Post by Joe Clark on Apr 20, 2008 1:34:54 GMT -5
Admin Note: After our recent board malfunction, I was able to do a cache search online and salvage this article from February 2008. Here it is in it's entirety:
Well it has been almost 3 months since I ran my last show and announced my retirement from the business.
Lately I've been getting emails and phone calls from folks asking what I am up to now, how I'm doing, if the AWF was running certain shows, as well as wanting my thoughts on the wrestling business and other questions.
So I thought I'd get on here and answer some of those questions.
I'm doing great. As a lot of you know, in addition to being a wrestling promoter I am also a funeral director and embalmer. I've recently gotten back into funeral service and have relocated to a small town in Eastern Kentucky. The funeral home keeps me quite busy. I put in a lot of 14 hour days and sometimes 7 days a week. But I love it.
I'm also actively involved in paranormal research with the Kentucky Shadow Chasers. That keeps me busy as well. We are currently working on our upcoming TV program and lots of other things.
I do not miss the wrestling business at all. Truthfully I can't even stand to watch it anymore. A couple of weeks ago, I sat down for the first time in months and tried to watch Monday Night Raw. Less than 15 minutes into it, I turned it off. WWE & TNA are pathetic. When you have Vince vs Hornswoggle as the main event, that speaks volume about the state of the business and the current product.
The indy shows are no different.
The egos of most of the indy workers are bigger than the venues they where they work. And their maturity level is below that of most 2 year olds. They are always whining and complaining about something. And, when they don't get their way they literally throw a temper tantrum and take their ball and go home so to speak.
Someone asked me recently why I got out of the business and my reply was "well, I got tired of dealing with 2 year old mentality from the guys. If I wanted to babysit, I'd get a job in a daycare and get paid for it instead of doing it at a wrestling show for nothing or losing money to do it."
You have way too many licensed "wrestlers" here in Kentucky that shouldn't be even wrestling in a backyard, much less in a professional show. But yet they are there and a lot of times in the main event.
There is also the lack of professionalism. And Im not just talking about attire and abilities. But there is also the lack of professionalism outside the ring. A big portion of the guys are on drugs and doing every other Ungodly thing and crime that they can think of. They could care less that they are supposed to be "role models" for the kids that come see them every week. I applaud the KBWA for doing the drug testing; but its gonna take more than random testing to eliminate the problem. Its gonna take testing more guys per show and then revoking their licenses permanently when caught rather than revoking them for a short time.
Then there is the lack of exclusiveness. You go to ABC's show on Friday night and then go to XYZ's show 30 mins away on Saturday night...its the same guys on both shows; just under a different banner. And that kills it for both promotions. Why should fans in ABC's town drive 30 mins to see XYZ's show the next night when it is the same guys as they see at ABC? If John Doe worked exclusively for XYZ and that was the only place in the area you could see him, then fans would put for the effort to make the 30 min trip to see him.
I had a friend ask me a couple of days ago what I thought about OVW being dropped by WWE. Honestly, I don't really have any thoughts about it. I am curious about the future of one individual there though. Once he got there, this individual turned his back on me and a few other promoters that helped him and encouraged him along the way. He told all of us he was not working any indy shows at all and was concentrating on OVW and getting a WWE contract. And we all respected him for that at first. Then, he turns around and takes a booking for an indy promotion in Northeastern Kentucky. They are a good promotion and I have no problem with them; but I did have a problem with him working there after telling me and other promoters he wasn't doing any indy shows anymore.
When I confronted him about it, he said they were outside the OVW Television area and that he liked working there. And that was why he made the exception for them. He also said that they would be the only indy promotion other than OVW that he would work for. Well, a couple of things on this issue: 1) To begin with, I was the one that got him hired by this promotion months before when he was working for me and other promoters. If it wasn't for me, they would have never used him. How's that for gratitude? 2) My shows were not in the OVW TV area either so that is a pretty lame excuse. 3) By his statement, he basically implied that he didn't like working for me and the other promoters that got him started but DID like working for this promotion.
The truth is, he turned his back on me and everyone else that ever helped him. And the part that bothered me most is, I thought that if I had a friend in the world in the wrestling business, it was this guy. I even considered him a friend outside the business. But I guess I was wrong. But anyway, I'm curious as to what he is gonna do now. Is he gonna stay with OVW since they are nothing more than an indy promotion now? Or is he gonna relocate to Florida to the WWE developmental area there. One thing I do know, he has burned a lot of bridges.... some of the promoters he screwed over on the way up, aren't gonna be there for him now. In fact, one promoter told me just that just a couple of days ago. The old proverbial saying "you reap what you sow" is true I guess. But he proved one thing and that is there is no friendships or loyalty in the business.
Someone asked me a couple of days ago if I still keep up with any of the guys. Well there are a few of them that I still communicate with from time to time; but not many. And quite frankly, they are the only ones I do want to communicate with.
But anyway that is my thoughts on the business. Will things change? Who knows. I'm just glad that I am out of the business now and have no plans on getting back into it anytime soon. I'm happy focusing on my career in funeral service and other things in my personal life.
In closing, to all the fans of the AWF, thanks again for your support over the years. We had a great time; but it is now time for us to move on. And we wish all of you the best as you move on in your different directions as well.
Well it has been almost 3 months since I ran my last show and announced my retirement from the business.
Lately I've been getting emails and phone calls from folks asking what I am up to now, how I'm doing, if the AWF was running certain shows, as well as wanting my thoughts on the wrestling business and other questions.
So I thought I'd get on here and answer some of those questions.
I'm doing great. As a lot of you know, in addition to being a wrestling promoter I am also a funeral director and embalmer. I've recently gotten back into funeral service and have relocated to a small town in Eastern Kentucky. The funeral home keeps me quite busy. I put in a lot of 14 hour days and sometimes 7 days a week. But I love it.
I'm also actively involved in paranormal research with the Kentucky Shadow Chasers. That keeps me busy as well. We are currently working on our upcoming TV program and lots of other things.
I do not miss the wrestling business at all. Truthfully I can't even stand to watch it anymore. A couple of weeks ago, I sat down for the first time in months and tried to watch Monday Night Raw. Less than 15 minutes into it, I turned it off. WWE & TNA are pathetic. When you have Vince vs Hornswoggle as the main event, that speaks volume about the state of the business and the current product.
The indy shows are no different.
The egos of most of the indy workers are bigger than the venues they where they work. And their maturity level is below that of most 2 year olds. They are always whining and complaining about something. And, when they don't get their way they literally throw a temper tantrum and take their ball and go home so to speak.
Someone asked me recently why I got out of the business and my reply was "well, I got tired of dealing with 2 year old mentality from the guys. If I wanted to babysit, I'd get a job in a daycare and get paid for it instead of doing it at a wrestling show for nothing or losing money to do it."
You have way too many licensed "wrestlers" here in Kentucky that shouldn't be even wrestling in a backyard, much less in a professional show. But yet they are there and a lot of times in the main event.
There is also the lack of professionalism. And Im not just talking about attire and abilities. But there is also the lack of professionalism outside the ring. A big portion of the guys are on drugs and doing every other Ungodly thing and crime that they can think of. They could care less that they are supposed to be "role models" for the kids that come see them every week. I applaud the KBWA for doing the drug testing; but its gonna take more than random testing to eliminate the problem. Its gonna take testing more guys per show and then revoking their licenses permanently when caught rather than revoking them for a short time.
Then there is the lack of exclusiveness. You go to ABC's show on Friday night and then go to XYZ's show 30 mins away on Saturday night...its the same guys on both shows; just under a different banner. And that kills it for both promotions. Why should fans in ABC's town drive 30 mins to see XYZ's show the next night when it is the same guys as they see at ABC? If John Doe worked exclusively for XYZ and that was the only place in the area you could see him, then fans would put for the effort to make the 30 min trip to see him.
I had a friend ask me a couple of days ago what I thought about OVW being dropped by WWE. Honestly, I don't really have any thoughts about it. I am curious about the future of one individual there though. Once he got there, this individual turned his back on me and a few other promoters that helped him and encouraged him along the way. He told all of us he was not working any indy shows at all and was concentrating on OVW and getting a WWE contract. And we all respected him for that at first. Then, he turns around and takes a booking for an indy promotion in Northeastern Kentucky. They are a good promotion and I have no problem with them; but I did have a problem with him working there after telling me and other promoters he wasn't doing any indy shows anymore.
When I confronted him about it, he said they were outside the OVW Television area and that he liked working there. And that was why he made the exception for them. He also said that they would be the only indy promotion other than OVW that he would work for. Well, a couple of things on this issue: 1) To begin with, I was the one that got him hired by this promotion months before when he was working for me and other promoters. If it wasn't for me, they would have never used him. How's that for gratitude? 2) My shows were not in the OVW TV area either so that is a pretty lame excuse. 3) By his statement, he basically implied that he didn't like working for me and the other promoters that got him started but DID like working for this promotion.
The truth is, he turned his back on me and everyone else that ever helped him. And the part that bothered me most is, I thought that if I had a friend in the world in the wrestling business, it was this guy. I even considered him a friend outside the business. But I guess I was wrong. But anyway, I'm curious as to what he is gonna do now. Is he gonna stay with OVW since they are nothing more than an indy promotion now? Or is he gonna relocate to Florida to the WWE developmental area there. One thing I do know, he has burned a lot of bridges.... some of the promoters he screwed over on the way up, aren't gonna be there for him now. In fact, one promoter told me just that just a couple of days ago. The old proverbial saying "you reap what you sow" is true I guess. But he proved one thing and that is there is no friendships or loyalty in the business.
Someone asked me a couple of days ago if I still keep up with any of the guys. Well there are a few of them that I still communicate with from time to time; but not many. And quite frankly, they are the only ones I do want to communicate with.
But anyway that is my thoughts on the business. Will things change? Who knows. I'm just glad that I am out of the business now and have no plans on getting back into it anytime soon. I'm happy focusing on my career in funeral service and other things in my personal life.
In closing, to all the fans of the AWF, thanks again for your support over the years. We had a great time; but it is now time for us to move on. And we wish all of you the best as you move on in your different directions as well.