PRELUDE
----It posted the following when I returned from Mississippi about this story - "Even if you are not part of the Mississippi wrestling scene, you will enjoy this story – it includes all the backstabbing, talent robbing, women fighting in the parking lot bullshit that you will have grown to love on this site." I was accused by my buddy Axeman of "getting off" on stuff like this. Not sure if that is the right term, but this story at been in the making for over two weeks. And it actually gives the readers - not all workers - an insight of what goes on in small promotions.
THE STORY
----You know I have talked before many times about the wrestling business being a backstabbing business. You have very few friends in this business. When I owned part of CCW I had my other owners – my “friends” - take the wrestling ring and hide it from me, because my ex-wife had made some comment about getting out of the business. It was all done behind my back and with all said and done – I actually still consider those guys friends. I actually have very few friends that are not in one way or another associated with the wrestling business. I have two friends that I went to high school with that I still keep in touch with, but my other friends consider pretty much of guys in wrestling.
----Brody Hawk helped get Tony Watts in this business. Watts had planned to run only one show under his XOW [Extreme Outlaw Wrestling] name. Hawk talked his friend into starting a weekly show and they worked week in and week out to put on a show in a market that is totally flooded with wrestling. It’s much like the Tennessee area, but within a 40 minute or closer drive, you can have 4 or 5 shows running every weekend. On 3.15.07, this group celebrated its 2cnd Anniversary and that is a major feat in it’s self.
----Some trouble started brewing earlier this year when I was told that allegedly on one of the All Pro Productions shows that a lot of money was missing and Tony’s wife – Tammy - was the culprit. I was told that she was allegedly caught “red handed” with $80 taking from the XOW till. Brody Hawk had to put a padlock on the refrigerator at the building, so the Watts family would quit eating and drinking up the concessions. Even though you might trust your friend, if you can’t trust their family, then there is no way you can do business with them.
----I had been hearing rumors around 2 weeks before the benefit show that something was going to happen. Tony Watts was positioning himself to take full control of the building and to get the license renewed in the XOW name. One of the area workers had this to say about the situation – “Just another prime example of wrestling politics and backstabbing....someone works with another guy doesn’t like what there role is in the show gets pissed and leave to start his own show to run the other guy outta business.”
----Sammy Hall showed up to register new licenses and due to the fact of some miscommunication, Brody Hawk [after hearing bout Watts’ plans] was not able to get a license under the XOW name. Watts showed up first and continued with his name. You got to remember this was Watts’ name, but Brody had been booking the shows for over 2 years. Brody first registered the new license in his name with “Xpress Outlaw Wrestling”, but due to the fact that if you own a promoter’s license in the state of Mississippi you can’t wrestle on his own show that has changed. The promotion is now in his girlfriend’s name – Cynthia Jones - the organization is being called XWO – “XTreme Wrestling Organization” Brody also has full control of the building now.
----Also leading up to the benefit show, there was talk that Tony Watts was going to try to stop the benefit, because I believe it was under his license. Cooler heads did prevail and the benefit did take place. But, guess what?? After the show, Watts’ family decided to come over to try to start shit. They even called the landlord of the building to tell him that Brody was taking stuff out of the building. Tell me if it is only me, but someone has to be low – scum of the freakin earth – to try to do anything to try to tamper with a benefit. I don’t care what your personal feelings towards anybody is, but when a person has cancer and the boys are trying to do a benefit for her, then you don’t stick your fuckin nose in to try to start shit. Not before, not during and not after the show.
----So what happens now?? Tony Watts takes his license and rumors are he is going to run shows on Friday nights in Pontotoc, MS. I have been told he has a money man and even offered a few of the guys on the All Pro show on Friday night $100 to work his shows. How long that could last before the money mark is tired of losing money?? Watts said to some people that he wanted to get away from Brody so he could have more control over the show and make some of the money. WTF?? Do the math on the gates – until you draw 80-120 people a week, you are just going to break even. All the promotions in that area usually don’t draw over 250 in total.
----As I said to a few of the workers this weekend, the Pontotoc-Ecru-New Albany area is a small pie to try to draw crowds. It seems that the XOW promoting was starting to do well in Ecru, but now with someone else trying to get some of the pie, then everyone’s piece just gets smaller. There has even been talk of a Thursday show in driving distance of these groups. Proof positive – that all it takes to run a show these days is a ring, a building and some money. You don’t even have to be a worker or even have real workers on your show. I really hope the current new XWO crew in Ecru stick to their guns and stay with Brody. No promoter, if smart, will book talent that can work all three shows. The talent pool on Friday night will be thin as TFW has the best talent in the area on Friday nights. And if you work for the new XOW, then you will not work XWO. It would not be good business to showcase the same talent every night of the week.
----Oh yea, remember the part about having friends in this business?? You know when I finally sold CCW to Steve Creasy and ended my days of promoting, Creasy quickly tried to get all the guys from the old CCW crew to work for him. Some of them did and I don’t hold that against them. He promised money and then backed out on a lot of that. But, guess what two guys told him no? They told him no, because they knew he had screwed me and I had treated them good. Brody and Cody Hawk. They are both stand up guys. That can not be said about a guy like Tony Watts. He is the friend that backstabs you and does stuff behind your back. Just a final thought – if you are a worker in this area, which kind of guy do you want to work for?? Or has it got so bad that friendship really doesn’t matter anymore??
