----I have sit here since both the Brody Hawk and Tony Watts interviews were posted just soaking in the banter. Hollywood Jimmy’s board has been hot with lots of thoughts going back and forth. I am the subject of much scrutiny because I actually stir the shit, but in reality, I just did a story. No, I did not go out and interview Brody or Tony. You don’t have to spend 30 pages of text to tell a story. The story had been broiling for almost a month and I talked with everyone involved – not interviewed them, but talked with them. Everyone, but Tony Watts.
----It was around 2 days after the original story broke that Tony Watts called me. He was a nice guy. You could tell he was a bit pissed at me, but he never raised his voice. He told me the whole story about the concession stands and how Brody never helped clean the building. I promised him when Axeman did the interviews that I would present his point of view. The story I wrote was based on facts and my opinion without knowing Tony Watts.
----So, after his call, I am at a point to where I am thinking I probably should have got his point of view, before I published my story. BUT, after the interview, I knew at that point I had made the right decision. I stick 100% behind my story. All facts have been double checked and if you read the interviews, the story reads almost like a summary of them. The only thing is that I had an opinion and it was that I wouldn’t work for Watts.
----I was also told that Watts [and this came from more than one source] told everyone that would listen that he called my house and told me he was going to whip my ass. This all goes back to the backstabbing and pity stuff. Watts never did that and was a nice guy.
----I have no heat with Watts and will work future shows with him, when he is booked as a ref and me as an announcer. I actually feel apathy for him. Here is a guy that seems to have passion about the business, but has no idea what he is getting into. I really see someone down the road – as in the next few months – taking advantage of him. When he made statements about not telling anyone until two weeks before the show started made it crystal clear to me that Watts was in the dark about promoting.
----So, where does this leave the whole situation?? Well, Brody Hawk & Mike Jones start Real Pro Wrestling in Ecru,MS on August 4, 2007. Watts’ next XOW show has not been confirmed, but I am hearing Independence, MS. That is about an hour from Ecru. Is that a far enough distance, so both promotions could use the same talent?? Maybe, but only if Watts can get a booker that can be trusted [and remember he wanted more control of XOW] would I let guys work both promotions.
----A point that seems to be taken way out of context is that it was not the Watts/Hawk heat that made Hawk say, “you work there, I can’t use you here..”. It was the fact, like I said in the original article; you can not have the same talent working in the same area at all the shows that are 20 minutes apart. And, if they book one worker as a main event guy, then the next promotion jobs him. That is what is killing the business for indy wrestling in that area.
----My final note is that – the final thing I will say about this stuff. I will cover RPW and I hope to continue to cover XOW. I think the worst thing about the interviews was Tony Watts questioning whether someone had cancer or not. That was dirty. I have been told that Watts has called and apologized to Cynthia about that and it was well needed. He also needs to call up Axeman or me and work up some kind of public apology for that.
