What is British wrestling coming to?

[matbro1984]

To most families, seeing a poster for wrestling in their town means wrestling, not a particular promotion. Your average Joe probably wouldn't consider that there'd even BE more than one company running a town because wrestling in this country is niche.

[Knighton]

I'm from the same area as AR and I can confirm a lot of people use the expression 'faggot' to describe someone cowardly who won't face consequences of their actions. Doesn't really change anything as it's done now and he changed it but I agree it may have been unwise to use that word as it has understandably been taken out of context.

 

I know AR personally. I'm not sticking up for him as I'm aware he does not need me or anyone else to do that. Neither am I arse-kissing to try and get get any kind of 'booking' from him. He and I know I have nothing to offer that he does not already have on his shows in bigger and better quantities.

 

While it's true he doesn't "own" Port Talbot when it comes to wrestling shows, is there not a tradition of "never shit on someone else's doorstep" in promoting? Legally these other 'promotions' are doing nothing wrong by running the same town. Morally however, that's a different story. I've known Ravenhill for about 5 years and have witnesses his product improve over time. I've seen his shows in the past where only a handful of people turned up, I also saw him roof some venues with 300+ in small tinpot Welsh villages. So whereas he has made some trial-and-error mistakes in the past, he has learned his craft.

 

Some people may say from a business perspective he can be cocky and arrogant but he can afford to. He is good at what he does. He runs 'professional' shows. That's the key IMO. These shitarse promotions are not professional. They are not run by people who have 'earned their stripes'. More often than not they're rookie workers who have watched wrestling since they were kids (or perhaps even younger kids than they are right now), went along to Dragon Pro Wrestling training expecting to do hurricanranas, got frustrated after 5 sessions because Mike Bird insisted on teaching them bumps and chain wrestling and thought "f*** it, I can do this on my own".

 

So they get hold of someone with a ring, book a show with 2 "names" and get the rest of the frustrated-at-not-getting-booked trainees to work for free to turn up. Insurance? Nah, not needed, although they usually know someone who could photoshop a decent copy of one if the venue asks.

 

You can understand Ravenhill getting pissed off at this. These rookies aren't making a living, they're just hobbyists. Ravenhill is a businessman. He may have thumbs in other pies but he makes his living from promoting. So if someone comes along and cheapens his industry he's got every right to do whatever it takes (legally) to look after his interests. If that means calling their bluff on insurance then so be it.

 

As for booking a show straight after his, what's that if it's not trying to hurt his product? As he's said, Ravenhill has no problem competing with someone on a level playing field. Bringing in mostly poor workers in the same town and charging significantly less for a ticket the day after a Welsh Wrestling show is not a level playing field.

 

As for what can be done, it seems like the majority of these 'promotions' don't have insurance. If that's where you hurt them then keep aiming for it.

[Loki]

I'm from the same area as AR and I can confirm a lot of people use the expression 'faggot' to describe someone cowardly who won't face consequences of their actions.

 

In my area we've always used the word "nigger" to mean someone who's dirty and lazy, and the word "gyppo" to describe someone who's a criminal and always on the rob. Like you, I'm often surprised when people take offence at that.

[matbro1984]

I'm from the same area as AR and I can confirm a lot of people use the expression 'faggot' to describe someone cowardly who won't face consequences of their actions.

 

In my area we've always used the word "nigger" to mean someone who's dirty and lazy, and the word "gyppo" to describe someone who's a criminal and always on the rob. Like you, I'm often surprised when people take offence at that.

Knighton is right. Doesn't make it appropriate, but it's the truth.

[aaron]

Im sorry to tell you but people are actualy free to do whatever the hell they want to and spend their money on whatever they want to waste it on

 

The elites say that is not true. We've given them nearly all our money for all our lives just to enable them to enforce many, many laws upon us.

 

So, yeah, nobody is free. We are all financial slaves to a controlling minority of "bankers".

 

But I digress...

[Kiffy]

Ah, but (as rightly explained through south park) the word faggot has had various derogatory meanings throughout it's existence.

I do think it's moving away from it's exclusively homophobic usage and moving into a general term of abuse for weedy cowardly little shits, who probably like My chemical romance and such. And that's kinda ok.

[Smeg_&_The_Heads]

When I was young I watched I am american movie and saw the term Meatball used as joking insult so when i heard the term Faggot a few weeks later I assumed it was just another word for that.

[aaron]

I used to just think faggot was any old derogatory word for homosexuals... my wife's gay friends showed me the definition and illustrations of how the word has been used in history.

 

A truly vile word to use. I blame Hollywood (those large production houses owned by them dodgy fuckers)

[King Pitcos]

Im sorry to tell you but people are actualy free to do whatever the hell they want to and spend their money on whatever they want to waste it on

 

The elites say that is not true. We've given them nearly all our money for all our lives just to enable them to enforce many, many laws upon us.

 

So, yeah, nobody is free. We are all financial slaves to a controlling minority of "bankers".

 

But I digress...

 

[Loki]

I'm from the same area as AR and I can confirm a lot of people use the expression 'faggot' to describe someone cowardly who won't face consequences of their actions.

Knighton is right. Doesn't make it appropriate, but it's the truth.

 

You miss the point. It's used in the way he describes because it implies homosexuality and an association of homosexuality with physical weakness and effeminacy. It's still homophobic abuse even directed at someone who's straight.

[AshC]

Makes you feel like Bill Watts. Ravenhill Promotions also banned the top rope as well.

 

Oh come on, Wattsy's rules were class!

[machinegunn]

This thread sums it all up about British Wrestling for me. A pathetic debate on nothing really. Why even go to another promoter and have a go at him for running shows in "your" area ? That is poor and also shows a real lack of beleif in your own product. I would run shows anywhere in the country and not care about who's toes I step on, I would however ensure my promotion and brand is strong enough that people know the type of shows that we run and also the type of client that we want to bring in.

 

I have only seen one good promoter is this country and that is Mark Sloan with import shows he puts on. He has a clear plan and does give what he promises (Although the DVDs were a little late ).

 

I doubt Vince sits in his office worried about RoH or Backyard Wrestling coming to town on a WWE night !

 

Also, there are far too many fanboys running promotions, why would you want to be mates with every wrestler ? Your job is their boss, you hire, you fire, you pay. I work with many different people, some I like, some I dont, but I can work with them all, they are not my mates, just colleagues. The UK scene needs someone with a clear vision and mind set on what they want to deliver from their promotion, I have seen nothing like this in the UK. I actually wonder if any of them have a mission statement !!!

[ad2bad]

sums it up for me too. he wants to run a proper respectable promotion by harrassing people in the street instead of getting the authorities to shut them down. he said they wouldnt listen but what changed afterwards? dont get me wrong, promotions should be down without insurance or the proper paperwork, but going to these people to intimidate them into shutting down their show is wrong!

[aaron]

 

 

Sheep of the year.

 

How about a picture of little green men next time?

[Michael_3165]

I think people need to stop over thinking this stuff. You will always get the goods and the bads. This is NOT a UK only problem. Ithink we often fail to realise that it's the same everywhere be it here, US, Germany or anywhere else that runs shows. You will always get the amatuers which make the rest look bad. It's the same as acting. YOu get little groups that do "shows" and the acting is bad. THen you get some of the better ones which arent as bad.

 

I do see the need to change it but I dont believe that targetting "kids" is the issue. I think targetting bad WORKERS in general is more of an issue. Just because you got guys that don't "look the part" doesnt mean they are a problem as long as they work together (NOT against giants) and that the work they are doing looks tight and realistic.

 

The issues in the UK scene for me is training and the fact that so many poorly trained guys are allowed to work shows. THAT is where you need to start.