BellaOnline Forums Sports Wrestling Q & A for Patty

Patty,

This question comes from a few comments in other posts.
At one stage there were heaps of Wrestling Magazines, and I read and collected a few of them. My fav was PWI.

After the death of ECW and WCW, what was the fall out on those magazines? How did the one you worked for go (not WCW magazine, the other one)? And PWI?

Also, I'm sure most Mag Editors saw the wrting on the wall re WCW (and themselves), but did many really know what was going on before things finally came to a head, or were they suprised along with the rest of us?

Tikus

As far as magazines go, once WWE bought out the other two, they stopped just about everyone from being able to produce a wrestling magazine.

They allow PWI a little access because it is a mark mag. When I worked for WOW, we were not allowed to speak to anyone in WWE. I had to talk to them then say I heard, or it was reported even when they told me themselves. I could call relatives. Like I did an interview/column about Brian James. I wasn't allowed to speak to Brian so I called Bullet Bob and a few Armstrong brothers and put together a very good piece but would have liked to have had Brian (Road Dogg) speak. (That interview is on the net too. Patty Therre Wow Road Dogg may bring it up. It was a good piece about Brian in the war and how he killed someone and never was the same. I loved that story.)

WWE won't give ringside access to magazines. Only a couple Japanese mags. So when I worked for WOW or Wrestling World, we went through hell getting pics. I mean it was like a sting operation to get a pic of someone for a story.

Slowly, the mags were dying because they couldn't talk to most of the talent, couldn't get good pics, and couldn't compete with WWE - just as WWE wants.

With PowerSlam, they hate us because we sell better than they do in the UK/Europe area. The pics we use have to be obtained at press conferences, signings, whatever. We do a lot with TNA, Indies, and older not signed people so that is easy. We still have WWE people on covers (Trips was the last cover) but it is tough to do. I have a media pass but not for PS but for the newspaper I write for. I have to sign a waiver saying I will not use the photos for anyone but that newspaper, not even my own website. And I follow that to a T. WWE would sue me if I didn't.

It is almost impossible to sell a mag now. TNA may be able to put out a 4x a year one which they should do with pics, bios, stories etc. Problem being the roster changes so fast...

At WCW Magazine, we left in August 1999. We knew it was doomed. They took the mag in house and assigned new people to do what we did. It was slick I suppose but sales died. No one was surprised at all when WCW went under. It was expected by us for a long time. I held out hope that someone would buy WCW who wasn't WWE though.

I left before the collapse but was still writing for the website (Google WCW The Flipside Patty Therre) but just fluff junk. They paid well though.

It was a matter of time before WCW went down. I was just so hoping someone would come along with a true interest in making the company a success. Eric was THIS CLOSE to buying it but Vince scooped him again. Sigh.

I really don't believe anyone within WCW was too surprised to see it go down. the surprise was WWE actually obtaining it when it looked like a lock that Eric would own it.

Hey Patty...just wondering.

I heard Cena was acting all cosy with a WWE diva at Backlash, is he romantically involved with a co worker?

Also, will Spike TV ever be willing to increase the amount of time impact has to 90mins or longer? There show always seems so rushed and they could get more done with more time.


Thanks in advance.

Patty, my apologies for you getting two Questions at once.

I just wanted to know about the Promotion ROH that you mention from time to time. Until I joined this forum I'd never heard of them.

Also, What is the deal with Harley Race's Promotion?
I came accross his website some time ago whilst searching info on Randy Savage (which was how I found yours), is it a big deal or an good but dead in the water idea?

Thanks

Tikus

I can answer that bit (ROH), although I'm sure Patty will expand more, considering she is the font of all knowledge!! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Ring of Honor is the third biggest promotion in the States, after WWE and TNA. It is where Samoa Joe made a name for himself, as well as Austin Aries, Christopher Daniels, Paul London, CM Punk, and a whole bunch of others.

It's named Ring of Honor because there was (is?) a code of honor, where the people in a match had to shake hands before the start of every match. I'm sure there's other reasons for the name, but that seems to be the biggie.

I'll leave the rest for someone else!!

Yep Cat said it all. Ring of Honor is an excellent promotion focusing on the best workers available and pure wrestling. They have a large fan base of smart fans. They did have a HUGE scandal though. Turns out the guy who owned half or more of it was Rob Feinstein. He owned RFVideo which sold tons of shoot videos and other wrestling videos. Well, in a true sting operation (I have used that phrase three times on this board and never used it before ever!!), Feinstein was found to be luring young boys to him for sex.

In fact, he showed up at a supposed young boy's home and was snagged by the cops and arrested. There is a website that poses as kids to snag child molesters and RF happened to get caught in it. Fans were obviously outraged and several wrestlers left the promotion not wanting to be connected with a guy who was messing with kids. The website www.pervertedjustice.com was the one who snagged him and the whole sick transcript of his talks with who he thought was a 14 year old boy were posted for all to see (probably still there archived)..

For a while it looked like ROH would die. But thankfully, the silent partner and Gabe Sapolsky (Booker and now, major owner) acted fast and ousted RF. They worked hard to rebuild the rep and it worked. Today RF is an afterthought (slimy one) and ROH is going strong. Mick Foley was so impressed with them that he did some shows and begged Samoa Joe to join WWE. He chose TNA (Go, Joe, Go!). The names of wrestlers who work or worked ROH looks like a who's who of the best of the best young talent.

Their site is www.rohwrestling.com.

The other question was answered by Cena himself who said he was NOT involved with a diva and it was just a rumor.

Chances are very good TNA will get more TV time. Their ratings are good, better than expected, and staying steady. I would say there is a 75% chance that we will see a 90 minute show before year's end if it keeps on getting the ratings it is now or gains more viewers.

Oh...one more. Ha! Harley Race's promotion is an offshoot of his wrestling academy. It is called World League Wrestling and isn't a huge thing but does churn out some fine workers.

WWE uses MLW workers as enhancement (er...jobbers) or in dark matches at times.

Actually, I took the initiative to check out that web site before I got the above answers. I was impressed. Do they have some sort of arrangement with TNA, or do TNA just snap up their talent?

I purchased quite a few Shoot Interview DVD's (Fuji, Foley, Horowitz and Reed), please tell me I haven't just blown my dough.

And just a thought Patty. I went to your Fringe Page to see about buying Vids and Books of it, but you only have links. Why don't you set up an online shop of your own? I'll buy from you, at least I would feel like I've given back something for all your work.

Tikus

Because that means investing in a bunch of videos and DVDs and then marking them up to at least get my money back, hoping people will buy them, sending them out, and all that goes with e-commerce.

It's too hard. I would rather have affiliates. If you click through a link or a graphic I put up and buy something, I get between 1 and 4% of the purchase price (sometimes less, never more).

I was going to have a wrestling shop once with photos, DVDs, and other things but the investment was high and the payoff may not have been there at all. Then I would be stuck with stock and no buyers.

I did make a load of money off my collectible WCW stuff I sold and still have tons more WCW and ECW stuff I could sell. I should go back to ebay. I have things that people want especially with ECW coming back.

As for Ring of Honor, TNA allows their workers to work ROH shows. They know that the most guys can't JUST do TNA and make a living so they allow it as long as it doesn't conflict with a TNA show. ROH and TNA don't really have an agreement per se. ROH approaches the wrestler they want to work a show and gives them a date and time (and often an opponent). If the worker wants to do the show, he goes to TNA and tells them and they check for any double booking. They OK it and the wrestler then confirms the date with ROH.

Even some WWE workers have worked ROH including Foley and Stevie Richards. It has a great rep with everyone for paying well, not screwing anyone, and for always leaving the door open for past workers who jump then hate where they jumped to.

And if you mean RFVideo...it is still run by Feinstein and still in business.

Have you seen the "Shoot Interview" DVD's? Any good?

I have a number of them and some are better than others. Raven has one out and naturally he is an interesting person to listen to. I have also seen others that were somewhat tame. It depends on the person and how much they REALLY want to shoot on people and promotions.

They are very low budget, almost laughably so, but you really don't need much when you have a guy just talking about everything and everyone. Now and then they have footage of that guy to go along with things but it's hard to come by for them since WWE owns like...everything on earth but ROH which isn't really taped often.

But yes, they're pretty good. Kid Kash's was just awesomely crazy and such a shoot especially on TNA and people in TNA!