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!