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A note to UK promoters from Fighting Spirit Magazine


Brian Elliott

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Hi folks,

 

I hope no-one minds me posting this in the UK Wrestling Events section. I specifically wanted to attract the attention of UK promoters, and thought this was the best place to do it. I'm also posting this publicly to make clear my intentions to promoters and spectators alike.

 

As I hope you are aware, Fighting Spirit Magazine has four pages of British wrestling coverage every month, with further space available should it be required. Just as I have been committed to covering and therefore promoting the best pro wrestling on an international basis since I took over at the start of 2011, it is my desire to do likewise for the UK scene. I would therefore like to take the opportunity to ask UK promoters with whom I do not already have regular dialogue to get in touch with me, so that the lines of communication can be opened/improved, and so we can broaden our coverage and give our readers the very best of British wrestling. On the other side of the coin, the international scope offered by being covered in FSM will be obvious to everyone reading this.

 

My e-mail address is brian(at)fightingspiritmagazine(dot)co(dot)uk. Please send all correspondence to this address. I look forward to hearing from you, and doing the best to mutually promote the best of British wrestling.

 

 

Regards,

 

Brian

 

Brian Elliott

Editor, Fighting Spirit Magazine

brian(at)fightingspiritmagazine(dot)co(dot)uk

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Hi folks,

 

I hope no-one minds me posting this in the UK Wrestling Events section. I specifically wanted to attract the attention of UK promoters, and thought this was the best place to do it. I'm also posting this publicly to make clear my intentions to promoters and spectators alike.

 

As I hope you are aware, Fighting Spirit Magazine has four pages of British wrestling coverage every month, with further space available should it be required. Just as I have been committed to covering and therefore promoting the best pro wrestling on an international basis since I took over at the start of 2011, it is my desire to do likewise for the UK scene. I would therefore like to take the opportunity to ask UK promoters with whom I do not already have regular dialogue to get in touch with me, so that the lines of communication can be opened/improved, and so we can broaden our coverage and give our readers the very best of British wrestling. On the other side of the coin, the international scope offered by being covered in FSM will be obvious to everyone reading this.

 

My e-mail address is brian(at)fightingspiritmagazine(dot)co(dot)uk. Please send all correspondence to this address. I look forward to hearing from you, and doing the best to mutually promote the best of British wrestling.

 

 

Regards,

 

Brian

 

Brian Elliott

Editor, Fighting Spirit Magazine

brian(at)fightingspiritmagazine(dot)co(dot)uk

 

 

I have emailed you before Brian but never had a response , I had actually last sent one this morning.

 

Ben

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Hi folks,

 

I hope no-one minds me posting this in the UK Wrestling Events section. I specifically wanted to attract the attention of UK promoters, and thought this was the best place to do it. I'm also posting this publicly to make clear my intentions to promoters and spectators alike.

 

As I hope you are aware, Fighting Spirit Magazine has four pages of British wrestling coverage every month, with further space available should it be required. Just as I have been committed to covering and therefore promoting the best pro wrestling on an international basis since I took over at the start of 2011, it is my desire to do likewise for the UK scene. I would therefore like to take the opportunity to ask UK promoters with whom I do not already have regular dialogue to get in touch with me, so that the lines of communication can be opened/improved, and so we can broaden our coverage and give our readers the very best of British wrestling. On the other side of the coin, the international scope offered by being covered in FSM will be obvious to everyone reading this.

 

My e-mail address is brian(at)fightingspiritmagazine(dot)co(dot)uk. Please send all correspondence to this address. I look forward to hearing from you, and doing the best to mutually promote the best of British wrestling.

 

 

Regards,

 

Brian

 

Brian Elliott

Editor, Fighting Spirit Magazine

brian(at)fightingspiritmagazine(dot)co(dot)uk

 

 

I have emailed you before Brian but never had a response , I had actually last sent one this morning.

 

Ben

I remember trying to reach you, but you were out of the country for two weeks. :) In any case, I've replied to your e-mail. Thanks!

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Hi folks,

 

I hope no-one minds me posting this in the UK Wrestling Events section. I specifically wanted to attract the attention of UK promoters, and thought this was the best place to do it. I'm also posting this publicly to make clear my intentions to promoters and spectators alike.

 

As I hope you are aware, Fighting Spirit Magazine has four pages of British wrestling coverage every month, with further space available should it be required. Just as I have been committed to covering and therefore promoting the best pro wrestling on an international basis since I took over at the start of 2011, it is my desire to do likewise for the UK scene. I would therefore like to take the opportunity to ask UK promoters with whom I do not already have regular dialogue to get in touch with me, so that the lines of communication can be opened/improved, and so we can broaden our coverage and give our readers the very best of British wrestling. On the other side of the coin, the international scope offered by being covered in FSM will be obvious to everyone reading this.

 

My e-mail address is brian(at)fightingspiritmagazine(dot)co(dot)uk. Please send all correspondence to this address. I look forward to hearing from you, and doing the best to mutually promote the best of British wrestling.

 

 

Regards,

 

Brian

 

Brian Elliott

Editor, Fighting Spirit Magazine

brian(at)fightingspiritmagazine(dot)co(dot)uk

 

 

Hello Brian,

 

Whilst we find it admirable that you have decided to open the pages of your magazine to all promoters within the United Kingdom, I am sure i do not just speak for Britannia Wrestling Promotions when I take this post with a pinch of salt.

 

Britannia Wrestling has been in contact with yourself and your publication on numerous occasions in 2011, we always receive positive feedback from yourself and your team and are promised coverage. Unfortunately this coverage never seems to make it into the magazine.

 

We have produced some of the best wrestling action that North Wales has ever seen, bringing top UK talent to the region and allowing them to excel and grow. Yet we have never been featured. We provide you with our show dates well in advance, yet FSM never publishes our show dates in the "upcoming events" section of your publication.

 

When we brought over El Generico in October 2011, we were contacted by FSM asking for information so that you could put together a feature about El Generico in the UK. Considering we promoted the first match of Welsh soil for Generico, and the show was a rousing success (We even provided exclusive photographs from the event at FSM's request). Alas, no such coverage was forthcoming.

 

We have provided FSM with full statistics, details and images to be used in the "One to Watch" section as we were informed that we would have the chance to promote our workers in that section. Again it was the same old story. The most frustrating part of this being is that when you featured a talent who has been a mainstay for our brand in the section, FSM did not even acknowledge that the performer even worked for us. Surely it cannot be too difficult to add 3 letters among the various abbreviations of British Wrestling Council promotions.

 

We have noticed that we are not alone in this regard, as there are many reputable promotions who would benefit from coverage in your magazine yet never seem to be featured. Promotions such as the long standing Welsh Wrestling (Ravenhill Promotions), who run shows in South Wales to great success and conduct themselves in a professional and financially sustainable manner. NBW and FCW in the Midlands seem to be overlooked too.

 

Britannia Wrestling Promotions draw some of the best crowds the region has seen, providing top quality entertainment. Yet it seems the only way we would ever get featured in your magazine would be to do a deal with the devil and join the British Wrestling Council. Something which, we would not consider for any amount of promotion. (No offence to any workers who ply their trade within those promotions, we would never dream of imposing restrictions on where someone should work. Life is hard enough for lads on the scene as it is)

 

As you have posted this in a public forum, we have responded in a public forum, which is something that we tend to shy away from. But we would appreciate a response in this public forum to explain to us, and others, why this has been the case.

 

Kind Regards

 

Britannia Wrestling Promotions

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Hi folks,

 

I hope no-one minds me posting this in the UK Wrestling Events section. I specifically wanted to attract the attention of UK promoters, and thought this was the best place to do it. I'm also posting this publicly to make clear my intentions to promoters and spectators alike.

 

As I hope you are aware, Fighting Spirit Magazine has four pages of British wrestling coverage every month, with further space available should it be required. Just as I have been committed to covering and therefore promoting the best pro wrestling on an international basis since I took over at the start of 2011, it is my desire to do likewise for the UK scene. I would therefore like to take the opportunity to ask UK promoters with whom I do not already have regular dialogue to get in touch with me, so that the lines of communication can be opened/improved, and so we can broaden our coverage and give our readers the very best of British wrestling. On the other side of the coin, the international scope offered by being covered in FSM will be obvious to everyone reading this.

 

My e-mail address is brian(at)fightingspiritmagazine(dot)co(dot)uk. Please send all correspondence to this address. I look forward to hearing from you, and doing the best to mutually promote the best of British wrestling.

 

 

Regards,

 

Brian

 

Brian Elliott

Editor, Fighting Spirit Magazine

brian(at)fightingspiritmagazine(dot)co(dot)uk

 

 

Hello Brian,

 

Whilst we find it admirable that you have decided to open the pages of your magazine to all promoters within the United Kingdom, I am sure i do not just speak for Britannia Wrestling Promotions when I take this post with a pinch of salt.

 

Britannia Wrestling has been in contact with yourself and your publication on numerous occasions in 2011, we always receive positive feedback from yourself and your team and are promised coverage. Unfortunately this coverage never seems to make it into the magazine.

 

We have produced some of the best wrestling action that North Wales has ever seen, bringing top UK talent to the region and allowing them to excel and grow. Yet we have never been featured. We provide you with our show dates well in advance, yet FSM never publishes our show dates in the "upcoming events" section of your publication.

 

When we brought over El Generico in October 2011, we were contacted by FSM asking for information so that you could put together a feature about El Generico in the UK. Considering we promoted the first match of Welsh soil for Generico, and the show was a rousing success (We even provided exclusive photographs from the event at FSM's request). Alas, no such coverage was forthcoming.

 

We have provided FSM with full statistics, details and images to be used in the "One to Watch" section as we were informed that we would have the chance to promote our workers in that section. Again it was the same old story. The most frustrating part of this being is that when you featured a talent who has been a mainstay for our brand in the section, FSM did not even acknowledge that the performer even worked for us. Surely it cannot be too difficult to add 3 letters among the various abbreviations of British Wrestling Council promotions.

 

We have noticed that we are not alone in this regard, as there are many reputable promotions who would benefit from coverage in your magazine yet never seem to be featured. Promotions such as the long standing Welsh Wrestling (Ravenhill Promotions), who run shows in South Wales to great success and conduct themselves in a professional and financially sustainable manner. NBW and FCW in the Midlands seem to be overlooked too.

 

Britannia Wrestling Promotions draw some of the best crowds the region has seen, providing top quality entertainment. Yet it seems the only way we would ever get featured in your magazine would be to do a deal with the devil and join the British Wrestling Council. Something which, we would not consider for any amount of promotion. (No offence to any workers who ply their trade within those promotions, we would never dream of imposing restrictions on where someone should work. Life is hard enough for lads on the scene as it is)

 

As you have posted this in a public forum, we have responded in a public forum, which is something that we tend to shy away from. But we would appreciate a response in this public forum to explain to us, and others, why this has been the case.

 

Kind Regards

 

Britannia Wrestling Promotions

Thanks for your detailed response. I am more than happy to respond here.

 

The first thing to note that is that I - the editor of the magazine and the only person who decides on content - have never promised content to anyone. To do so would be silly, because you never know what's going to happen over the course of a production month. Without offering a name, I can give you an example of a former World champion - someone it's impossible not to know if you are a wrestling fan - who contacted me recently to ask me to interview him. I was interested in doing so, but when he later stated that he'd only do the interview if I put him on the cover of FSM, I turned him down because it's just not feasible to make promises when you don't know the future. I mean, I could make that promise, but it wouldn't be an honest one.

 

With regard to El Generico, an short article was written for publication in FSM, but it was bumped for other content. This was entirely my decision, and I stand by it. With regard to the One To Watch, I thank you for sending in the details of your talent, but there are a number of wrestlers for whom we currently hope to print profiles, and we can only do one per month. That said, your dates should have been printed in our Little Black Book, so I would ask that you send these dates directly to me at brian(at)fightingspiritmagazine(dot)co(dot)uk from now on.

 

As I've mentioned to the people I've spoken to since I made the initial post, my hope is to open up regular dialogue where little or none currently exists. At this point, 90% of my talk-time with promoters/wrestlers is with those in the USA, and while I could continue to do that to the detriment of the UK scene, that's not what I want. Rather, I want to be able to expose the excellent elements of British wrestling in the same manner than FSM has recently exposed the likes of DGUSA and CHIKARA. That's not to say that no-one had heard of either of them before we started covering them, but the fact that we cover their iPPVs, and throw in occasional features, has certainly helped.

 

As noted, I'd like to be in regular contact with BWP (and others), so that I can personally know what's happening with you, and what your plans are. I won't promise you regular coverage in FSM, but only that I am making an honest effort to improve our coverage of the UK scene. Coverage, by the way, that no other publication is willing to provide.

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Hi folks,

 

I hope no-one minds me posting this in the UK Wrestling Events section. I specifically wanted to attract the attention of UK promoters, and thought this was the best place to do it. I'm also posting this publicly to make clear my intentions to promoters and spectators alike.

 

As I hope you are aware, Fighting Spirit Magazine has four pages of British wrestling coverage every month, with further space available should it be required. Just as I have been committed to covering and therefore promoting the best pro wrestling on an international basis since I took over at the start of 2011, it is my desire to do likewise for the UK scene. I would therefore like to take the opportunity to ask UK promoters with whom I do not already have regular dialogue to get in touch with me, so that the lines of communication can be opened/improved, and so we can broaden our coverage and give our readers the very best of British wrestling. On the other side of the coin, the international scope offered by being covered in FSM will be obvious to everyone reading this.

 

My e-mail address is brian(at)fightingspiritmagazine(dot)co(dot)uk. Please send all correspondence to this address. I look forward to hearing from you, and doing the best to mutually promote the best of British wrestling.

 

 

Regards,

 

Brian

 

Brian Elliott

Editor, Fighting Spirit Magazine

brian(at)fightingspiritmagazine(dot)co(dot)uk

 

 

Hello Brian,

 

Whilst we find it admirable that you have decided to open the pages of your magazine to all promoters within the United Kingdom, I am sure i do not just speak for Britannia Wrestling Promotions when I take this post with a pinch of salt.

 

Britannia Wrestling has been in contact with yourself and your publication on numerous occasions in 2011, we always receive positive feedback from yourself and your team and are promised coverage. Unfortunately this coverage never seems to make it into the magazine.

 

We have produced some of the best wrestling action that North Wales has ever seen, bringing top UK talent to the region and allowing them to excel and grow. Yet we have never been featured. We provide you with our show dates well in advance, yet FSM never publishes our show dates in the "upcoming events" section of your publication.

 

When we brought over El Generico in October 2011, we were contacted by FSM asking for information so that you could put together a feature about El Generico in the UK. Considering we promoted the first match of Welsh soil for Generico, and the show was a rousing success (We even provided exclusive photographs from the event at FSM's request). Alas, no such coverage was forthcoming.

 

We have provided FSM with full statistics, details and images to be used in the "One to Watch" section as we were informed that we would have the chance to promote our workers in that section. Again it was the same old story. The most frustrating part of this being is that when you featured a talent who has been a mainstay for our brand in the section, FSM did not even acknowledge that the performer even worked for us. Surely it cannot be too difficult to add 3 letters among the various abbreviations of British Wrestling Council promotions.

 

We have noticed that we are not alone in this regard, as there are many reputable promotions who would benefit from coverage in your magazine yet never seem to be featured. Promotions such as the long standing Welsh Wrestling (Ravenhill Promotions), who run shows in South Wales to great success and conduct themselves in a professional and financially sustainable manner. NBW and FCW in the Midlands seem to be overlooked too.

 

Britannia Wrestling Promotions draw some of the best crowds the region has seen, providing top quality entertainment. Yet it seems the only way we would ever get featured in your magazine would be to do a deal with the devil and join the British Wrestling Council. Something which, we would not consider for any amount of promotion. (No offence to any workers who ply their trade within those promotions, we would never dream of imposing restrictions on where someone should work. Life is hard enough for lads on the scene as it is)

 

As you have posted this in a public forum, we have responded in a public forum, which is something that we tend to shy away from. But we would appreciate a response in this public forum to explain to us, and others, why this has been the case.

 

Kind Regards

 

Britannia Wrestling Promotions

Thanks for your detailed response. I am more than happy to respond here.

 

The first thing to note that is that I - the editor of the magazine and the only person who decides on content - have never promised content to anyone. To do so would be silly, because you never know what's going to happen over the course of a production month. Without offering a name, I can give you an example of a former World champion - someone it's impossible not to know if you are a wrestling fan - who contacted me recently to ask me to interview him. I was interested in doing so, but when he later stated that he'd only do the interview if I put him on the cover of FSM, I turned him down because it's just not feasible to make promises when you don't know the future. I mean, I could make that promise, but it wouldn't be an honest one.

 

With regard to El Generico, an short article was written for publication in FSM, but it was bumped for other content. This was entirely my decision, and I stand by it. With regard to the One To Watch, I thank you for sending in the details of your talent, but there are a number of wrestlers for whom we currently hope to print profiles, and we can only do one per month. That said, your dates should have been printed in our Little Black Book, so I would ask that you send these dates directly to me at brian(at)fightingspiritmagazine(dot)co(dot)uk from now on.

 

As I've mentioned to the people I've spoken to since I made the initial post, my hope is to open up regular dialogue where little or none currently exists. At this point, 90% of my talk-time with promoters/wrestlers is with those in the USA, and while I could continue to do that to the detriment of the UK scene, that's not what I want. Rather, I want to be able to expose the excellent elements of British wrestling in the same manner than FSM has recently exposed the likes of DGUSA and CHIKARA. That's not to say that no-one had heard of either of them before we started covering them, but the fact that we cover their iPPVs, and throw in occasional features, has certainly helped.

 

As noted, I'd like to be in regular contact with BWP (and others), so that I can personally know what's happening with you, and what your plans are. I won't promise you regular coverage in FSM, but only that I am making an honest effort to improve our coverage of the UK scene. Coverage, by the way, that no other publication is willing to provide.

 

Thank you for your response Brian.

 

I totally understand that the news and features of your magazine is geared towards what is happening across the pond (it sells magazines) and I applaud your desire to offer more coverage of the promotions based here in the UK.

 

Mr Rayneisatwat (if that is his real name) does raise an interesting point however. From reading your magazine, the publication does seem somewhat centered on the affiliate promotions of the British Wrestling Council (in the sections devoted to UK wrestling). Whilst i am aware that the content of the publication is entirely at your editorial discretion, it does interest me to know what your (or your publications) affiliation with the BWC is.

 

From my point of view, if you are promoting and advertising your magazine as an unbiased publication, dedicated to covering the UK scene legitimately, do you think that if you have some kind of financial or promotional relationship with the BWC, this affects your journalistic integrity with regards to which content you choose to publish?

 

That being said, I will send over information regarding the Britannia Wrestling Promotions dates for 2012 as well as a bit of information about what Britannia Wrestling has in store for our loyal fans and supporters here in North Wales in the upcoming year. I will throw a cheap plug in here whilst i am at it. We will be kicking off 2012 in the best way we can think of, by holding a Charity Event at Saltney Tavern, Flintshire (10 mins from Chester) in early February in aid of Clic Sargent. A registered charity which provides care and support for Children living with Cancer and the families that this affects. The last time Britannia Wrestling held a charity event of this kind it was a great success, with many of the UK's top wrestling stars donating their time for free to produce a great show and in turn raising a large sum of money that was donated to The Callum Murray Medical Fund. If you attend events in the North West of England, Wales or even as far afield as Scotland, you will no doubt have come across Callum and his wonderful family who travel extensively across the region supporting Independent Wrestling.

 

Again, thank you for your response Brian.

 

Regards

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I've never hidden the fact that the UK News section of FSM is currently sponsored by WrestleTalk TV, and was previously sponsored by The Grapple Group - we've even used their logos on the UK News pages for months (possibly years) now. :) But I can't be any clearer when I say that all content is decided upon by me. Suggestions are certainly made to me by all manner of UK industry people - some of whom are affiliated with the BWC and some of whom are not. One thing I will point out is that BWC affiliates are undoubtedly more proactive about calling me out of the blue to keep me up to date with their plans.

 

I'm afraid I don't know anything about advertising costs. We have an Ad Manager for that, who I'll be glad to put anyone here in touch with. I'm sure that if he was making less money for FSM than he could, he'd have been sacked by now. :)

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To be honest in regards to the above, having spoken breifly with FSM about advertising, for a national magazine its not tha bad at all and it seems very open (The training school in which i work with are not BWC linked for example).

 

We ended up going for something more local, but its something that we've noted down for future use!

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As a further note towards Brians intent to push more Uk Wrestling, and to support the desire to do so off his own back We at FutureShock would like to firstly thank Brian for recentrly including a review of FutureShock 52 in the DVD Review section of the magazine.

Whilst we are affiliaterd with the BWC it was Brian that contacted us, off his own back, about obtaining a copy of the show to review as he's heard great things about the Davey Richards Vs Jack Gallagher match.

 

This request wasnt prompted by any BWC officials (most of whom have access to a copy of the event) but by Brian himself.

It took some time for the review to appear (possibly the review was bumped for other content) but when it was published we were more than happy with the fair review that put us not in the UK news section, but on the same page as a number of WWE DVD reviews.

 

our experience with Brian and the people at FSM is that they genuinely do want to push UK wrestling as a positive and comparable industry and we should all embrace this announcement of future intent instead of lambasting of previously percieved slights.

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