News and Views: 7/24/13

-- firstly, a quick update on the status of Wrestlefudge TV LIVE; after suffering an equipment-related set-back that truly caught us off guard, we are happy to say that the equipment in question is in the process of being repaired (thankfully covered under warranty!) and we hope to be back on the air soon. Early August for sure. Thankfully, with the exception of a few major developments from the CT scene, the NY area (and the promotions and performers under our musty umbrella) has been quiet. Eerily quiet. More on that in a moment...

-- how about Real Warrior Entertainment, eh? They explode on the CT scene with ambitious shows and aggressive "name" booking, backed up by some of THE best in our area. Literally a who's-who! By all accounts, their shows so far have been fun and different. The recent Bobby Ocean story is disappointing and they recently "postponed" an even scheduled for August 2nd. More interesting to me is the fact that they've been running shows for less than a month and already have 4,600+ Facebook likes. How much did THOSE cost? (I'm kidding. Right?) I have to admit, despite any of the NEGATIVE press RWE has had, overall it appears to ABSOLUTELY be a promotion to follow.

-- In early July, Craig Andrews - the man behind RWE - started a website whose intent was to cover all of the news/promotion of independent wrestling in CT, "drama-free". So far all there is are links to RWE, CTWE, PWA, and NEFW (no love for WrestleJam? Sheesh!) No news and/or promotion yet but it might be a site worth bookmarking, perhaps? I look forward to seeing (if/when it gets off the ground) how long it remains "drama-free". That rarely happens in Connecticut, we have learned. Overall, a VERY cool idea. Say what you want, but I dig the guys enthusiasm for the business.

-- at the last WOH Wrestling event at the Whitehall Athletic Club in May, they announced a return to the WAC on July 26th. Since that day, there has been zero promotion and basically radio silence from the promotion. We have reached out to World of Hurt officials several times in several different ways and have still yet to hear back from them but after contacting the Whitehall Athletic Club directly we can confirm that there will NOT be a show there this Friday night. We are hearing whispers and rumors of a show in August - with the added inference that we can expect this show to be held in an entirely different venue. I am waiting for an official word from Athletic Club officials on this, but it appears as though the relationship between World of Hurt and the WAC has reached an end. If this is the case, this is EXTREMELY disappointing because WOH had truly made this venue their own. What a fantastic place to see a live wrestling event. The Athletic Club staff has been friendly, courteous, etc... We are hoping this isn't true. If we hear ANYTHING on this (and we have been asked countless times by countless people), we will report it here. Alternately, if any readers have any insight or info on this, please email me at Paul@Wrestlefudge.com.

Bobby Ocean and RWE Publicly Part Ways/RWE Responds

Longtime friend of the 'fudge and undoubtedly one of the hardest working men in local independent professional wrestling, BOBBY OCEAN, took to Facebook earlier this week and quite publicly cut ties with Real Warrior Entertainment and their "School of Hardknocks" institution, where he had served as Head Trainer. What follows is Ocean's original post wherein he gives his side of things:

"As stated in a pervious post I am no longer affiliated with RWE or their school. The one thing I hate someone who can not be upfront and honest with me. I am not upset at the fact that I am no longer with affiliated with them or their school. I am going to spit the truth here because the one thing I don't do is bullshit. Craig Margelony (Craig Andrews)the owner/promoter/booker has no wrestling sense what so ever, money mark, and is disrespectful. Supposedly he has been promoting for 3 years out in Florida true or not I can't really say. But you would think someone would listen to a guy who has been in this for 13-14 years wrong. Note that there was a promotion before the school was even established talk about things done the wrong way. They wanted to build the promotion around me in which I unbooked myself from the dates seeing as how the focus should not be on me but the younger guys the ones who haven't been able to be seen. I gave a list of talent in which was not looked at. RWE felt that people should be contacting them for bookings. Here's how disrespectful this particular person during some conversations Craig Margelony tells me that I should be grateful for him allowing me to have a school or students. Mind you I have may not have had a school but I was working with wrestlers in other places. He says I can be replaced and that the people will come whether its Bobby Ocean's name on the school or someone else. I also heard he spoke disrespectfully about me and my work in the ring. Then there are security cameras placed in the school which obviously says he does not trust anyone. I got a text message on Monday night saying I need the key for the school when I asked the reason he says I need to close down the school we are not getting enough students in here, the cost is to much, and he is looking for other locations. I'm not happy about this seeing as how the students are getting screwed out of this. Key was returned and no sooner than that people tell me that Justin Credible is the new head trainer. No heat there what so ever. I consider Justin Credible good peoples regardless of what others may say of his past I am happy that he is doing well and consider him a friend. My thing in the whole matter is for someone to lie to my face and have nothing but crap come out of their mouth."

We reached out to RWE management for comment. RWE Owner, Craig Andrews, was quick to respond. That response follows:

"Very simply we are going another direction. Bobby Ocean is a great worker and we believed in his ability to run our school. RWE Wrestling Dojo is in the process of looking for another venue this is true. We did not get as many sign ups initially as we had hoped. So Bobbys statement on us closing this location and looking for another more cost effective option is true.

Bobby and RWE did not always see eye to eye but we still feel Bobby Ocean is a great wrestler and trainer. The school is equipped with video surveillance for security. On the evening of July 9th RWE staff went to the school to put up the ring ropes that were off the ring for maintenance, upon arrival the ropes were already up. Curious of who put the ropes up we ran back the video. The footage shows Bobby entering the school walking to the back area (where the cameras operate from) and then video security was interrupted for about 3 hours. When security came back on it showed Bobby leaving the back area, ropes were up and he proceeded to lock up. We felt it was not only unprofessional but uncalled for the head trainer to interrupt our security to the building. When we asked Bobby his reply was " What you don't trust me" As a business owner all my companies have security and under no circumstances does staff ever interfere with this. Not only is it a safety measure but a security measure as I am just trying to protect my investment. It also helps to know who is training in our facilities on what days and who is required to make payments for service.

To date the numbers are not accurate for student payments and company reimbursements from the trainer. Its hard enough we are In a difficult economy. We want to provide a facility for everyone in the business to have cost effective access to. We certainly want all who are interested in the classes to partake, or trained wrestlers to practice before show days but we need payment to keep the facilities available to everyone. For trained wrestlers its just $10 to use the Dojo, for students our rates can be found on RWEWrestling.com

We try to have very competitive rates while providing the absolute best facilities independent wrestling has to offer."

Interesting.

It's important, I feel, to point out that RWE did not directly respond to the rumor that Justin Credible would serve as their Dojo's new Head Trainer. Interestingly enough, Credible has recently been added to the list of names appearing on upcoming RWE events, as well as receiving a prominent spot on some of their latest promo posters. The other thing that jumps out to me is how Andrews began his statement with "very simply we are going another direction" and yet, clearly by his own continued explanation there was more behind this than just a simple "change of direction".

Oh, CT wrestling drama... Do you ever STOP?

We are hopeful that we can hear from BOTH sides of this issue and maybe even squash some beef on a future episode of WrestlefudgeTV LIVE. Stay tuned for more on this story and other developing news in our area and the world of local indy wrestling!

WrestleArt.Com Presents SUPERSTAR PROFILE: "The Spectacle" Adam Badger

Q: What made you want to be a professional wrestler?

A: When I was a kid, I think it was the characters. The realness of it all really captivated me. It's not like Power Rangers or Batman cartoons or movies. There are no special effects, edits or computer animations, just a bad guy and a good guy fighting for what they believe in, in front of a huge crowd. I would get so caught up in it and swept away. There's nothing else I have seen that's given me that same feeling. In some ways it has numbed me to a lot of things I guess. As I got older, I never grew out of it. I said when I was 7 that I wanted to be a wrestler, and that's never changed. It's the belief that I can achieve these amazing things and fight for what I believe in that made me want to be wrestler. Forgive me if a ramble, I do that occasionally.

Q: Was getting in the ring for the first time what you expected?
A: As far as the pain, it was definitely more than I expected, but not much more because I knew it would be very painful. I was 18 when I first did in-ring training at Chaotic Wrestling in Lowell, MA, and most other guys there were marking out. I wasn't because I had known I would end up in a ring since I was 7. I just had to wait a long 11 years. (Laughs)

Q: How important is it to look the part?

A: It is important, but not as important as personality. When you say "look the part," it doesn't always mean physique-wise. You have to carry yourself as a professional, have professional looking gear, behave like you are SOMEBODY, and look like you know what you are doing. That's how you can captivate a little kid into believing in your match. So yes, look is very important. Wrestling is an art, its subjective, so there are a lot of grey areas. If you are not in shape, you have crap gear, and no mic skills, then you're not a pro. This all applies to backstage as well as in the ring, in my opinion.

Q: Is there any person you wouldn't want to see on the other side of Adam Badger vs. __ ?

A: Yes, there are definitely people who make you face palm yourself when you see you are booked against them. If you think you are one of these guys, then you probably are. Someone that doesn't take it seriously or is lazy are my biggest pet peeves. I won't call out people though.

Q: Is there a match of yours (good or bad) that stands out in your mind? Why?

A: My match with Scotty Too Hotty in Maine stands out because it gave me confidence that I could keep up with a guy that has his amount of experience. It taught me about timing and pacing. I feel like the strap match I have on May 24 against Eric Alden will standout in a very good way.

Q: How important is it for you to make money in wrestling?

A: Right now, learning and getting experience are my main concerns. I never got into wrestling thinking about money. Obviously, making a living in this is the goal because that comes along with "making it," but my motivations are not monetarily driven. I want to make a mark, prove that I made the right decision when I chose to follow my dreams and prove society and the conventions of normal life wrong. The only reason I want to make money wrestling is because then I could put my full day to day life into becoming a better wrestler.

Q: Have you achieved all of your goals you set when you first embarked on this journey?

A: No I haven't, and that's what keeps me up at night. I'll never settle or admit that I can't do it because I believe that I can "make it." I take it so seriously and want it so badly that it hurts sometimes. I have taken a lot loved ones for granted, skipped a lot of get-togethers, quality time and hurt relationships in my pursuit. As of right now I barely have even a small fraction of a fraction of the goals I've set for myself.

Q: Are there any indy wrestlers or tag teams you feel are ready for the big time?

A: I have met guys who I could see in the big time. "Big Time" Bill Collier (no pun intended), a friend of mine from PA. He's a tall, built, strong, athletic dude with charisma, great in-ring as well. I think Joe Sidusky from World Of Hurt has great in-ring skills and a good look. If he got out there, he could go far. I know he is in ROH which is big, but I am a fan of Tomasso Ciampa and he could be on an even bigger stage. I think Mike Mondo should be back in WWE as well. He actually went to the same high school as me in Medford, NY, and they had his picture in the hallway when he was in Spirit Squad. I was 16 and that always made it seem real, like wow, a guy from here made it. I have a soft spot for him. I've never met him, and I doubt he'll read this, but that always stuck out and inspired me.

Q: What is the importance of taping your match for your own personal use?

A: It's a very productive tool if used right. Don't watch just to mark out for yourself. See what you did right, what you could do better, and what you suck at. Wrestling is an art and if you were a musician you would listen to your recordings. If you don't like your own song, chances are most other people won't either.

Q: What's your most embarassing moment in the ring or on the road?

A: I had a match in Maine where we got booed out of the place. I was less experienced then and it was just the wrong match for the wrong crowd. It was an old school crowd, and a young stupid spot-filled match. It was so embarrassing, but I learned from it, and it made me better. At the time though, I should've been on suicide watch... just kidding, but close.

Q: If you could switch careers with any wrestler (professional or independent) who would it be and why?

A: I don't wanna switch just yet. I wanna see where I end up first. There are tons of wrestlers in better positions than I am, but they all have their own unique journey, and I want mine as well.

Q: Wrestling boots or shoes?

A: Boots, definitely.

Q: Wrist tape or no wrist tape?

A: I like wrist tape better, but I also can dig the old school no wrist tape look. It depends on the wrestler. I switch it up.

Q: Tag or singles?

A: I think at heart everyone likes singles, but I like both. It's art. They are just two different types of stories and both are beautiful when done right. If a booker asks, it's "whatever you need me to be."

Q: Do independent championship titles mean anything to you?

A: Yes. They should. Again, there are a lot of grey areas. If the promoter and/or booker takes pride in their fed and their titles, then their rosters should follow suit. If it's some crap fed where anyone and their mother gets a belt cuz they live next door to the booker, then no, it probably doesn't mean much. It's the difference between winning a trophy and the "everyone gets a trophy for participating" league.

Q: I hate, hate, FUCKING HATE when wrestlers don't use the tag ropes, or promoters don't provide tag ropes. I see this as something that's wrong with wrestling on the independent level. What is something that rubs you the wrong way about the indies?

A: Aesthetically, I don't like when the ring is filthy looking or the fed has a shitty looking set up. I don't like how a lot of indy feds don't take the safety of the wrestlers seriously. If your ring is dangerous make the boys aware of exactly what they should avoid doing. I despise when untrained people are given spots as if its a walk-on beer league. Again...safety. But all of this in the end, whether its tag ropes, dirty rings, crappy wrestling/wrestlers, etc., are things that compromise the integrity of your show and of the whole sport. When we were all kids, we got captivated by wrestling. Now imagine you as a kid, going to a local wrestling show, and the setup was crap, the ring was dirty, bad wrestlers were doing bad wrestling in that dirty ring. It would be like when you found out there was no Santa. The magic is gone, the innocence is gone. Think of how many kids may have gotten turned off of wrestling cause of a shit show they went to run by some gypsy promoter booking his fat friends. It could've been the next Cena or Austin, you never know. That kid's dad is trusting you with his hard earned money, but that kid is trusting all of us with his innocence, his untainted view of this captivating world of pro wrestling. To him you might be the closest he ever gets to the WWE, so always act as such. It's not about your friends, your ego, your moves, or money, it's about keeping the magic alive. Every time a crap half-assed show gets put on, you're spitting in the face of whoever captivated you and got you to follow your dreams. There are a lot of shitty people you'll meet through wrestling, and there are politics and all that stuff you hear about, but the kids don't know about any of that. Wrestling gave me dreams, goals, it got me into weight lifting and kept me away from drugs and alcohol. I have never smoked a cigarette, never been drunk, never touched any drugs, all because I wanted to stay on track. Wrestling was there for me when I was a kid going through a rough childhood. My pursuit of my dreams has molded me into who I am and wrestling is responsible for giving me the courage to follow my dreams. That's who we are to every kid who goes to a show. We can give him a reason to pursue his dreams and keep him on track. So remember that, whoever is reading this.....

If you have questions you would like to submit for future interviews or have interest in a certain guest, e-mail:

wrestleart.com@gmail.com

(Michael Anthony is the artistic genius behind WrestleArt.com and has been a friend and Contributing Corespondent to Wrestlefudge.com for some time! Be sure to check out the WrestleArt Facebook page and give it a "LIKE"!)