----Tim Robertson, better known as Tank in this area, has his own views on the Mo letters, Dustin Starr and indy wrestling in general.
Tank recently was NBW champion and has worked for 9 years in this business.
He actually worked many shows for me in Malden, MO an
d was an all around good person.
Even though I was not one to pay lots of money [we were not drawing big crowds], Tank was always there to wrestle.
He has improved to being an asset to any of the promotions in this area and I do feel he has “untapped” abilities.
He is believable as a monster and actually knows psychology, which I hope I can claim was part of my teaching.
Here is what he had to say.
First off let me say that these are my own comments. They are not endorsed by NBW regardless of how they may or may not feel on this situation.
I think that this whole matter is a bunch of bullshit! It is not ones own judgment that wills against them. It is the judgment of their peers. Who is to say that a person is worth a certain x amount of dollars? The booker? The promoter? The worker requesting the money? What about the other workers in a locker room that feel they deserve more than they are getting, but never complain? It goes back to the whole situation of "whose friend or boy you are". Friends get treated a lot better than acquaintances in the wrestling business. That’s for damn sure. Your friends look out for you and tell you when they think you are getting screwed. Don’t they? Well in the past 9 years in this business I can attest to one thing. There is no such thing as a "friend" in a wrestling locker room. Some may disagree. That’s your opinion just like this is mine. Outside of the ring you may be best friends with someone but when it comes down to you or them to get a so called push what do you think they are going to do? They are going to backstab you right out of it as soon as they get the chance. That’s just business right?
Who is to say that a person deserves to be in the wrestling business? Certainly not anyone from this area, with the exception of just a handful. Dustin Starr, you made the statement about how you feel a certain individual should do everyone a favor and just quit wrestling. Who in the hell are you to be passing judgment? In my eyes and a lot of other people I have spoken with - you are nothing more than everyone else in every little promotion in this area at best. So you have been on Memphis Television. Big fuckin deal. So have I. So you went to do a couple of spots with WWE. Ok, let’s break that up shall we. The ones that come to mind are, your very quick J.O.B.on Smackdown and lets not forget the whole security guard angle where you couldn't even take a superkick right. But its not the way you looked when you were doing it, it’s just the fact that you did it, right? You haven’t done a damn thing special that sets you apart from anyone else so where do you get off telling someone that they need to give up their dream? I know that I sure as hell wouldn't give up my dream just because somebody who thinks their hot shit told me so.
I know what everyone else is thinking right now. Tank is fat, he can't work, and he has no room to talk about anybody. That may be true, but I'm living my dream regardless of what anyone thinks about me. I've been in the ring with Lawler, Dundee, Bundy, Brickhouse, Valiant, Bass, R-n-R, Eaton. Regardless of the money that was paid to me for those matches, the workers with the established Names drew all those shows not me. I understand that, but at least I was fortunate enough to be a part of it. I was called for those shows by word of mouth not because I'm arrogant and cocky and think I'm the best. I know I'm not the best but at least if I never do anything else in this business, I have lived my dream. I have had the honor of being in the ring with a lot of my childhood heroes. The only thing that I was thinking about when I was working those matches is that I wish my father was there to see this. He would be so proud. But I had the privilege of fulfilling his dreams thru me. That was pay enough.
Now the money situation is really none of my business. But I will say my peace. I think that if someone is able to bring in hundreds of people for a show then they deserve their asking price if it's not outrageous. But there is not a single person in this area, with a couple of exceptions that have ever drawn a house on their name alone. So my question is. How in the hell can someone working the independents have a "guarantee" if they can't draw the house? I have never seen a building in Dyersburg fill up on the names of anyone around here. Hell, Shane Douglas was at the entertainment center and there was still room for more people. I have also never seen anyone in Ripley draw a full house on just their name. Not even Dundee or White. Now who in the hell has the right to have a guarantee if they can’t put asses in the seats. What? Are you worth a certain amount of money just because you think so? Not hardly. I may have not been to the mountain top, but neither have the majority of the workers in the West Tennessee area. A couple of low budget spots don’t count. I do what I am told and that’s that. I get my money, regardless of what it is, and I go on to the next show. If that’s a crime for not bitching and moaning about the amount of money I get then so be it. I'm doing what I love and that’s all that matters to me.
The talent pool in Tennessee is endless. There are a hell of a lot of talented guys and gals just waiting to get their shot. Then theirs some of the talent that think their hot stuff just because they have been granted a few spots and look down on others for not getting theirs. That is BullShit! Just because some talent has not gotten their chance to shine, does that make them less talented than anyone? No. Just because some people have been out of the country to wrestle, does that make then better? No. It may make them more experienced, but not better. Experience does not necessarily make someone better. There are guys that bust their asses for 20 or 30 years in this business that most people look down upon today. Many that does not meet the expectations of the current talent roster. Workers that think they are better than the ones that helped paved the way. Well that is bullshit in any aspect.
Just remember this; a lot of the guys from the Ripley locker room are originally from the Dyersburg locker room. They just left because they thought the grass was greener. Which in my opinion, it wasn't. So be careful of how you talk about talent pools in another locker room because that doesn’t look too good on the locker room they are working in right now. Regardless of how much money anyone makes. Regardless of where they go to wrestle. Regardless of whom they meet along the way. Everyone is equal in my opinion, some just more experienced, but no better. That is what is wrong with the independent scene now is that everyone is trying to compete. And for what? The independents might be a stepping stone to get to the top, but don’t let other workers be the stones you cast along the way.
d was an all around good person. Even though I was not one to pay lots of money [we were not drawing big crowds], Tank was always there to wrestle. He has improved to being an asset to any of the promotions in this area and I do feel he has “untapped” abilities. He is believable as a monster and actually knows psychology, which I hope I can claim was part of my teaching. Here is what he had to say.