Wrestling #MeToo #SpeakingOut

[AVM]

Yeah, it’s an interesting one that video. A proper psychoanalysis of it would be interesting because a lot of that sounds horrific to me. I don’t think I’d be too chuffed if someone had uncovered a story about my family dangling someone off a multi storey building. 

That all said, benefit of the doubt on the nice people stuff. They’ve clearly done a lot of good, charity work, training disabled people, taken people in etc. However, it does not excuse irresponsible or inappropriate behaviour however isolated it is and by that I’m not talking about ‘working stuff’. Plenty trainers manage to train strong style without facing these allegations.

Edited June 27, 2020 by AVM

[Syl]

6 hours ago, Edgehead said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dUxvo2-JuE&feature=youtu.be&t=2944

 

49.00 minutes in, Paige's WWE Network interview. Aggressive family behaviour. 

Seriously, what the actual fuck? Roy smacks a guy round the head with a pool cue and said guy apologised because 'that's how much people respect my brother'? Yeah, not sure it's because of respect, somehow...

[CavemanLynn]

I was put off by the opening few minutes of Zebra's van cam, so I apologise if this is covered elsewhere, but is it just the alleged sexual assault of a minor they have issue with, or have they said anything about the allegations of ritualised beatings and unprovoked assaults from their trainers at their school? Have they talked about how they protect their students? They've reacted emotionally, which is understandable, but apart from the Facebook videos and Twitter tirade, I've not seen a company statement from them. Are they a company, or is everything they do off the books?

[Keith Houchen]

5 minutes ago, CavemanLynn said:

Are they a company, or is everything they do off the books?

They are very legit and to be honest, I wish every wrestling “Company” handled their business affairs like WAW. The shithouses would soon disappear. 
 

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/11079587

[IANdrewDiceClay]

My arse hole has disappeared watching this. I've never seen a more pretencious cunt in all my fucking life.

 

[CavemanLynn]

10 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said:

They are very legit and to be honest, I wish every wrestling “Company” handled their business affairs like WAW. The shithouses would soon disappear. 
 

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/11079587

That's good to know. I did one of their weekend boot camps years ago, and everything was cash in hand. Good to hear things appear to have changed. Just makes their responses more disappointing. I can't imagine any company would be happy with ramblings from a living room and having to flog t-shirts because they can't afford legal.

[BomberPat]

I'm someone who trained under Mike, corresponded with him regularly, and really genuinely looked up to him. I considered him a mentor. Out of all of this, it's allegations toward him that I have found hardest to deal with.

When I started watching that apology, I was prepared to take a step back and ask myself if I had been too quick to throw all of that way and remove him from my life. By the end of it, I was more convinced than before.

That he's put up a clearly edited video, with multiple takes, but seen fit to keep in takes where he's apologetic, crying and so on, is so clearly a cynical, conscious decision. I would struggle to call it anything but emotional manipulation - so while I believe a lot of what he's saying, in terms of apologising and feeling remorse, it's clear to me that he hasn't addressed the personality traits that led to those problems. Plus, he's been doing the "I was a worse person back then" excuse for at least ten years at this point.

[Keith Houchen]

Oh I’m not saying there isn’t the odd thing that is forgotten to be put through the books, but the fact they HAVE the books makes them legit in my opinion. Certainly more so than those who aren’t registered. 
Edit - in reply to @CavemanLynn

Edited June 27, 2020 by Keith Houchen
Faaaaacts

[Your Fight Site]

That Mike video is something else.

Looks like he’s been to Walmart to buy an off-the-rack cotton suit in preparation for a court appearance; says this video is entirely separate from the fictional world of pro wrestling storylines and characters… after starting by introducing with his wrestling gimmick name; then goes on to recount an allegation but putting emphasis on works like “anonymously”, “story”, etc.

[MungoChutney]

6 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said:

Oh I’m not saying there isn’t the odd thing that is forgotten to be put through the books, but the fact they HAVE the books makes them legit in my opinion. Certainly more so than those who aren’t registered. 
Edit - in reply to @CavemanLynn

This has come up a lot for me. A lot of talk of people 'taking over' companies that aren't really companies. They're sole traders who have been trading as (insert company name). That's assuming they've even been declaring earnings at all. 

All that's happening is someone else is apparently taking ownership of the ring or whatever. With an actual company you'd be able to see a transfer of shares or ownership. Absolutely nothing about these 'takeovers' makes me confident the original folk won't still be involved. 

[Surf Digby]

27 minutes ago, IANdrewDiceClay said:

My arse hole has disappeared watching this. I've never seen a more pretencious cunt in all my fucking life.

 

Does he ...... always talk like ...... William Shatner ..... trying to suppress ..... hiccups?

It does come across as somewhat insincere.

[CavemanLynn]

@BomberPat As you appear to be a man in the know, has there been any progress with Equity? You mentioned some of the women at the forefront of SpeakingOut were due to meet with some of their reps soon. It's why I'm so keen on checking which companies are actually companies, from looking at Equity's eligibility criteria and how it applies to young wrestlers. It's also far more preferable to having wrestling try to set up its own bespoke regulations, when there are preexisting organisations with the structures and procedures in place, and, most importantly, without a stake in the wrestling business itself.

[BomberPat]

2 minutes ago, Nostalgia Nonce said:

Does he ...... always talk like ...... William Shatner ..... trying to suppress ..... hiccups?

It does come across as somewhat insincere.

I used to think of it as his "promo voice", but he does actually talk like that pretty much all of the time. I get the impression that he had a speech impediment when he was younger, and so now speaks in a very overly deliberate manner.

1 minute ago, CavemanLynn said:

@BomberPat As you appear to be a man in the know, has there been any progress with Equity? You mentioned some of the women at the forefront of SpeakingOut were due to meet with some of their reps soon. It's why I'm so keen on checking which companies are actually companies, from looking at Equity's eligibility criteria and how it applies to young wrestlers. It's also far more preferable to having wrestling try to set up its own bespoke regulations, when there are preexisting organisations with the structures and procedures in place, and, most importantly, without a stake in the wrestling business itself.

At least one meeting has been held, but I don't know the outcome of it. 

[The Four Horsemen]

Sadly there are very few promotioms in the UK that are completely above board, pay PAYE, NI, etc. It's all cash in hand, no tax paid, means there's no paper trail back to who was wanting what and for who. British Wrestling will never be like a regulated industry that does all the above because at its heart it's a collection of "boys clubs" where, until recently, what happened with someone was usually swept under a very big carpet. 

 

That quackenbush video is on different level of condescending tone. I am wrong in thinking he was a trainer at the PC

[Your Fight Site]

1 minute ago, The Four Horsemen said:

Sadly there are very few promotioms in the UK that are completely above board, pay PAYE, NI, etc. It's all cash in hand, no tax paid, means there's no paper trail back to who was wanting what and for who. British Wrestling will never be like a regulated industry that does all the above because at its heart it's a collection of "boys clubs" where, until recently, what happened with someone was usually swept under a very big carpet.

But no promotion has the scope to “employ” wrestlers. They’re all freelancers. So it’s up to the wrestlers themselves to file tax returns for their earnings and pay any necessary tax and NI. Promotions will need to pay tax on any profits, and directors (if it’s a limited company) then pay tax on any money drawn from the company via wages (paid via PAYE) or (more commonly) dividends.