----This past weekend the RWA dropped down to normal numbers of 100-120. I am not gloom and doom about this, there is something that this group did that week that made it succeed. From all accounts the people that was there was also treated to a good show. But, as it was proved last week when there was a Monster Truck show in town, it really doesn’t matter if you are giving the fans what they want to see; right?? How did 150 fans less show up this week?? What kind of advertising and such did this promotion do that they did not do this week? Jerry Lawler said in his talk with us last weekend that advertising was the key to wrestling in this area. I agree 100%. You have to advertise not just one week – you have to do it every week. You have to remind people that you are there no matter what. Posters in high traffic places – EVERY week. We will just have to wait and see how the crowd is in the next few weeks. Was this one show that drew 250+ a fluke or the start of something good??
----I have been avid reader of the Hollywood jimmy board for the last few weeks. Mainly after everything that happened and a “BT must die” note, I just thought it might be in my best interest to keep up with things. To Jimmy’s credit and I do this as much as possible, he does delete the death threats and such. He also tried his best to keep the Lord Huey rumors off the board, but they keep piling in. There was more than one post about this and it just comes off showing just the mentality of people that write on message boards. I did not say ALL people; just some are as dumb as a bag of hair. The questioning of who cares about how many people a show draws and just put on a good show for the fans made me laugh. Why do we care how many people they draw?? Wrestling is a business. The main goal should be to make some money. Ask Kenny Valiant why he promotes wrestling?? I do not doubt that Kenny loves the business, but he does like making money also. As I said when I stated the new policy of this site, the workers that read this site want to know if the shows are drawing. If they are not drawing, then the promoter can not pay money out.
----A name is just a name; right?? A little more was made of this than really needed to be, but Shawn Reed on “Shooting the Shiznit” stated that the team that should be recognized in this area as the “Southern Saints” would be him, Reno Diamond and Marcus O’Neil. Were they the original? Nah. But, this is the team that he plans to take with him to other places such as CHIKARA or other big shows. I understand his point. I mean you wouldn’t want anyone mixing up the two teams. Instead of a big controversy and who said what, Chris Styles and Josh Matthews have decided to be called “Sons of the South” now. I think it shows a class act for everyone involved, instead of keeping bs going like happens a lot in this business. I may be like a lot of people though, I think all five guys have talent and wish them the best of luck.
----Where is the RRO Best Promotion” of 2006 and 2007 headed?? The attendance has been just average this year and not much has put a shot in their arm. The UWL PPVs are going to benefit the workers for the exposure, but will it hurt TLCW in the long run?? Derrick King and Stan Lee, known also as “Hot Topic”, will be out every other week to do the PPVs. They are two of the top babyfaces and lots of fans come to the shows just to see them. Will the TLCW fans “catch on” and only start coming every other week?? Flash Flanagan is the man in charge with Lee/King gone, so the booking should stay steady. I do know the “POB” are scheduled to have a small run here, if everything stays “worked out”, as they were stressing being able to pay them for a long run. “Aslyum” [Pappy/Psycho/Arnez] have plans in coming in and I do know a few others have been talked to. Tatt2 is gone working RWA and the last time he was in Ripley, he was not getting the response he had before. This promotion is in a rebuilding phase of using new talent and trying to achieve their “best promotion” status.
----I would like to end this “Coach’s Corner” with a rant of sorts. I have heard some really constructive criticism about Yearbook 2007 and I do appreciate everything that has been said. There will be some changes in Yearbook 2008, but the “meat” of it will stay the same. There has been some “rumbles” in various dressing rooms about me making money off of area workers by putting their names and photos in the book without their permission. The photos in the book were approved by the people that took the pics. They are their property much like Brittany Spears crotch photos are sold on the net. Other photos posted on the site are fair game, because I feel if you didn’t have a problem with me using it during the year on the site, then what is the deal with me using it now?? I counted 4 photos that were taken from myspace photos that I did not actually ask the person about using them. Since the publication of the book, none of that has been brought to my attention as a problem. I hear the main complaint is that I am making money off the book?? Why is that a problem with anyone?? I do not sell a copy of the book to a person just because ONE photo of YOU is in the book. How is it that I owe someone something for writing about them?? Reviewing the year?? Has anyone in the past put anything close to this together about this area?? Do you not see that this is about my love of the business, not about money. If you are so hard up to think that I am making TONS of money off of this, then you are welcome to come to my house and look at my sales and loses. And, if you are one of those workers that don’t want their photo in the book, then e-mail me. You will be removed and I will put more photos of myself. I ask one worker this weekend, “Do I have heat with you because your picture is in the book?” He responded, “ The heat you have is that you didn’t put enough pictures of me.” When all is said and done, my 60 hours of labor are going to equal less than minimum wage for doing the book. But, as one of my closest friends in the biz said, “If you are getting heat, then you are over.”
