alex shane's selling ability

I think that's a little unfair. We know you're referring to tiresome old comparisons of Burchill, The Twisted Genius and Jack Xavier, but I don't think you can really compare them to the American guys you mentioned.Burchill's a monster heel, like Lesnar. But there were monster heels before Burchill and Lesnar, and there'll be monster heels after they're retired. It's just part and parcel of wrestling. Burchill's moves and Lesnar's moves are worlds apart too.Dean Ayass and Paul Heyman: they're both heel managers. But there were heel managers before Burchill and Lesnar, and there'll be heel managers after they're retired. Everything in wrestling is just a reinvention of an old gimmick anyway, it's all been done before. Before Raven, the strange loner, there was Jake the Snake. Before Jamie Noble, the redneck hick, there was Hillbilly Jim, and before him Uncle Elmer and so on.Mikey Whipwreck and Jack Xavier: they both wear funky shirts, just like thousands of people out and about in the UK and US on a night out. Wow, sue them.

My point exactly, i've personally got nothing against FWA using these characters, though I think in certain areas they are more similar to Whipwreck, Heyman and Lesnar than the 'broad characters' you suggest.Howver when Moj is going to accuse All Star's use of 'Brooklyn Brawler' when the guy looks nothing like the WWF character and probably uses the name in whatever company he works for, as a tribute you wonder where it could end. On that basis Thunder could be accused of being the UK Warlord and FWA have used him too.

In the same way that other tributes are taking other wrestler's names and/or personas

So im sure you will all look forward to seeing the Uk Brock Lesnar, UK Paul Heyman and UK Mikey Whipwreck at the next FWA show (like we dont know who we're talking about) at least we've cleared that one up once and for all.Sounds like a decent show, of course Moj wasn't happy, but then we've established by now that he's never going to all All Star show again (about 6 months ago) anyway, so we know that he wasn't there last night anyway...

Mr Selling Ability. my show drew 120 which was promoted in 9 days, and got better reviews than the majority of Allstar shows I have been to. Your very lame attempt at trying to throw an insult just goes to show how flawed your arguement is.

Apologies if I was incorrect but I was working on the usual FWA attendance equation which basically involves taking the figure that is officially announced, completely ignoring it and being realistic. Although having been to Croydon recently and knowing that there were far more there than 100 I would still question the validity of your figures.Not to worry anyway, the fact you seemingly preferred a Alex Shane tag match to Dragon V Doug match of the year contender probably shows me we're not going to agree on what makes a good wrestling show anyway.

And back to UCW: that 250 house was drawn on the strength of a Bra and Panties match between some jailbait. When the council decreed they couldn't run the bra and panties match, they IMMEDIATELY wrote on a big sheet of paper that the match wouldn't have the Bra and Panties stip, and put it outside the hall, so that people could make their choice on whether to attend or not. That is worth a HUGE amount of kudos, and is why I'm not going to be super-critical of them despite them having about three good regular workers and completely awful booking. Yes.

We're surely working on the basis that anyone that goes to see a show purely for a bra and panties match with a couple of 12 year olds probably cant read..?Also on your rather strict level of what counts as tribute usage wouldn't a wrestler called 'The Gangsta' count?Also wouldnt UCW be the company that you advertised yourself as appearing for in your sig and then went quiet about!?!?

As Whizzkid correctly points out, attendances are down across the board for wrestling in the UK. This is made all the more worrying when SKY weren't prepared to be held to ransom over the PPV rights of the 4 WWE PPV events that they dont hold at the moment, which suggests viewing figures are down as well.I'd argue that a lot of UK fans just dont want to go to wrestling shows every two, three or even four weeks as they have in the past but would prefer to go a few times a year. We hear the same old debates about All Star: There's too much stalling...well give me a 30 minute plus psychology masterclass like Dragon V Doug in Croydon a few months ago than a 10 minute spotfest any day. Dont blame Brian Dixon for the lack of attention span of some wrestling fans when faced with no fast forward button or lack of foreign objects crashed over workers heads!! They only use ex-WWF old men as imported stars....Chris Hero, American Dragon, Slyk Wagner Brown, David Swift and Nigel McGuiness in the past year.Like most UK fans i'm quite happy to pick and choose which shows I go to whoever promotes them, depending on who appears be it TWA, FWA, All Star, Premier or whoever. The fact that Bagga has now decided to do the same is hardly a revelation, its what most people do anyway!!

He's becoming all insightful and clever, which freaks me out TOTALLY as it's Bagga and stuff

I think for next year Allstar should change thier approch if they want to gain new or keep existing fans.

Mmmmm watch out Stephen Hawking!!! And I look forward to his next show breaking that difficult 50 paying punters mark...

To be honest, I dont think that most people have a problem with Moj's opinions because at least some of them are marginally valid, but with the fact he trundles them out everytime there is a thread about an All Star event. Also due to the fact that, as Whizzkid as pointed out elsewhere, most of the criticisms levelled at Dixon can equally be levelled at other promoters in the UK.Yes, All Star have used tributes in the past, not my cup of tea but there you go. Calling Spidermask a tribute is a bit of a stretch as id like to know who all the fans that have been 'misled' by seeing him advertised imagine is under the hood...Toby Maguire or Peter Parker?All Star have never to my knowledge knowingly advertised dead people, yes pictures of the likes of Yokozuna have appeared on their posters but never been stated as appearing. Funny how when a certain other promoter does this the photos are called 'generic' shots of wrestlers.The FWA have never knowingly advertised wrestlers that dont appear on their cards...hmm interesting seeing as they were handing out flyers with Steve Corino on at WWE events prior to FOH and making no effort to tell fans he wouldnt be there despite him confirming this weeks before. Arguably, as Whizzkid pointed out, he shouldnt have been on the posters in the first place as he has publically said he was never booked. See also Psychosis who was on posters at the venue on the day of the show, with no announcement made that he wasnt appearing outside of an internet statement.I think theres a certain amount of dead horse flogging in the All Star shows always start late debate as well.The fact is All Star have celebrated another year as the UKs top wrestling promoter and as long as their competitors continue to cancel shows, take 4 month breaks and continue to attract smaller attendances this will continue.

This confuses the regular fans, who had been promised Match X last month, seen Matches Y and Z advertised in the local press, and then get Card T (containing matches A B C and D

Sounds like Brian Dixon's Alphabetti Rouletti idea has come up trumps again!!

So wrestling is less popular now in the UK than in 1995?

Erm...as far as live attendances, probably yes. The WWE aren't selling out live shows in the UK as they did then and in 1995 there were more of them.A lot of UK attendances were considered low at around 300 for a show when now this is seen as a good turnout.

Back on topic, it's a shame about wrestling at the Colston Hall coming to an end after such a long history there. Does anyone have any favourite memories from the shows there over the years?

Unfortunately I haven't been to the Colston Hall for a number of years, but did attend regularly up until 5 or 6 years ago. Some of the favourite memories of the shows there would be the Dave Taylor/Robbie Brookside V Dave Finlay/Doc Dean match which went to a 30 minute draw and still remains the best wrestling match i've had the pleasure of seeing live. Also the Finlay V Rocco, Finlay V Collins and Collins V Rocco feuds.Going back to Moj's comments, i'm not sure when someone making a business decision to move venues was such a bad thing anyway? I'd imagine hiring the Colston Hall doesn't come cheap anyway so even if you're getting 400-500 people there would still leave you with 1500 empty seats...it makes sense to move. Your beloved FWA, for example, have cancelled 3 shows over the past year i'm guessing due to business reasons, isn't that the same? The same company have held about 20 shows over the past year with, I guess, at least 5 of them not as originally advertised. This equates to a quarter of all their shows which probably no worse than All Stars record.The fact that people say All Star are the number one promoter in the UK is simply because arguably they are...200-300 shows this year, a 4 month British tour by one of the best young workers in the world, regulalry using the best workers in the UK. If you look on their website already they've got dozens of shows announced for the New Year, quite a few in venues they have never used before, or not used for some time, yet other promoters are struggling to find venues for one show a month!!?

The fact is that at FOH certain UK guys got paid almost 5 times what they get payed elsewhere for working for us that night. We did this and continue to because we can afford it just ask any of our guys. Sadly five times what they normally get payed is still fuck all compared to what they deserve

I've never suggested that they didn't and I agree with you that a lot of UK-based guys don't get paid what they deserve

Wrestling fans do have a right to be critical just that wrestlers don't have to like it. They don't get paid to be judged on forums but to entertain people on the night. Infact I'd bet that when most of the current UK/FWA wrestlers got into the business fan forums were not even in exsistence.

True, forums have given a public voice to people whose criticism would previously have been isolated to the venue bar at the interval or the bus home. Equally it has helped put companies such as the FWA in a position to put on big shows like Uprising and also give them feedback which influences booking decisions and storylines. I appreciate that if someone is critical of me in my job for whatever reason, or Moj's for not smiling when he hands them a Big Issue then its not going to be heard/read by hundreds of people but its part and parcel of every sphere of the entertainment business if thats where you choose to go.

I did this for ten years (five of which for free) until it became financially worth while but at some point money does become a big issue and if you disagree then you are no where near as smart as you seem to think you are on this issue. You have your right to your opinion it doesn't mean I have to like it!

Obviously money is an issue, otherwise how who it be that half the US Indie workers spend week days doing work other than wrestling. I'd be the first to say that the top workers in the UK deserve to be paid a lot more than i'd imagine they earn. However, as i'm sure you're aware wrestling has never been a quick or easy way to make money in the UK for most of the people who work in the industry. Yes, i'd agree that FWA are trying to do at least a little to try and change that, but it will need a whole lot more change in the business worldwide for wrestlers outside of the WWE to make anything near what they're worth.

By your standards ASSellingA, the WWE show would have been better than the FWA show as there were better workers on the card, despite them not actually putting on good performances. To me, that's idiotic, but it does enable me to see how you rate All Star shows over everything else - because a typical All Star show could have Jonny Storm, Doug Williams, James Mason, Robbie Brookside, Robbie Dynamite, American Dragon, PN News, Julio Torres and Skull Murphy as the wrestlers, which is altogether a strong lineup on paper. The fact that only one or two of them will perform to their best ability on the night is irrelevant, because they have the potential and the ability ( in some cases long gone, but meh) to be brilliant. Or have I got the wrong end of the stick here?

I'd argue with your points about workers performing to the best of their ability. By your standards this means that wrestlers work harder in the FWA ring than they would in All Star, WAW or whoever elses. This is blatently untrue Doug, Jonny, Robbie, etc perform at more or less the same level whoever they wrestle for. merican Dragon's match against Doug in FWA whilst being good was not of the same standard as the one in Croydon a month or so before for example, you pays your money and takes your choice.As far as the WWE goes I saw the Smackdown show at London Arena earlier in the year and would argue that Benoit, Mysterio, Noble, Spanky or whoever in third gear are arguably better than the likes of the majority of the FWA or any other British promoters roster at the top of their game.

Also the people in Safeways are doing their job for money. Most people in the wrestling business in England are doing it for a love of the game or just to entertain the crowd. With this being the case I think that it's alot harder for a wrestler to except such harsh views than someone who is being paid a full time wage for making their customer's happy.

Whilst it would easy to quote you out of context and suggest you think money's the important issue for a wrestler, i'm not going to. However I would suggest that a fan paying

My own personal belief is that there's far too much emphasis on differentiating between internet and non-internet fans. Fans are just that fans - so what if some fans communicate on the net - its no difference from fans discussing their favourite sport between themselves in a pub.

Whilst I agree with your statement, it cannot go un-noticed that the FWA in particularly book matches, wrestlers and angles almost entirely for the internet. That's not necessarily a criticism but it does mean that if you asked a cross-section of British fans who Jack Xavier, James Tighe or even Alex were, the majority wouldn't have a clue.The British wrestling fan-base is far bigger than the 1000 or so that will be at Uprising but the lack of promotion in any other way than the internet means it's a section of fans that will remain untapped. Future TV exposure will obviously help, but by creating and advancing storylines on the internet alone you are alienating a lot of your potential audience, particularly when some matches don't really function as stand alone bouts without knowing the storyline (see the never-ending Birchill run-ins).Whilst I thank Alex for pointing out that my criticism is always about wrestling and not of him as a person (now we've both said it umpteen times perhaps Moj will accept it), I would disagree with the Safeway comparison. Wrestling is about entertainment at the end of the day and I feel perfectly justified criticising someone who I feel has given a poor performance in a similar way I may criticise a comedian who doesn't make me laugh or an actor who is wooden. At the end of the day part of my ticket is paying for the performers in the ring/on the stage, and if they aren't performing well why shouldn't we point it out?At the end of the day FWA are now charging the same prices as WWE for tickets to their shows so we should be getting wrestling of the very highest level from top to bottom, and whilst there are always world class performers on their shows this is not reflected throughout the card.

Rikishi....yaaaaawn

UK Pitbulls

Kurt Angle

Storm V Styles at Uprising....to see this match live is to see two guys shake off their 'spot merchant' tags. Both have come into their own this year and on viewing is difficult to believe that this was their first meeting.

Angle and Benoit

Raj Ghosh, not yet the finished article, but to be this good at 17 bodes well for the future. Along with Hade Vansen shines like a star in a group of largely mediocre FWA trainees.

Alex Shane/Ulf Hermann V UK Pitbulls a title change in a match that never really was, a good example of the sort of bad booking that hopefully wont over-shadow all the good wrestling that is going on in FWA