onestopwrestlingshop.com is the answer to all your pro wrestling needs. It is a great website for fans to pick up DVD's and other wrestling merchandise but it is also a website where wrestlers can get their portfolio's including resumes, videos and pictures done. They can also order gear. Top quality gear. I am very proud of the job one of my older sons, Gabe Ramirez has done and I wake up every day praying "Thank God for Gabe Ramirez because there might be an APW without him". Hate him all you want, I love him as a business associate and as a father and friend.

SHANNON RAMIREZ
One of my few daughters. The first lady of APW. She was pretty shy when she first came around APW. She has learned most facets of the pro wrestling industry when it comes to running a live event and has done it all including, ticket sales, merchandise, running the floor and being in charge of the students and security, etc... etc... etc... There were a couple of females around APW who had the opportunity to move into the management level of APW and Shannon took the ball and ran with it. She coordinates the ordering of extra chairs for Gym Wars events. She coordinates the annual Christmas Party/Awards Banquet. That is not an easy task especially when you consider there is a building to rent, food to order, trophies to order and hotel for those that drink too much and want to stay near the festivities. She has helped Gabe tremendously when it comes to running Pixel Perfect and the One Stop Wrestle Shop. I can't think of anything she hasn't done. I wish she learned more about pro wrestling so she could get involved with creative booking and matchmaking. There really isn't anything she doesn't do. She has been known to be rough on people but deservedly so including myself when it comes to having one too many Capacino Blasts. She sometimes is the sister I never had but that is only because I always try to act 20 years younger than I really am. She has been more like a daughter to me.

As you can see this blog was a long time coming and is a long read already so I must save the remainder of my family including, wrestlers, trainers, students, volunteers etc... for another post.

I'll try to come up with another blog in the very near future and certainly before the Christmas holidays are upon us. Again, as always, thanks for reading!

Meet my Family... and Me

2007-11-06T00:55:00.000-08:00

PRO WRESTLING HERO OF THE WEEK
My son, KAFU
"Hardest working student in APW BOOT CAMP history!"

I have a new concept to my blogs I want to introduce. I want to have weekly guest bloggers and have the APW fans guess who they might be. They will tell you a little about their week behind-the-scenes in pro wrestling and in their personal life and have you guess in the comments who the guest blogger might be. It might be fun and at the same time will let you get to know my family members. I will be soliciting the wrestlers this coming weekend and hopefully, throughout the holidays, we will have guest bloggers. In the meantime, I thought I would introduce you to myself and some of my family members. Some of this information is on my personal my-space page. I don't know how the long the blog will be so if it gets too long, I'll break it up into a 2 part blog. For the holidays, I will continue to pick a PRO WRESTLING HERO but I will not pick my IDIOT OF THE WEEK unless the idiot has really earned it. It will be my way of saying HAPPY HOLIDAYS to the idiots.

THE BEGINNING OF MY OBSESSION WITH PRO WRESTLING
I was born in 1954. At age 7, I was introduced to pro wrestling by my dad who was a former boxer who fought in Fall River Mass as "Kid Boston". He introduced me to pro wrestling by purchasing "Ring Magazine" which was a boxing magazine with a small section in the back for pro wrestling. I was hooked. I convinced him to show me more magazines and he soon introduced me to "Wrestling Review". I loved that magazine because it had color centerfold pinups of the pro wrestlers. My mom began to dislike my dad for purchasing me this magazine because I was taping them to my bedroom wall and when I took one off to replace it with another, the paint would peel. I promised my mother I would put the new one up over the old one cause my dad could not paint because the smell made him sick. I used to think my dad was working my mom so as not to have to paint until I got older and also became sick with the smell of paint. My father passed away at age 9. I have so much respect for my mother. She refused to remarry. She worked two jobs to provide for me as a single mother and didn't speak a word of English as she was born in Portugal. I always miss her during the holidays! I continued with my pro wrestling obsession by attending wrestling matches with my uncle and cousin. Eventually, my uncle lost his wife to diabetes and his son in a head-on collision with a drunk driver and I took my uncle into my home in 1985 and we became very close. We played in pool tournaments together on the weekends and he showed me how to play poker. He was one of those smart old-timers. I'll never forget when he got followed home one night from playing cards. He always kept his gambling bankroll in one pocket and his pocket change for buses and haircuts in the other pocket. He was held up at our doorstep one night. I'll never forget him telling me the story. I wanted him to call the police but he insisted on telling me the story first.

"This son of a b**ch puts a gun in my side and says give me your money. I reach into my spare change pocket and hand him $32. The dumb bastard goes running. He was so stupid. He should have checked my other pocket, I had $1,600 in it because I made a score last night playing cards"

UNCLE AL
Some of the APW wrestlers and students got to meet my uncle. Sara Del Rey and Bryan Danielson used to get a kick out of my uncle and we celebrated his birthday with a surprise birthday party that many of the students attended and I don't remember why but we all wore masks. Bryan and Sara were kind enough to prepare the birthday cake with candles that would not go out when you blow on them. Great rib on my uncle. To this day I don't know what happened and I have no proof but I think Melissa Anderson's dad, Doug Anderson, who really liked my uncle, changed the rib and had something to do with it because he loved ribs. He wrestled himself in the 80's and was very familiar with ribs. I think he replaced the candles with ones that blow up and the birthday cake caught on fire but Bryan and Sara were able to put it out and eventually serve some cake. I hope you enjoy some of the pictures below.

In 2002, Bryan Danielson and Sara Del Rey prepare the birthday cake for my uncle's 87th birthday - a surprise birthday party

FIRE!!!

When he came out of his bedroom, he was greeted by APW students in masks singing Happy Birthday... Guess who the students are? Guess who the trainer is?

That same uncle took me to pro wrestling at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. My cousin used to show me 8mm silent footage of the Cow Palace shows. I used to beg him to go but he said he'd take me when I got older. I used to tell myself when I got older and learned some of the moves, I would put my cousin in a figure four leg lock (I learned it from Bearcat Wright. Bearcat was 6'9" and everyone was convinced he would beat Ray Stevens for the U.S. title) to get even for him not taking me to the Cow Palace at age 9 and 10 in 1963 and 1964 which was the Ray Stevens VS. Pepper Gomez era. My first show in Pleasanton involved the Mighty Midgets. It was Cowboy Lang and Little Beaver VS. Sky Low Low and Fuzzy Cupid. I didn't go to the Cow Palace until 1970 which is when I started to attend all the pro wrestling events in the regional promotion Roy Shire promoted in. That was about the time Mr. Paul DeMarco (wrestler who trained Oliver John) was defending his U.S. Title against the Rock's grandfather, Peter Maivia. They were causing riots because many Samoans were moving to San Francisco and Peter had a huge following and of the 12,000 fans at the Cow Palace for these title matches, at least 3,000 were Samoan. They were ready to riot and the Security wore riot shields! Quick story, I'll never forget the time some fan took a sucker punch at Harley Race. The riot shields went down over their faces and they started swinging the billy clubs to get Harley back to the locker room. My friend and I were standing in the back because his mom knew the head of security. We watched these security cops get brutal with the guy that sucker punched Harley. The next thing surprised us - Harley tells the cops,

"You are being too brutal with this guy, please let him go"

I am thinking, what a cool guy Harley is, he isn't really a tough guy or a heel. The moment security let go of the guy, Harley beats the crap out of the guy. He punches and kicks the guy until he is down. He then spits on him while swearing at him - WOW! I am sure he remembers and I always say I am gonna ask him at the CAC Banquet but I always have this fear that he is going to deny it ever happened and beat the crap out of me. Harley was a true tough guy in this business both in and out of the ring and he deserved being NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

FIGHTING AS A KID
All my friends knew of my pro wrestling obsession. Heck, when I used to get into fights, they'd stop the fights and reschedule them for another day because the older teenagers wanted me to come dressed like a pro wrestler since they knew I didn't fight but wrestled whenever I got into a fight. One of my favorite wrestlers was Chief Big Heart. He always wore an Indian Headdress and came to the ring with a vest and trunks. So, I wore high top tennis shoes, swimming trunks a vest and I had an Indian Headdress I made my mom buy me. I am sure you know the next part. Since I didn't fight and I wrestled, my head would take a pounding as I was trying to do a single leg shoot take down. When I took enough of a pounding to the head and begin to get a headache, I would break away and do the Indian War dance. Every Indian wrestler did them when I was growing up. The teenagers got a big kick out of this so I played it up. I would then wrestle the guy I was fighting to the ground and eventually get him in a "Bow and Arrow". The teenagers used to instigate the fights just to see which wrestler I would come to fight as next. One time, I was actually getting the crap beat out of me when they broke up the fight and scheduled the fight for 4 pm on a Friday. Good thing, they stopped it when they did. For one, I was getting the crap beat out of me and secondly, I wanted to wrestle as BearCat Wright. I had just seen him wrestle on television and I wanted the opportunity to do the cat walk for my comeback and get the guy in a figure four leglock. You think I wasn't obsessed with pro wrestling? I almost snapped the guys ankle. Even today, I teach the guys how to shoot it on. Nobody knows the proper way of applying the hold today, not even Ric Flair. BearCat Wright and "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers knew how to properly apply the hold. I have put the hold on students and made them tap out. I finally had to give up fighting because of the Shiek. I came to fight as him one day. When the guy started pounding on my head, I went into the famous Shiek trance where he stared into the sky while drooling at the mouth and nothing hurt this wrestler when he went into a trance. Well, I finally had enough of that because the trance didn't really work in real life and my head was hurting. My head hurt for days after that fight. After that fight, I gave up the fighting thing.

PRO WRESTLING and HIGH SCHOOL
I graduated from high school with honors and I am a lifetime member of the California Scholarship Federation. You must have a 3.5 GPA throughout high school to qualify and must have taken College Prep courses such as Chem Study which is a more complex Chemistry involving more math. I wasn't a smart guy and had to work hard for my grades. I hung out with the smart guys so I could learn from them. Heck, I wasn't even smart to the wrestling business back then, let alone smart. Little did I know that I would eventually be a smart guy and add CARNY to my Portuguese as other languages that I speak. Of course, I got straight A's in Spanish and spoke broken English. I split my time hanging out with the smart students and jocks because I played basketball. The wrestling coach would always try to convince me to come out for the team but when I would tell him I was playing basketball, he would ask me if we thought we could win 3 games that year (3 out of 14). Of course, the wrestling team went to the state championships every single year. In 1968, when they had the racial riots and the blacks fought the Green Berets (Latinos), the wrestling coach would send the wrestlers to the parking lot to kick everyones ass.

In 1972, I met the Rock's dad, Rocky Johnson and became really obsessed with pro wrestling. He didn't know I was smart and I didn't let on because I figured I'd learn more when they tried to avoid business conversations with me present by speaking carny. Meanwhile, I spoke better carny than some of the boys and was learning the business quickly. The ride might have been rough, I may have taken a rib or two but my education in pro wrestling came quickly and I considered myself a lucky teenager. I almost gave away that I was smart. I would ride to the shows with Rocky in his car and he'd be blasting country and western with his cowboy hat on. When we got to the arena, he'd take off the cowboy hat and pull the country and western 8 track tape (remember those?) and put in Jr. Walker and the All Stars and play "Shotgun". The work was evident and the transition had taken place. He was now Rocky "Soulman" Johnson.

Good thing I had a 4.0 going into my senior year because grades declined after meeting Rocky. I didn't even play Varsity basketball my senior year. I was too busy traveling the circuit. Much to my mothers dismay, I traveled the circuit with Rocky and the boys. That is how I learned pro wrestling - sitting in the middle of two big guys in the back seat of a car while they all spoke carny. I went to college and after 5 quarters of analytical calculus and geometry, I dropped out of college to hustle pool in bars, pool halls and pursue pro wrestling. Little did I know I had no chance in the business because of my lack of body. I tried lifting and eating right and taking the supplements but I refused to take dyanabol (a steroid). It didn't help that I was on the lazy side and had a lack of genetics. They all contributed to me not building a body and becoming a pro wrestler. Things haven't changed much today other than the doors opened for the little guy but you still have to have a very good look for television.

I PAID MY DUES
I paid my dues including babysitting the Rock when he was 2 but he never mentions me in the Hayward part of his book, LOL. Rocky had a replica of the U.S. Championship belt on the wall and at 19, I was brave enough to take it off the wall take my shirt off, put the strap on and pose in front of the mirror. Can you imagine if him and his wife, Ata came home early from dinner and dancing and found me without my shirt on and with the belt on. She liked me and would have thought it was cute, Rocky would have flipped. I used to play cribbage with them and Dewey's Godfather and his wife all of the time. I also used to go take care of the horses with Rocky all the of the time. The stables were on Industrial Blvd - very close to the APW BOOT CAMP.

ROCKY JOHNSON RIBS
One time, Rocky told me to get on the horse. When I said no, he called me a pu**y and said,

"How the hell can you be a pro wrestler when you won't even get on a horse".

Good point... So I got on the horse with no idea a rib was coming. As I have my right leg in the stirrup and am about to kick my left leg over, he hits the horse in the ass with a two by four and off I go. Not Bay Meadows but Industrial Blvd. I decide to not go for the rough ride and get off the horse and scrape my elbows to the point of blood, the hardway. I must admit it was a funny site watching a 252 pound grown man with muscles run after the horse. What wasn't funny was him saying as he was running,

"If anything happens to the horse, I am gonna kick your fu**ing ass"

I am sitting there wiping the blood off. I close my eyes to regain normal breathing and picture Rocky giving me the beel with two dropkicks and finishing me off with the Boston Crab. There were many more ribs that I enjoyed. A great rib on him would have been to really juice deep and scare the crap out of him when he finally returned with the horse. I'll never forget the time at the horse auction, he convinced Manny Cruz (Jose Gonzales - the alleged killer of Bruiser Brody) to bid on a bum horse with injuries for $700 and Cruz was the highest bidder. He was pissed at Rocky. Good thing he was green at the time. Had this been Puerto Rico and many years later, who knows what might have happened.

GAVE UP MY DREAM
I finally gave up my dream of pro wrestling, used my numbers aptitude to secure a job in accounting starting at $800 per month and worked my way to a $50k+ annual salary after 10 years with the company. I couldn't go much further without the degree. Any young children reading this, remember. Cody, you listening? College education works wonders. Therefore, when the company got bought out in 1989, I waited for an offer from the new company. They offered me to go to Canada but I chose to stay here. I didn't know what to do other than sell my house until the following year when I opened Pacific Coast Sports in 1991.

MY MOTHER CALLS ME A BUM
My mother never liked Rocky Johnson and let him know that when he would come to our house. One time, Ric Thompson came to the house and she chewed him out thinking he was Rocky, LOL. Poor Ric. She thought Rocky was taking my mind off college and brainwashing me with pro wrestling. The brainwash took place from age 7 through 17 not when I met Rocky at age 18. In 1991, when I opened the training school, I went from making $52k a year and wearing suits and ties to wearing cut offs, jogging outfits, flip flops and tennis shoes and only making $20k a year and she thought I was on drugs. I was in in heaven making less money. I had always wanted to be involved with pro wrestling and was having fun. Money didn't matter. I had made good money for several years and had most material things I wanted from it including a house, new car, season tickets to Warrior games and trips to NBA All Star weekends. Why not have some fun with my new job? I was burned out with accounting after 10 years and needed a break.

The same uncle from above and a friend helped me de-rust my first pro wrestling ring. It was an old NWA 20 x 20 wrestling ring that I bought in Atlanta, Georgia. It cost me more to ship the ring than it did to buy it. I got lucky with the business. We ran television commercials of Buddy Rose and a cocktail waitress from the card room as a valet with my business partners daughter as another valet. We ran them on WWF Monday night programming and now that I look back, they were cheesy but it was the first television commercial I produced and I was proud of it. Besides, it produced 14 sign-ups in a 5 week period of airing the commercial and we generated more revenue in 5 weeks than the entire capital used to start the business. It got Woody Farmer's attention as they tried to tie up our phone lines (we had 3 in the early days) when the commercial ran so they couldn't get through to us and we were standing by live just like the infomercials you see on television today with a huge staff of 3 answering the phones, LOL. Woody probably knew nothing about it but his secretary was the leader of the prank. Later on, business was bad until Spike Dudley got to ECW in 1996 and then APW sort of took off. APW has never grown to what I invisioned but then again, I was the only guy with a wrestling school that earned a living solely from the training school. Most school owners had day jobs and did the school as a night-time hobby. APW signed up a record number of students in 2000 when the movie Beyond the Mat came out. Roland Alexander is a nobody in this business and they wouldn't even know who I am if it weren't for that movie. Even today, I see people in the stores who'll walk up to me swearing they know me from somewhere but they can't peg it and then it hits them and they say, APW, you were in the movie "Beyond the Mat". We chat and I realize they live in Hayward and never knew about the school or Gym Wars until that movie and still haven't attended a show. We did many live shows in the early days of APW. I can't even tell you how we did what we did back then. Those were the days when I had energey and I would awaken at 10 am, hit the phones till 4 pm marketing lining up fund-raisers for live events and then go to the gym and oversee the training while squeezing 2 hours of phone marketing for Boot Camp. I'd then work at the gym until 3 am or 4 am. Those were long days. I did that until my mother died in 1998 and it has been one big blur since. My sons Jason Deadrich, Gabe Ramirez and his wife Shannon Ramirez have been the backbone of the company since then. They have done everything with the exception of Boot Camp and I thank them. In 1998, Jason suggested we call the company All Pro Wrestling and rename the "Superstars Pro Wrestling Training Camp" to "APW Boot Camp" and I think it was a smart move. It is tough handling Boot Camp with my health complications today but somehow, APW has survived and has entered our 17th year of business.

MY INTERESTS
My interests have never been a good thing. Nothing one enjoys in life is any good for you. I have been obsessed with many things in life including, pro wrestling, sports, food, gambling and music and not necessarily in that order. I have attended some great music concerts over the years and have seen Huey Lewis and the News, Rolling Stones, Marvin Gaye. I used to attend the Jazz Festivals at the Oakland Coliseum when Friday evening was Jazz and Blues while Saturday was Soul. There would be 5 or 6 bands each night. It was great. Heck, this year alone, I have seen Lynnard Skynard, O'Jays, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder and I saw Diana Ross this past weekend. I have been a Raider season ticket holder (the good ole Kenny Stabler days - I gave Playboy Buddy Rose the New England game cause he was good friends with Russ Francis who played tight end for the Patriots before becoming a S.F. 49er. Russ's dad Ed used to promote pro wrestling as a region in the state of Hawaii), Oakland A's season ticket holder and attended many games in 1968 as a teenager when the A's moved here from Kansas City in the Catfish Hunter and Reggie Jackson days (A's Hall of Famers). Of course, I have been a Golden State Warrior season ticket holder for many years and was in attendance when Sleepy Floyd scored 29 points in the 4th quarter and 51 for the game in a playoff game versus the Lakers. Speaking of the Lakers, I refuse to take Ramirez to a Laker game this year because he chears for them and they usually blow out Golden State. Ronnie Lott and Keena Turner, S.F. 49ers from their Champiohsip years, rode in my Lincoln Mercury Town Car rent-a-car from the airport to the hotel for the 1987 NBA All Star game in Houston Texas. Of course, that would never have happened had my secretary not gotten into a conversation with them about Michigan State Football on the plane. Funny how rich athletes will bum a ride from the airport to avoid spending the money on a car rental. Pro Wrestlers are the same although they don't make the money the NFL or NBA or Major League Baseball players make. To show you how spoiled I am with basketball, I paid $500 per ticket for the Slam Dunk Saturday with the Old-Timers game at the Summit and $750 per ticket for the All Star game on Sunday at the Astrodome through a ticket broker. I sat in the 7th and 10th rows respectfully and had Thomas "Hit Man" Hearns, Patti LaBelle, Roberto Duran just to name a few celebrities, sitting above me at both games. Those were some good times in my life but nothing beats being around family. I wish I had time to tell you about the food side of me. I love nice restaurants and used to eat in them all the time in the 70's and 80's. Now, I look forward to a good bar-b-q with BBQ Chef Ramirez when he hosts for all the boys and our family to attend. I love kids! I love watching Gabe's daughter Gianna get up on the ring or Pudge interrupt a ringside meeting with his announcement of Mr. Kennedy. I will tell you more about my grandson and granddaughter in my next blog.

I am a huge fan of sitting in the sports book in Vegas and betting a game and watching it while sipping a Capucino Blast (I am working you - I have never had a blast in Vegas but Shannon once found me a place at the Riviera that came close). I am a huge fan of poker. As I get older and have watched more poker on television and my game has gotten better. I am a low ball player and was a damn good one until this thing called Texas Hold'em came along. Almost everyone I know went through a transition of losing money at the game. I have won more money than I have lost but have not been a top-notch player because I don't take it serious enough. I use it to get away from pro wrestling, the stresses of life and like to relax while playing the game. If I am $300 winner in the 1st 30 minutes, I don't get up and hit the window because I just got there. The longer you play at the tables, the worse it is because you lose time and time is money and eventually, the house gets all the money the longer you play. I now take a more serious approach and have tightened up my game and I have only booked 3 losers in the last 3 months of playing. It is very competitive and almost everyone is playing these days since the television boom of poker on television. Nick Aragon where are you? Let's go play!

POPULARITY/UNPOPULARITY
Some people hate me, some people love me but most of the people respect me and know who I am although I am not a household name. So, I am proud of the fact people in pro wrestling respect me and especially those at the lower level. Well almost everyone. There was some SoCal wrestler who reached out to shake my hand in Bakersfield and called me dude. Some of the people at the major league lever have been known to have a problem with me but not because of anything I have done to them. This business has a way of changing some people once they get to the top. Most people that have a problem with me either owe me money or or have made more money in the business than I ever have but yet they are broke so they have a problem with someone that has never wrestled but yet is making money in the business. The wrestling business can be funny in that way. I don't really hold any grudges although I refuse to help anyone that has stiffed me of any money. I also refuse to help anyone that chose a different path but come to you later realizing that many successful have come from APW. I don't begrudge anyone that shows passion and wants to learn. I believe I am a teacher and I believe someone has to pass knowledge. One of the thing that gripes me about legends is to hear them complain about the way the industry is today but they do nothing to change it other than complain. This is no longer the business that I wanted to be a part of as a young kid but at the same time I am humbled by the fact I have earned a living from it for 16 years which is longer than I earned a good living as an accountant.

FAMILY
I never had much of a family so the people I surrounded myself are considered family since my mother and uncle were the only family I had. Since I never married and never had children, I figured I would adopt a family of adopted children from pro wrestling.

NEXT BLOG
In my next blog, which I promise to make before the weekend, I will introduce you to my family. It is large family and it consists of sons and daughters and grandsons and granddaughters. I will introduce you to my oldest son, Robert Thompson, my hardest working son, Kafu, my son that looks like me and is so much like me, Gabe Ramirez. You will meet my daughter in-law Shannon Ramirez my grandchildren, Shacara, Gianna and Pudge. My "Never have a minute to spare - I love Apple Computers" workaholic son, Jason Deadrich. I will even introduce you to a son that is getting ready to move out on his own. That is always an exciting time because I do have adopted sons that live with me sometimes and when a son grows up and moves out, that means another one or two move in. With the January 2008 Boot Camp around the corner, I have adopted two new sons. My new son Alex from New Mexico and new adopted son Roy from Bakersfield are preparing to move in. Like I said, it is a huge family and I don't know where I'd be without them and I want to write a paragraph about each. I can't tell you too much about them because they might be guest bloggers in the coming holiday weeks and I don't want to give away who the guest bloggers are once they blog.

Don't trust me when I say I'll blog again before the weekend because I never keep my promises on blogs but I will try to blog before the weekend because if I don't it won't happen until Sunday or Monday because GYM WARS is SATURDAY 11/10. During the pro camp Saturday, I will be talking to several of the APW wrestlers and/or students and telling you about them.

Before I close this blog, I must report, I am now doing blasts only every other day which is an improvement. I am doing 20 minutes of cardio twice a day and walking a mile each session. My sugars have dropped so there is still hope for me and I am hoping to eliminate all my diabetic complications that have come into my life in the last month or two. Although when my sugars were 88 yesterday, I almost had a stroke from excitement of my sugars being so low.

WARNING!
If anyone picks a fight with me, I am not going to yell and scream but will come home and put on my Indian Headdress and come down to the gym and get in the ring with them. Don't piss me off because I might do the War dance and put you in the bow and arrow. Until my next blog, enjoy your family, I know I enjoy and love mine!

WRESTLE FAN FEST

2007-10-22T23:16:00.000-07:00

PRO WRESTLING HERO OF THE WEEK
BRYAN DANIELSON

IDIOT OF THE WEEK or "A for EFFORT??

WrestleFanFest
This weekend was a roller coaster of emotions for me attending the WrestleFanFest. For those that know me, you know I can be a human emotional roller coaster. I can laugh, I can be happy, I can be angry and I can cry. I think I did a little of each this weekend and I'll explain them to you as well as the APW involvement with WrestleFanFest.

BEGINNING
Our Involvement with WrestleFan Fest
From the very beginning (back in March or April), we were asked to get involved with this show and help out with the wrestling and the production. There were behind-the-scenes stuff that just didn't permit us to commit to any of it. First off, without talking to us first, they put our logo up on their website and declared us as a sponsor. We had them remove the sponsor. Black Pants Production produced a nice, clean website for them and they chose not to utilize the services. It was done out of good faith to show we were on board. Many of us were very skeptical. I was not happy after being told I had made a prank phone call to Chris's uncle to say something about Kirk White. Shades of Jasmin St. Clair and the BTW outdoor show and my problems with her and Blue Meanie and Kirk. NEVER HAPPENED! Neither incident!

Several months later, we were asked to visit the Cow Palace and check out the venue and talk about the setup and production. As you well know, the production at APW shows has been awesome at all of our live events whether it was Kezar, King City, one of the many fund-raisers, King of Indies and Gym Wars. I think you get the picture. We were told Friday evening would host an MMA PPV event and on Saturday a pro major pro wrestling show. We were hoping somewhere during the 3 days, we could do another King of Indies or even a ChickFight. There was an $80,000 budget for production. At this point, I thought they were in over their heads but Chris Salisbury indicated he had financial partners and lots of marketing and sponsors. My guess is they might have had a $250k to $300k budget. Even with sponsors, it would be tough to produce enough ticket revenue because the San Francisco Bay Area has not been supportive of pro wrestling since the Roy Shire days although WWE still can draw in San Jose but they are weak in S.F. and Oakland and have not done the major venues in those cities for quite some time now. I thought it would have been costly just to produce a production budget. Several weeks prior to the event, we were asked to handle the locker room. If individuals from APW wanted to do that, they were welcome but I personally did not want to go near the locker room. Too many egos and I had a fear that if payoffs could not be produced for the boys, lots of the heat would go on us. They made other arrangements with someone else to man the locker room and I feel they did an outstanding job considering the turmoil. Chris called a week prior to the event and asked if we were going to take advantage of having a FREE vendor booth for Boot Camp and told us CAC would be there with a booth. I figured we might as well set up a booth for Boot Camp literature. We wanted to wait and see. Heck, even a proposal for production can be a very costly thing that Black Pants Production decided against going forward with. A couple of weeks prior to the event, even though we had decided not to be a sponsor and not handle anything, they were asking if we were at least going to take advantage of the FREE OFFER to have a VENDOR BOOTH. Heck, we weren't even sure we wanted to do that and advertise Boot Camp. You can never get enough marketing but the Boot Camp had been on a very nice 9 month run with sign-ups and it wasn't mandatory we be there but what if this event was a huge success, we could miss the boat. I personally, didn't commit to anything during that weekend. We purposely didn't schedule Gym Wars that weekend. I told all the APW wrestlers it would be smart not to make plans that weekend in case the opportunity came up to be on one of the many wrestling shows they were planning. This would be a great opportunity to showcase a wrestler's ability. Still, I hesitated on taking the FREE BOOTH because of all the negative comments on the IDIOT BOARD. As the weekend came upon us, it looked like they might pull this event off without having to cancel it.

WEEK OF BIG EVENT
As I said earlier, the week prior to the event, we were offered to run the locker room. I have enough problems dealing with the egos that exist at an Indy level. The last thing I want is booking a MUTA vs. ULTIMO DRAGON match. We turned it down. Heck, I sure wouldn't want to be the booker giving everyone their pay or NOT! Who knows if money would even be there. Even if a handsome fee was involved, I think I would have passed. Even though it never got to the money stage, I can guess there wasn't much pay involved for the position. Heck, King of Indies was a huge success other than financially and it was very well organized throughout and we found that to be a huge undertaking. Jason and Gabe were on top of everything leading up to the show and during the actual weekend because I wanted to spend as much time with the Legends. I sure didn't want the Legend wrestlers hating on me. There seemed to be at least 50 of them, maybe more. I seem to have enough people hating me (only on stupid IDIOT message boards though) At the last minute I put together whatever was needed to do the FREE BOOTH. Melissa Anderson was booked to wrestle TNA's Womens Champion, Gail Kim and Tracy Brooks. What an opportunity and I wanted to be there to witness it. I didn't care much for the legends matches other than Muta and Dragon because it involved older wrestlers who have seen their best days in the wrestling business and I didn't want to see them at this stage. Besides, that era was not my favorite pro wrestling era - from 1984 on. I have great respect for everyone that was involved but not my cup of tea. I really wasn't excited to see the AWA show but I was very much looking forward to seeing the ROH show. I had no intentions of attending the MMA show.

THE EVENT - THE WEEKEND
When we got there Friday afternoon, I was impressed. We had a booth with tables and nice blue drapes for the tables. There were many vendors there selling anything from t-shirts to DVD's to memorabilia. They had a wrestling ring and a six sided octagon set up in the exhibition hall. There was also an autograph/picture section that went across the entire back of the building. The ring looked good in the Cow Palace arena and there was a huge stage just the way we had recommended with huge sponsor signage from an energy drink company. When Roy Shire ran the Cow Palace from 1961 to 1980, there was a huge platform riser that the wrestling ring sat on. Not only was the ring on this riser but the first two rows of VIP Ringside was on the riser although the side closest to the dressing rooms had a press table in front of their row of chairs right up against the ring while the other 3 sides had some space between the ring and the 1st row so wrestlers could land. The ring announcer, time keeper, doctor and the print press and television press sat there along with special guests from the wrestlers. Yes, I sat there from time to time because I used to babysit the Rock and that was the least Rocky Johnson could do for me. (yeah I know, here goes the Rock story again - you'll hear it till I die) I don't know if Roy Shire built that platform or if it belonged to the Cow Palace but that was missing for this weekend events. I looked up and noticed a huge grid of lights that did their job of only lighting up the ring and the first two rows. All footage shot at this event should not have any fans visible or rows of empty seats visible past row 3. There was roughly 500 for the Friday Legends show and around 350 for the ROH show. The MMA show was cancelled but might have had even less fans than any of the wrestling shows. That I don't understand.

FRIDAY NIGHT LEGEND SHOW
The show was very well organized and everything was smooth sailing with the exception of lack of fans and lack of money to pay those promised to be paid. Jay Cohen was the #1 assistant for Chris Salisbury. He approached me in the locker room and told me there was an AWA Legends reunion on Sunday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and that is the reason only 2 AWA wrestlers showed up. He tried to tell me if I knew how to run the wrestling business and make stars, I would bring APW wrestlers on Saturday and Sunday and have them in the booth because that is how you build names. He said they could then wrestle on Sunday. He said the budget was tight and there was no budget! I laughed and told him wrestlers names are built through television. Only because I knew the reason there was no AWA wrestlers was because of lack of pay in advance or lack of flights. The two guys who were there were really good dudes and could work. I liked them. I was against the APW guys wrestling on Sunday but Gabe made a great point and said no everyone has an opportunity to wrestle in the Internationally famous Cow Palace and you never know who might be watching. Gabe made a great decision because the wrestlers were happy to do it and everyone had good matches and Jeckles and Dylan Drake might have been the show stealer although I tend to be partial, LOL.

APW BOOT CAMP BOOTH
The APW BOOT CAMP booth went well. We had many fans come up and say hello. Many recognized me from Beyond the Mat. I always get the same question at these types of events - "What ever happened to the 2 guys in the movie with you, did they ever make it". I don't give them details but I explain a little to them about what they have each done since the movie. Many talk about the great APW live shows and ask when we are returning to Kezar or Terra Nova High School in Pacifica. Some tell me they attend GYM WARS in Hayward on a regular basis. I recognize some and others not. For those that have never been, I try to recruit them to attend but tell them to be prepared to be hooked. The fun part about these things is saying hello to everyone you haven't seen in ages or avoiding the ones you dislike. Okay here goes:

THE GOOD

1. BLUE MEANIE - Yes, we talk. We made up at a UPW show years ago. He is no longer with Jasmine St. Clair but tells me he now knows I had nothing to do with her getting pulled at the BTW show. As good as he looked at one time, the Blue Meanie that was over in ECW is the Blue Meanie you see now. He had a funny entertaining match with Al Snow as his partner. I never knew this but Al Snow actually trained Blue Meanie. You see, you never stop learning in this business. Yes, HEAD was in attendance and he was over like a million dollars!

2. CHAVO GUERRERRO SR. - It took a while for him to recognize me but when he finally did, we shared a nice hug and smile. When I was young, we used to round up the arena rats and get the boys and have a huge party at my house on Cow Palace weekend. I'd always figure out a way to get the house to myself. Chavo was drawing huge money at the time in L.A. with Roddy Piper. We are standing around drinking beer at one of these parties before any of the girls had gotten there and he turns to me and my friend and says, "I know why you guys invite the boys to these parties. You wouldn't be able to get with the girls without us". My response was "Chavo, I know you draw big money in L.A. with Piper wrestling for Mike LaBelle but this is Roy Shire territory and you are still working your way up here and if you look around the room, you'll notice you ain't drawing shit so we must have invited the wrong wrestlers". He laughed although inside, he might have been pissed but he was cool because he depended on me to get him to the airport. He actually remembered that story this weekend because I had to get up with only 2 hours sleep and get him to the airport for a 7 am flight to L.A By the way, what a thrill it had to be for APW's Chicano Flame to be in the Indy Battle Royal with him. I am glad that took place because Chicano Flame is a good guy and Chavo had to be a childhood idol of his.

3. DAWNA MARIE: I had met her in 1999 at a PCW Blaine DeSantis promotion in Philadelphia. Christopher Daniels, Michael Modest and Tony Jones were booked on the card. That was the night I first took my shirt off and challenged Lou Albano. Hell, I stole the gimmick of taking the shirt off from Lou - he was the originator. Even if his belly isn't bigger than mine, it is certainly older! Anyhow, Marie was a sweetheart and was dating Lance Diamond at the time in Phily. That was the night BilJim kept avoiding me because I kept acting like I was gonna punch his lights out. I would have never done such a thing on another promoters show although I felt like it this past weekend. Marie is no longer with Diamond but they are still very close friends. She has a beautiful child age 2 and is doing very well for herself. She wants to get involved again with pro wrestling and has some modeling thing going on as well and has an agent. I wished her well. I hadn't run into her in 8 years.

MORE FAMILIAR FACES
Of course, in 2002 when we had to start from scratch, I have met many great young wrestlers who have made their way through APW and I have Gabe Ramirez and Jason Deadrich to thank for that because I may have not ever booked these guys but they are very talented and I hope they someday make some money in the business and I hope to someday see them again in APW. Many of them came up to the booth to give me a hug and shake my hand. I hope I don't forget any of them:

T. J. Perkins - Really good kid who I hope succeeds. He is one tremendous technical wrestler. I wish he had more size. This kid can flat-out wrestle and is very good!

Rocky Romero - Another good kid we have used for some time now. We debuted him in King City. He has toured Japan and wrestles for NWA PRO. I hope he someday makes some money in the game. I keep harping on King of Indies but many of those guys have made money and earned a living. It is always nice, even if we don't train them it is nice to know we had the eye for their talent and used them and it is so much fun when you get to see them make it.

Chris Hero - When we brought him into Kezar for a 3 way with MPT and JJ Perez, I was disappointed in his match and ability but Jason was very high on Chris. I can see how after the Sunday ROH show. Hero is very good and is a tremendous athlete and can work and entertain a crowd. He has a new look, a better body and better wrestling wear and has a manager who fits well with what he does. His match was very entertaining and my favorite match other than the Bryan Danielson match.

Delirious: It was nice to have him recognize me in the lobby and shake my hand. I hardly had a chance to talk to him or watch his match when he appeared in Kezar. The guy is full of energy and seems to be an athlete but something is missing and I can't figure out what. Nice guy who if he continues to work hard might go far.

Claudio (I won't try to spell his last name) - He also had a very impressive match. My 3rd favorite match. I already knew he could wrestle. In his match at Gym Wars with MPT, it seemed like he could work and I was impressed but I saw so much more last night. Some fans are complaining that he cut his hair. I can go either way and actually think the short hair gives him a good look. I really like the way the fans react to him and his interaction with them. I'd like to bring him in again but the ROH fans are so much more educated to what he does than the APW fans that he will probably always be more entertaining to the ROH fans.

Brent Albright - Another guy that this money hungry carny taught for FREE. He came recommended by Modest and Morgan because of his physique. He was from Oklahoma and had relocated to train with APW. He was then having some girlfriend problems and relocated back to Oklahoma. He called later looking to get booked in Pro Wrestling Noah but Modest didn't feel he would fit in with Noah and I didn't either. Looks like ROH might give him a push. For those that don't know, this 1999 APW BOOT CAMP graduate briefly appeared in WWE as Gunner Scott on Smackdown.

The most enjoyable to see:

4. BRYAN DANIELSON: We talked the longest at the booth and then again after the ROH show. He was our Head Trainer for 8 months back in 2002. He lived with me for the entire 8 months and as much as I hated to lose him as a trainer, I recommended he go to the Inoki Dojo because I felt it would open doors for him. I remember him as a simple guy. I am glad I was able to provide him the opportunity to train our students and learn the APW methods while putting some money away and enabling him to make that relocation to Los Angeles happen. He truly isn't in this business for the money because between Steven Regal and the guy who trained him, Shawn Michaels, I am sure he can go to WWE anytime he is ready to make serious money. Bryan wants to have fun while he can and he loves to wrestle and wrestle he did Sunday night. Him and Airies had a match that was one of the better I have seen in a very long time. I was also very impressed with Airies. They had chemistry. Sometimes we all get so busy, we lose touch and I had lost touch with Dragon. I even had a fear there might be some heat as sometimes the heat comes out of nowhere but I don't think that is the case. He smiled the whole time we talked. He was the one that brought a tear to my eye after his match. I didn't even train the guy but I lived with him and he was our trainer with Robert Thompson for 8 months and I watched him closely. He is a serious student of the game and that is why he is on top and will always be on top. The guy eats right, lifts right, does his cardio and watches tons of footage. I remember one time him asking me into his bedroom to watch some footage and I swear, he must have had 200 VHS tapes stacked against the walls. He told me to say hello to Robert Thompson and they were good together and people don't realize how special they had it during the time period in 2002 when they were both Co-Head Trainers. They got along really well. Gabe Ramirez has wanted to bring him in for the longest time now but we just can't get the schedules to mesh and I am sure finding him a very good opponent is important since J. J. Perez is still on the injured list. I wouldn't even be against bringing him into a Gym Wars but if we did that, we'd never announce it. It would be a total surprise like A.J. Styles a few years ago. I whispered in his ear last night after his match that he was the Karl Gotch of this modern era and it brought a smile to his face. Great to see him again and hasn't lost a beat in the ring and has actually improved his game.

THE BAD
There was some sissy there that I tried to avoid because this guy posted more crap on message boards about APW and after all these years, I still have some anger in me about him. The more I saw him during the weekend, the more I wanted to beat his ass. I had to somehow get it out of my system but I know better than to deck a lawyer or wrestle a lawyer to the ground. Therefore, I went up to him respectfully and shook his hand and told him what an honor it was to see him again and how I wanted to beat his ass. I kept hoping he'd hit me or at least squeeze my hand back stiffly. I'm glad I did it and it is now out of my system and I have probably put some closure on it. If I were to have a SUPER IDIOT AWARD, he would win it in a landslide!

I even ran into someone who still owed me for an $80 ring bell going back to 1999. I think he finally realized what getting stiffed is all about because I don't think he got paid for his services of renting the ring to WrestleFanFest. Can you imagine, they wanted to rent my ring and I almost choked at the offer. I would have really choked when I got the stiffola (is that a word?)

Overall, I am glad I enjoyed the weekend. It was very tiring but it was well worthwhile. I know there has to be many angry vendors. I know there has to be many angry fans. I know there has to be many angry wrestlers. For those wrestlers that are a big enough name to demand their pay up-front, they made out and they went out of their way to please the fans. For those that aren't a big enough name but demand half up-front and the other half on arrival, they might have gotten stiffed and they still went out of their way to please the fans and you have to tip your hats to them. I know some were saying TNA all got paid but that isn't necessarily true. Some are under lucrative contracts that keep them booked on the weekend doing Indies as well as the TNA bookings and TNA gets their fees up-front and gives the wrestlers a small piece of the booking. There are other TNA wrestlers that are not under any such contract and book themselves out and keep all the money and TNA doesn't get any, they might have gotten the stiffola (I love that word right now). The vendors couldn't sell enough because of lack of fans and many fans paid some steep prices for some nice VIP packages and some of those were not delivered and I feel for them.

THE UGLY
Shane Kody and I spoke for the first time in 16 years. We actually had a conversation that lasted over 10 minutes and I have to say it made me feel good. I never knew the guy talked. Can you imagine him being a local Indy Icon and us never speaking. I used to fear he disliked me and would wack me with his chain or cowbell so I never go around this guy. His dad Woody Farmer wrestled for Roy Shire in the 70's and was known as a Strongman. Actually, Shane is much uglier in his wrestling gear than he is wheeling his father around in a wheelchair.

MORE GOOD
I personally can't say anything bad about the promotion or Chris Salisbury because APW never got the stiffola. But, they sure tried to give us the ole stiffola. APW got a free booth. I got to again see some old acquaintances. Melissa Anderson got in the ring with some great TNA talent and to the best of my knowledge got paid. Lastly, some APW wrestlers got to wrestle in the Cow Palace, an arena with great pro wrestling history. For the AWA show, they were short on some talent because the AWA was having a huge reunion in Milwaukee on Sunday or was that the Jay Cohen story so the APW wrestlers could make a name for themselves, LOL. APW had Chicano Flame in the 2nd match which was a decent match. The semi-main event might have stolen the show when the rookies Dylan Drake and Jeckles the Jester tangled in the squared circle and it was a match that impressed the likes of Larry Zabysco (sp). I thought it was Dylan Drakes best match to date and one of Jeckles top 3 as he has only had one bad match since making his pro debut. I thought the Main Event tag-team match was very good that included Tito Aquino and Brian Cage vs EGO with Nathan Rulez and Derek Sanders. You can thank the people at www.ClickWrestle.com and www.Onestopwrestleshop.com who were kind enough and fast enough to already have a link up for the Jeckles match on our message boards. Thanks to Shannon Ramirez and one of our students Jody Kristofferson for their help in the booth. Jody also helped put the ring back up Saturday night after they had torn down the Octagon. Speaking of the ring, I understand Highspots did some sort of barter for their ring in return for booth space and sponsorship but that ring was not in good shape and I can only be thankful that none of the wrestlers got hurt. That seems the second time I have seen a problem with their rings. Their rings seem great because they go up so fast and tear down so fast but the craftsmanship might leave something to be desired. I know some welding on a pole had to be done before an APW show in Bakersfield and OneStop got stuck with the bill. Thanks to Marcus Mac for his help as ring announcer for the Friday night Legends show. He did a very good job in the house that Ray Stevens built. I understand Melissa was very popular at the autograph table as well and we thank her for her appearances. Thanks to Gabe Ramirez for his help on Sunday booking the APW matches.

THE FINISH
In closing one has to wonder what would have happened had APW been more involved with this event. It still may have been a financial disaster but one thing for sure, it would have been a much more organized event from autograph sessions to photos, to the wrestling although Dave Marquez from NWA Pro did an outstanding job with the legends show and I can't begin to tell you how rough a job that had to have been in a locker room that had angry wrestlers not being paid.

QUESTIONS
What will WrestleFanFest have done to Northern California Pro Wrestling? What will have it done to Pro Wrestling in general. Why aren't wrestling fans more supportive in California of pro wrestling? California fans were very supportive in the 60's and 70's. There were commercials, there were posters, there were sponsors. Did they still make money because of budget cutbacks? Did they lose money? Will the authorities come down on the promoters? Will this enhance the chances of pro wrestling being once again regulated? When you combine, the drug and alcohol problems that exist and have caused many deaths with shady promoters, what will this do to the industry? What will it do to the autograph business. There are still some very reputable Fan Fest promoters that make money and do it honorably with good intentions and are very organized. Kirk White always does a great job with his Fan Fests and he doesn't bit off more than he can chew. Was this an innocent mistake or was there intent to fraud? Only time will tell.

THANKS
I personally thank Chris for the opportunities presented to APW whether we took advantage of them or not. I don't know whether we should be flattered by the opportunities presented to us or be offended that maybe we would have been taken advantage of had we participated more than we did. I hope everything turns out for the best for everyone that was hurt by this event.

BEST TIME TO BE A PRO WRESTLER and STUDENT

2007-09-27T11:44:00.001-07:00

IDIOT OF THE WEEK
Kristina McGraw

PRO WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
Scotty Aboot

IDIOT OF THE WEEK
I think this might have been right up there with the midget idiot from BTW and it was a huge landslide. Let me explain to you my feelings about Kristina McGraw. Early on in her Boot Camp days, this broad wanted to be a pro wrestler. I became very good friends with her. I used to share Blasts with her as she is a big-time coffee drinker and we did the Starbucks thing and spent an hour together on those ocassions. One day, she confesses to me she no longer wants to be a pro wrestler but would like to take up reffing. I begin to think,

"ok, she is starting to think straight"

Don't get me wrong - I have always been impressed with the intelligence of McGraw. She is a very bright person that can articulate. Have you ever met a bright person who is very intelligent but a complete airhead. That is McGraw. Don't believe me. This young lady quit a very well paying administrative assistant position to go work at a Starbucks because she likes coffee. I really liked Kristina but didn't always agree with some of the bad decisions she makes in life. This past week, she made another airhead decision. I had lots of respect for McGraw when she became a referee. She became a damn good one too. She eventually became the Senior Official in APW and deservedly so. She earned it! She worked hard! Then her brain went dead the night of the APW AWARDS BANQUET. She had a few drinks. APW had rented for people to crash instead of having them drive home that night. You know, the kind of hotel room only Derek Sanders would appreciate. We wanted to give the key to someone that could be responsible but we felt Kristina was a little intoxicated and not that person. This decision insulted her. This night was the night her world turned inside out. She chose to drive home, which wasn't the greatest decision. She then resigns from APW as Senior Official. Commissioner Gabe Ramirez names Tom Castor, new APW Senior Official. Kristina McGraw finally realizes she misses APW and wants to return. Unfortunately, many things had changed with the referees and Tom Castor had did a great job of training some of our Beginner students to be refs. Kristina didn't take it too well when she was told she had to return on the bottom because our Referee list had grown and the new refs were doing a great job. APW students Matt Carlos and Mario Camacho began officiating and doing a very respectable job. We then signed up a new student to our referee camp, Sparky Ballard a 2nd cousin to the famous Ballard Brothers, Shane and Shannon.

As much as we have all loved Kristina McGraw and welcomed her return, she was going to have to earn her way back to the top as "Senior Official". I told you earlier this is one intelligent broad and she is no idiot. She doesn't belong on my idiot list just because she makes bad decisions. Obviously, Krisina began plotting how she could get back to the top in APW.

In 2004, I was forced to miss my first ever CAC Awards Banquet. Of course, this was the year McGraw decides to entertain all the boys by taking her top down at a strip club and I miss it. Little did I know that she would do anything to get to the top. I never considered Kristina this kind of woman. Well, when she tore off her APW official referee jersey to unveil a "CHEAP RENO SLUT" t-shirt, after making a quick 3 count to award Adam Thornstowe the APW UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP BELT, it was all starting to make sense as I sat upstairs in the balcony and saw this with my own eyes but was too stunned to know what to do other than sit and stare. My good friend, Kristina McGraw, had turned her back on APW and threw her loyalty out the window. At that moment, she said screw the fans! The fans aren't exactly rushing to join the Adam Thornstowe and Reno Scum fan clubs and I don't think Kristina will give them reason to become fan club members. Kristina probably thinks she is above most APW fans and not just the females but the males too.

"Kristina, I never thought you would stoop so low and become part of the scum but then again, I never got to see you in Las Vegas when you removed your top and I never knew you did those things so easily."

I don't know what Gabe Ramirez is going to do about Kristina. I still really care for her as a person but I just feel she is continuing on a path where she makes poor choices and decisions. Don't tell me she is moving to Reno to work at the local Starbucks there. Don't tell me she prefers to hang with RENO SCUM instead of her family at APW and all the great fans of APW. Again, I don't know what Gabe is going to allow her to do. I don't think he is going to allow her to referee although I could be wrong. I just wanted to let her know that I do miss having blasts together, I regret the night in Vegas I missed. No, not because I wanted to see her breasts but because that should have been the night I could have seen the sign that she would do whatever she had to do to get ahead in the sport of pro wrestling. SAD... VERY SAD!

PRO WRESTLING HERO OF THE WEEK
I wanted to touch on Scotty Aboot and end this blog with a positive note. Scotty has been working hard on his body. He is dieting properly, hitting the weight room and spending as much time in the ring and preparing for the new JANUARY 2008 CAMP. Scotty will be instructing the JANUARY 2008 CAMP. This guy has the right attitude! He moved from up north to the San Francisco Bay Area to concentrate on his career and help APW. He even enrolled in a community college to learn to speak conversational Japanese. That will sure help when he eventually tours Japan. Heck, he doesn't even care whether he wins or loses in the ring. He understands that at this level, it isn't about winning or losing but it is about learning and entertaining the APW fans. Entertain he has. The guy now comes to the ring singing and dancing and entertains the fans. His record is one win and one loss since he started that but he is two for two with the entertaining of the fans. At least I have been entertained. I hope all the fans get behind Scotty Aboot because he is busting his ass and doing all the right things. I love it when I see the fans joining in and signing with Aboot. The fans seem to know the words. I think as he begins to learn the fans music choices and sings songs fans know the words to, the fans will support him by rising to their feet and joining him in song and dance and party with him. No doubt, when Scotty Aboot comes to the ring now, he comes to entertain the fans and learn and get better at his craft and he doesn't care if he wins or loses. I think in the long run, he will be successful with this attitude and you'll see him win more matches than he loses because of that attitude. I am not only looking forward to him instructing the new beginners class in January 2008 but I am looking forward to each and every match just to see which song he sings and if the fans know the words and if the fans get up and dance with him. I think every time Scotty steps onto that stage, it is going to eventually be ONE HUGE, HAPPY PARTY!

GOOD TIME TO BE A WRESTLER AND/OR STUDENT
With the eyes of Congress on pro wrestling because of steroids, drugs, alcohol and concussions, this might be the greatest time to become a pro wrestler. For one, if the industry begins to crack down on the above, there will be lots of suspensions and firings. The industry and its wrestlers are already not very skilled and very stale. Major promotions in the U.S. will begin to look at the talent development systems and be looking to hire new talent that is not on steroids, not drinkers, not drug users and not cancers in a locker room. They will be looking to guys that are more company guys and don't have that big ego and all they care about is themselves and not the fans they entertain or the company they are contracted with. As long as Congress and the government and the media stay on top of this, you will begin to see good things. For those that read the Wrestling Observer online or subscribe to it, you already know that WWE has sent out a letter to former WWE talent offering them services to clean up their drug and/or alcohol act. This is a good thing. Trust me, WWE has the money to do all of that. They have the money for drug testing. They need to take a serious look at drugs and alcohol because they might be doing more damage than the steroids. The concussions and road schedule might be doing more damage. When they talk about a list of 50 wrestlers who have died in the last several years, I don't think you'll find 3 wrestlers on that list who didn't drink, didn't do drugs and didn't have a concussion at one time in their pro wrestling career and all they did was steroids. Steroids is not the issue and I don't say that because I condone them. I truly believe when you look at the tough road schedule and combine that with the concussions because wrestlers are not learning their craft of complex sport and complex performing art, that is a problem. When you combine peer pressure and being on the road away from your family, many turn to dangerous drugs and drinking. When you combine all of that with someone that may or many not be using steroids, that is where you have a problem. When wrestlers are cutting back on the painkillers and mixing it with alcohol because painkillers are expensive and tough to get when you don't have prescriptions. Hell, it seems many are getting prescriptions from dirty doctors trying to make more than they already make. The era I grew up with, all the boys drank beer. Hardly any of the wrestlers drank hard liquor but those that did were very few. A large percentage smoked pot but none of them did cocaine, exxtasy or stuff like SOMA. The wrestlers took care of their bodies. I am sure many of them did steroids but in moderation. They did stuff like dyanabol but didn't have 10 times the testosterone like Chris Benoit had at the time of his death.

Pay attention of you are an Indy pro wrestler or a pro wrestling student or someone considering joining a pro wrestling training school. The talent pools are in great danger right now and the industry desperately need pro wrestlers that don't drink heavily, don't do the dangerous drugs, don't put huge amounts of steroids in their bodies (if any at all). They are looking for pro wrestlers that work hard in the ring at their craft, learn from the proper schools that can teach you not the fly-by-nights that have no clue because they weren't properly trained themselves. The industry is looking for young guys and gals that understand how to entertain the fans and understand loyalty to a pro wrestling company and understand that being a pro wrestler is no different than any other job. Do what your boss asks and don't ask questions or try to make changes. I can understand once you get to the Rock's level or Stone Cold's level but until then, just keep your mouth shut, do your job and work hard at being the best you can possibly be while remaining healthy. Pro Wrestling is not one big party, it is an opportunity to earn a lucrative living doing something we all have passion for and all love, PRO WRESTLING. Take advantage of what I am saying and go for it and you too, can make it!

Thanks for taking the time in reading my blog and please support APW and its affiliates and friends. Now is a great time to join the Boot Camp. Now is a great time to attend a GYM WARS. Now is a great time to go to www.clickwrestle.com and show your support by purchasing some online footage. Now is the time to visit www.onestopwrestle.shop for all your merchandising needs whether you are a fan or a student. Don't forget Onestop caters to both. If you are a young student and were trained right, I am sure you understand the importance of a portfolio to market yourself, now you just need OneStop to produce for you. If you are a fan, that is where you can pick up your your merchandise. Don't forget to also support ChickFight. ChickFight now has television. Make sure to check your local television stations to see if it airs in your area. ChickFight can also be viewed by visiting MAVTV. I believe the program airs 5 times a week.

Again, thanks for reading and I'll be blogging very soon again...

Let's set the record straight

2007-09-14T23:01:00.001-07:00

PRO WRESTLING HEROS OF THE WEEK
King of Indies participants

IDIOT OF THE WEEK
Bill Belichick

This weeks blog will be about setting the record straight on a few things including me posting on message boards, I could give a damn about SoCal wrestling, King of Indies and an important announcement at the end of this blog....

POSTING ON BOARDS
I don't post on any message boards other the the APW Message Boards. I frequent the idiot boards (NorCal) and am amused at some of the posts made and realize for the most part there are nothing but idiots there.

SO CAL SUCKS
I don't care about SoCal wrestling! Never have never will unless it has something to do with APW wrestling or APW wrestlers and/or graduates. So Cal is so overrated it isn't funny. Their training schools are about as bad as the Nor Cal training schools. There are some that live there, that have wrestled there that I have a tremendous respect for. I think most are in TNA today. Wrestlers like Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe and Frankie Kazarian are wrestlers I have the most respect for. I don't recall where Samoa Joe did his training but trust me, that guy never got good until he went to Japan. I congratulate Samoa Joe for all his achievements since King of Indies 2001. He has risen to the top in the industry. I will always remember sitting ringside in Japan with one of the Pro Wrestling Noah owners Mr. Nagata. He was not too please when Samoa Joe came up to me and shook my hand out of respect because Joe was with Zero One at the time. Mr. Nagata said something to me regarding that and I told him, "Joe is a true friend regardless of the politics of Japan". I now notice he is booked in October for Noah. I wish him the best. Joe has always been cool with me. He was one of the few who got a kick out of me chewing out midget wrestler Cheezy in Calistoga in 2002.

There isn't much to SoCal wrestling!

KING OF INDIES
Many of the King of Indies wrestlers have gone on to have success. I guess you could say I had a good eye for talent in 2001 and made few mistakes in that tournament although I made some, trust me. What a talented group. When you think of the list, they were as follows:

1. Vinny Massarro - never made it but has nobody to blame but himself. He was lazy and never built a body. He certainly had the ability in the ring and had a heck of a match with Low Ki (Senshi in TNA)

2. Frankie Kazarian - I have always liked Frankie. Please keep in mind, Frankie was trained by legend Killer Kowalski. Frankie has worked hard to get to where he is and is a tremendous athlete. He deserves his spot in TNA and had we done King of Indies in 2002, my bet is he would have gotten out of the 1st round.

3. Doug Williams - great European wrestler. He could have very easily gone to the Semi-Finals or Finals in that tournament. He continues to enjoy success in Europe and Pro Wrestling Noah and is a class guy.

4. American Dragon - probably one of the best mat wrestlers to come along in the 90's. His career could have gone further if he so had chosen to go further. WWE probably never realized the wrestler this guy was. A real student of the game!

5. Christopher Daniels - King of Indies 2000 winner. He was not trained in SoCal either. He was trained in the midwest. One huge talent and athlete. Very gymnastically inclined. His only weakness is wanting to be a heel but I always told him he had too much ability, agility and athleticism to be anything but a crowd pleaser. Fans want to cheer this guy not boo him. Deserves every bit of success he is having in TNA and everywhere else he goes.

6. Super Dragon - went to Japan but kind of blew his chance. Not a bad wrestler. Not a bad high-flyer. Attitude was his struggle. He had problems in the King of Indies locker room but how that changes once he got involved with PWG. Everyone seemed to forgive and forget. He is stiff in the ring which I like but would not have survived the 70's where the complex performing art was an important skill. He is tailor made for Japan but might have blown his chance. I'll never forget Ron Rivera bringing him to Gym Wars in 97 and me telling Ron not to ever bring that guy again. He worked hard and improved his game.

7. Spanky - Became a teenage idol in Zero One and you all know what he has done in WWE. Has lots of natural charisma. Signed up for the APW BOOT CAMP then tried to work me when he found out Shawn Michaels had a school in Texas and changed his mind. I kept his deposit but later returned it to him when he came to wrestle for us and lived at my house for 10 days in 2002. If you can curtail his crazy creativeness, he is very solid fundamentally. To this day, Nick Bockwinkle still talks about his match with American Dragon in the opening round of King of Indies. Solid match!

8. Scoot Andrews - To this day, I can't pinpoint what he lacked. You would think he would have been a sure thing. "The Black Nature Boy". He had charisma and boy could that guy talk and do an interview. If Vince could see him talk, he would hire this guy on that alone. He seemed fundamentally sound, solid body but short. A real class guy from Florida who deserved to make it. If anyone knew history and remembered "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers, WWE or TNA could do something with this guy. Look at what they have done with Jay Lethal.

9. Senshi - Low Ki has struggled with attitude problems from time to time. Good thing he has people going to bat for him. I am impressed with how far he has gone and how he developed his character because he may not have been well trained. He could have easily lost to Samoa Joe in the semi-finals of King of Indies but made an impressive showing in the Finals with American Dragon. Has been to All Japan, Zero One, Pro Wrestling Noah and now TNA. Very intense in the ring and it probably has gone a long way in getting him where he is today. Very believable in the ring.

10. A. J. Styles - This guy can fly. I was sold when watching him in WCW and that is why I put him in the King of Indies. I would have never thought the guy could wrestle until we brought him for a surprise appearance at a Halloween Hell Gym Wars a few years back. He wrestled J. J. Perez in what I thought was a 5 star match. He deserves everything he gets from TNA because he is that good. I love his role with Christian Cage. He has great facials although I know he is left handed and was not trained right because I caught him twice in the last few weeks going through the middle rope the wrong way. He goes through just like a left hander would. But, this guy is very, very good and has come a long way, even since King of Indies where he made a very impressive showing.

11. Bison Smith - Bison did what he had to do to keep his spot doing Noah tours although if Misawa and Noah like him, he would have continued even had he ruffled the feathers of the PWI guys. Not a bad big guy. Not too many big guys can wrestle in our industry and he does good and I have seen him in some good matches in Noah. He did our best as Masked Destroyer and could have had an impressive King of Indies. I will always try to remember him for something other than the worked knee injury. I like Bison and wish him continued success in Puerto Rico and Pro Wrestling Noah.

12. Jardi Frantz - Injuries played a factor in his not going anywhere. Plus, he always struggled understanding the important parts of the wrestling industry. If he could do something simple as get his wardrobe right after all these years, he'd probably have made some progress. His persistence of being a spot wrestler also didn't help. What is amazing is the guy is one of the better mat wrestlers to ever come through our doors.

13. Donovan Morgan - He had lots of heart but he was fortunate to ride the coattails of Michael Modest because without that, I am not sure he would have gone anywhere although he had an impressive tryout match with Modest when Misawa visited our gym.

14. Adam Pearce - I wish he would have made the booking meeting to understand the tournament was not about faces and heels. It would have been interesting to see what he could have done in a Japanese setting. My guess is he has no idea how to wrestle unless he is an old-school heel.

15. Tony Jones - Tony had great NCAA credentials and I wish he could have had the body and made a better transition to pro wrestling. Had he done that, he could have done something in the wrestling business. I don't know how far he could have gone but I believe he could have gone far. He always had good tryouts in WWE and had a great tryout with Bison Smith for Misawa at our dojo. His body always held him back. Many don't know this but he might have had some great success in Japan if he chose to. He had a great opportunity with BattleArts and even instructed at the dojo. My guess is he could have gone far in Japan but chose not to.

16. Samoa Joe - Glad to see someone finally used this guy and used him the right way. I was always surprised when he would only get part-time bookings in Japan with Zero One. I always thought he deserved more. Funny, had we done 2002 King of Indies, he was right up there for contention for the finals. Of course I wish he would get his body in better shape but they have made it work with the way he is. I am glad he has been getting pushed. He is a good guy and deserves it.

I don't know if I ever mentioned this but APW was about to start a Career Management division. We wanted to take a small percentage of graduates we booked in Japan and we wanted to take a larger percentage of non-graduates. We sent Misawa a letter highlighting many of the names above and telling them which we thought were the better ones and we included footage of King of Indies. What caused the big stink with Modest and Morgan was that we were trying to get Lo Ki, American Dragon, Spanky, A. J. Styles, Samoa Joe, Frankie Kazarian etc... into Pro Wrestling Noah. They had a fear that it would jeopardize their positions in Noah. It would have made APW grow and gotten some of the better Indy wrestlers earning a living much sooner than turned out. I truly believe Noah lost out on a great opportunity. But nobody can blame Misawa for sticking with Modest and PWI. Afterall, hadn't Misawa done to Baba's wife and All Japan what Modest and Morgan did to APW? I look back now and it still brings a smile to my face because I know we were on the right track although it never panned out.

I am so happy to see the guys have the success they have gotten. They are all very talented. All APW was trying to do with King of Indies was launch a new division, make a buck and get some of the talented Indy guys earning a living in pro wrestling and you certainly can't blame APW for that.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
I don't know how many of you follow the NFL. The coach of the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick has had much success with his team and is known as one of the greater coaches ever in the NFL. I have lost track of the number of world titles they have won. He has been caught cheating and trying to learn what the opposition is doing by spying. He was fined $500,000 and the team was fined $250,000 and they lost a future first round draft pick which is not a good thing either. Supposedly, he had a camera aimed at opposing defensive coordinators with the hope of learning their defensive schemes. That is illegal in the NFL.

I wanted to rest everyone's minds. I cannot afford $500,000 fines nor can I afford to lose a future student so I have decided I will not be spying on other training schools in Northern or Southern California. I will not be attending any Indy show in California that doesn't have APW wrestlers booked on them. I will only attend Indy shows that I endorse such as PCW. Okay, you might catch me at a BTW show because it is local and I sometimes crave a hot dog on a Friday night. I promise not to spy on other training schools to see what we can learn to implement at the APW BOOT CAMP. Even if the state athletic commission continues not to regulate pro wrestling, I will make sure I regulate the spying from APW. I will not allow myself or anyone affiliated with APW to break the rules and spy on other training school or Indy shows for the purpose of learning and stealing something from them.

Until next time, thanks for reading my blog...

Last say on Adam Thornstowe

2007-09-02T12:51:00.001-07:00

PRO WRESTLING HERO OF THE WEEK
APW FANS for putting up with my long tirade on Adam Thornstowe at 9/1 Gym Wars

IDIOTS OF THE WEEK
Fresno Promoter - Bryan White
PICTURE WITHHELD FOR OBVIOUS REASONS!
Pro Wrestlers who were so money hungry, they took the gamble on Bryan White and lost

LAST BLOG ON ADAM
I promise this will be the last blog I make on Adam Thornstowe. I am spending way too much time on this guy. First, I blog about my positive experience with him at a recent PCW show. In the blog I describe how he expresses in a very lengthy e-mail to me how he wants to come to APW and wrestle Oliver John.

My next blog involves his appearance in APW and how I still think the guy is a great wrestler and I tell everyone how he had a great match with MPT. I also tell readers how I think he and the RENO SCUM show no class. One example is the photo op he takes by flipping the APW fans off. Again, Adam doesn't understand the APW way of doing things and how our product is about family entertainment. We don't flip off fans, we don't swear at fans etc... He is representing APW when he wears on of our championship belts. In this case, the photo op was of him flipping off fans while wearing the APW WORLDWIDE INTERNET CHAMPIONSHIP BELT. Lots of class Adam! I sometimes go off in tangents in my blogs because I have certain pet peaves about the pro wrestling industry. It pisses me off when people make fun of the APW GARAGE and the fans that sit in the garage for FREE SHOWS. Where else can you get free shows and help the needy by donating canned food and toys. Don't these idiots realize how much talent has been developed with the use of this garage with both Gym Wars shows and one of the top training schools in the country?

I APOLOGIZE TO OUR FANS
For those that attended gym wars, I apologize for going off on a tangent and taking up so much of your valuable time. The show was already starting late and then I go off on a tangent about Adam Thornstowe. The night started out with the need to acknowledge Boot Camp students, trainers and APW wrestlers who just returned from a tour in Portugal while Melissa was on a CHICKFIGHT show in the U.K. I also wanted to acknowledge the hard work Gabe Ramirez does in booking the wrestlers for tours in Japan and Portugal and bookings in Puerto Rico. The Portugal promoters were so happy with the performance of the APW wrestlers, they have invited APW to tour Portugal. Not all details have been worked out other than the tour will probably take place in March 2008. I am sure Gabe will keep everyone informed with dates on the message boards. Isn't APW a great place to be if you are a pro wrestler or a student??

BOOT CAMP ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I wanted to bring in the training coaches and students and acknowledge the hard work of FUNDAMENTALS COACH, Dana Lee. The hard work of the PRO CAMP COACHES, J. J. Perez, MPT and Oliver John. We made the official announcement of Scotty Aboot being added to the training coach team. I hated ending everything on such a sour note and bringing up the PWI thing all over again but felt I had to in order to explain the Adam Thornstowe situation.

THE IDIOTS ON NOR CAL MESSAGE BOARDS
When I read on the NorCal boards Adam Thornstowe walked out on GZW for not being paid enough, I had thoughts both ways. First, I thought, if I worked for an idiot like the guy running GZW, I would certainly hold him up for money also. Just when you think there are no more idiots, this Brian White kid pops up with a show in Fresno but that is another blog topic. I dealt with Brian back in the mid 90's and figured it was a lost cause. I could have told everyone in Fresno there would be no show. On the other hand, it is not a good trend to hold up an Indy promoter for money. Indy wrestling is not about money, it is about creating larger opportunities, experience, learning and exposure. I figured it was not true until...

PICK UP THE PHONE ADAM, TURN ON THE COMPUTER
I e-mailed or phoned Adam about 9/1 Gym Wars, he originally told me he was going to wrestle at the Fresno show and I took it as an insult. Adam then told the goof in Fresno that if he couldn't get his money up-front, he wouldn't wrestle. Whether you love or hate Adam, you have to give him credit. He acted more responsibly than some of the wrestlers that ended up making the trip. I laugh because some of the guys booked must have thought they had this money mark promoter in their hip pocket. They make the trip and get stiffed. At least Adam was smart enough to not follow through on that booking but Adam then books himself in Reno and turns his back on APW. At APW, we lay out our booking itinerary months ahead and I wanted Adam to wrestle on 9/1 and not change booking plans. He conveys to me, he must be paid regardless if Gym Wars is a FREE SHOW. Then I ask him how we can get the belt back. I'll pay for FedEx and put it on the APW account - just ship the belt. He says when you guys pay me, you'll see your belt. Here we go, shades of PWI and Donovan Morgan and the Michael Modest era.

THE PWI STORY
Okay, I must give those not familiar with the PWI story what went down. APW trained Michael Modest and Donovan Morgan for FREE in exchange for 15% of any major bookings we got for them. When Donovan left APW to put us out of business and start a company run by the boys for the boys, those contracts disappeared. He left in such a hurry, he forgot to get his final paycheck. He tells everyone I stiffed him with his final pay. He takes the APW WORLDWIDE INTERNET BELT and the next thing we know, the belt is for sale on E-Bay. I am picturing this scenario all over again. We also had one of the tag-team belts missing and it never turned up and we had to sell the one belt we had and order two new belts. I wasn't going to go through this bullshit again. Adam asks to take the belt with him for some photo ops. Heck, I am hoping he doesn't do something stupid like defend it on one of those backyard wrestling shows in northern California but I tell Adam to take the belt. Now, he misses the 9/1 Gym Wars, has our belt and wants to get paid for Gym Wars. I am trying to get in touch with Adam and he is not returning my calls or e-mails. He obviously doesn't pay too close attention to the Internet and doesn't know Marlon is behind bars. APW took action! I would have taken action with Donovan Morgan! Instead, we paid Donovan his final check and got the belt back. Unfortunately, we don't owe Adam anything and we don't make it a practice to pay wrestlers at Gym Wars when there is no ticket revenue. We pay very nicely at house shows. In the Internet world, APW has always been known not to pay but yet, we have always paid our wrestlers better than any Indy promoter while understanding this is Indy wrestling.

USING THE INTERNET TO COMMUNICATE
You don't respond to e-mail, blogs or phone messages, then it is time to take it public. That is why I ranted at the 9/1 Gym Wars. I apologize to those that were there and I apologize for taking so much of your valuable time in reading this blog but the Adam Thornstowe thing is a sore spot with me. All I ask is be professional and return the belt. Come wrestle for APW and you'll reap the benefits but there is no pay, salary or whatever you want to call it at Gym Wars. The house shows are what they are. There is pay but don't expect to earn a living at weekend Indy wrestling when that is not what the Indy level is about. Pro Wrestlers surely can't expect to pay their training fees elsewhere and then come wrestle for APW and reap the benefits as if they had paid like all of our students and graduates. That is not going to happen. We will book you on the shows, book you on tours, try to get you to another level, make you part of our family but you must pay your dues and you certainly can't expect to reap more benefits than an APW graduate without paying some dues. As much as I like Adam Thornstowe as a wrestler and as much as he can contribute to the students at the APW Boot Camp, we are not going to put you on a pedestal above APW graduates. We'd love to have you in APW. I don't feel comfortable taking this to a public forumn but we have to communicate somehow since you don't respond to my e-mails or phone calls. I like you Adam. I think you are a very good wrestler. I don't even have a problem with all the spiked hair and all the wierdos you choose to hang around with. I do have a problem with wrestlers wanting to make lots of money at this level and I especially have a problem with people that take something that doesn't belong to them. Many people have worked hard and volunteered their time so that APW could pay for our championship belts.

NOT BEGGING, JUST ASKING AND DEMANDING

Please come wrestle for APW.

We aren't asking you to be nice to the fans, we really feel you can go places in APW but it won't come at the expense of alienating APW wrestlers that were graduates and have paid their dues. Guys like MPT and Scooty Aboot and Oliver John have fit in nicely and are part of our family. I'll even give you that match you talked about in your e-mail against Oliver John.

If you choose not to return to APW, good luck with all your future pro wrestling endeavors but RETURN THE FRICKING BELT or you too may see sing sing just like Marlon!

My bad... Politics in pro wrestling suck

2007-08-12T23:18:00.000-07:00

ADAM THORSTOWE - APW WORLDWIDE INTERNET CHAMPION
Good Wrestler but no Class

As most of my blogs, this is a long one. Be patient and you will be rewarded at the end of my blog...

THE BEGINNING
I hope you are proud of what you did Roland. For those who are already confused and the idiots on the message boards who certainly are, let me explain.

I endorse MPT and his training school the work farm. Once PCW gets rid of the backyarders from Brawl and SPW, I finally attend a PCW show even though there was still one guy I wasn't sure about - Adam Thorstowe. I wasn't too happy Adam Thorstowe was on the show. Why? Cause we used him when he first broke into pro wrestling and he was horrible. Worse than his in-ring ability was his attitude. Okay, it has been 4 or 5 years so I keep an open mind and watch his match against current APW BOOT CAMP graduate, "Jeckles the Jester". Great match - he really has come a long way in his career as a pro wrestler... I get back to the locker room and go to one side of the room and correct Jeckles on his mistakes. I then make my way to the other side of the locker room and congratulate Adam. I tell him I believe the kid (Jeckles) learned something tonight. I later tell MPT I was impressed with Adam and appreciated the match he had with Jeckles.

POLITICS
MPT corners me later at a pub and asks me to do a political favor and bring him in for a match at APW. I tell MPT I will think about it and I will talk to Jason and Gabe about it. A week later Adam writes me a very long e-mail asking to be booked in APW and how he would like to wrestle Oliver John. He talks about how him and Oliver have had classics. I hate it when they gang bang me and I respond politely saying I'll have to discuss it with Gabe and Jason because they do most of the booking. I try to blow the guy off because I don't know if he has gotten rid of the attitude or not. He has that SPW attitude. My other fear is the people on the Nor Cal boards think this guy is a God and continue to bad mouth APW because they are idiots. I am reluctant to recommend bringing him in to Gabe and Jason for other reasons too. If he has another good match, the idiots on the boards will think we are doing business with SPW and might be bringing in more SPW wrestlers. Let me say this. I have a keen eye for wrestling talent and I think Adam Thorstowe is one of those very good wrestling talents but I certainly wouldn't bring in other SPW wrestlers because from what I can see there are none. Who in SPW, the guy that approached me to be an APW ring announcer years ago, Sir Samurai. You got to be kidding. What a disgrace to the sport to be him and call yourself a pro wrestler. I could go on and on with names but I'll stop there. If you know Sir Samurai, you get the SPW picture.

Here comes another call from MPT asking if we are going to book Adam. I tell my idea to Jason and Gabe and they aren't completely sold on it. I go to another PCW show and I am excited when him and Luster the Legend push American Pride to the limit in a very good match. Now I am trying to figure out if it is Adam or the APW guys having good matches. I notice the match isn't quite as good as the Jeckles match but still very good. Jason happened to be there and was all of a sudden on my side to bring in Adam Thorstowe as Jason watched the match live with me. I approach Adam but he seems to be in a very bad mood and not into conversation at the time.

THE BLOW OFFS
After the show, from the far side of the arena, he waves good-bye and holds his hands to his ear and it looks like he is saying he'll call me. No confirmation on trying to book the guy for the 8/11 Gym Wars. Is it attitude? I give him the benefit of the doubt and say no, he is tired and has a long drive to Reno. Wait a minute. They haven't quite left for Reno. They are eating in a restaurant I stop in before heading to the pub. I'll bet the restaurant staff was scared shitless when that crew walked in to eat. Okay, he'll corner me before he leaves and tell me whether he is available for the date I give him. As he leaves the restaurant, he nods good-bye. Is this guy for real with the attitude? MPT assures me he doesn't have an attitude and to do him the political favor and book him since he helps out with the Pro Camp.

I call him on the phone the following Monday and he blows me off because he has to walk his dog. I call the next night and he blows me off again because he is going to the GWAR concert. (Only a sick individual goes to a GWAR concert but I guess to each their own. I certainly hope his choice of women is better than his choice of mucic) I am ready to kill the booking idea and tell Gabe to go book Jason Styles for a match with MPT. That should tell you how I was feeling about Adam Thorstowe. We got off to a great start but were now on shaky ground. He finally calls after the GWAR concert but is very brief and he says we'll talk the next night. That might have been a good thing. Can you imagine talking business with someone after they have attended a GWAR concert? Why even call? Is this guy Thorstowe an idiot or does he have an ego and is making a great attempt at showing up Roland Alexander?

This guy must not have any respect for me. He doesn't know I used to babysit the Rock and run around with his dad Rocky Johnson. He must not have seen me in the movie, "Beyond the Mat". They didn't showcase any pro wrestling training school in this movie.

FINALLY BOOKED
This guy is beginning to remind me of the idiots who post on the board. But we are persistent and we finally get it done and book him. Now we got to sweat the payoff because I have read on the boards where he felt he wasn't paid enough at an Indy show although I must admit if it were the crappy GHZ from Lodi, I would have also felt I wasn't being paid enough. I don't sweat it too much because I KNOW that APW is the BEST PAYOFF PROMOTION in all of California.

BOOKING AIN'T EASY
The rest is up to Gabe and Jason. First booking mistake is Gabe and Jason allow Adam to come to the ring and interrupt MPT's promo. Adam Thorstowe does not have mic skills. They allow him to challenge MPT for a title shot. MPT, and rightfully so want Adam to earn that shot. Funny how some things will come back and bite someone in the ass. I have nothing against MPT but it was his idea to do him a political favor and book Adam Thorstowe. How was he supposed to know he'd be wrestling him at the end of the night? How was he also supposed to know that good friend and APW UNIVERSAL HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION, Oliver John would come out and convince him to put the belt on the line because APW CHAMPIONS are fighting champions? MPT doesn't want to lose face to the very loyal APW fans who probably aren't taking a liking to Adam Thorstowe (an outsider) by now. Heck, I thought some fan was walking through the huge garage doors. Either the guy has so much ego, he felt he'd create his own entrance or he couldn't find the stage. MPT agrees to defend the title. Wow... How some things work out in the sport of wrestling. MPT must have been very confident because I know he treasures the belt because of the exposure it gains an Indy wrestler nationwide by having his matches viewed on www.clickwrestle.com Heck, officials from WWE and TNA visit ClickWrestle. MPT expressed to me how miserable he was when he lost the title to Psycosis and worked hard in the gym to gain the belt back because he loves the exposure it gives him on ClickWrestle.

GYM WARS AT THE FAMOUS GARAGE
The match was a classic. Hard to believe because Adam and MPT had never wrestled before. I thought they had but MPT told me he hadn't. I thought for sure when he told me in the locker room that he hadn't, it would never be the match it turned out to be. It was a very, very good match and exciting with plenty of heat and the fans were HOT and into it. Why? Besides the fact it was an outstanding match, we had no idea the RENO SCUM were tagging along. Does Adam go everywhere with these guys? I have to admit when I heard Shane Dynasty was coming with him, I was thinking good things. I recently did a blog on Shane and his managing abilities and producing the souvenir program for APW years ago and how he did such a great job doing that. I thought he was coming to say hello to Roland although I wasn't sure the guy even liked me. I was excited he was coming. I thought we'd sit and discuss old times and we did and he was very respectable and then he throws the curve ball. So I ask him if he and Chupy came with Adam and he tells me no that Shane came with his wife and children. He tells me Adam came with his friends RENO SCUM. Then Shane proceeds to tell me he is getting into his gear. This is all too confusing. I storm into my office and ask Gabe and Jason what is going on and they tell me Shane has asked to manage Adam. Now I am having a weird feeling. I proceed to tell them I hear RENO SCUM is here and you certainly aren't going to let them onto the show are you? Gabe says he didn't ask Shane what his plans were. This is all sounding very strange.

APW FANS HATE SCUM
To make a long story short, the fans disrespected the RENO SCUM the entire match because they aren't Boot Camp graduates. They are outsiders. I feared the worse and the worse happened. At the end of the match, Adam did not use those skills I saw his last two matches to gain victory and he used RENO SCUM and came away with the APW WORLDWIDE INTERNET CHAMPIONSHIP. Why? Once champion, instead of respecting the famous APW GARAGE and the great APW fans and gaining their support, he poses with the belt and flips them off while wearing OUR belt. Real Classy... Just like the idiots on the NorCal boards and the idiots that call themselves wrestlers in SPW.

THORSTOWE GOES BRAINDEAD
I know long story but is it over? By no means is this story over. Prior to their match, they take out "Strongman" Jon Andersen. Of course not Adam but Adam and RENO SCUM. Maybe they did this for a boost of confidence for the title match with MPT. Maybe they hate Strongman competitors and don't watch ESPN or FOX SPORTS. Then, as Adam is going home I tell him we'll see him on September 1st Gym Wars and he says no he can't make that show because he is booked in Fresno. He must be kidding if he thinks that show is coming off. This goof in Fresno has tried to hook up with APW for years as a local promoter and hasn't produced one show of the six he promised to promote.

HE MAY THINK IT IS THE END BUT...
As Adam walks out the door he smiles that fake smile and tells me he had fun and MAYBE they'll do it again sometime as he walks out the door with the APW WORLDWIDE INTERNET BELT draped over his shoulder. Is this guy nuts? I seriously don't know who the biggest goofs are, the guy promoting the show in Fresno on 9/1 or Adam Thorstowe and his RENO SCUM and I mean scum for not coming to Gym Wars on 9/1 to defend his new crown. Something must be done about 9/1. Now I get to face the music for suggesting to Gabe and Jason to bring this guy in.

Thanks for taking the time to read the blog. I'd be interested to hear your opinion on my views so don't hesitate to post your comments.

PRO WRESTLING HERO OF THE WEEK
Dylan Drake

IDIOT OF THE WEEK
Mr. Marlon

SMACKDOWN CHAMPION

2007-07-26T01:07:00.000-07:00

Pro Wrestling Co-Heros of the Week
Dalip Singh AKA Killer Kahli - Current WWE Smackdown Champion
Former Manager - Mr. Style and Substance or Mr. 20%, Jason Deadrich

This week I don't even have time to think about who might be idiot of the week because there is so much to discuss about my Pro Wrestling Heros of the week. I have been thinking about this award for the last two nights and as much as I wanted to give the award to just one person - I couldn't.

GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE
This week, Dalip Singh AKA Giant Kahli became the WWE Smackdown Champion and he owes it all to the APW Boot Camp and Mr. Jason Deadrich and all the hard work Dalip has gone through that most normal human beings could not go through, let alone a Giant human being.

EARLY ON WITH DALIP
When we first began to train Dalip in the year 2000, Jason Deadrich had his eyes on Dalip the entire time. Jason spent many a night at the infamous APW GARAGE in Hayward California taking notes and studying his every move. There were many nights after staff meetings and a Boot Camp practice that Mr. Deadrich would approach me and tell me,

"He is going to be a World Champion some day". I used to tell Jason that he might be right but there would be a tough road ahead.

GIVE HIM A BREAK
You see, Dalip Singh is a GIANT. He might be the most uncoordinated GIANT in the history of the wrestling business. He has what many in the wrestling industry term, "Giant Syndrome". Due to his size, he has difficulty even walking sometimes. I wasn't so sure he'd be able to compete with the most coordinated Giants, Big Show and Andre the Giant. Those two were very agile for their size. I believe they misused Big Show but people never gave that guy enough credit. Big Show came a long way since his debut VS. Hulk Hogan and he was one heck of an athlete.

STYLE AND SUBSTANCE ERA
Like I said earlier, Jason knew from the start that Dalip would be a champion. Many don't know but when Dalip made his pro debut in APW, he was part of the "Style and Substance" stable. Mr. Deadrich or Mr. 20% as some would call him, had a keen eye for talent and guys and gals that would someday be successful in the pro wrestling game. Jason was style while Miss TNA was substance. Jason was certainly no idiot as he later recruited Shane Dynasty who will go down as one of the greatest managers in the history of Indy pro wrestling. Jason knew that Shane had lots of success with big guys as he managed Maxx Justice to some championship crowns. Jason was the business guy of the corporation. Dalip Singh was unbeatable in the year or so in APW before embarking on tours of New Japan.

THE GODFATHER KNOWS
I also knew Dalip would be marketable regardless of how talented or coordinated he would become. I seeked out Barry Bloom to represent Dalip. When I obtained Barry Bloom, the one and only pro wrestling agent (actually, he isn't a real agent as he is not registered with the state of California but he does business with United Talent Agency who is a registered agent and has a heck of a legal staff), I wanted to get Dalip a contract in pro wrestling. Barry is not any ordinary agent. I had tried to get him to represent some of the Boot Camp graduates since we had top-notch talent being developed but Barry didn't like dealing with the little ($$$) stuff. He only wanted clients that could produce the big buck and who could blame him. Afterall, at the time, he had Goldberg, Chynna, and many of the top WWE stars. The ones I mentioned above are not his clients any more for whatever reason. You can't believe everything you hear or read but I know Ric Flair didn't have good things to say about Barry in his book.

BARRY BLOOM THE AGENT?
Dalip was someone that interested Barry and Barry did a great job of getting Dalip top dollar in New Japan in late 2001. Japan was good for Dalip. He had many battles with Giant Silva in New Japan. Jason and I often discussed how New Japan would only be the first stop in a long and successful career for Dalip Singh. When Barry Bloom approached WWE, they were not interested in Dalip and who could blame them. WWE still had Big Show. Bloom tried to get Dalip involved in Hollywood through his relationship with United Talent Agency. They worked on getting him involved with the Rock during one of his movies and the deal fell through. Finally, United Talent Agency landed Dalip a part in the remake of "The Longest Yard". Dalip did pretty good. I don't think it was a big money maker for Dalip but only a foot in the door. After the movie, WWE wanted to have Dalip go to Ohio Valley for a very small weekly salary. I don't know from first hand experience but my opinion is that Ohio Valley has ever been good at developing talent for WWE. Even with geniuses like Jim Cornette and Paul E running the booking and television, most of the guys were not talented or well trained at the original schools they attended. The current WWE Developmental territory in Florida being run by Steve Kiern. Steve, in my estimation, was an excellent wrestler in his day and my assumption is that he would be very good at passing down knowledge to the young guys. They'll learn how to work and learn psychology from Kiern. With all the second generation wrestlers including the Harts, DiBiases etc... I have all the confidence, they will begin developing decent talent but it might take a while to get the ball rolling. When Barry turned down the developmental deal for Dalip, it didn't look good for Dalip. Dalip actually preferred not wrestling at that point as he was really getting off on the Hollywood thing. When Big Show decided to take some time off and not renew his contract, it was a break for Dalip and WWE was going to be a player afterall.

IDIOTS ON MESSAGE BOARDS
I know everyone on the message boards, you know, the idiots, are all trash talking Dalip as if they could do any better. My guess is WWE is being patient with Dalip and he is learning every day as one does in this industry. For the most part, Vince knows what he is doing and it looks like for now, Dalip will continue to get a push and I suppose the idiots on the message boards will now begin to tear up Vince. Don't tear up Vince for the creative stuff. Trust me, there are many more things the idiots on message boards can go after Vince on if they really want to knock Vince.

LISTEN HERE VINCE
I do have one bit of advise for Vince. Kahli might have greater success as SMACKDOWN CHAMPION if he had a little "Style and Substance" in his corner. I think Kahli needs an entourage that includes Mr. Jason Deadrich, the beauty in TNA and the mastermind of all managers, MR. Shane Dynasty. Heck, they might even be able to garnish a little heat for the big guy.

CONGRATULATIONS DALIP!
I am glad he is having some success, he deserves it. He came from a very poor family in India and hasn't had much his entire life. He now looks spiffy in sport coats etc... I actually miss the big guy. I'll never forget before he went to Japan, I treated him to a trip to southern California and I took him to Disneyland and Universal Studios prior to visiting Barry Bloom. He was a hit and seemed to enjoy the attention. I'll try to dig up a picture I have where he was surrounded by kids at Universal and this was before they knew he was a pro wrestler. He just had that presence. He was like a kid on the rides and pissed me off when he insisted on going on Jurastic Park 16 times in a row. CONGRATULATIONS SMACKDOWN CHAMPION!

Thanks for reading the blog and as usual, I look forward to reading your comments.

The Most Successful graduate...

2007-07-15T23:54:00.000-07:00

PRO WRESTLING HERO of the WEEK
KAFU

He is constantly on the road. Good things happen to those that dedicate themselves.

IDIOT OF THE WEEK
Nancy Grace

I don't mean to pick on Nancy because there could have been so many other mainstream media people as idiot of the week. I just think the media and the industry are going about the Chris Benoit tragedy in the wrong way!

When it comes to the most successful graduate in APW Boot Camp history, that is a choice where no matter who you name, you might not be wrong.

SPIKE DUDLEY
You certainly can't go wrong with Spike. Spike has been in a major promotion since late 1996. Against the wishes of many a wrestler in APW and many a trainer in APW, I forged ahead and pushed a 150 pound wrestler because I thought he had ability and I thought he had heart. ECW mad him a bumping machine but they could have gone in a different direction with him cause he can flat out wrestle. If you said he is the best wrestler to graduate from APW, you might not be wrong. If you said Spike has been the most successful, you may not be wrong with that category either.

CRASH HOLLY
We re-trained Erin O'Grady and helped market him to the point of getting him booked in ECW and then because of some footage that had caught the eye of Jim Cornette involving Vic Grimes, Erin received a tryout with WWF. After one of the best tryout matches in WWF in 5 years, Crash and Vic both received developmental contracts. Crash went to Mexico for a short stint and wound up on television as the cousin of Bob Holly, Crash. Crash was by no means one of the top 5 graduates in terms of in-ring ability although he was right up there. What he always delivered was entertainment and I think he proved that with his run as the 24/7 champion.

VIC GRIMES
Vic was one of the top graduates and was a hardcore wrestler who could actually wrestle but preferred not to. The guy is actually lucky to be alive today as I am not too sure he was supposed to survive the fall from the scaffold. That fall could have had a similar result as the fall Owen Hart had. Is he one of the top 5 graduates in the history of APW. Maybe, maybe not but he sure had a pair. Many will say his pair was not that big but Vic didn't make wise choices. I certainly know he could wrestle.

MICHAEL MODEST
The politician! I gave him the name "Natural One" because everything came natural. I had never seen anyone so out of shape top everyone under the roof when it came to cardio. He was born to be a wrestler. If some of you think I am a carny. He is my carny nephew although I feel he was a much better carny than me and probably belonged wrestling under the carnival tents when wrestling first started in 2005. That guy could sell a fridge in Alaska. He knew how to play the wrestling game to the highest level. Was he one of the top 5 graduates? He had 4 years of success in Japan! But his career ended in an abrupt manner and he can't seem to make a living at the game anymore. Sad!

BOBBY QUANCE
I sure would have loved to see this guy stick with pro wrestling and build a body. He just might have been the best wrestler in the history of the APW Boot Camp. He probably deserved the nickname "Natural" moreso than Modest. This guy could mat wrestle, he could fly with the best of them and it was an artform with him. If you didn't know any better, you would have thought he was a former gymnastic athlete prior to pursuing pro wrestling. He went to the Inoki Dojo and enjoyed great success there including a tour of Japan before joining the Marines. Bobby was young. Don't count him out of the wrestling game quite yet. He gets released from his duties at the age of 28 and he might come out with a very good look and since he is a natural, it wouldn't take him long to get the rust off. Where does he stand in BOOT CAMP history?

JJ PEREZ
Size and a nagging neck and back injury have prevented this guy from making a living in pro wrestling. He and Bobby Quance might go down as the top 2 technicians to graduate from the Boot Camp. Perez has had bad luck with a neck injury twice now. He has been the dependable guy you put in the opener cause you know he'll give you a good one or you can put him in the ring with an A. J. Styles and bring out the wrestler in A.J. J.J. might be the best low-risk little guy in the business. I have never seen anyone his size have success without the daredevil in him. JJ takes his risk when doing cross bodies from the top rope into the ring but yet can't shake the injury bug.

CHEERLEADER MELISSA
Certainly the best female in the history of the APW Boot Camp. Melissa is in a similar situation as Kafu. She is booked so often and needs to travel out of state for almost all her bookings and has had many International bookings as of late, it is really hard to get her on an APW live event. It amazes me to see the stubborness of major promotions when they choose the models over the wrestlers that can wrestle. As good as Trish Stratus was in WWE as a wrestler, and there is no question she was the best ever in WWE, she only wrestled the U.S. style of women. The ChickFight and Shimmer style of female wrestling is so much more physical than the brand of wrestling seen on national television today. There is now lots of competition on the female Indy circuit today but whenever they talk about the top females, you always hear the name Chearleader Melissa!

KAFU
For those that are laughing, you can stop. I am dead serious! He may not be a great athlete and in many ways is very similar to John Cena. He has every other tool that one needs including knowing how to conduct himself in a locker room and understanding the importance of doing something the bookers want - NO QUESTIONS ASKED! Heck, the young guys today will make their pro debut and question what the booker wants out of him and suggest his way of doing so. He has been the best in APW at keeping his mouth shut, ears open and absorbing like a sponge. He is well like everywhere he goes and that is probably one of the reasons, WWE likes him, TNA likes him, Puerto Rico has given him a regular gig without requiring him to live there. They actually fly him in every other week for a couple shots. He has been to Mexico and only finances kept the promotion from continuing to bring him back on a regular basis. He is in solid with NWA Pro because of how he conducts himself, his look and attitude. I wish the guy could spend more time in the ring but I can't see how with his schedule. He still works a 40 hour a week job as a Civil Engineer. I thought we had him next gym wars because it falls on a week where there is no Puerto Rico and I find out he is in New York Saturday for NWA Pro and the next night in Las Vegas for the same promotion. It is still early yet but I don't feel I am going out on the limb if I said he might end up being the most successful graduate and if not, he is certainly the most complete and well-rounded graduate in the history of the Boot Camp.

There is such a strong group in APW right now, some graduates and some not but I predict huge results from our current wrestlers and our next group of guys that will be making their pro debuts in the next 6 to 18 months.

What are your thoughts?

Pro Wrestling has changed...

2007-07-02T00:55:00.000-07:00

"Pro Wrestler Hero of the Week"
Rock Legend Scum Adam Thornstowe

Adam had one of the better matches at PCW this weekend. He showed me a huge improvement from the last time I saw him. Guys with his ability don't come around too often. He seems dialed in with psychology from what I could see. He had a heck of a match with a rookie who was having only his 3rd pro match. If Adam worked on his look, he could make money in the sport of pro wrestling...

IDIOT OF THE WEEK
CHRIS BENOIT

All the facts are not in but if nothing changes and he murdered his family and then committed suicide, it would be a lock for him to be this weeks recipient

CAMPING TRIPS and IDIOTS
I hate camping! I hate everything about it. I hate doing dishes in the river. Now that I don't smoke or drink, campfires suck. I also hate using a restroom in places like Yosemite because I don't like to do my thing in the dark while standing over some shit hole - Gross! I went camping once in the early 70's and never have gone again. Would I ever go again? I think so. If I knew there would be someone on the camping trip that could BBQ a mean trout over the fire, I would consider. You want a for-sure answer.

Tell me when I stand over the toilet seat in those crappy johns that I'll look down and see a bunch of the idiots that post on the Nor Cal message boards and I'm there for the camping trip. It will be a pleasure to take a dump in those horrible porta poddies!
There is so much I want to talk about with so little time to talk about it. I know I want to blog on "Beyond the Mat" and Barry Blaustein and his friend Barry Bloom but maybe next blog.

CHRIS BENOIT
I think with the tragedy that took place this past week, I'd like to start off by giving my condolences to the Benoit family on both Chris and Nancy's side of the family and give my condolences to Kevin Sullivan.

I know all of the facts are not out and more and more facts keep coming out and more and more will continue to come out especially after the toxicology reports but we may never know the truth because only Chris, Nancy and Daniel know the real truth.

I met Chris in 1995 in Los Angeles at the When Worlds Collide AAA pay-per-view. I spent 3 hours with him during a meal and talking in the hotel lobby and on the bus going to the arena. I never spoke to him after that day but I respected the hell out of his wrestling ability. I only wish I knew what only him and his family knew might be going through his mind. I also only wish peace to them and I am sure they are in a better place but what an idiot move if I ever saw one. I wonder what makes someone do such a terrible thing when he has so much going in his life.

I know WWE has taken lots of heat for doing the tribute show to Chris Benoit and that is crazy because at the time Vince found out they were dead, they were about to go on the air and it was too late. Do you think had Vince known then what is known today, he would have aired that program? Not a chance. What you can blame Vince for is changing the industry by increasing the entertainment part of pro wrestling and decreasing the sport of pro wrestling. It isn't Vince's fault that a national product the way he has set up the WWE system, has guys on the road away from their families trying to recover with their bodies enough to be able to perform on a daily basis. The product and the way things are run makes it too easy to mix drugs with alcohol and steroids.

MY EXPERIENCES
When I grew up with pro wrestling, I looked up to pro wrestlers because they seemed super human. Big arms, big barrel chest. They did not look like fans. This is partly what is wrong with Indy wrestling today. The wrestlers look like the fans and you can't tell the difference and that is why the wrestlers sometimes don't get respected. Does that mean they need to use steroids? Did the wrestlers from the 60's and 70's and other eras use steroids? I don't profess to know anything about the topic but I know it has always existed but there was not a huge importance placed on it and not nearly as many of the boys used steroids and those that did would probably agree it was not in the dosages used today. Some of the guys I knew used dyanaball. To show you how little I know about it, I can't even spell dyanaball. The promoters placed more of an importance on in-ring ability and wrestling ability than the body. You had to have size. Heck, pro wrestling rarely accepted anyone below 220 into the industry. Even at 220, you had to have the ability of a Chavo Guerrerro Sr. or Danny Hodge to have success and they did so as Junior Heavyweights. Today, any clown is allowed by promoters to wrestle without any kind of wrestling ability and/or proper wrestling gear. Today, to reach the major leagues, the major promotions want wrestlers with six packs, they want muscle on top of muscle on top of muscle. They rarely care about wrestling ability alone.

When the Boot Camp first opened, we had lots of talented graduates but nobody could make it to the major promotions because although they had tons of in-ring ability, none of them had the look. That was partly my fault because I did not condone steroids nor did I place a huge emphasis on the body. I placed emphasis on in-ring ability. I started to change the APW ways around the year 2000. In 2001, guys like Michael Modest and Donovan Morgan had good looks. How did they get them? I can't prove it but you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know how. I know one thing, the look combined with their wrestling ability got them a 4 year career in Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan. I can't count the number of times a WWE rep would tell our guys...

"You guys are well trained and awesome in the ring. You understand psychology better than most students/graduates from training schools but you have to improve the look."

STEROIDS
Jim Ross told Tony Jones in Beyond the Mat. Tony had a great collegiate background after 5 years in the NCAA's at San Francisco State but he never made it because he lacked the look. Even with the steroids, wrestlers still have to work out and eat right and many wrestlers can't adapt to the lifestyle change.

My guess is that steroids today are not only being used to build bodies but used for recovery because of being on the road and the body taking so much punishment with the daily travel and not having enough time to recover. Travel by air today is tougher than by car in the regional days especially when travelling daily. I know some territories had long trips but San Francisco had short trips with rarely anything over 3 hours. The boys were home with the family that same night and at the gym early the next morning.

I am sure Vince demanded from the boys what he felt they needed because remember, they were not competing with pro wrestling but were competing with Walt Disney, Ice Capades and Barnum and Bailey. Then there was the pressure of the big guys doing steroids. What is a smaller wrestler to do when the larger sized wrestlers are doing them? What do they do to compete? Do they fall behind in the dollar value game if they don't do what is necessary to compete? I am not condoning steroids but I don't really know if they are the real problem.

You always hear being on the road away from family is tough. The road can be a lonely world where eventually, wrestlers turn to recreational drugs and alcohol. I believe that is the problem and not steroids. I think it is the mixture of drugs, alcohol. Throw in the steroids and you have many deaths in the industry in the last 20+ years since pro wrestling became a national product. Throw in the family problems, as what might have been the case with the Benoits, there can be some serious repercussions from what wrestlers and their families go through in this industry. I am not making excuses because there is no excuse for doing what Chris did, if in fact, he did the deed. You have to be an idiot or a coward. Do we blame someone that snaps under all that pressure? Do we blame the industry for turning the other way when wrestlers are known to use drugs, alcohol and steroids without the company cracking the whip. Has WWE cracked the whip? I'd say no. Is it possible for them to say the wrestlers found a way to beat the drug tests? I'd still have to look at the way pro wrestlers look today and say regardless of what those test results are, something doesn't jive.

I applaud WWE for putting some of the guys through rehab. In some instances, it seems they have made a concentrated effort to help the wrestlers. Just like an alcoholic or drug abuser, the wrestler has to be willing to help themselves. So in theory, you can't blame the WWE completely. Everyone has to share the blame.

BOY, HAS PRO WRESTLING CHANGED!
The industry sure has changed. I make a living from an industry that is not the industry I wanted to be a part of. It is not the industry I grew up passionate about. Passionate to the point I was almost obsessed with it. I grew up with pro wrestlers that weren't the athletes you see today but they understood the sport and art form of pro wrestling. They partied too! Most smoked pot and most drank beer. There was even a handful that drank hard liquor. I am sure there was a percentage of pro wrestlers that used some form of steroid. I don't think they used it to the extent it is used today. I don't think they were taking as many painkillers as the boys might take today. I don't think the percentage of wrestlers doing cocaine or ecstasy or other recreational drugs and mixing it with alcohol in almost lethal dosages were as great a number as today. They surely weren't going through the lonely days on the road away from family like they do today. The wrestlers shouldn't have to look like freaks but only look different than the average fan. It all has to start with the major promotions caring more about the wrestling abilities of the wrestlers and putting the emphasis on ability. Can it be done? Wrestling has become huge business. Today, television controls lots of what you see on television. Even the networks could share in the blame for the continued abuse of at least steroids. It all has to start with the major promotions caring about Indy Wrestling and pro wrestling training schools and talent development systems.

Would wrestling fans accept wrestlers without six packs and without the freakish looks? Would television networks accept ability over look? Are the major promotions willing to dip into some of the huge profits made to make sure the wrestlers are taken care of? Even on the Indy level?

THE INDUSTRY MUST CHANGE AGAIN
The sport of pro wrestling has to change again! The system as it exists today is responsible for too many deaths of too many young wrestlers. It is a black eye to the industry. Regional pro wrestling has to be brought back with normal looking pro wrestlers that have wrestling ability. Each territory has to have a talent development system with good training schools. There has been a domino effect with poor-ass wrestling training schools. These changes would keep wrestlers at home with their families. This will keep wrestlers from being lonely on the road and depending on drugs and alcohol. This will open up more jobs for pro wrestlers and make sure they are better trained. Vince could still monopolize the industry while bettering the national product by alternating the weekly Raw and Smackdown programs with different wrestlers from week to week which will decrease the staleness of talent and eventually quadruple television ratings and pay-per-view buy rates. The wrestlers could cut out the steroid use or at least decrease it because the stress would be on ability and not the look and there wouldn't be the need for the highest recovery system if the road is not lending to lack of recovery for the body. Let's take some more of those huge profits and unionize the industry. Let's make sure there is retirement and medical insurance for all the wrestlers. So Vince isn't a billionaire anymore. He can still be a millionaire and who knows, this just might be an idea that makes someone a billion. Those are my thoughts and they are free for the taking because I still have passion for pro wrestling.

JON ANDERSEN
Of course, my work is not done. I still have to create a system to get rid of most of the idiots that post on the NorCal boards. When I read uneducated crap like "the APW students are upset that Jon Andersen has already made his pro debut and it isn't fair" - I want to vomit. Trust me, our students understand the importance of his success. They are also not stupid. They understand Jon is paying 2 to 3 times the price they pay to be trained privately at an accelerated speed. They also understand Jon has a heck of a look and tons of credibility as a Strongman competitor and a successful one at that. I hate it when they don't give our students enough credit. They underestimate our current students. They are very, very talented and loyal. I give lots of credit to our training staff including Beginners Coach, Dana Lee, assistant coach, Joseph Rodriguez, Pro Coaches, J. J. Perez, Oliver John and MPT. What it boils down to is jealousy. Certain people will always be jealous of APW because people like Jon Andersen who want success continue to approach APW. People who made documentaries approached APW. Students who want good fundamental training still approach APW.

Jon Andersen is giving so much back to the school in terms of his personal services as a personal trainer. Heck, he even donated 20 pounds of meat to a student that has been struggling financially. His wife, has given some great sound advise to the students because she is very educated when it comes to Nutrition. Better her than me giving the advice. Isn't that what some of you idiots say, that I shouldn't give nutritional advice. Trust me, our students appreciate Jon Andersen.

There is so much to talk about but I really have to run. My time is limited and I have a ton of work to do. Besides, I need to pack for my upcoming camping trip and I don't want to be late. I plan on doing lots of eating and I will be altering my diet for this camping trip (if you know what I mean).

They say what goes into your system must eventually come out so I plan on seeing all you idiots in Yosemite!" I'll blog when I return...

Shane Dynasty was the best...

2007-06-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

Okay smart asses... it has been 3 days since my weekly blog and I promised a shorter daily blog in addition to my weekly. I forgot to tell you weekend days don't count as days.

I have received many e-mails asking about Gabe and him trying to look at me and they just can't believe it. Okay, here is living proof...

After looking at this picture, I now understand how people thought he was my younger brother. Damn, I looked older in this picture from 8 years ago than I do now. No wonder every young woman wants to be with this successful older gent. Gabe looks older now than he did 8 years ago. I guess dealing with idiots takes its toll. I used to take the abuse from the idiots and it was wear and tear. Now he takes the abuse with the idiots and he has aged. The idiots kind-of like me now.

When I re-read the weekly blog and read the section on old-APW, something came to mind I just had to blog about. We have been very gifted when it comes to managers and refs. They don't get much press because of the talent our wrestlers posess. But, we have always been gifted in that department.

REFS
Most of these refs were trained by our first ever ref, Max Marquez. He was good until an accident and illness along with the normal getting older took over.

J. J. Perez - He first broke in as a ref with APW and later became a star wrestler. People forget how good a ref that guy was because of how good a wrestler he is today

Vinny Massarro - I don't know he would have been the star in APW he became if not doing the ref thing while going through the training.

Jimmy Ripp - He never became a star wrestler but later became a star manager and had more heat than almost any manager. They certainly wanted to kill him many times when he was a manager.

David Taub - David later became a manager also and had lots of heat as a manager primarily because he was a nerd ref who later, when least expected, became a heel ref and screwed one of the more popular APW wrestlers.

We even had guys like Will Cuevas and a few others that never wrestled but were damn good managers. If I am forgetting any names, post your comments on who they might have been. Matt Fischer was a very good ref. I think he might have made his pro debut later as a wrestler but it didn't last long.

MANAGERS
David Taub - I mentioned him earlier above and he had heat as a manager after the angle with him as a heel ref.

Jimmy Ripp - Again, he had lots of heat as a manager. The fun part was watching teen age fans at the house shows wanting to beat Ripp up and who knows, they probably could have. Ripp was a solid ref but more solid as a manager.

Nathanial Sweete - Many probably don't go back far enough but Nate Rulez debuted as a manager. He was Vinny Massarro's manager when Vinny was the gigollo. He was very good and had lots of heat and knew his role as a manager and filled in quite nicely while he was getting his wrestling training.

Shane Dynasty - By far, hands down, the most valuable ref and/or manager we ever had. In the wrestling business, the key to being a ref and/or a manager, especially in the big leagues was your value outside the squared circle. While managing Maxx Justice, Shane had lots of heat and he was one of the best on the mic. He could articulate but his real strength came when he took over the APW souvenir program. He did such an awesome job and got compensated very little for it especially when you compare the quality of the program. I really never had the chance to say thanks as many times as I would have liked to and should have. I don't think anyone I know could come up with the kind of program he used to come up with. He relocated and we cut back on house shows and he now wrestles in SPW. I may not be a huge fan of his wrestling ability and you all know I am not a huge fan of the SPW product. They have to many wrestlers who don't belong in a wrestling ring but I will always love and respect Shane Dynasty. He always did what he was asked and always kept his mouth shut in the locker room and with management but let his mouth run during promos cause he was damn good at them. I only remember blowing up at him one time and that was when he showed up to a show 10 minutes before bell time. It made it difficult to sell the programs and it was such a waste because of how good he was at the program. He kept up with the story lines. He did what a booker is supposed to do and that was to garnish interest in the product and sell the product. My job as booker was made so much easier with his quality souvenir program. I felt like decking a fan one time in support of Shane Dynasty and his program. We never made money with the programs. By the time we paid Shane for production labor, printing the programs, we had about $250 to $300 in the program. We rarely sold more than 75. We sold them for a $1. I didn't even have the heart to sell them for that amount because of the quality. A fan walked up to buy one while I was standing near the merch table and he asked how much. The gal said a buck and he threw the program back down and said, that is too damn much. I nearly came unglued as I had to resist saying something stupid to him. He was what I call an "IDIOT". I thought he was insulting APW and insulting Shane Dynasty and the quality of the program. Trust me, Shane should have been paid much, much more for the quality of that program he produced. The pictures weren't always the greatest but I am not sure that was even his fault. We threw many of these away. They really are collectors items. Every Indy promotion should be so lucky to have a guy like Shane design and print the souvenir program and be the guy in charge of content. I swear, sometimes I would go braindead with booking and read one of his programs and steal ideas from what he wrote in articles, stories, columns etc... I used to think he was great with creating fictional names of writers for each article, column or section and it was Shane for every one of them. I used to look forward to getting home after a show so I could read the program from cover to cover. That is right, I never edited his work because I had that much trust in his work.

I miss you Shane and hope you and your family are doing well. I hope you realize how valued you were in APW and it is something we probably would never do today but your program was awesome and I couldn't have told you that enough. Stop by and say hello sometime.

I'd also love to see more people make comments on these blogs and especially, when these type of topics come up about the olden days. I love hearing your thoughts about some of the guys and some of the stuff we did back then.

Where are the Idiots this week?

2007-06-08T22:57:00.000-07:00

I am still trying to figure this BLOG thing out. Mr. Bossman wants me to blog more often so here is what I will be doing. I am going to attempt to blog daily with short thoughts about anything and everything in my life including but not limited to pro wrestling. Approximately, once every week or two, I will post a longer blog and pick my WRESTLING PERSONALITY of the week and my IDIOT of the week. Since I haven't blogged in 2 weeks, I will deliver the lenghty blog this time. Thanks for reading!...

WRESTLING PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK

No, not the Undertaker. Gabe Ramirez! Today marks the 11th anniversary from the time Gabe Ramirez attended his first APW show. He has worked hard behind the scenes into becoming a knowledgeable old-school insider. He has done it all. He has been everything from a rebel of a wrestling fan, the 1st Ultimate Gym Warrior. He forced our hands and we had to bring him behind the scenes as Head of Security so he wouldn't disrupt our operation and give Deadrich a heart attack. He has had a variety of duties and has run the Guerrilla room, been matchmaker, promoted live wrestling events as a local promoter, graphic designer and helped out with the website, designed wrestler portfolios to arm himself with tools to book graduates in Mexico, Japan, Puerto Rico and now Portugal. He has certainly opened doors and holds down a position that enables the Boot Camp to offer what no other training school can offer. Oh - I almost forgot - he has become as hated as myself but only because the idiots cannot do what he does and wish they could. Their chances are slim and none because they just don't have his talent or personality. Enough on this asshole, he is getting more press than I do. I'll never forget him for wearing the Denny's shirt at a house show and acting like he was me. People were asking if he were my younger brother. Now they as me if he is my older brother or father, LOL.

IDIOT OF THE WEEK
The people who made the decision to let the guy below participate in the sport of Pro Wrestling. Vince wasn't kidding when he said, "We are not pro wrestling. We are competing with Barnum & Bailey and Walt Disney and Ice Capades". No kidding!

WOMEN WRESTLING

When Jason Deadrich and Gabe Ramirez came up with an off-shoot of KING OF INDIES, who would have known the success it would bring to womens wrestling. With the exposure and success of ChickFight came Shimmer and now the very strong womens division is something it never was. Unfortunately, WWE is still tied into contracts with Playboy magazine for centerfolds once a year or whatever the deal calls for and most of these talented women will never see a WWE locker room. Fortunately for them though, with ChickFight and Shimmer, they are staying busy as they seem booked almost every Friday and Saturday night somewhere in the world. That is more than I can say for the top Indy male wrestlers in the U.S. These talented women are also now being seen in a different light. I have always enjoyed women wrestling since my exposure to it in the late 60's. I always looked at the women as a T & A show and it was the sole reason they were brought in to the territories when pro wrestling was regionalized. Moolah always had the girls booked in pairs or foursomes throughout the U.S. and took her cut but the women were not perceived as women athletes. They are now. The reason they won't ever see WWE is because they don't have the right look. Vince is into women who have the model look. To be a good wrestling talent that understands how to get over, you must have grown up with pro wrestling in your early years and that goes for men and women. These bimbos they use today are good for one thing only. Actually, I don't even think they are good for that as I hate fondling plastic but tip your hat to WWE, they make money with them and that is what business is about.

I tip my hat to people like Jason Deadrich and Dave Prasak who have promoted women wrestling to what it is today. While on the topic, congratulations go out to APW Boot Camp graduate Sara Del Rey for becoming the first womens champion in Shimmer. I know some people might say it is the politics card with ROH and it probably is but you have to admit she has some in-ring ability and hopefully, she can add some of the other elements that it takes to become an excellent wrestler. She certainly has some of the tools.

BOOT CAMP TESTING
Boot camp testing is coming up at the end of the month. I usually look forward to this time because it shows me where everyone stands. Our trainers score the tests but that is only a measuring tool to compare how they stand with their peers. I can usually tell just by watching if they have learned their fundamentals. We just don't test them in the ring on skill but also give them written tests. They will be studying their handouts in the next 2 weeks and getting lots of open gym time in. They don't pass the test with flying colors, they don't move on to Semi-Pro and a step closer to their pro debuts. I am sure they will do well as they look really good at practice. This is a srong group of guys and I am impressed. Good Luck guys!

ON THE ROAD

Kafu goes back to Puerto Rico this week and will return in time to attend the weekend shows coming up in Santa Maria and Bakersfield. Both shows have the minis and some great wrestling action. We always have a great time in the Santa Barbara area. Something about the water, Partying college students, good looking women and good, clean air. This is Billy Blade territory so beware of the free strip club admissions and limo rides. Last time we had these freebies, it cost me an arm and a leg and I didn't even participate in the Robert Thompson fund-raiser and still went broke.

MMA
Brock Lesnar won his first match and was paid well to do it ($500,000 plus training expenses). This guy is a stud. He has done pretty much anything he has wanted to with his athleticism. Don't even tell me he didn't prove anything in Football becuase he got cut from the Vikings. First off, he tried out for his home team and could have gone to Europe to play ball but chose not to. I am convinced had he gone to Europe, he would have made the NFL in a year or two. Will he eventually fight Kurt Angle? What about my buddy Daniel Puder? Some might say Puder is out of his league. He certainly lacks the size to compete with Brock but he too seems to be a stud in his own way. Where are you Puder? We haven't heard from you in a while.

MISS THE OLD APW DAYS

The other day I purchased an Elton John live concert DVD and put on my Bose headphones and had a great time. As the concert got deeper, some of the songs got me thinking about the old APW days. I thought about the old Gym Wars, the old road trips, the wrestling talent that was deep. Boy were we spoiled back then. People used to think it was marketing when I would say Steve Rizzono was our 8th best wrestler on the roster and when WWE signed Vic and Crash, they were only our 5th and 6th best wrestlers. I wasn't marketing, it was the truth! Steve Rizzono had talent that nobody else could see but me. I thought I utilized the talent best. Just like when ECW guys went to WWE, they didn't know what to do with the guys. WWE couldn't get out of them what Paul E could. That is because Paul knew their strenthgs and weaknesses. I started thinking about some of the great matches and angles. I started thinking about the guys hoping Boom Boom Comini was doing good with his daughter. Tough to raise a daughter. Not many have come back to APW, some by our choice and some by their choice. I can't say I miss Boom Boom the asshole who went around tweaking everyones nipples in the locker room but I miss Boom Boom the person. That guy had talent. He was basically a jobber but we got lots of mileage out of him. I miss Maxx Justice wanting to throw people off balconeys. I remember when he beeled the kid from L.A. and Jesse Hernandez school "Kirk the APW Clown". I wasn't sure the kid was going to come down from the beel or back drop or monkey flip. What about the run WestSide Playaz had! Not often you can get two runs out of one name. Jay Smooth, Kuame Kamoze and Rick Turner were awesome and had lots of heel heat. Rick Turner is a Highway Patrolman now. You think he pulls the mirror out instead of the ticket book? Then Robert Thompson and Boyce LeGrande w/Icebox. What a run they had. There was so much electricity in the building when their music played and the whole house would dance in the stands. You won't see anything like that today in Indy wrestling. I don't know how to tell you how we did it or how they did it, it was MAGIC! I remember Tony Jones german suplexing Vic Grimes on the floor at Pinole Valley High or Terra Nova High. I remember the fans rushing the guard rails during a match when Crash Holly appeared on stage with a scale and his hat on backwards. I could go on and on but instead I'll tell you what we are planning sometime this year. We are going to tear down the ring, put up the big screen and dig out some of the more memorable wrestling footage and have a reunion. We will try to invite some of the wrestlers from that era to attend and we'll see if we can't feed everyone in attendance. It is on the agenda!

NOTES

Cheerleader Melissa has revamped her website and I must say it looks awesome. Much, much cleaner and entertaining. I hope she blogs some and tells us some of the behind the scenes chatter these women wrestlers have. We all know what the boys talk about and they sometimes talk shit. You think the women talk shit also? I sat and had Sushi tonight and two married women were having dinner together and talking about who they would sleep with and who they wouldn't. It made for interesting conversation. I know Melissa has some good stories to tell... Speaking of blogs to check out, go to www.clickwrestle.com and check out Behind-the-Scenes blog. It is very entertaining and I try to check it out often... Boot Camp signed up 7 students in the first 4 days of June. The record for a month is 10 in September 2000 during the Beyond the Mat days. Let's see what we can do about shattering the record... Jon Andersen is doing great with his private training.

IDIOTS

I actually have nothing to say about the Idiots this week. They are behaving and being more humble. Maybe they are reading the blogs and getting a clue...

Midget wrestling returns to Newark

2007-05-25T02:17:00.000-07:00

As promised, I am trying to make this blog a weekly event... Every week I will be saluting someone for their positive contributions to pro wrestling and I will have an Idiot of the week.

WRESTLING PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK
Alan Bolte - Ring announcer in pro wrestling for 27 years

IDIOT OF THE WEEK
The French Midget

APW BOOT CAMP CELEBRITIES
We are in the process of training "Strongman" Jon Andersen. Jon came to us through his agent who had been referred to APW Boot Camp by some of the best in the industry. We are training him privately and over the next several weeks, you will be seeing more and more of him. He stands at around 6'1" and weighs around 310 pounds and you can't miss him. This guy has a solid build. At first glance, he reminds you of either Scott Steiner or Billy Gunn in terms of facial features. He has competed on Strongman and I have had many fans already tell me they have seen him on ESPN or FOX SPORTS. Dominik Jerry will soon be interviewing Jon and introducing him to wrestling fans via our website.

The APW Boot Camp has always been fortunate with celebrities coming to the Boot Camp. Years ago, Alex Stewart a Defenseive End with the Cincinnati Bengals came to us to train but he was having many problems and suing the Dallas Cowboys and he dropped out and never panned out. Of course, we trained Dalip Singh, now known as GIANT KAHLI in WWE. Speaking of Dalip, we are set to train 3 more from India. They are being sent by the same people that sent us Dalip.

MORE CELEBRITIES IN TRAINING
In our July 2007 camp, we have a son of a famous actor and country singer. You have seen his father in many movies. He usually plays the role of a bad ass, gambler and for the most part a heel. Of couse, he always ends up in some love scene as all the chicks usually chase him in his movies. He has also been known as one of the better country singers. I am not going to reveal his name so that his son can enjoy some privacy while training. When I feel the time is right, I will reveal his name.

YES WE TRAINED MIDGETS TOO
Heck, some of you don't know this but at one time several years back, we trained a midget wrestler. He came to us through another student and dropped out because of some back problems. We never officially released him from his financial obligation by having him provide us with a doctors letter. He then returned a couple of years later to the Boot Camp and 3 weeks into the training he approaches me and asks me this great question -

"Can I go through this 2 year training camp without having to bump".

I knew the guy was a vagina and told him NO and he dropped out again. Again, I didn't hassle him for a doctors letter but he said the doctor told him if he wrestled or bumped again he would be risking permanent paralysis. The guy became a trainer of ISW wrestlers a year later. It always amazes me when guys that dropout and never completed their training begin training other wrestlers. Why our dropouts? Probably because in 3 weeks training they learn more than they could in a year with anyone else in Northern California. The guy ended up wrestling again in SPW.

He has been known as a mark in the locker room as I have heard from both Indy wrestlers and big-name wrestlers they feel he is a mark.

The worse part about him is not him being a woos but the fact he is also two-faced. He always shows respect to me and shakes my hand in front of the fans when he sees me at shows but in the locker room, he is known to bad mouth me and APW. He is nice to me in front of fans so that I don't take his queer hand shake and shoot a turning arm bar on him. Trust me, I wouldn't work the turning arm bar. Our students know this as I was just in with the current beginners class fine-tuning their basic fundamental holds and preparing them for their in-ring skill test at the end of the camp. By the way, Dana Lee does a great job with the Beginners as does his assistant Joseph. These students are looking solid and has to be the best group we have had in a very long time. SOLID!

Sometimes, I wish this midget wrestler had completed his training so I could have stretched him. Hell, I still might stretch him anyhow some day if I get a hair up my ass. It would be pretty embarassing for everyone. For him to have a 53 year old shoot wrestling hold after wrestling hold and break him down in front of wrestling fans and it would be embarassing for me and bring me more heat because they'd probably accuse me of midget tossing. Had he completed his training with us, I could have saved the pay day and airfare and hotel of flying in Nasty Boy and I could have put him in the ring with Cowboy Lang on every show. We could have used a French midget wrestler.

YOU ALL WISH YOU HAD A MELISSA
Congratulations are in order to Melissa Anderson for her upcoming bookings in Japan and for the Shimmer tournament. I'd love to book her against some of the "IDIOT WIMPS" who post on message boards and just tell her I want the match a little on the stiff side and let her go to work. After a recent workout in Los Angeles with a real Japan wrestling legend, they were convinced they liked her style when some relaxed chain wrestling parlayed into some stiff shots. I am convinced she would stretch most of the wimps posting on message boards.

PLUGS
Let me get them out of the way as they help pay the bills. www.onestopwrestleshop.com for all of your merchandise needs. This includes pro wrestlers looking for portfolios. For all your online footage, visit www.clickwrestle.com and for training visit the APW BOOT CAMP at http://www.allprowrestling.com/new_boot_camp/new_camp_index.htm

MARKUS MAC NEWEST APW STAR
Go check out the latest APW podcast. The Mac has it. Many of you are familiar with his views on APW if you read some of the Northern California message boards including the APW message boards. Go listen to him on the podcast. I believe the link is on the our message boards and the right hand side of our front page.

APW WRESTLERS ON THE ROAD
Congratulations are in order to some of our pro wrestlers for doing an event in Portugal in August 2007. The eyes are being dotted and t's crossed on the contract and an offical announcement should be forthcoming. Again, it pays to have a Gabe Ramirez who is knocking on doors and getting the boys some bookings. Something no other training school can offer. I wish I could go to Portugal - I speak the language but Gabe says he is waiting to book the guys in Carnyville and since I speak Carny, I will be going...

Until the next blog...

DON'T BE IDIOTS!

Godfather Blogs...

2007-05-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

Again, my apologies for not posting in a while but things have been very busy.

WARRIORS
They finally got eliminated but boy did they compete the entire series with Utah. I have been a season ticket holder for approximately 14 of the last 32 years and I have to tell you this was one of the more enjoyable seasons. My favorite season ticket year prior to this year was 1987. In 1987, I attended the All Star Weekend in Houston Texas with a poker playing friend of mine and my secretary (who was cute but one of the boys who drank beer and went to Michigan State the same year as Magic Johnson). It was a fun experience for all and I'll never forget it becuase we rented a big White Lincoln Continental at the Houston Airport. My secretary had made small talk with Ronnie Lott and Keena Turner of the 49ers and they were staying at the same hotel (Hilton) as us and hitched a ride with us to the hotel. We hung out with them at the All Star Saturday festivities. I had a discount card that got me half off and it only cost us $200 a night for the Presidential suite at the Hilton. In the playoffs that season, we were down 3 games to none VS. the Lakers when Sleepy Floyd went bonkers in the 2nd half and scored 39 but had 29 in the 4th quarter. I had never seen anyone be in such a zone. This years Warriors were more enjoyable down the stretch as we went 16-5 over the last 21 and the playoffs turned Oracle into a sea of yellow. This team was tight both on and off the court and they had some attitude which was good but always had me sweating their uncontrollable tempers. Thanks Warriors for the great year! Now I can get my life back and can concentrate on business at hand. GO PHOENIX!

KAFU
Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Kafu has done everything ever asked of him. He has trained hard in the weight room, managed his nutritional diet properly, supplemented his diet with the necessary vitamin supplements, tanned, bought the proper wrestling gear and he hasn't spared a dime in his career and that is what it takes. He also has one hell of a marketing portfolio which he updates the resume, photos and DVD every 6 months ago. Someone in the management capacity in a major promotion recently noticed the changed portfolio. I'd love to see the guy spend more time in the ring but he is a degreed Civil Engineer and puts in a good 50 to 60 hour work week in addition to doing all the pro wrestling things above. Congratulations Kafu! This is only the beginning of much success in this industry. APW has certainly had better technical wrestler graduates in our 16 years but never anyone as marketable and as prepared as KAFU!

CAC
APW always plays a huge part in the festivities at the CAC Annual Banquet. We try to do our part every year and all year long. I don't know how many other training schools contribute as much but we always have 2 or 3 tables of 10 at the annual awards banquet. In addition, the APW Boot Camp always contributes the first year membership for all new students. This year, we took them a check and some applications for new members for students that signed up in 2006. This year when they did away with the in-ring training, APW came to the rescue and put together some seminars that we felt were of value to Indy wrestlers. We talked about many topics including, Locker Room etiquite, Marketing, promos etc... The reviews were great. We also had some guest speakers. We were recruiting the guest speakers for 10 minutes and almost everyone gave 30 minutes to an hour. It was like a who's who of who I grew up watching when I was a kid. The new CAC President, Nick Bockwinkle dropped by and talked to those in attendance. Nick was a former AWA Champion for many years and was a second generation wrestler as his father, Warren was also a great wrestler in his day. At the end of day one, Rock Riddle came by and he was great in talking about marketing. Rock made the transition from pro wrestling to Hollywood and has appeared in many movies. There is a tremendous cross with commercials and Hollywood. Look at the success of many of the former pro wrestlers in movies including the latest, The Rock. Rock Riddle was great and talked with passion. On day two, Pepper Martin, who MC'd the banquet, talked at length and he had the same crossover in Hollywood as he was the truck driver who picked a fight in the original Superman. Pepper was a great wrestler in his day and he could really sell. He was so good at selling that sometimes I would look at his face as he sold and I could swear his face was red from the punch. That is a brainwashing effect that comes with tremendous selling. I was always taught the most important things you learn in pro wrestling is the sell. Pepper was very good. It was nice to see the guys I grew up with at the Cow Palace come in and speak and they all put me over and what we were doing over. That is always nice when the legends put you over because it assures me that I learned the business the right way. Again, most students today are not learning the sport and artform of professional wrestling from someone that was taught old-school. The last speaker was Pat Patterson who I have never met in all my years and he was great when he came up to speak. He said, "I don't know who the hell you are but you know your stuff. Who the hell are you?" or something to that affect. With a year of experimentation under our belts, we are sure that we will make the necessary adjustments and obtain many more speakers. We are going to have stations next year where people can hop from station to station to hear different guest speakers talking about many important topics. I guarantee it will be educational as well as entertaining. I want to thank everyone that attended and I always welcome feedback from anyone that attended.

The banquet was fun as was the baloney blowout where they honored Owen Hart and Bret accepted an award on his behalf. The APW wrestlers, Marion Camacho, the only Beginners Camp student to attend, and the Black Pants production staff all had a great time. There was some partying going on but you know the story, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas"...

GYM WARS
The 5/5/07 Gym Wars was a tough one to pull off as many of the regular stars were not there. Scotty Aboot is doing his thing with some amateur wrestling coaching while MPT was nursing an injury and KAFU was in Puerto Rico. I think everyone stepped up and had good matches. The Dana Lee match and the Melissa VS. Oliver John had a major league feel to them. Anyone who hasn't seen that match, can check it out at www.clickwrestle.com It is worth seeing. Oliver dominated early and it was a wrestling lesson for Melissa. When Melissa felt the match had turned into a Pro Camp, she took her frustration out on John and got really physical. That might have been her mistake as she ends up on the wrong end of a clothesline from hell. We all look forward to the next event at the famous GARAGE on Saturday 6/2/07 and there should be a surprise that night that I am sure all the fans will enjoy...

ROAD SHOWS
APW is on the road the weekend of Friday June 22nd in Santa Maria and Saturday June 23rd in Bakersfield. There should be some announcements concerning those events on our message boards and on the front page of our website. Road shows are always a great experience for the new students. The wrestlers enjoy the road trips and the fans are always treated to the best in Indy wrestling.

BOOT CAMP
Our next camp starts in July and we have some interesting changes made in the way Pre-Camp Orientation will be conducted and it should be fun. We are taking deposits for all the 2008 and 2009 camps. Remember, we take 25 names and deposits per camp and they start every JANUARY and JULY. We just signed up our first student for the January 2010 camp.

We began privately training Strongman Jon Andersen. Our Director of Public Relations, Dominik Jerry will be conducting a series of articles and interviews with Jon about his pursuit of pro wrestling and all his experiences in Strongman competition. Many of you have probably seen him on Fox Sports and ESPN. Look for this series on our website. We feel we are so lucky that we have developed the kind of training reputation worldwide where many celebrities and other pro athletes come to us for training as do many that were not trained properly or want additional training. We are even in the process of working with the same people from India that brought us Dalip Singh to train and they have 3 top notch bodybuilders that will soon be coming to America to train at the APW Boot Camp.

PRODUCTION
I don't know if I am letting the cat out of the bag but Cheerleader Melissa has a new music video out and I got a preview at our staff meeting the other night and it is HOT! It is amazing how much time and effort goes into something of quality and I tip my hat to Chris Kelsey from Black Pants Production who did an outstanding job that took 4 days to complete. From what I hear, he was sleeping on the production room couch.

IDIOTS
My blog would not be complete if I didn't talk about the idiots of the wrestling world. The ones who think they know everything, were never trained properly, are not humble. You can find them usually posting on message boards. You know, the guys who refuse to work on their bodies by eating right and hitting the weights and figure they'll wear a shirt to the ring as part of their wrestling gear to hide all the fat and paleness from not ever attending a tanning session. You all know who I am talking about... Come a little closer so I can tell you about a dream I had the other night.

The leader of the idiot group came to the garage for a gym wars and was sitting with the fans. He took his shirt off (nasty stuff) and challenged me to come out and talk to him. I ran to the ring in my shorts and flip-flops and did my Muta ring entrance and told him to bring it on. His stare could have burned a hole through my body. He was a pretty big guy and ugly as hell. I told him, "Bring it!" He climbed into the ring and came at me and I gave him two flying arm drags and a drop toe hold and his nose hit the turnbuckle and his look began to improve and he no longer looked Big and Ugly. I went after him and peppered him with some forearms to the side of the head and beeled his fat ass out of the corner. He bumped like he needed some bumping fundamentals from the Boot Camp and I exploded and nailed him with two dropkicks where one foot hits the jaw and the other the nose. I made sure to do the "Ali Shuffle" in between dropkicks. I yelled at him, "You better scoot or you'll be on the receiving end of a flying headscissors." This big ugly idiot came at me again and I applied the claw to his forehead, lifted his fat ass (he did not go up light) and I slammed his back to my knee. I looked up at the crowd which was shouting, "Pin him, pin him" I grabbed the mic and said, "This one was for you Kafu" and I told the crowd as I left the ring, "This idiot isn't worth my time - I was only looking for a work out" I then looked at security and told them to toss this guy out but check his pockets to see if he has $3,500 and that is when I woke up. I was sweating big-time. I put some clothes on and went and got a CAPACINO BLAST at Baskin and Robin! I'll tell you there is nothing better than having these kind of dreams except when I dream about the Warriors winning the NBA Title. As much a Warrior fan as I am, that dream is horrible. I wake up in a sweat also but Gabe is lying in my bed wearing a Warrior "I believe" T-shirt telling me to lay off the blasts.

I will be blogging weekly and discussing my thoughts on the happenings around the pro wrestling world in addition to telling you about some of the behind-the-scenes stuff at APW... Thanks for reading...

The famous Garage...

2007-04-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

IDIOTS
It seems like many idiots that post on message boards have a problem with APW doing shows out of the famous garage.

STARS WERE BORN IN THE GARAGE
Let's see, the famous garage has been the home of Crash Holly, Spike Dudley, Killer Kahli, Gunner Scott, Bison Smith, Michael Modest, Melissa Anderson, Donovan Morgan, Jardi Frantz, Maxx Justice, Bobby Quance, Sara DelRey and Kafu.

I know what you are thinking... First off, Kafu is not a star. Soon to be, trust me. Secondly, those are APW BOOT CAMP graduates that have earned a living, no matter how long, in top promotions in the U.S., Japan or Mexico. Some didn't earn a living for long but signed contracts.

NON GRADUATE STARS COME TO THE GARAGE TOO
Graduates aren't the only people to appear in the famous garage. Christopher Daniels, Gangrel, A. J. Styles, Lo Ki, Spanky, Bryan Danielson, Barry Horowitz, Sandman and many man others have also appeared in the famous garage.

EVERYONE COULD USE A GARAGE

Show me another garage in Northern California, hell in all of California, hell in the U.S.

GARAGE HISTORY PRE 1998
Yet, the idiots continue to bash APW for doing FREE shows for our loyal fans in the famous garage. You idiots are always welcome to attend the shows but in all honesty, you are not humble enough or respectful enough for the garage to allow you inside because the garage is something nobody else has. Yes, some jealous idiot in 1998 caused problems with the garage and called the city and lied and said we had 300 people in attendance. We allowed smoking inside. We did no such thing and officials knew but at the same time we were charging money and certain electrical things weren't to code and we were not zoned to host paying live events. We shut Gym Wars down in 1998 and it was memorable because of two things. My mother was dying that week. Fire officials gave the nod for one last show. We had over 400 ticket reservations and we usually overbook like the airlines knowing not everyone will show up. Our normal ticket reservations were around 150 back then. With the help of volunteer staff, we took the show outside in the parking lot. Jason Deadrich was very instrumental in making that show happen. We moved production and everything outside. We rented lights. When I was driving down West Winton Avenue, I got the call from the hospital that my mother had passed away. I pulled over and cried and looked up into the sky and saw the skies lit up. No, they weren't coming to take me to heaven also but it was the lights we had rented for the last gym wars taking place outside. We were not going to be denied by one idiot and we all know who that idiot was. I wiped the tears from my eyes and moved on and watched most of the show from inside weeping but we had a strong crew that made that show happen and we drew over 300 people to that show. It was the last paid Gym Wars.

GYM WARS POST 2002
A couple of years later we met with city officials and wanted to bring Gym Wars back. We would have to be re-zoned and go through a tremendous amount of red tape and pay large amounts of fees with no guarantee to obtain the necessary permits to do live entertainment in an industrial area not zoned for entertainment. Over the years I have seen Bowling Alleys and theatres turned down so what would make me think the same would not happen for pro wrestling.

-OR-

we could do the shows with a limited number of people allowed to come into the building, not charge money and they would be an extension of our training sessions as long as our students act as security and not allow drugs or alcohol in the parking lots and make sure we sweep up all of the parking lots including those belonging to neighbors.

As much as it killed us not to generate the revenue of $15 per ticket we were getting back in 1997 and 1998, we decided these shows were an important part of the training camp almost like lab is to a college course. Therefore, we decided to do them again in 2002 but we did not spend money.

Jason Deadrich, Gabe Ramirez and Doug Anderson (Melissa's dad) worked their fannies off and put in some of their hard earned money, sweat and tears and decided to make Gym Wars something special for the fans and for the wrestlers and for the students.

Recently, we made the garage more production friendly. We still only allow a certain number of people inside and when there is an overflow, they sit in chairs outside under a canopy. Some great shows have taken place in the famous garage. We still don't charge per city regulations and only ask people to bring an unopened toy and 3 canned goods of food to donate to the needy. We do our part to help give back to the community in addition to supporting Cauliflower Alley Club where if not for the legends, we would not even exist. The neighbors don't complain and some come to the shows. The Police Department comes by all the time and love the shows. As a matter of fact, there were a couple that stopped by just to see the womens match Saturday night. They all understand the pro wrestling business and the cutthroatness and backstabbing that takes place. Their only concern is the number of people in the building and no drugs or alcohol in the parking lots.

SUPPORT GYM WARS and THE FAMOUS GARAGE
Every fan should be so lucky to have the famous garage. Every wrestler should be so lucky to have the garage and every student show be so lucky to be enrolled in the APW BOOT CAMP. Those that are considering joining a pro wrestling training school. Besides all the things one should look for before joining, ask the training school if they have a famous garage. Ask them if they have a famous garage that can gain them valuable experience and exposure in an arena setting on a regular basis. The experience and exposure from wrestling people they can learn from. The experience and exposure they can gain by wrestling big-names in the famous garage. The experience and exposure they can gain by being on ClickWrestle or a nationally distributed DVD taped from the famous garage at BEST BUY and FRY'S. The price tag is the least expensive in the industry once you qualify for a few of the discounts offered. The payment plans are very reasonable and affordable. You too need a garage to make it in pro wrestling.

WE WELCOME IDIOTS
So next time one of you idiots wants to post on the garage and we can't draw more than 30 for a free show in a garage, think before you open your big mouth and hide behind that computer. Reconsider! Come to the garage and check it out and maybe you too will be hooked and no longer make have those negative thoughts. If you decide to take me up on my offer,

just make sure you to be respectful and wipe your feet before entering our home, our wrestlers home, our fans home - THE FAMOUS APW GARAGE!

Until next blog - I support education for IDIOTS!

IDIOTS and FACTS...

2007-04-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

IDIOTS ON MESSAGE BOARDS and APW BOOT CAMP TRAINING SCHOOL

Is it me or is this blonde daydreaming about my total package? Are young women users? When they want to be with an older successful wrestling personality like myself, I almost feel like I am being used.

IDIOTS ON MESSAGE BOARDS
What is wrong with the idiots that post on most California message boards?? Most posters on message boards think they are smart to the wrestling business but they are not. They have been trained by the Internet and/or a newsletter. They never were trained by someone in the wrestling business - someone that is old-school. They don't have the respect of those in the industry because for the most part, they have never earned that respect. All they do is post. They have never accomplished anything in the wrestling business to earn that respect. They have never paid dues. They have never learned to be respectful or humble. They are not smart to the wrestling business they are just smart and that is just because of how pro wrestling evolved over the years and everyone is smart. My next door neighbor is smart and he doesn't even follow pro wrestling or message boards.

I remember my first Head Trainer, Ric Thompson almost got fired by San Francisco promoter, Roy Shire, for smartening me up. Ric told Shire, "hell, I didn't smarten that kid up, he was already smart, he is smartening me up". That is because the old-school way was to not smarten someone up until the very last possible moment. If you smartened someone up in the business, they would break your legs and throw you in a river. I was fortunate to be smart to the business. There were very few like myself and I treasured that and kept the kayfabe. Ric Thompson wasn't even sure if the business was a work or shoot when he had his first pro match versus Arizona wrestler/promoter Kurt Von Steiger who happened to be Billy Anderson's foster father or step father and Billy Anderson can attest to that. I am sure you read in the Ric Flair book how he trained Bobby Eaton.

GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT
People always get their facts wrong on message boards. They are very good at spinning and hating. I remember people claiming that we claimed to train the Wild Samoans Afa and Sika when we never claimed that. Rocky Johnson had been asked by Peter Maivia to train Afa and Sika and he in turn passed the buck to Ric Thompson. Hell, Ric had barely been trained himself. So he tried to break them in Los Angeles with Gino Garibaldi who happened to be the booker to Mike LaBelle at the time. Garibaldi said Afa was too small. Credit Afa and Sika for sticking together as a team and pursuing their goals. Thompson told them he would take them to Arizona and get them some matches with Kurt and he did and that is how they got their start. The rest is history and they became a very famous tag-team in WWF later on after much success in many regionals. Posters will twist and turn and then accuse us for taking credit in training the Samoans.

The Internet is a brutal world of marks who have never been properly smartened up.

Most of the message board posters couldn't give you the wrestling terms in the wrestling business and this is after they have been published by many a newsletter with a few left off. You think these guys ever paid their dues or accomplished anything in pro wrestling to get the respect of anyone in the industry? Why do you think big-name wrestlers hate the newsletter writers and the Internet?

Posters wish they could do what pro wrestlers do but they don't have the ability, the balls , brains or the body.

They are computer nerds or self-proclaimed wrestlers. The definition of pro wrestler is very different today than it was in the regional days. Hell, just go to K-Mart and pick up something that looks like wrestling gear and give yourself some ring name before you even know how to execute a fundamental and you are a pro wrestler. I am sure one of these so-called wrestling promoters who can't spell wrestling will book you .

NOT ANYBODY SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE A PRO WRESTLER
To be a pro wrestler you had to go through hoops. You were screened very carefully before being allowed to be part of the business. Not everyone got in. Few got in. Today, everyone is a pro wrestler because there are too many promoters and promotions (no different than backyard) that will suit you up and put you in their battle royal to work you for money or save money and not have to pay a real pro wrestler. Why do you think the percentage of wrestlers that make it to the big-time is so low in comparison to the wrestlers in the regional days who could get to the top regions?? The top regions were San Francisco, Florida, Georgia, New York and Texas. Of course, later on, North Carolina became the #2 region after Flair and Steamboat popped the territory around 1976.

We used to demand a certain amount of money for our pro wrestler graduates until everyone began to make a fuss and they drove the prices of Indy wrestlers down. Thompson and I always are amused by how Ric made $60 for an opening bout at the San Jose Civic in 1974 and today in 2007 the main eventers can't get $60 for the main event but yet you think you are pro wrestlers, LOL. It was the promoters that refused to pay what an Indy wrestler was worth that drove the price down of what Indy wrestlers get paid. Besides, there is such a big difference between house shows today and house shows in the 70's that had television backing.

THERE IS NO MONEY IN INDY WRESTLING!

INDY WRESTLERS WHO THINK THEY ARE STARS - GET A GRIP
Therefore, all the whining pro wrestlers that complain about pay and how they are used, need to pack their gear and go home and join a bowling league. You all act like you have it made. This is the Indies. You have not made it yet! This is the minor leagues. You are wrestling in what I wish could be a minor league feeding system but it isn't even that because the major promotions ignore all the Indies and schools because for the most part there is nothing but garbage at that level. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to stereotype because there is still some talent at the Indy level but very little and most don't understand pro wrestling the way it should be understood because they weren't taught properly and by old-school trainers. I really have no clue to what goes on in other areas of the country but I feel like I am an expert in California wrestling and I know what I see and what I hear and it is just garbage for the most part. You are lucky someone deemed you a pro wrestler to begin with. Most of you I wouldn't give the time of day to. Gabe and Jason did a great job with booking in the post undermining (PWI) era but because we had to start from scratch they were forced to book many guys I would have never given the time of day to. They made it work and my hats off to them. You so-called wrestlers are lucky to even get a booking considering most of you don't have gear and most of you don't understand the importance of fundamentals or psychology in a match. I bitch about the APW guys all the time and I don't even know how good APW has it but at the same time, APW talent is spoiled and they don't even know how good they have it. They normally depend on someone in APW to take them by the hand. That is why I appreciate Kafu so much. He gets it done. Heck, even Modest used to have Morgan do all his marketing and getting him booked.

I laugh when I see today's young wrestler making gestures in the air with their hands and going over in their mind, their choreographed match. It is sad but WWE went to choreographing wrestling matches because none of the young trained talent was trained properly and they couldn't work a match if their lives depended on it. Of course that is their fault.

Vince McMahon is a genius in marketing and has revenue streams from every area you can think of but he continues to neglect talent development but then bitches about the talent he has.

Those same wrestlers are posting on message boards and they have a following of IDIOTS that have no clue they are not smart to the wrestling business. They think they are smart! That is why I personally would never book most of you. Every now and then you find an acorn in a field that understands training. We decide to use them and people then accuse us of taking credit for training them. We NEVER TRAINED Oliver John or MPT but they understand pro wrestling, fundamentals and psychology and they come to us to help them further their career. Doesn't sound like they are idiots to me. Oliver was trained by Paul DeMarco, a legend. He didn't learn pro wrestling and get smartened up to it by the Internet. He doesn't have backyard wrestling gear. He is humble and he is respectful. Same goes for MPT. Same goes for Scotty Aboot. I never claimed that APW has the best training we have ever had but we are hands-down the best training available in California and probably one of the top 3 in the U.S. if not the best and definitely the best Indy promotion to be wrestling for - even in the famous garage. Do you realize how many have earned a living that used the garage to elevate their careers?

BEST PRO WRESTLING TRAINING SCHOOL
When Ric Thompson was our Head Instructor, Jim Gorman and Michael Modest our assistant instructors and I oversaw the training at ringside and added my two cents because I am detail orientated, we had our best training. It was a 9.4 on a 1 to 10 scale. Dana Lee and Vennis DeMarco are very good at training the Beginners and Semi-Pros today. Are they the best APW has ver had? Of course not but they are very good and are around a 7.8 on a 1 to 10 scale and heads and shoulders above all other training in California which I would rank at about a 1.3 on a 1 to 10 scale. Yes, I am giving them the benefit of the doubt because it is Easter. I really believe the training being done today in California is in the negative numbers.

As bad as so-cal training sucks they are better than almost all of the training taking place in Northern California.

Besides APW, I only support Zack and PCW as far as training is concerned and don't tell me I have seen his training and not yours. I have seen most of the trainers and if I haven't, I have seen what they have produced and I rest my case. I will say this, as far as the PRO CAMP is concerned, I can't remember us ever having better training. I am trying to sit here and compare to the names named above but even Thompson, Gorman, Modest and myself may not compare to what takes place in the Pro Camp on show days today with Oliver John, MPT, JJ Perez and myself. Does that mean we trained them? We trained JJ?

Remember, it takes good training and being a student of the game and the understanding of fundamentals and ring psychology to make a real pro wrestler and succeed in the pro wrestling business.

DALIP SINGH
Michael Modest was supposed to train Dalip Singh but he took his share of the training fees and rarely trained Dalip. Heck, Donovan barely trained Dalip. It was mostly Vinny Massarro. Dalip has Giants syndrome and is uncoordinated. Could have anyone done a good job training Dalip? Probably not. I believe the Internet and Meltzer can sometimes be a little hard on Dalip. There was only one Andre the Giant. Andre was an athlete and could actually throw a drop-kick. When Vince Sr. took over his contract, (yes he booked him out for a percentage - how dare me try to steal the concept from Vince Sr.) they toned down Andre and used him the way he should have been. The bookers have failed to use Dalip or Big Show for that matter the way a Giant should have been used. But, even had they used them properly, people need to understand there was only one Andre the Giant and there will probably never be another. Did Dalip come to the right place when he came to APW? I would say so. As a rookie in 2001, he earned almost $13k a week in Japan. He was in the movie Longest Yard for a bit role. Want to guess what he made for that? Want to guess what he makes in WWE? Want to admit he came to right place to get his training? The Modest and Morgan story has been told before. Morgan was being paid to set up the Noah visit to the school. Sure they gave a heck of a performance because they were trained correctly. I helped put those spars together with them. Does APW take full credit for the success of the wrestlers in King of Indies. Of course not. Those guys all had talent and I had the talent to discover they were talented and bring them under one roof for two nights. Did we help put them on the radar. You damn right we did. Did we retrain Crash Holly? We sure did. Did JR Benson give some footage to Jim Cornette? He sure did. Good thing JR also was in APW. Do you idiots get the point I am trying to make yet?

Good things happen to wrestlers who were trained at APW or trained elsewhere and decided to come to APW.

We have overcome so many obstacles in our 16 years it amazes me we are still around but we preservered because we are tough and we are old-school and we understand the business and what it takes and I have always surrounded myself with good people. Bash Deadrich and Gabe all you want, you all wish you could be them.

JASON DEADRICH
The things Jason has done are incredible. He created ClickWrestle which was way ahead of their time and only now are people beginning to catch up to that technology. Jason developed Black Pants Production which I challenge anyone to match in terms of show production and post editing production at our level. Everyone bitches about Cheerleader Melissa and ChickFight. The truth is Melissa is one of the top 5 females in the world, of those I have seen in the ring. The truth is ChickFight is an outstanding product and all the girls should thank Deadrich for starting the product. After ChickFight came Shimmer and they need to thank Dave for starting Shimmer. Between the two and many others following suit, womens wrestling is back and there is more talent in the women's scene than ever before. Better than anything you'll find in WWE now that Trish Stratus is gone. Sure most of them don't have huge plastic breasts but they are tough and they can wrestle and are athletic and they can entertain and they are booked almost every weekend.

GABE RAMIREZ
Knock Gabe all you want but the success of many of the graduates is directly attributed to what he does. He has booked guys for exposure on other promotions. He has gotten guys to Mexico, Japan etc... He has booked TNA guys on Bakersfield shows and it is beginning to pay off not only in terms of attendance in Bakersfield but exposure for our wrestlers. I said it earlier, the guy understands what it takes to make it in the business. I'd like to think he was well trained but it also helps he isn't an idiot like most of you. He understands what good gear is supposed to look like and what a package is supposed to look like and it always amazes me that even though guys like him, myself and Deadrich have rarely been in major promotions locker rooms and never wrestled ourselves that we all have a better understanding of what it takes to succeed in the wrestling business. I challenge anyone to give their students and wrestlers the exposure APW gives them with nationally distributed DVD's, www.clickwrestle.com etc... I challenge anyone to produce a better looking and more complete portfolio than www.onestopwrestleshop.com does. Our guys know how to act in a locker room and agents and other wrestlers can tell they were trained and groomed properly.

TRAINING FEES
Oh yeah... about the $6,000 training fee. First off, there are discounts that can take your fee to almost half that price. Take advantage of the discounts and most can sign up for $4,000. We have payment plans that are affordable. We don't charge interest! We don't do credit checks and if we did, most guys wouldn't get into the training school. Sure there will be IDIOTS that don't pay their bill but that is the nature of the beast. Those people can't make credit moves for 7 years after we report them to the credit bureau or attach their wages or whatever we have done in the past to collect bad debts. The training fee is a lifetime training fee other than gym dues that must be paid once you make your pro debut. We train for 2 years plus. I talked to a kid on the phone yesterday that said he was trained in Antioch for 2 months and given a pro match and the trainer never trained him, he was trained by other students. Blue Mountain what? Like a disease, training schools are passed down to a different generation. You got a guy in Concord who does a horrible job of training and the guy he trains never makes it in the business so he opens a school and does some training and the wrestlers just get worse and worse and worse over time. It is the domino effect. Nobody even gives the prospective student as much as APW Boot Camp does let alone a student. Some schools copy the formula and that is flattering. One school that was supposed to put us out of business but couldn't stay in business and somehow disappeared from the face of the earth copied everything they learned at APW. Again, flattering. Why change what isn't broken although, we are always tweaking our system. We incorporated things learned from Bryan Danielson because he learned from Shawn Michaels. We are incorporating things learned from Oliver John because he learned from Paul DeMarco.

LET'S GO HOME
I will admit, time rarely permits me to visit the boards but I am entertained by the IDIOTS. I was hoping for entertainment yesterday but the thread was so damn long, I just moved on to another website. Are these idiots breeding and multiplying? Try to take something from this blog and learn and quit hating just because you are a mark that was smartened up by the Internet doesn't mean you have to be jealous and hate on the best talent development sytem that exists in the U.S.

There is Kafu and there are IDIOTS!

2007-04-03T00:25:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this guy. Whether you think he is talented or not, he is special. He has "IT". He can get an audience to react. He can get them to hate him and fear him or he can get him to love him. He completely understands the wrestling business and may have been the best groomed wrestler in APW since Michael Modest and Bobby Quance. Take a longggg look because 2007 could be the last time you hear him say HUNGRY and HORNY as he makes his way through a wrestling crowd. I am going to do everything in my power to continue to support this guy and improve his ability because he is like a younger brother or son. I am going to go out on a limb now and say that he will be earning a living from pro wrestling before too long. He has done everything asked of him and more. He has a great look, he has a great portfolio, he has great gear and he is a good listener. He is humble and he is respectful but you don't want to fuck with him, trust me on that one. He gets along with many of the top names in our industry and stays in contact with them. His name is KAFU... Remember it because he you know how this business is. I would have bet the ranch they would have used "Leprechaun" Erin O'Grady but the writers had different ideas for Crash Holly. You heard it in the movie "Beyond the Mat". I will say it this time and with the same tears, "If this guy doesn't make it in the business, it will be a travesty"...

Now on to my blog... There might be several parts to my next post. I wanted to talk about a few topics that are misunderstood by many and clear up some facts including:

1. TALENT USED IN APW
2. PROMOTIONS
3. PEOPLE ON MESSAGE BOARDS
4. APW BOOT CAMP TRAINING
5. LOCKER ROOM ETIQUITE
6. PEOPLE ON MESSAGE BOARDS
7. BRIAN ONG

1. TALENT USED IN APWLots of people think the doors of APW are closed to outsiders not trained at the APW BOOT CAMP. I have heard you idiots... "Not until now with Oliver John and MPT and Scotty Aboot have they allowed people to wrestle on APW shows" Not until now have we seen anyone in Northern California that was trained properly and has fundamentals. Talent has always been welcome in APW. Don't believe that? Ask Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Lo KI, Bryan Danielson etc...

This isn't further from the truth. If you are a pro wrestler anywhere in the U.S. and want to wrestle for APW, you need to do the following: Let us know you are interested! How do you do that? Send us a portfolio but allow me to inform you up- front, we have high standards! The portfolio cannot be done in pencil as some wrestling schools have taught. It must be a professional looking resume. The resume must tell us who trained you, when and how long you have been wrestling and who have you wrestled for. It must include contact information including e-mail addresses, cell phones etc... You must include an 8 x 10 publicity photo. You must also include a video of a match from bell to bell. Music videos don't impress me. I can take any poorly trained wrestler and have a good production team put together a 5 minute music video and make the wrestler look like a Hall of Famer. Give us your best match from bell to bell. Mail it to:

ALL PRO WRESTLING
P.O. BOX 55002
HAYWARD, CA 94545

Notice I didn't say include a business card or that your video had to look like something you are purchasing at Best Buy. You only want to have those kind of things if you are serious about getting to WWE or TNA or earning a living in pro wrestling. In case you don't understand my sarcasm, have the best portfolio money can buy. This could be your meal ticket! That should have been taught to you by the pro wrestling training school you chose over APW but I doubt most of you have had good training. If you need help putting together a portfolio, I can't think of anyone better than www.onestopwrestleshop.com to handle your marketing needs. While at it, try ordering some wrestling gear because I don't encourage doing your wrestling gear shopping at K-Mart or Big 5 Sporting Goods. I like it when pro wrestlers come to the ring with something they purchase at K-Mart to wear on the street. You must have professional gear. For those of you still under the impression you received good training, wrestling gear should have been covered in your training.

Once we review your portfolio and have deemed you worthy a look, we will call you and set up a time for you to come to an APW live event and give us a tryout. Be ready to perform in the ring and maybe even on the mic. You have to be a man or woman and have balls. It could be a demeaning experience. Not cause I am a demeaning asshole it is only because you did not make a good decision when it comes to pro wrestling training but now is the time to stand up and take a look at what people like Crash Holly did in 1996. He sucked it up and decided to get good training and even though he had been having matches, he was held off our shows for 5 months until he paid his dues and re-learned the sport and artform of pro wrestling. This is your chance, are you listening?

For those not in the know, promos are an important part of training. Not every school has a promo class. We do because promos are part of the "IT" forumula it takes to make it in this business. Yes, we will be looking at fundamentals because they are an essential part of being talented. Yes, if we like you, we will book you on future APW shows. If we think you need more training, we will tell you so and give you the option of attending the APW BOOT CAMP for a negotiated price depending on how much training you need and how many bad habits need to be broken. Some people proved they didn't need additional training and were booked immediately.

What are the advantages of wrestling in APW? You will continue to learn in matches and at pro camp. You will receive exposure through videos distributed nationally at BEST BUY and FRY'S. You increase your exposure with matches that can be viewed @ www.clickwrestle.com. Recently, one of our graduates were told by someone important in a major promotion that their match was viewed on www.clickwrestle.com Yes, it is amazing but this piece of shit land to many outsiders called APW, has graduates and wrestlers on the radar!

Will you pay gym dues? You fucking eh right you will pay gym dues. Everyone pays gym dues otherwise you don't survive for 16 years. Put yourselves in our shoes. We recruit you, you decide to train elsewhere for whatever reason, give them your money, realize you are the shits and can't go anywhere and then you want to come to APW and wrestle and be on the radar and learn all the proper things to do to succeed in the wrestling business for free? You are ribbing me... Do you think you don't have to pay for that? Don't answer that cause it might cause me to have to gear up and get in the ring with you and stretch you! I can't even take a crap today without it hurting so I guarantee you if you piss me off and I have to put the gear on, it won't be pretty. Oh by the way, don't let that Capacino Blast belly fool you either. I forgot more about stretching due to short-term memory loss than you have ever learned about it. Wear goggles, I like to go for the eyeballs when I find myself at a disadvantage in combat. The old-school guys taught me about the eyeballs. No, not the ole famous 3 stooges eye gouge you idiots, I am talking about getting disqualified for taking out your eyeball and throwing it into the warzone...

If you succeed, you will be part of the APW family and it isn't as bad as many who you allow to have your ear make it out to be. It isn't as bad as the message boards make it out to be. Remember, you never stop learning in this business but you have to be like a sponge and keep your mouth shut, ears and eyes open and absorb like the sponge you should be.

2. PROMOTIONS
I was going to talk about wrestling promotions in California but there really isn't a whole lot to say. You are all the shits! I know what some of you are thinking. It sure is easy for him to sit behind a computer and say that. Hell, for those that know me and have known me, they'll tell you I don't have to hide behind a computer. Sometimes what gets me in trouble is my personality. I'll tell you to your face you are the shits and don't belong in the business. Just like some of the wrestlers don't belong in the squared circle, many of you promoters and bookers don't belong as a promoter or booker - nothing.

You have no fucking clew! In the regional days of promoting and booking, rules were different. Want to be a booker? Go wrestle and pay your dues for 10 years or so and become main event talent and when promoters realize you have a creative mind, they would put you in the front office as a booker. If your booking sucked and attendance was down, you were given your 2 week notice and told to find another territory. I watched people like Ray Stevens, Pat Patterson, Bob Roop and Red Bastien book San Francisco and they were all very good at what they did and some were better than others. Pat Patterson lasted a long time and was never told to leave. He left when he wanted to expand his horizon and team up with Ray Stevens in the AWA. He then followed that up with WWF. I would say he made good choices as he ended up drawing a mid-six figure income as VP for Titan Sports.

Want to become a promoter? Usually, the forumula is to wrestle, pay your dues, book and have money. Don't promote on ass like I have seen many do and then not be able to pay the boys when there isn't enough gate money to cover the expenses. In APW, we never promise great payoffs because there are none in Indy wrestling. That is the nature of the beast. What we do promise is that you will learn, be on the radar and improve your abilities and enjoy the family and create opportunities for yourself that no other student in California has.

If you were lucky enough to have money or find a bankroll, you promoted. Today, it seems every Tom, Dick or Harry or shall I say Tom, Dick or JP promote and they never learned and are not willing to learn the right way and eventually, they lose respect of the boys and the boys run all over them. I am not going to sit here and say I have never been run over the by the boys because I have but it didn't last long. Either they got fired or they got tired and left and most that left on their own accord probably regret they ever did other than those that went on to make money for a living. Shit, I tend to talk alot and write alot and I promised this topic would be short. I guess I could say the promoters should be appreciated because they give some Indy wrestlers an opportunity to wrestle but they risk injury and they won't learn because they might already be better than their opponent. They also won't get any exposure because the SPW's, CCW's, Brawls etc... are just not on the map. Oh they are on the Northern California wrestling message board map but they are not on the maps that count. They are not on the WWE or TNA map. Therefore, save yourselves the time and embarassment and pack up and go home as a promoter. This might force everyone's hand to either move out of California or attend the APW BOOT CAMP where they can learn the business the old-school way... the right way!

My eyes are blurry and as much as I'd like to discuss topics #3 and #4, I can't. I will return soon with another blog because my next two topics, IDIOTS ON MESSAGE BOARDS and APW BOOT CAMP are two of my favorite topics to discuss and the idiots have been waiting long enough to see what I say about them.

Anyone reading this blog that might be interested in pro wrestling training, click FREE BROCHURE on the home page and complete the online application. This will get you a brochure, make you elgible for the Early Bird Discount of $1,000 and begin your path of getting on the radar!

Anyone have a fag?

2007-03-21T00:18:00.000-07:00

Just kidding - I don't smoke and haven't for over 12 years. I can't say I still don't have the urge now and then. I guess it will always be like a recovering alcoholic. Fag means cigarettes in London but here in the U.S., it is slang for gay.

The guy above was a wrestling machine. To the best of my knowledge he didn't take steroids. After a certain age in life, I am not even sure he even lifted weights. It didn't matter! This guy was box office and could work with a broom or mop. He would have fit in Northern Californi perfectly today in the 21st century because as best I can see, most of the guys in these backyard promotions in Northern California have the ability of a broom or mop! Even with no television, this guy could take Indy crowds from 70 range to 1,000 fans because he was a WORKER! By the way, for the idiots that have no pro wrestling history, Ray Stevens is the guy on the left...

I want to thank Viktor Berry for use of the pictures. For those that don't know Viktor, he was a great photographer for Roy Shire in the 60's and 70's and still is a great photographer. I want to also direct fans from that era that want to be educated to go to: http://homepage.mac.com/viktor2/btw/index.html

Viktor did an outstanding job with this website and I personally thank him for making these memories be relived every time I visit the site. He has some great history and pictures about Northern California. I only wish he had videos on his website for all fans to watch and young wrestlers today to learn.

Now, on to my topics this week. Here is what I will try to cover.

1. Gays in pro wrestling - Do they belong?

2. Drugs and Alcohol in pro wrestling and how it might not kill the sport but it is killing its participants

3. IDIOTS... I always try to talk about my favorite topic - IDIOTS!

GAYS - I don't know how many follow the NBA as religiously as I do but I am an NBA mark. Off and on when time permits, I have been a Golden State Warrior season ticket holder for 15 of the last 30 years. This year, it has been fun and I don't know whether they will make the playoffs but prior to the All Star Break a former NBA player came out of the closet and said he was gay. I believe he played in the 70's but don't ask me his name. He was writing a book so you can understand his timing of coming out of the closet. Many had comments about what they thought about this topic including some huge stars like LeBron James and even former stars like former GS Warrior guard, Tim Hardaway. Tim said, "I don't like gays and I wouldn't want them in my locker room during my playing days". It caused a stink and he was in Las Vegas at the time for All Star weekend and the NBA Commissioner, David Stern didn't take to strongly to the comment and although Timmy was a great player in his day and an important ambassador during this weekend, he was sent home. Why? Timmy probably would feel uncomfortable walking around a locker room naked knowing there was a gay fellow teammate possibly staring at his package. What do you think? Recently, pro wrestling even had a former WCW star come out of the closet and state he was gay. He was another no-name and his statement didn't carry much impact. It is a known fact Pat Patterson, former pro wrestler and VP of Titan Sports and WWE was gay. I wonder how the boys felt in the 70's when they knew he was gay and they were walking around the locker room naked after a shower after their match? I used to hear some of the boys always bad mouth him for being gay but they all respected his in-ring abilities. Why? He was good in the ring and he was the booker for Roy Shire in Northern California. Pat was not the greatest wrestler in the ring. His fundamentals like arm drags and dropkicks sucked but he knew the business. He was a mastermind at psychology and was over as a heel or babyface. The boys respected him. I wonder how they handled him in the locker room? Pat was a tremendous draw and talent in the 70's for Shire and later for Verne Gagne and the AWA teaming with Ray Stevens and continuing the success they had in San Francisco. Pat later went to WWF and was a huge draw and later took over as a ring announcer for television and did interviews. Why wasn't there such an uproar back then. I know had I been a wrestler, I would have befriended the guy and tried to pry as much knowledge as possible from him and it wouldn't have mattered if he were gay or not to me. I learned alot watching the guy work and the fact he was gay never bothered me but then again, I wasn't walking around the locker room naked with him staring at my package. Pat Patterson is an asset but What would your thoughts about him being gay with his presence in the locker room while you walked around naked after a shower?

DRUGS and ALCOHOL and STEROIDS - I must have smelt the heavy news this week when I announced this would be my topic this week. I don't know if I ever did steroids although in the 70's when I wanted to be a pro wrestler, the popular steroid was dyanabol. Most of the boys in the 70's partaked in dyanabol. I know so little about it, I don't know if it was in pill form or if you shot it in your ass. If you could take it in pill form, it is possible I took it by having one of the boys slip it in my shake as a rib. I certainly never realized any gains from it. I have never been a believer in steroids but I must admit when I was a kid, I was always in awe of those big arms and chests on pro wrestlers and a part of me wanted to be a pro wrestler for the very same reason. I guess because I was the little guy that lettered in basketball and although I was 3rd string, I still lettered my junior year. I wasn't supposed to make the team and that could be why I have always rooted for the underdog and small guy. When I founded Pacific Coast Sports in 1991, I always had a dream of producing small wrestlers that could wrestle and didn't have the body. What causes the business to require that look? Is it the fans that demand that look or the promoters that feel they can't make money with ordinary looking bodies with talent. What many young people don't realize is you can't build a body on steroids alone. You still have to lift weights and eat right and do supplements. It is obvious the wrestling body takes lots of punishment and especially when you do it night in and night out and I know the other part of steroids is how it might make the body recover in time. The problem with steroids or any drug is it becomes lethal when you mix it with other drugs and/or alcohol. I believe that is where pro wrestlers have their problem. Being on the road is tough and it can be a lonely time even when you have DVD players, women, X-Box, play stations etc... The guys tend to drink. When you can't get painkillers prescribed to you, they are not cheap on the black market. I hear many stories about how the boys drink and mix it with painkillers so they don't have to spend as much on painkillers and they can take less of them. Now add steroids to the mix and this is when it becomes lethal. I am no expert but I believe those that are dying young are doing so because of the above. The lucky ones die later but still too young. How can pro wrestling avoid this problem. It seems the other sports have taken care of the problem or at least know how to punish for the problem and are willing to. Until only recently, it seems the wrestling business has rarely addressed the problem. Where does the problem lay? Would wrestling fans still continue to follow wrestling if there were talented wrestlers but they didn't have the chiseled look? This is a problem that needs to be addressed probably moreso than is it okay to have gays in locker rooms. In APW, we don't try to tell anyone what they can do in their spare time. I know wrestlers like to party and always will. We just don't feel it is a good thing when a wrestler does any drugs, smokes pot or drinks 4 hours prior to a match. Remember, this business is about trusting your body to your opponent and it wouldn't be possible for an opponent that has partied prior to the match to be safe with someone in a competitive wrestling match. What do you think the solution is? I am curious to hear your comments on these topics...

I ran out of time and don't have time to discuss idiots. You know - idiots like those that post on the NorCal boards.

RANDOM THOUGHTS...

2007-03-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

(Credit Photo to Mike Lano)

I just wanted to give you my random thoughts about the weekend but before doing so, let me say two things. One, I believe the great computer people at APW have made it possible to have you comment on the blogs now without going to the message boards and without registering to do so. Secondly, I always brag about how 12 of 16 King of Indies participants went on to become stars in pro wrestling and more importantly, earn a living. I'd like to think APW played a huge part as did the tremendous abilities of the wrestlers themselves. They just needed a break to showcase their talents. King of Indies was merely a vehicle in trying to point out great young talent to those important decision makers in major promotions. Some took advantage while other promotions snoozed. Always support young Indy wrestlers and the promotions or training schools that try to bring them the exposure necessary to make it to the major leagues! Now, how many do you recognize in the picture? Who are they? Where are they now?

Gym Wars on Saturday 3/10 was awesome. Sometimes, shows that don't look good on paper end up being pretty damn good. I didn't think this was a good show on paper and it ended up being a very good show. Vennis DeMarco and Chris Colione might have bitten off more than they could choose when they accepted a "Loser leave APW" match but not without causing some stress. In the locker room, J. J. Perez didn't seem to mind the stipulation and he was telling some of his friends that he didn't think him and Melissa would lose and if they did, he knew how he would deal with the loss. I overheard him telling people he would still wrestle for NWA Pro and although his championship aspirations in APW would be put on hold for 6 months which might be detrimental to his career, he would let his body heel. Melissa on the other hand was very stressed out and the stress didn't seem to come from losing and not wrestling in APW for 6 months because her schedule always seems filled with Shimmer and ChickFight bookings. As a matter of fact, she is getting ready to go to the U.K. again very shortly. Her concern seemed to stem from if she lost the fall and cost J. J. the match and 6 months away from APW. I was actually very entertained by her stress as she seemed to be having heated words with Jason Deadrich in the locker room regarding putting her in this type of situation. Melissa has to remember, she accepted the stipulations and match and APW just helped put it together. As for the Mafia, they were a very good team for a very long time in APW but now what? I guess Vennis gets enough bookings in Northern California, he'll stay busy during those six months but boy are those loser promotions he wrestles for sometimes. I'll actually miss Vennis around the locker room. As for Colione, I don't interact with him much because he always seems to be in line at the concession purchasing something for his brother Bill and we barely talk.

"Shooter" Tony Jones had his usual good match and seemed to finish off Mike Rayne quickly. The difference in that match was good training and experience. Let me say this on behalf of Mike Rayne. He attended the pro camp that afternoon. The pro camp is run by Oliver John, MPT and J.J. Perez. I actually took some time to give him a tryout during the training session. It wasn't very good. He is not very fundamentally sound in the ring but what a nice guy and I appreciated the fact he was humble and knew he wasn't that good but is willing to learn. With that attitude, I don't see how you won't see a change in Rayne's ability over the next 6 to 12 months and I can almost guarantee it. Here I thought all of Northern California consisted of only Indy wrestlers with egos who don't understand you always learn in this business and the strike you as "I know it all" kind of wrestlers. I apologize for stereotyping as Mike Rayne proved to me he is different. Pro Wrestling abilities are no different than a drug abuser or alcohol abuser. They first must be able to admit their problem. Then they need to address it. I think it took a special man to go through a tryout in front of wrestlers, students, production staff and whoever else happened to be in the garage at the time. It took an even bigger man to admit he is not that well trained and has lots to learn and is willing to learn without letting his ego get in the way. I tip my hat to him. Hopefully, Mike Rayne isn't the only one to step forward. He sometimes takes a beating on the NorCal boards but I think he is going to have the last laugh.

I know there are many in Northern California that need additional training and could use the type of training one always seems to receive in APW. Besides, it isn't a bad way to get on the shows and get yourself on the radar. Most APW guys are on the radar and are respected. Think about Monday Night Raw in Fresno and all the guys who were there and didn't get invited to go to Smackdown. There was a huge APW presence in the Smackdown locker room although nobody wrestled that night and that was the original intent and always has been with Smackdown. But they don't invite every jabronie backstage at Raw to attend the Smackdown tapings! Anyone interested in joining the APW pros and receiving some training from the 3 best wrestlers in California (MPT, Oliver John and J. J. Perez), give APW a call or drop me an e-mail at roland@allprowrestling.com

I was in a business meeting during the Oliver John match VS. Billy Blade but was told that it was a very good match and how Billy Blade was very competitive. Sometimes, being on the road can do a wrestler some good. I hope that continues with Billy Blade because I'd love to see him improve on his in-ring ability because he is such a nice guy and I always pull for nice guys. Afterall, I am a nice guy!

The MPT match with Scotty Aboot was good. When I look at a match, I love the technical stuff and they delivered there. I also look at fan reaction as I always try to listen to the fans and they didn't take to that match as they did to some of the others that night. But fans don't know how good that match really was. It might have been better than MPT's match with the Japanese kid last Gym Wars but the fans liked the unknown factor with the Japanese wrestler and the fact he traveled from Japan to Gym Wars and because of that, were more into the match. There were many more arial moves in that match also. The gym wars fans always want to cheer or boo a wrestler and it is difficult to boo either MPT or Aboot based on their skill level. I think Aboot can be a player in the wrestling business with body development and some charisma. MPT has it all, he just needs to fine tune the body and he is already there. It is such a pleasure having him as one of the trainers in the pro camp and he has an edgy attitude and isn't completely a babyface so I can live with him, it is the midget Perez I sometimes have problems with - too bad, I could have used a six month break from the midget.

I thought the six man was the show stealer. Please keep in mind, I didn't see the Oliver John match and everyone kept telling me how good it was and how it may have been one of the better singles matches Billy Blade has ever competed in. Something about being ringside for a wrestling match. Everything escalates. When I see a bad match on the monitor, it is worse when I am at ringside. Same goes for good matches on the monitor in my office, they are good but so much better when I am there at ringside. I can tell you I was at ringside and I was so entertained by the match and enjoyed watching it that I sometimes forgot to do my job as a manager. Of course my job isn't exactly the easiest job in the world. Kafu is a tough wrestler to manage. This guy can't decide whether he wants the fans to cheer him or boo him. One moment he will chant horny, horny, horny and then later he is chanting hungry, hungry, hungry. He can go from holding a baby in his arms to beating the crap out of a friend or foe. I seriously think he doesn't realize what he is doing half the time and my toughest thing as a manager with him is to keep him focused on the job at hand. Now we have been having bigger problems. Kafu has always looked up to me as a trainer and a friend and listened to what I tell him. Now that he is that close to stardom, he is letting other people in his ear. Great look, great friend but he might be a few fries short of a happy meal. Of course, he probably teamed up with Ground and Pound because he sees how popular they are with the fans. Some agent backstage at WWE convinces him to team with Oliver John where I would have much preferred a singles match but I was out of town and couldn't control the situation.

The six man tag was very entertaining and everything seemed to be going great until Tito Aquino gets in his head that if he defeats one of the Ego wrestlers, Gabe Ramirez and the booking committe might give him and Dana Lee a tag-title shot.

I also thought it was refreshing to hear from Tom Castor. The interview was good and I would like to see more of those where we get to know some of the personalities in APW. Maybe we can have someone host a future segment... What do you fans think? Would you like to know more about the behind-the-scenes with some of the personalities in All Pro Wrestling?

All in all, I still feel disrespected by fans at Gym Wars and I guess those things will never change no matter how much success I bring to wrestlers, students, and APW and how many fans are entertained by the house shows and Gym Wars. The Internet fan and Gym Wars fan obviously have their minds made up about me although I'd like to think most everyone respects my contributions to the wrestling world but won't admit it. Some of the success that ChickFight is having came from the very same success at King of Indies but there has been some major growth to it compared to KING OF INDIES. ChickFight is now worldwide and is on the tip of many wrestling fans tongue. Go check out the happenings at www.chickfight.tv as there are some really cool things going on over there. Help APW spread the word about everything from Gym Wars to ChickFight to OneStop to ClickWrestle. Support the people that make APW work and purchase your wrestling merchandise at www.onestopwrestleshop.com and if online wrestling footage is what you desire, there is none better than www.clickwrestle.com

I know I haven't given you the final chapter to the Pro Wrestling Noah blog but I have something on my mind right now and I want to talk about it in a blog before I lose my thoughts. Have you ever heard anyone say, "I want a fag"? Fag is a term used for cigarette in London. In the United States it has a different meaning. As many of you know, I am a huge NBA and Golden State Warrior fan. Recently during the All Star Break, former Warrior Tim Hardaway said he would not want a gay basketball player in his locker room. There was some heavy criticism from that statement and the NBA sent him home during the All Star Break where he was sort of an embassador for the NBA. I started thinking to myself whether I agreed with his opinion or not and then I started thinking about pro wrestling and how there had to be gays in locker rooms in the regional days. Just because it is just starting to come out of the closet today with a former NBA player saying he is gay and very recently the talk started with pro wrestling. I am going to give my opinion on the topic and tell you about a huge star in pro wrestling that was gay and to the best of my knowledge, Pro Wrestling handled it much differently than the NBA did - or did they? I will also discuss drugs and alcohol and how it plays a roll in pro wrestling today but not so much so in pro wrestling during the 70's when wrestling was regionalized. These are HOT TOPICS you won't want to miss reading and commenting on.

Take care until my next blog...

Here and there...

2007-02-28T23:18:00.000-08:00

(Credit photos to Mike Lano)

Before I start my blog I just wanted to give a shout out to 1995 APW BOOT CAMP graduate, "The Gigolo" Steve Rizzono. Steve has not been doing well and was going to have a surgery. I will start a thread so anyone that knew or met Steve can post their good wishes. Steve wanted to be a part of this business in the worst way and did some things that weren't good choices in XPW and put his body on the line in many of his matches. He is paying the price today with lots of health problems and I just wanted to say hey Steve, I hope you are feeling better after your surgery and I will call soon. Steve always looked the part of a pro wrestler and in the picture above, he is posing with some mutual acquaintances, Bruce Hart who I haven't seen since 2005 when he made an appearance at one of our training classes when he was in town for our trial and TNA play-by-play man, Mike Tenay. GET WELL GIGOLO!

You think David Meltzer from the famous Wrestling Observer is the only person that can have a "Here and There" column?

The Godfather of All Pro Wrestling is entitled to a little Here and there as well and there is lots to blog about... Notice the 3 dots after a subject, damn right - stole it from David Meltzer as well...

Where do I start?... For those on the Internet that have been showing concern for my sugars and fat, I wanted to report, my sugars are sky high and I don't look fat anymore because my fat is starting to droop but the women in my life still think I have a "Tight Frog butt"... Funny how some people root for my sugars to get out of control so I can die. Deadrich says I am like a cat and I have 9 lives... I haven't forgotten the message board post on those idiots but for now, let me give everyone that reads this blog some inside info and I'll post about the IDIOTS later on...

1. J. J. Perez and Kafu are booked in Florida in March 2007. I don't understand how the promotion flys in the midget Perez and decides not to bring the Godfather in. Afterall, I'd like to go to DisneyWorld, Universal and the Bahamas before a certain party finds all my money in Switzerland which I have been hiding since 2001. Time to call Doug Anderson and sell him another percentage of APW so I can fly my way into Florida.

2. Did anyone see our Valentine angel, Melissa Anderson flying over San Francisco with my last blog? Wasn't that great? Is there anything that girl can't do?

3. Kafu had another impressive performance for NWA PRO in Las Vegas this past Sunday evening. I also understand that a 4-way tag-team affair that opened the show was hotter than some of the poker machines at the Orleans. Congratulations to all of them including EGO. Okay, J. J. Perez was impressive but what the heck was he doing teaming up with Puma? I told you Perez isn't all there!

4. No truth to the rumor that Kafu was walking around the casino with his leopard trunks swinging a chain at 2 am yelling HURT, HURT, HURT and a security officer asked him to stop so he started shouting, HUNGRY, HUNGRY, HUNGRY. My sources tell me he wasn't swinging a chain and what he was swinging was not silver but gold. And I thought Killer Kahli was the only one that swung a gold one. Speaking of Kafu, he was over like usual and get this, the fans in Vegas cheer for him. The rumors some people will start just to bury an APW wrestler that is having some success. Heck, at least Kafu had clothes on, Roddy Piper did it at a Fresno Holiday Inn years ago with Bob Orton Jr., with no clothes on and it took tranquilizer guns to stop them. All it took to stop Kafu was a scantly dressed girl chanting, "Cigarettes, Cigars".

3. Another rumor I have to squash immediately is that Tito Aquino and Nate Rulez have changed careers and were seen at the Raw tapings in Fresno conducting business as security guards. Can you imagine where people get this stuff. As if a security firm would hire Tito Aquino with his height. Next thing you know, I'll read on some message board that J. J. Perez is now a security guard.

4. There have been talks of expanding APW to the state of New Jersey. We'll keep you posted on those talks.

5. I read somewhere that APW's own Derek Sanders is getting married soon and a female ordained minister will be perfoming the ceremony. Ayyyyyyy!

6. I just found out from a family member (yes I do have some family that still loves me) that I am related to Michael Porter. Once he finds out he is related to me, I am sure he'll post it on his myspace site and people who hate him that continue to stalk him will report it on the "IDIOT BOARD". Do those people have a life? When I go read that crap, does this mean I don't have a life either?

7. Gym Wars is coming up Saturday 3/10/07 and don't forget to bring your canned food and toys. I wish we could do more for the community as far as donating food and toys for the needy.

8. The APW BOOT CAMP is offering a Tax Season special. Go check it out on the front page of the website and in the upper right hand corner. They should have it up in the next day or so. You can get a discount while not putting down a deposit till your tax refund arrives.

9. The ChickFight 5 DVD is now in stock and for those that want to purchase one, make sure you visit www.ChickFight.tv It is one hot video and I don't say that just because I assist Melissa and Mr. Deadrich on the commentary.

10. Don't forget to patronize www.onestopwrestleshop.com for all your merchandise needs!

11. What was with all the hoopla when Tim Hardaway stated he would not want a gay person in his locker room. Pro Wrestling never had that kind of drama and there were always plenty of gays in a pro wrestling locker room although I know when I was dressing for an appearance with Kafu lately, referee Tom Castor kept staring at my boxers.

12. Sad note is the Warriors season might be done. Too bad... Here is one for the message boards. Knowing full well that there is very little money on the Indy circuit, MPT signed a special deal with APW. I must take him to a basketball game when there is one played the Friday before Gym Wars or Sunday after a Gym Wars. So, I need to sit with this wierdo who brings no money, expects me to foot the entire bill and then the guy tries to pick up chicks by saying he is the "APW Internet Champion". When the girls bite for this phony baloney, he tells him his name MPT and to come see him wrestle at APW. Last game he attended, some girl screamed for security and was screaming, "Sexual harassment". When security arrived, they asked MPT for his name and he told them Scotty Aboot. First thing that guy has ever done that impressed me. He actually has a little heel in him.

13. The Pro Camp sessions have been awesome during show day. The Beginners and Advanced Semi-Pro Camp guys attend as well and it is a learning experience for everyone. Olver John, MPT and J. J. Perez are the instructors at the camp. Anyone interested in attending the pro camp and working out, need to contact APW. It might even lead to an APW Booking and you can't learn from anyone any better as you can close any discussions on wrestling boards anywhere, the top 3 technical and fundamentally sound wrestlers in ALL of California are those 3. Throw in Kafu who has everything going for him when it comes to look and being able to work his gimmick, it wouldn't surprise me for those 3 to make some noise in the industry very soon.

14. Did I tell you we are talking about expanding APW to the state of New Jeresey or that I am related to Michael Porter? I think I am a 9th cousin.

15. I can never understand people, who are trained by the Internet, can think they know it all! Even when you are properly trained by a training school or a pro wrestling legend and groomed privately, you don't know it all. There are stuff these people won't ever learn and one of them is to be humble and respectful to those in the industry. They need to realize, they are not in the business and are looking in.

I have to go and jot down some more notes on my "IDIOT BLOG" that I will be posting very soon...

IDIOTS and MESSAGE BOARDS...

2007-02-14T14:50:00.000-08:00

When I woke up today I started thinking - it is Valentines Day. I thought to myself, "Today is the day I post about IDIOTS who think they know everything - you know, the kind that post on message boards in Northern California (hint, hint). The more I thought about what I wanted to say, the more I thought I wasn't going to ruin my Valentines Day talking about IDIOTS! Tonight, I am off to see my true valentine, THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS who play the N.Y. KNICKS.

I did find time to visit www.clickwrestle.com and saw Chearleader Melissa. That broad is everywhere. She travels worldwide... She is the BEST FEMALE wrestler in the U.S., she does the SHIMMER SHOWS, she is all over clickwrestle. When I say she is all over Clickwrestle, I usually think in videos and great footage you can see but today, she was flying. She was not a tough broad today. She was a cute little angel flying in the air in San Francisco and hovering over the Black Pants, Inc. headquarters and you need to make sure you go see her.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY to everyone, and yes, I do have a heart and I want to even wish the IDIOTS that post on message boards a HAPPY VALENTINES DAY as well and make sure you return to my blog to see my post about you idiots soon to come!

GYM WARS REVIEW 2/10/07

2007-02-12T12:02:00.000-08:00

I want to first and foremost say a temporary good bye to our promoter friend from the U.K. who loved his trip to the U.S., loved APW, loved the famous APW GARAGE and is 100% behind ChickFight and possibly some other APW projects. I hope he had a safe voyage home and we look forward to meeting again here in the U.S. or the U.K.

Speaking of the famous APW GARAGE, it hasn't looked better and there is more improvement to come. The sound is tremendous, the video screen over the ring entrance archway is a great start to a revised entry way. I'd like to see some cosmetic changes done to that over the next couple of shows and knowing our production crew and Chris Kelsey and his staff, the way I do, it will get done along with a few more surprises.

Again, many thanks to the hard working people at Black Pants, Inc., Jason Deadrich, Chris Kelsey and their respective staffs. I don't want to leave anyone out so APW thanks the following: Shane Mai, who constantly busts his ass with ring entrances and many other aspects of what is delivered in the production. His assistant, Chris Cherolis. Many thanks go out to David Hurwich, Jim Brodbeck, David Hurwich and Dominick. Those guys kick ass!

The production values are the greatest because when you watch the monitor with the in-house switching and all the great camera angles live, the finished post-edited product has to be even better. Lots of hard work by the production crew and I have to tip my hats to them there is no INDY in California or probably the U.S., and that might even include ROH, with production values APW has at shows and especially the production values at Gym Wars. Fans don't know how good they got it and all for only 3 canned goods of food and an unopened toy. We should probably raise the prices soon and give even more than what we do to the needy and really help the community. Many wrestling fans don't realize the hard work that goes on behind the scenes at APW. Heck, there are many promotions (and I don't have to name them, you all know who they are) that CANNOT promote a show with these values. There are many that think anyone can promote and they are here today and gone tomorrow. The APW BOOT CAMP has been in business for 16 years since 1991 and the wrestling promotion for 12 years since 1995.

Now on to the matches. The show looked solid on paper because you had International talent coming in with wrestlers from Canada and Japan being in the lineup. At the same time, there was the element of the unknown because many fans were unfamiliar with these wrestlers. I'd like to hear the thoughts of the many fans that packed the garage this past Saturday 2/10, U want to hear your thoughts on the wrestling show, the production values and the look of the APW GARAGE.

MATCHES:There is a thin line with the opener. Balloon has the most disgusting look of any pro wrestler I have ever seen. People talk about Larry Blackwell but the guy is talented and very entertaining and was trained by people with credibility. The guy does a moonsault for crying out loud. At the same time, when you put him in the ring with Dino, that is another story. Dino does a gay gimmick. This Dino guy is very entertaining but there were some kids in the audience and that has always been a sore subject with some including myself. Part of me was entertained and the other part of me was thinking about those kids. Should parents be held accountable for bringing their children to pro wrestling matches or should promoters be held accountable if there are children in the audience to make sure the wrestling is PG? I am more interested in hearing your thoughts on this topic than any other topic discussed in this blog. Some like the match and others thought it was not appropriate. What did you think?

Ground and Pound over Kirsch and Sanders was a huge victory. I can see why Kirsch attacked Tito because this hot team seems to be popular with the fans and seems to be a threat to the tag title. Kirsch also had to feel he let down his partner in crime, Nate Rulez. Sanders doesn't seem to care about much of anything these days other than Payton and himself which is cool as he has a great look.

Old School over Shooter was a decent match and a part of me was hoping it would go longer. Jones and Old School seemed to have some chemistry. They are very close in background. Old School has some MMA experience and can brawl but knows his pro wrestling and was trained by a legend in Paul DeMarco. Jones has 5 years of NCAA experience. The energy these guys produced in the match matched those that are 10 years younger.

Perez VS Hornet: Well, it was what it was. Two midgets battling each other. It was a decent match but certainly not in the top 3 of matches that night. Hornet will have some good footage of himself against one of the better, if not the best, midget wrestlers in the industry.

Melissa over Danger & Sara was good. I don't know if it was as good as it could have been but it was solid. When you think that Danger was probably out on her feet and didn't probably know where she was at half way through the match, the match was very, very good. Melissa and Sara are still two of the elite female wrestlers in the U.S. and I don't say that just because they are both APW BOOT CAMP graduates. The fans seemed to enjoy the hardcoreness of the match but I always fear when there is rain and someone takes it outside because there can be serious injury. Our very special guest from the UK actually remembered seeing Erin O'Grady VS. Vic Grimes when they took it outside in the car shot heard round the world. When people used to label that match that way, I used to think, great marketing but now that I know our special guest saw the match on video and loved it, it probably was the car shot heard round the world.

MPT vs. Kudo was the match of the night. Kudo was impressive. If you can picture a a combination of a technical JJ Perez/Puma/Rocky Romero and an MMA kicking Senshi/Low Ki and throw in the high flying skills of a Scotty Aboot, you have Kudo. Many were telling me he is being compared to Marafuji from Pro Wrestling Noah. I don't think he is in the class of Marafuji quite yet but has the potential because of his MMA kicks. That match was very good. I'd love to see him come back and take on someone more his size like JJ Perez. MPT was too much for him because of the weight difference and don't forget MPT can fly and has lots of technical ability. But even with the loss, Kudo made an impression on me.

Kafu over Rulez was okay for 2 big guys. I don't think Kafu was on his game and when you add LaRocca making sure Sanders and Kirsch were involved, that threw Kafu off even more and the disqualification probably hurt Rulez more than he realizes because the way the match was going, it could have been the night Kafu dropped the strap. Kafu has lots of pressure on him right now and is having a hard time remaining focused on his matches because of all eyes that are on him right now. TNA likes him alot as does New Japan. All of a sudden, there has been a very strong interest from the WWE and people have been watching him from all over and this could have as much to do with Kafu not being at his best lately. The thing you have to remember is KAFU is still heads and shoulders above most in California and the U.S. on the Indy level because of that great look he has. He is wild, unpredictable and you never know what this guy is going to do. You'd think I know what he is going to do but I really never do. The guy is a beast and I still thank and respect him and as you can see, he still has my back and he destroyed Dino for thinking he could chase after my tight looking ass.

I want to give special thanks to Oliver John, MPT and J. J. Perez for running the pro camp that takes place on APW show days for 2 to 4 hours. Just another reason the APW BOOT CAMP is the best. How can it not be when you have guys like Oliver John, MPT and Perez fine-tuning the pros and teaching the semi-pros? Even though the Beginner students are not at the upper level because their camp just started 3 weeks ago, they don't even know how valuable sitting in on these sessions are going to be when it comes time for them to debut. The wrestling maessage boards can vote all they want for their top 10 wrestlers and their top trainers and I am sure some of the other promotions have a wrestler or two that might be their best but none of them hold up to the high standards APW has. At this time,

I would have to say the Northern California top 3 wrestlers and top trainers hands down are OLIVER JOHN, MPT AND J.J. PEREZ.

People are beginning to set eyes on these 3 and see their true value. Props also go out to Dana Lee who trains our current beginners and semi-pro students. What a training team! It is a no contest, no brainer and whatever other term you want to assign it.

Anyone wanting to attend the Pro Camps on show day can do so by calling our office at 510-785-8396 and making the necessary arrangements and who knows, it might eventually lead to an APW booking at a Gym Wars or house show.

I will have one more blog before finishing the Pro Wrestling Noah blog. I want to discuss how some people, whether on the message boards or on the inside at this lower level, just don't get it. I want to talk about schools, Indy promotions, training fees, gym dues and why they are necessary and have always lended to the success of APW over the years. Stay tuned to that blog because everyone should learn from it including APW wrestlers and students and even some of the LOSER IDIOTS that seem to frequent a certain message board in Northern California. Of course not all of them are loser idiots. I am sure there are a couple that post intelligently and have a better understanding of the pro wrestling business.

Preview GYM WARS 2/10/07

2007-02-08T20:10:00.000-08:00

I know you never ask for my 2 cents but I always give it whether you like it or not because that is ME!

I have to tell you the bookers have put together a strong lineup on paper. You know how that goes, sometimes the strongest on paper don't always turn out that way and sometimes they turn out even stronger than you can imagine but here are my thoughts match by match.

MAIN EVENT - Kafu VS. Rulez: I don't know what to think about this match. I don't know if this is another plot on the part of Gabe Ramirez and Jason Deadrich giving Nate Rulez a title shot. I don't know if it was meant to cause disention in EGO or even create a little heat between Rulez and Kafu or even LaRocca and myself. I'll tell you this, we will be making last minute strategic plans because I don't even want to think about it right now. One thing for sure, my eyes will be open with LaRocca and the bitch that keeps looking in the mirror and can't have enough of himself, AJ Kirsch.

APW INTERNET TITLE: Kudo VS. MPT I can't tell you much about Kudo but I sure hope he knows he is getting in the ring with a stud in MPT. Gabe Ramirez is always making these wiere relationships with people overseas. They tell me this guy is one of the top wrestlers in his promotion in Japan. One thing for sure, MPT will soon bite the big one if he keeps defending his belt against these Japanese wrestlers who are trying to make a name for themselves in the U.S. and an even bigger name in Japan by defeating a top wrestler in the U.S.. I know WWE and TNA are the big promotions and ROH is well know in Japan as far as Indy promotions go but don't forget APW is also well known in Japan becausee of all the graduates that have toured Japan over the years. This guy Kudo is no dummy. He is here to make a name for himself in a promotion everyone in Japan is familiar with.

3 WAY DANCE: Melissa VS. Sara Del Ray VS. Allison Danger
This could end up being a dogfight. Why do I say this? First, you have 3 of the top females in the U.S. competing. Secondly, there has always been the argument who is the best BOOT CAMP female graduate, Melissa or DelRey? Sometimes my question is who is the best female in the U.S., Melissa or DelRey? These two aren't stupid. They know the competition and what fans think and don't think and if that doesn't intensify the competition, I don't know what will. Now throw in Allison Danger and what the heck can she be thinking? Maybe her strategy will be to let Melissa and Del Rey beat the crap out of each other and she sneaks in for the victory and becomes the talk of #1 female. (Danger: That was free advise from the Godfather - anything else will cost you money and I don't come cheap)

SPECIAL ATTRACTION - J. J. Perez VS. Hornet
Let me give you the inside scoop on this guy Hornet so you know why someone would be dumb enough to ask for a match with a midget. He knows someone in a Japanese promotion and is trying to get him in. He needs footage and some goof tells him if you wrestle the midget and defeat him and send that footage in, it will increase your changes of going on tour with the promotion. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell this kid that it is a rib because last I heard there are not any MIDGET PROMOTIONS running in Tokyo.

I guess I'll finish up with the preliminaries. Some preliminaries. I know you've heard it before but I will say it again, "THESE MATCHES CAN BE MAIN EVENTS ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY TODAY" Okay, Roy Shires got away with his television announcer using that line back in the 70's but if you've seen some of the crap I've seen out there lately, these next matches might not be all that bad and might be main events anywhere in the country today.

SHOOTER JONES VS. OLIVER JOHN
Interesting match! Oliver John is a nutcase who was very well trained by a 60's/70's legend Paul DeMarco with lots of technical ability but I haven't seen any of this technical ability in an Oliver John match yet. He always wants to brawl. He would have been good at Gym Wars in 97 in matches with Vic Grimes. He better put his technical shoes on or Jones will tie him up in knots. It is funny because any wrestler that has an amateur background, I don't care if it is Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle etc..., they've all heard of Tony Jones and I am not talking about Beyond the Mat movie, I'm talking his NCAA days. Now Jones could afford to pay me for consultation because nobody has scouted his opponent better than I have because I grew up with Paul DeMarco wrestling.

KIRSCH/SANDERS VS. GROUND & POUND Aquino/Lee
Another runaway midget in Aquino. If the opponents forget about the Tito popularity with fans, they can overcome his in-ring abilities and he has some and is impressive at times. I just think for Aquino to be successful in a tag-team he has to team up with smarter partners. Dana Lee is not the brightest light bulb. As a matter of fact, I can produce more light from a burnt out light bulb than I could from the lightbulb Dana Lee. Speaking of lightbulbs, Lee's body is about as pale as a lightbulb. Now that doesn't mean they can't win this match especially because I hear Derek Sanders has been fighting a bug and has been spending lots of time in bathrooms as of late. If I were Tito, I'd take advantage of the fact Sanders might be sick. It is going around.

AMERICAN BALOON vs. DANSHOKU DINO
If you think I am going to comment on American Balloon, you can forget it. Maybe Sanders sat next to Ballon in the Bakersfield locker room and watched him dress. That would turn anyones stomach.

Pro Wrestling Noah - The End

2007-02-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

So Jardi Frantz goes on his tour. I don't know what happened but there was some miscommunication between Jardi and 2Cold Scorpio. I think they told Jardi to do less so it would mean more and of course, they don't want him showing up the Japanese Juniors. Jardi sometimes had a hard time understanding that entire concept. I don't like spot wrestlers myself because they rarely sell and I was always taught selling was the most important part of the wrestling business. By the way, I learned from the boys and not the Internet. I think Noah got out of Jardi what they needed for the tournament and probably had little intention of bringing him back. It didn't help any that Mike and Donovan never liked Jardi and probably put the bad-mouth on him which made it even worse.

Mike and Donovan did their first tour and got over big time. They came home and I didn't even want to book them on a show in Vallejo because they had arrived that Saturday morning from Japan but they insisted they needed the money. Yes, I paid them well. I was paying Modest about $250 per match and Donovan around $125 or $150 cause he was the Head Camp Instructor at the time. Normally, it wouldn't be anyones business what APW paid people but since APW has always taken a bad rap for not paying people well, I figured it can't hurt any to come public with their pay. I put them on the show but I felt APW got shorted the last 2 or 3 shows they did for APW. I was about to go to Japan to tour briefly with the guys in Noah. The guys had invited me and then Noah invited me and I went. The timing was bad because I had just returned from Japan where I spent 7 days there with Barry Bloom negotiating a deal for Dalip Singh to start tourning in October 2001. I flew over to Hawaii with Bison Smith so he could do the Visa deal. Noah put us up in a hotel in Honolulu. Bison kept going to the same restaurant every day so I figured it must be good so I eventually made my way there. Our hotel was about 3 long walking blocks from the beach. Hell, I think it was Wai Ki Ki. Hell I don't know, all I know is Bison and I went there every day to lay on the beach. Suddenly there was a huge crowd surrounding me and I thought maybe they recognized me from Beyond the Mat but I come to find out they thought there was a whale on the beach. Back to this restaurant. They had these giant sized beers and delicious hamburgers. Bison and I had a good time cruising the strip and blowing our money on food while Bison had his eyes fixed on all the babes. Alright, I was checking them out too and hoping for that one good looking pro wrestling female mark that recognized me from Beyond the Mat stomping down the entrance way to Arco Arena being shot from the ground up. You got to give it to Barry Blaustein, he sure knows all the production tricks. He had his crew shoot from the ground up to make me look fat. Barry - I am fricking fat! As my luck would have it, the last day there this female comes up to me and says, "Weren't you in the movie Beyond the Mat". I am about to answer and make my move when Bison lays some bricks for me and I lose out as Bison is now trying to put the moves on her. She was Hawaiian too. She looked about 80 and had no teeth. So we finally leave Hawaii and head to Tokyo, Japan. Bison was nervous. Bison turned me on to a trick where you take the row next to the emergency exit on the plane because it gives you more leg room without having to pay for 1st class. No, Noah doesn't pay for 1st class tickets unless you are Van Vader. So I let Bison convince me to take the emergency exit row and as the plane takes off I realize we have no drop down trays. Bison doesn't realize, I like to eat alot and I can't use my laptop or eat as much because there is no drop-down tray. Here he is snoozing next to me with his legs all stretched out having a good ole time and I am stressing cause it is inconvenient to get on the computer and I can't eat. We arrive in Japan and this was my 1st time in a Foreign country. Can I even use the word Foreign? I know they have banned the use of Foreign Object on television. We get to the airport and I think they had an office girl pick us up. The office girl had a name but I don't feel the need to reveal it at this time. I will say this - the office girl at Noah was related in some way to Rikodozian, a Japanese wrestling legend, who for all I know, probably smoked cigarettes also. I am not sure if the office girl acted on orders from the front office or acted on her own. Some women like to think they run a pro wrestling organization and start barking out requests and orders. She seemed nice but always had something to say about what Mike and Donovan were doing wrong. I felt like telling her,

"Listen sweetie, they will be taking their Boot Camp contracts out
of the APW filing cabinets a few months from now and I won't be getting any money out of this deal so don't come to me with your complaints. I am just a carny"

Keep this K-Fabe but Mike and Donovan told me she had slept with many of the boys. I can't believe I kept that K-fabe for 5 years but in CARNY CENTRAL, there is no holding back.Upon arriving at the airport, she took us to the hotel to check in.

The hotel was a really classy hotel in the lobby and looked expensive but then we get to the room and it is tiny. It is about the size of my computer room in my home. There was enough room for the bed on the floor and a dresser with a television on top. I can't remember if there was a fridge or not but there was no room to walk between the bed and the dresser and I have small feet. Can you imagine Dalip in one of those rooms? I can't believe Vader stayed in one of these rooms. Talk about a can of sardines. I felt like a sardine the entire 7 days and the only thing that made me happy in the room was the old lady masseuse that came and massaged me nightly. I even hated the television. I can see now why the boys bring their laptops, PS2's etc... I brought my laptop and I don't even remember if I could sit to be on it. I wanted to high-roll it immediately so we went for breakfast and I got steak and eggs. They must have known the carny was in town as they charged me 3400 yen. I had lost my Japanese translator which did everything including currency conversions on my last trip to Japan. I left it on the New Japan tour bus. One of the Japanese job boys probably found it and kept it. He was a very nice guy so he deserves it. Later, I find out 3400 yen is about $34.00. That was the end of steak and eggs in Japan for me and I didn't even consider sushi although I was a sushi rookie back then. If I ate sushi back then the way I do today, I'd probably had stolen all the boys (Modest, Bison and Donovan)wrestling gear and sold it to pay for my way out of the country I would have been so broke from eating. I tried to ask them if they had any bargain buffets. They didn't seem to understand me and I tried to the best of my ability to describe HOMETOWN BUFFET and they just looked at me like I was some sort of poor carny. I felt insulted because a poor carny I am not. I have stiffed the boys, not paid the boys and made so much money with promoting Indy wrestling that the last thing I want to be known as is a poor carny. So I lost about 15 pounds on this 7 day trip because I never ate until I got to some huge celebration they were doing.

They had a huge bash that Noah was putting on and everyone was there and dressed to kill. I can't recall if any free agent wrestlers showed up or not or if that was the huge bash I also attended earlier in the month when I was with New Japan. This was a big shindig and they held it in a very classy hotel. Hell, even I wore a suit and tie. Mr. Misawa gave me this wierd look early in the evening and mumbled something and I couldn't make out what he was saying and a translator said, "Mr. Misawa wanted to know what I did with the shorts, pager and flip-flops." I guess there are certain things I will always be known for

1. Not paying anyone money

2. Solid fundamental training

3. Shorts, pager and flip-flops

I got to meet many of the Noah wrestlers and I have to tell you the classiest guy was Kobashi. He kept telling me he had heard lots of good things about APW. He seemed very humble. I am not trying to pat myself on the back but when he first broke in with All Japan, I often wondered why he wasn't being pushed hard because I saw Hall of Fame written all over that guy when he broke in. They had the APW wrestlers get on the stage with me and the press began to shoot many pictures. It felt good to be recognized in that manner. I will say this about Pro Wrestling Noah. Even though I felt wronged by their actions later on and I will explain why, I feel moreso than any other wrestling promotion in Japan, they do things the right way and the traditional way and are a classy organization. They might not be the largest as far as financial backing but they sure know how to put on good matches and they know how to stay within their limits and they never try to grow too fast. I know New Japan is very strong but in my mind, the best promotion in Japan is Pro Wrestling Noah. After this bash, I couldn't wait to start the tour and go on the road with the boys. I couldn't wait for Budhakan Hall.

There was lots of politics even with the American wrestlers on tour. Van Vader was known as pops. All the young guys on tour carried his bags, did his laundry and it was considered paying your dues. That is why I always tell young guys, you never stop paying your dues no matter what level you are at. Here Mike, Donovan and Bison are at as high a level as if they were at WWE in my opinion and they still had to pay their dues. Noah does things a little differently but not too much different than a good Independent promotion. They reminded me very much of APW when we did house shows but with very large crowds and big name superstars. Heck, we had a merchandise bunker, they did it with folding tables side-by-side. Their production level didn't seem to be anywhere near what you see today from APW. The Americans rode together on the tour bus and Pops sat where he wanted. He chewed my ass out for accidently sitting in his seat on the tour bus. Hell, I didn't know and none of our guys had told me. I don't think he like me. I didn't exactly like him either but I respected him. I knew he carried weight and I would never had done anything to jeopardize the guys on tour. I was so proud when I saw the guys in their matches. I sat at the Timekeepers table with Mr. Nagata at just about every show I was at. Later, on footage, I would always here the words APW repeatedly by the broadcasters. They were pushing APW as a huge company in the U.S. that trained good wrestlers. I don't know if this is how they really felt or if it was their old-school way of pushing Mike, Donovan and Bison. 2Cold Scorpio was really cool and he was knowledgeable about Japan, about pro wrestling and was a nice guy to hang out with eating, drinking and telling stories. He was so over in Japan. I couldn't figure out why they used him mid-card. I would have pushed the crap out of him because he was over more than any American and at times even more over than Vader. Scorpio had more women than almost any wrestler there and he could speak Japanese and the Japanese girls loved him. He had his pick. I could never find out how the Japanese wrestlers faired with fans and women. It was almost as if they kept that king of stuff away from us.

I guess the towns were so far apart that they carried a weight room on the ring truck which allowed all the wrestlers to get a good workout in before the show. I really liked that concept. I am sure a couple of the current APW wrestlers would like that but most of them probably wouldn't mark out for that concept. Don't ask me why but in the history of APW, the majority of the students have refused to work on their look and their bodies. They don't lift weights, they don't eat right and they don't supplement their diet with the supplements. If they did work on the look, there would have been no school to come close to our success as far as wrestlers earning a living with the top promotions in the U.S. and Japan. We have had many talented graduates in the ring but many that had "IT" which is mainly the look. Hell, even today, I wish MPT, Scotty Aboot, A. J. Kirsch would develop the look that Kafu, Oliver John, Derek Sanders and Nate Rulez has. Even our ref, Tom Castor has a hell of a look. Besides taking the weight room on the road, the dojo was run for the most part on the road prior to the start of the shows. At around 2 p.m. in the afternoon, some of the young boys would come to the ring and they would train. Jun Akiyama was an instructor and oversaw the training and drills. He reported to Mr. Misawa's good friend, Ogawa. Those guys worked hard. Years ago when our 1st Head Camp Instructor, Ric Thompson toured overseas to Japan, I asked him what was the biggest difference you saw in what they do compared to what we do here in the U.S. Ric

said all the Americans were in the locker room playing cards while all the Japanese wrestlers were running laps around the building in the snow. I watched the workouts and took notes to bring back to the Boot Camp. We currently use one of their drills. There was one student I felt sorry for but I knew this kid would be a star if he could survive the "paying your dues" part. I watched them ride this kid hard. The slapped him around. One time I watched Jun Akiyama beat the crap out of him because when he washed Jun's wrestling gear, it shrunk. He gave this kid an ass whooping and slapped him around. At the shows, he was a one-man ring crew and helped usher the wrestlers to the ring, took the ring jackets back to the locker room etc... I felt the same about his in-ring abilities as I did when I watched Kobashi when he was a rookie. This kid was much more raw. His name? Kenta... Anyone that has seen him will attest he is solid. He just may have passed up Marafuji in ability.

I can see all the fuss over Budhakahn Hall. I sure hope I am spelling it right. You could just feel the history of this building when you entered it. Everyone came to these shows. Even wrestlers themselves from other promotions on nights off would attend. We sat in the stands early before the show started with Jessica. Let's see how many can help me with her last name. I remember giving her boyfriend a tryout. Her boyfriend happened to be Al Snow's stepbrother. I told the kid he needed to be re-trained but we could use her. She later became somewhat of a star in female wrestling in Japan. As the show started, I took my position at the Timekeepers table with Mr. Nagata. There are 2 things that really stuck out about that show. One was how proud I was of Mike and Donovan. I believe it was the 1st time they were matched up against Misawa in a tag-team match. They had a solid match that night. The other thing I remember was feeling the vibes that Mr. Nagata was upset at me. My guess is he didn't like it when Samoa Joe came to the table to say hello to me in between matches. It could have been because it was in the middle of the show but if I were to guess, it was because Joe was involved with Zero One at the time. In 2001, there were still some heavy politics. I think he was the enemy and I was talking to the enemy. We had done alot of business with Joe and UPW and I always liked Joe. Heck, I remember running into his cousin one time at Disneyland and I completely marked out for him and it got back to Joe and he was cool that I took a liking to his cousin. I always thought Joe had big-time potential and could never figure out why Zero One misused him and rarely used him. In King of Indies, I thought about putting Joe and Ki in the finals with Joe winning. I battled that thought for a 1/2 a day. I ended up putting them in the semi finals and they had a heck of a match. I always thought Joe would succed if not in the traditional pro wrestling match but more of the MMA stuff like you see him doing in TNA. I didn't mean any disrespect to Noah or Mr. Nagata but a friend is a friend and even though he was, in their eyes, the enemy, I had to shake his hand and say hello and chat for a minute.

It looks like this blog will require one last part. I will finish up with the 2 hour meeting in Mr. Misawa's office, what went wrong with the Noah relationship and how I felt PWI played a part in it. How those that started PWI felt I was wrong in trying to push the Lo Ki's, Doug Williams, Samoa Joes, Spanky's and American Dragons to Pro Wrestling Noah and that might have been the last straw to create the split from APW.

Pro Wrestling Noah/PWI - The Beginning

2007-02-01T18:58:00.000-08:00

After receiving many, many, many e-mails (4) asking me to discuss the Pro Wrestling Noah deal back in 2001, I've decided to make it my first educational blog. Since APW and NOAH are no longer doing business 6 years later, there should be no heat discussing the particulars from 2001. Doing business with NOAH started in APW but I believe it ended in PWI and I will explain how that is.

Before I get into the story, it is important to make you aware that in the history of APW since 1991, the person that made the most money was Donovan Morgan. At times his job was a cushion job and other times he was a busy bee. Donovan had flexible hours because he was an Independent Contractor. His duties included, training, recruiting/marketing and he was an Administrative Assistant. Other duties included making bank deposits, setting up duties for students to pass out flyers, sell advertising for the souvenir program etc... Donovan got the job when he didn't want to take a similar job with XPW and Modest negotiated for Morgan in 1999 and said he'd do everything in the Front Office for APW if we could guarantee him a salary and commission. He was allowed to do work for himself and come and go as he pleased because he was not an employee. That is also why he would take off during the day to go eat, lift weights, go tan or take a nap. Donovan was very good at recruiting but only worked hard at it if he needed the money and wanted to jack up his commission. I gave him a sweet deal. Instead of giving the guy 10% of the company, I did better than that. I gave him 10% of all monies that walked in the door whether it be Boot Camp, collections, sponsors, souvenir program ads. In less than 18 months, he built his pay to over $3k per month. Like I said in Beyond the Mat, I am the best payoff guy in Indy wrestling
(You should see me at my computer with the tears rolling down my eyes just like Beyond the Mat). I am known for taking care of the boys. Anyone want a fluff job making over $3k a month where you put in about 5 hours a day Monday through Thursday? Apply at roland@allprowrestling.com

In reading David Meltzer's Wrestling Observer, I found out that Mr. Misawa, then President of Pro Wrestling Noah and Mr. Nagata, money guy and probably majority stockholder as well as some of the Japanese media (probably on the Noah payroll because they did whatever Mr. Misawa wanted) were coming to the U.S. to scout U.S. Indy wrestlers and/or students and were hitting 5 locations including the Harley Race training school. They were also headed for Las Vegas for business and pleasure. When I found this out, I asked Donovan to do some research and he was paid for it. I wanted to see what it would take for PRO WRESTLING NOAH to squeeze in a visit to the APW training school. Donovan made some calls and found out they had no time other than a 5 hour layover at the S.F. International Airport when they headed home to Japan. We had to take advantage of that so I took the time and money to set up Limosine service to pick them up at the airport and shuttle them back. We also put out a nice food spread as I felt the two would be the classy thing to do. NOAH didn't have time to eat any food and the wrestlers were too nervous to eat any of it. Well hell, I wasn't going to let it go to waste. I ait all the damn food! It cost APW around $800 but ignore that! According to the Internet World, Roland Alexander and APW are a bunch of cheap bastards and never pay anyone!

Keep in mind, there would be nothing in it for APW other than exposure. Why? When Donovan Morgan left APW, he returned the cell phone with no chip and returned the front door key but he didn't leave the the Modest and Morgan Boot Camp contracts. Somehow the movers took a couple of Championship Belts and the Modest and Morgan files that had agreements stating we would TRAIN THEM FREE OF CHARGE in exchange for 15% of any income they generated. It would have been nice to get 15% of their weekly pay for the 5 years between 2001 and 2005. By the way, we never got anything from Crash Holly, Spike Dudley or Vic Grimes either yet the Internet is under some misconception that we have. I guess some people on the Internet don't have a life and hold a grudge for never being a part of the wrestling business.

Jason Deadrich, the other swine many people love to knock on the Internet because he is part of the APW Management. People are jealous of all his hard work done in APW over the years to earn his way to where he is in the pro wrestling industry. Afterall, the guy is responsible for www.clickwrestle.com and www.chickfight.tv and a board of director at Cauliflower Alley Club. For those that continue to knock him, you do so because you can't be him. Jason took a day away from his busy schedule (time and money) to assist me with the NOAH tryouts at the famous APW GARAGE. He helped gather resume statistics and pictures for NOAH Management. My memory doesn't even allow me to remember if one of the more famous Anderson brothers, Doug Anderson was there or not but damn, he should have been there helping us because according to the very bright Internet world, he owns part of APW. If this is the case and I don't know about it, maybe I should hit him up for some more investment money. It is amazing how some people know everything behind the scenes at APW and yet they have never set foot in the building but that is another story.

IDIOTS, my favorite people!

The tryout day came and we were organized. We had gone around the gym and taken down all the Antonio Inoki pictures and replaced them with Misawa pictures. My biggest surprise was yet to come. As we are pulling away in the limo after the tryouts, Mr. Misawa is sitting in the back of the limo and he lights up a cigarette. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. His translator, Ken (when you are super intelligent and bilingual, and speak better English than most Americans, always make sure you have a translator with you) said, "I hope you all don't mind but Mr. Misawa would like to excuse himself because he is going to have a cigarette". This is where I made my mistake. At this time, I should have had Donovan say, "Roland would like to tell Mr. Misawa excuse me but he is going to have Betty Beefcake hop in the limo, serve him some of his favorite food, Sushi and she will be bobbing on Mr. Alexanders knob". That would have blown Misawa away and he would have at least had a good laugh and said to himself, "It is so awesome to be a Japanese legend, in the U.S., riding around in a limo with a Carny Legend". Now that I think about it, I could have then had Betty Beefcake give him some bisquits and gravy. Can you imagine the photo op that would have been? Here I am, sitting in a limo after APW and its graduates impress Mr. Misawa with the tryouts and he is lighting a cigarette. This isn't any Japanese wrestler. This isn't Sandman. This is the fricking Japanese pro wrestling legend, probably one of the top 3 or 4 wrestlers in the history of Japanese pro wrestling if not the best. This is the guy who has done more 30 to 45 minute matches than you can count and here he is smoking a cigarette in his jean shorts in a limo in Hayward California at the famous APW GARAGE. You'll just never know what you will see behind the scenes in pro wrestling. At this time, I am thinking, "MISAWA IS GOD!" Shit, he probably had his knob bobbed on while in Vegas... well. Uh... Ummm... Strike that, Forget I even said that, K-Fabe. I don't want to get heat with them again for breaking K-Fabe. We leave the Garage to the airport and I am thinking to myself - I wonder what Legend Wrestler, President of Pro Wrestling Noah is thinking about right now as he pulls out of the famous APW GARAGE in a limo. He probably thinks we're all marks, and we were! But in the end after giving him several great tryout matches, he was probably drooling in his shorts because he had probably just witnessed the best trained Indy wrestlers he had seen in his trip to the U.S. and was more than happy to have APW save his scouting trip. I don't really believe he had discovered any decent wrestling talent during this first trip to the U.S. Oh, I am sure there was some talent he would use for political on tours for political reasons but none because of their God-given wrestling talent.

Mike Modest and myself booked the tryout matches and kept them short (5 minutes per their request). Of course, the tryout stealer was Modest VS. Morgan. I tried that match later in the year in Vallejo and it bombed because it was already 11 p.m. and Modest felt the fans were not as appreciative of pro wrestling in the states in the same manner they were in Japan so they went home after 11 minutes when they were supposed to go 24. They mailed it in! They certainly didn't mail it in at the Garage for the tryout and had Misawa cracking smiles in the front row of the Warzone where many a wrestling fan has witnessed some great wrestling. I hope Misawa understood APW history and what it meant to be sitting in that front row chair in the Warzone watching APW trained wrestlers. You think he knew he was sitting in the famous APW GARAGE home of many great GYM WARS shows? Throughout the tryouts, I kept an eye on all of them to see reactions. Most tried to be professional and keep a serious look on their faces and not give away their hand but MISAWA, of all people, broke a smile once or twice during the Modest/Morgan match and again later during the Jones/Bison match. The media was clicking away with pictures and filming the session as they used it later in a video release. I think they also used it on their television show.

Tony Jones and Bison Smith had the next best tryout match. They didn't take Jones because of his body and probably politics. I had a friend translate for me after the Jones tryout what they were saying in Japanese. My friend says Mr. Misawa was saying to Mr. Nagata, "I think if he builds the upper body, he is in the hunt"
I better be careful before Barry Blaustein accuses me of being dishonest again. I can't remember if Tony had been to BattleArts yet or not in 2001 but the politics back then were still somewhat a factor in Japanese pro wrestling decision making.

I know they had to love Christopher Daniels and his athleticism when he tried out against his trainer Kevin Quinn. Chris had done the Sushi gimmick with a smaller promotion, Micho-Pro. They probably felt it would be belittling to book him now that he has jobbed for a smaller promotion in Japan. They must have also felt Chris would be recognized by the very smart Japanese audience (I don't know why Pro Wrestling Noah was so big on practicing K-Fabe back in 2001. It isn't like they don't subscribe to the Pro Wrestling observer in Japan). They liked Kevin and his look and almost took him for the Jr. Tourney but decided they would take Jardi Frantz instead. Nothing against Jardi getting a shot but I couldn't figure out why they took Jardi instead of the impressive Vic Capri. Vic had a better body and was an unknown face in Japan and I believe he could have gotten over but later I found out it was a one-time tournament and they probably had no intentions of bringing back Jardi again. Again, politics might have played a factor because the newest Junior they would eventually push was MARAFUJI. They certainly wouldn't have wanted anyone from the U.S. in that tournament showing up their top Junior stars or Marafuji who was projected to be their next huge superstar. Hell, Kenta was still a student training and wasn't near being ready yet.

As talented as Vinny Massarro was, we all know his body does not look like HHH and that is probably why they didn't like him but he still got the biggest pop from Misawa and his group. He was certainly innovative. Modest and Donovan even bowed at the end of their match to Mr. Misawa to show respect. They took lots of notes during the tryout matches and they huddled to talk before stepping into my office.

After the tryouts Mr. Nagata, Mr. Misawa and Ken asked to meet with Modest and Donovan first with myself present. Mr. Misawa kept staring at Donovan. I have no idea why he kept staring but he was staring at him for the longest time. I think he was trying to picture what Donovan's cheeks and gut would look like when he wasn't on the juice. Later, they met with Bison and Jardi, one at a time. They probably chose to do it this way because all of them were on a different pay scale. Even though Modest was at a higher pay scale than Donovan, I believe they knew they were attached at the hip if not somewhere else. We went to my office where Ken translated for Misawa and said this: "I want to make sure you don't feel offended by the financial offers we will be making and remember, this is only an opening offer. Please don't feel insulted. This is only a starting point and Mr. Misawa wants to make sure you understand this". They made their offers to Modest, Morgan, Bison and Jardi. I figured the guys would come back with a much higher offer and eventually end up in the middle. I did not want to interfere with them for fear I may have cost them a booking and spot on the tours so I let them work their own deals. I probably should have been more involved.

For some strange reason, every one of them accepted the opening offer and I almost fell out of my chair when they did. I could understand Bison and Jardi taking what is being given to them and to a certain extent Donovan but Modest could have gotten them for another grand a week, if you want my opinion. The only thing I could think of is they were desperate. Sometimes, young Indy wrestlers are in a vulnerable position of accepting what is out there for them just to open a door. That might have been their attitudes on taking the opening offer. I felt they could have done much better becuase although Japan had been slowing down on International big-name talent and paying them the big bucks, some of that still existed in 2001. I know with Modest, he might have felt it was his last chance. We had gotten Mike a look with Jim Barnette when he came out to scout the Boot Camp and our wrestlers for WCW and Kevin Sullivan. Jim's word was gold because of the success he had promoting pro wrestling in the 60's in the U.S. and Australia. I heard the phone conversation he had with Sullivan at our show in San Leandro and he said, "I haven't seen him wrestle yet but I watched him teach the APW BOOT CAMP class and I can tell you based on that, he is a keeper". Sullivan said because it was Turner and they had to go through the corporate red tape, he would have to show up for a tryout in Florida but the job was his. J. J. Dillon would fax to APW an intent to sign agreement after the tryout in Florida and Mike should sign it and return it immediately. I believe they were scared Mike would go to WWE because they wanted Vic Grimes and Erin O'Grady (Crash Holly) earlier when Paul Orndorff had called the APW office in early 1998 but they had already made a commitment to WWE. Unfortunately, the Intent to sign never arrived as Sullivan got fired and everyone that was part of that regime got let go as well including J. J. Dillon. They brought in Vince Russo and he certainly wasn't going to keep anyone that was part of Sullivan's group and that included Modest. I didn't know anyone else in WCW so I waited till they let Russo go and then I turned to my good friend Red Bastien, current President of Cauliflower Alley Club to see who he knew in WCW. He asked if I knew Terry Taylor and I said no. He said he'd call Taylor and try to set something up. He was able to set up a NITRO tryout through Taylor and Mike could bring anyone in for the tryout. Hell, we chose Christopher Daniels and to his credit, even after seriously injuring himself during the tryout, he continued the match with his arm and shoulder just hanging. They both received a standing ovation when they got back to the dressing room and were given contracts. Three months later, WCW was going out of business and WWE bought them. Vince McMahon had just hired most of the ECW wrestlers when ECW went bankrupt and now he had to take as many big-name WCW guys as he could and a guy like Modest was out in the cold again. That could have been a reason Modest jumped at the first offer. I am not saying he could have gotten much more but he could have gotten at least a grand a week more. The money lower level guys were getting was about twice what Modest accepted. At first I thought Donovan was lucky because I felt he was taken by NOAH only because they thought they had to to get Modest but later it was easy to see they wanted to market them as a tag-team.

I was very excited for everyone involved but on the way to the airport, they said they wanted Jardi to start on the very next tour which was a Jr. tournament. When I asked when that tour started, they said Jardi would have to be on a plane first thing in the morning because he had to fly to Hawaii first to get the visa. Here I am thinking Jardi would swim if he had to. On the way back from the airport after dropping Mr. Misawa and his group off, I made travel reservations for Jardi. As tradition, he had to fly to Hawaii to get his Visa and once it was ready 2 or 3 days later, he would fly to Japan for his first tour. Modest and Donovan would go on the next tour. Jardi had no money so I put it on my credit card and fronted Jardi the money until NOAH could reimburse me the flight several weeks later. Another example of how much of a piece of crap I can be to the boys. Don't believe me, listen to a shoot interview or two when you get a chance.

My next blog will have part 2 of the Pro Wrestling Noah story. I will tell you why I think the relationship with APW ended, how PWI was involved. I will also tell you about my trip to Japan to visit PRO WRESTLING NOAH to watch Modest, Donovan and Bison wrestle. While there, Mr. Misawa, the translator and myself sat in Mr. Misawa's office and talked business for almost 2 hours about KING OF INDIES and our business relationship, I will talk about that meeting. Tune in to find out how David Meltzer plays a part in all of this? I'll even tell you about running into Samoa Joe at one of the shows on the tour and how politics played into that meeting. Learn about why NOAH pulled out of KING OF INDIES or at least the reason given by Mr. Misawa. I'll even reveal the contents of the letter I wrote to Mr. Misawa and Mr. Nagata after the relationship with APW had ended and how American Dragon, Spanky, Doug Williams, Low Ki played a factor in Modest and Morgan leaving APW and my theory about how they all played a part in our relationship with Pro Wrestling Noah going sour.

I look forward to your comments and to my next blog...