Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted July 6, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted July 6, 2020 The premise of the BWC was a pyramid scheme. Sign up enough people and move up to the next level of armband. I was told that Alex Shane would work his own grandma to make a fiver, she told me herself, she was a green armband and had to sign up 2 more people to move up to orange. The regulation was so strong in the BWC that you could get a black armband (Top tier) for driving Alex around, I know 2 people who got the black for doing that. There is virtually no one in the world of wrestling who can be trusted to take part in any sort of regulation, and certainly not Alex Shane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Your Fight Site Posted July 6, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted July 6, 2020 Was that actually any perks for each level of armband? Like, what benefit would a black armband have had over a green armband? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Lion_of_the_Midlands Posted July 6, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted July 6, 2020 It never got that far, it was worked out as a pyramid scheme pretty quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCJ Posted July 6, 2020 Share Posted July 6, 2020 Thing is, when Parliament "investigates things", it often results in people being publicly questioned by MPs. Although it's often embarrassing for the people being grilled, I'm yet to see it actually achieve anything. I hope I'm wrong and this results in more than a public telling off to wrestling promoters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vamp Posted July 6, 2020 Share Posted July 6, 2020 1 hour ago, Your Fight Site said: Was that actually any perks for each level of armband? Like, what benefit would a black armband have had over a green armband? Its black. For about 50% of wrestlers and 90% of fans that's enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members martyngnr Posted July 6, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted July 6, 2020 (edited) Edited July 6, 2020 by martyngnr Ignore. Double post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members martyngnr Posted July 6, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted July 6, 2020 This was the email that was sent out by the BWC at the very beginning of it all... The British Wrestling Council announce its plans for 2010 The British Wrestling Council (BWC) was officially launched in August 2009 with the aim of aiding, supporting and advising the British wrestling industry to build a safer, more professional industry that we can all be proud of. Since August, with the much valued support of various promotions, training schools and respected individuals in the industry, we have made some massive progress including: - Creating and implementing the worlds only nationally recognised syllabus and grading scheme for pro wrestling with over ten schools already signed up and more in the pipeline - Sourcing value for money trainee insurance which is available to purchase from our partner organisation, Sports Cover Direct, through our website - Creating tailored professional wrestling instructors insurance through a partner organisation for approved BWC instructors- we believe this again to be the first of its kind as previously the closest instructors could get was martial arts insurance We thank everyone involved for their support which has allowed us to make these achievements possible in such a short space of time. We believe that, although professional wrestling is an activity that entails inherent risk, those risks should always be minimised and controlled to protect the health, safety and well being of all wrestlers and other talent who work so hard to entertain us. We believe no trainee should have to attend a training school without proper insurance and without an instructor who they can be confident knows how to teach them in a safe, professional manner. We believe no fan should ever have to attend a professional wrestling event that could potentially put them in harms ways. We have many ambitious goals for the future which we had planned to roll out over the next few years. However, in light of several recent events in the industry, we are keen to step up our timetable for the health, safety and well being of all involved and to ensure that British wrestling has a recognisable quality standard to strive for. We are introducing the BWC Standards for Promotions and we hope the industry and fans will work with us to support these standards. We understand that this will be a considerable adjustment for some promotions and we in no way are introducing this voluntary scheme to try and ‘force anyone out’. We will always try to work with promotions and offer whatever assistance we can to ensure they too can achieve the BWC Standards. We also want to make it clear that, although we want to implement this new scheme as soon as possible, it will not happen overnight nor without the help and support of everyone within the industry. Yet we believe that what we will have once these precautions and standards are put in place is an industry that will finally be ready for mainstream television and national press coverage and create the boom in business for all involved that would come with such media attention. However it is a sad fact that we as an industry are not ready for, or could even sustain, any of that until we upgrade what we currently have to an industry that is properly insured, governed, nurtured and regulated. BWC Standards for Promotions For a promotion/show to receive the approval of the British Wrestling Council (BWC) they must meet the following criteria: - Have a BWC approved agent working on the show to oversee the planning and preparation of matches - Provide evidence of public liability insurance - Provide evidence of risk assessment being carried out - Provide evidence of insurance for wrestlers on show - Provide signed injury disclaimers for all talent on show - Provide evidence that a first aider is on site for the duration of the show - Use BWC Black Grade (Grade 😎 qualified wrestlers only More Information On Standards The BWC is keen to work WITH the British wrestling industry and help promoters and shows to fulfil these criteria. An agent can be booked via the BWC for a fixed payment of £100 per show + travel expenses. The agent will also work to ensure that the promotion/show fulfils all other BWC criteria. We understand that there may be some promotions out there who feel that this fee is a cost that their show simply cannot afford. However, we believe that this is an extremely small price to pay for the expertise of an industry veteran who will not only ensure your show runs as safely as possible but will also increase the quality of the matches by the advice and experience they bring. The BWC makes no money from the provision of agents to shows. Current BWC Approved Agents are: - Robbie Brookside - Doug Williams - Alex Shane - Jonny Storm The BWC can provide disclaimers, risk assessment forms and risk assessment training for a one off fee of £195. This includes a BWC representative coming to one of your shows and going through this documentation to explain it and answer any questions, show you how to complete it and also how to undertake a risk assessment. This documentation has been drawn up with the help of the BWC’s Legal Advisor. We feel this is a small sum to pay for the ongoing help and support we think this service will provide you with and is an investment in the future of your organisation. Please also remember that the BWC is a not-for-profit organisation meaning any money we make after operational costs are met goes back into the industry to support BWC approved training schools, students and promotions. Using the BWC’s disclaimers and risk assessment documentation and training, along with fulfilment of all other criteria, will allow us to approve your show to be covered by our public liability policy. By paying the small sum to use the BWC’s documentation you will undoubtedly save in the long run through this. The only stipulation we make if you would like this service is that you make it clear that your show is being run in association with the BWC. We will help you do this by providing our logo to be used on promotional materials, etc. We will also be working in conjunction with The Grapple Group to ensure as many proficient wrestlers as possible will be insured and be graded up to BWC Black Grade as soon as possible to make it as easy as possible for you to fulfil the criteria we ask of you. The Grapple Group has agreed to cover the cost of selected wrestlers already working on the UK scene to take a fast-track Black Grading and will be contacting these selected wrestlers in the near future to discuss this with them. The BWC will be holding fast-track grading days for these wrestlers (who have been selected on the basis that they are already proficient and working on the scene) throughout the UK in early 2010. These selected wrestlers will be contacted directly by The Grapple Group in the near future to discuss this offer. Any talent who are not contacted by The Grapple Group but would like to undertake the fast track grading will be able to do so for a small fee. However, as undertaking the Black Grading itself requires a certain level of proficiency, anyone wishing to undertake it without a Grapple Group invitation will be required to provide a satisfactory reference from a respected trainer or promoter at the time of booking. We advise anyone thinking of doing this to visit the BWC website (www.britishwrestlingcouncil.org) and read the requirements of the Black Grade and consider carefully if they are ready for it. The BWC will periodically be awarding honorary black and gold wristbands as a recognised mark of being a BWC Professional. We have already begun the process of distributing these to selected, respected talent already working in the UK. Many of these highly proficient wrestlers are already contracted to the Grapple Group who provide their insurance. To enquire about booking these wrestlers- who meet the BWC Standards- please contact the Grapple Group on … or email … In early 2010 (and periodically from this point onwards) the BWC will be holding a two day referees course aimed at referees already working on the UK scene. Not only will the course assess whether those attending are proficient to be classified as a BWC Approved Referee but will also contain first aid training meaning that all BWC approved referees will also be first aiders which should help you satisfy the BWC Standards. As referees are usually first on the scene when an accident happens in the ring we see this as an essential part of referees training. We have already begun to promote the BWC as a seal of excellence with support from many top people in the industry. In 2010 we will be working with several national media outlets in a huge campaign to make the BWC logo the recognised seal for safety, quality and professionalism in British wrestling. Understandably after recent incidents on the UK scene many of the media outlets who previously covered just any UK wrestling company are far more cautious about promoting events without the correct safety measures put in place. By working with these outlets directly, the BWC’s standards and practices can make the media outlets feel comfortable about the companies that carry it’s seal. We hope that even the most cynical of you will be able to see that the aim of all these plans is to create a safer industry without sacrificing on quality- if anything we believe that the quality of the wrestling in the UK will massively improve with these measures. We understand that there will be many questions but we ask that you please bear with us as, as we’re sure you can imagine when coordinating with so many different organisations, it will take us some time to put final announcements into place however we promise to keep you as up to date as possible with our progress. We know that these are ambitious plans but we believe that, with the continued support of the fans and those in the industry that have already allowed us to accomplish so much in such a short space of time, they are perfectly achievable. If we are able to implement these changes, and put the professional back into professional wrestling, we will not only have an industry we can be proud of but also an industry that is the envy of the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snitsky's back acne Posted July 6, 2020 Share Posted July 6, 2020 3 hours ago, Lion_of_the_Midlands said: There is virtually no one in the world of wrestling who can be trusted to take part in any sort of regulation, and certainly not Alex Shane. I trained with Stevie Knight for a while and he always referred to Alex Shane as Mavis. That is all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted July 6, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted July 6, 2020 14 minutes ago, Snitsky's back acne said: I trained with Stevie Knight for a while and he always referred to Alex Shane as Mavis. He got that nickname because he sounded like Mavis off Coronation Street. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pogue Posted July 6, 2020 Share Posted July 6, 2020 36 minutes ago, IANdrewDiceClay said: He got that nickname because he sounded like Mavis off Coronation Street. Is that true? After thinking about it, I don't really know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew "the ref" coyne Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 I think they even had to change their name from British Wrestling Council, because legally a Council has to be voted in? But yes, it was basically a case of wanting to control the scene through self imposed legislation. The simple idea was to set up a system whereby you: - Encourage schools to use the arm band system. Charge them money. - Encourage wrestlers to earn arm bands to prove their worth. Charge them money. - Encourage promotions to only use arm banded wrestlers. Charge them money. Implementing a martial arts style colour grading system isn't a terrible idea, though why you'd need to pay a self created body for this is beyond me. And in fairness to them this isn't the first time this sort of system has been setup. Martial arts will use the above system, as well as the scuba diving industry. The main issue from these sort of plans was the complete lack of benefits. It was always so blatantly one sided a deal. The reason it works so well with the scuba and martial arts examples above is because the benefits (being recognised by tournaments, discount on health and safety insurance, getting listed on key websites) FAR FAR outweighed the cost. Effectively you shoot yourself in the foot by not being apart of the system. So BWC had a massive uphill battle as nothing was in place. There were too many non arm-banded wrestlers, too many promotions who will use who they want, and too many schools not willing to pay money for the privilege of the armbands. And this isn't the first time people have tried to make money in this way. I remember two other schemes that came up: 1) Not long prior there was also RQW (Real Quality Wrestling), whereby a promotion could "earn" a RQW badge on their poster to prove and feature interpromotional RQW champions. In return I think you'd also get assistance with video production I believe from memory. It quickly fell apart because (a) Len Davis who was a key part of it was difficult to work with and (b) it was a blatant attempt to launch their own promotion off the back of it. I remember they came to a LDN show I was producing and Len sneaked him his women's championship onto the show, even instructed the ring announcer to announcer her as the RQW Women's Champion. Suffice to say I had that shit cut out of LDN TV and made up some bollocks on commentary that it was a "Pacific Championship belt" that was won off show. 2) But the REAL killer was FWA's Regional Promoter scheme which I was approached to be a part of. In a nutshell, you pay FWA the rights to their name to run your own show, and they supplied the ring and a few other bits. The idea was to have a different regional heads in each geographic area. Actually not a terrible idea in itself due to FWA's popularity at the time. Where it fell apart was greed. The contract basically stipulated (a) you put forward all costs to the show (b) FWA dictated those costs, and who wrestled on the show (c) if they had a international you HAD to use them (d) if the show made money you had to share 50% of the profits (e) if the show lost money that was all on you. Naturally I attempted to renegotiate with Greg Lambert and advised him the contract was rediculous. I offered a counter offer where I'd pay a single one off fee to use the FWA name and equipment, but that was it. Greg refused stating that "that's not how it works". I advised him that "that's not how franchising worked" and I walked away. But where it got better was that they attempted to slap this agreement onto Sanjay Bagga. Bagga was already promoting a handful of FWA's shows (which drew), and when they tried to throw this contract at him he also walked away. Sanjay launched LDN, and despite what many may think of him, he has successfully been touring shows ever since. They basically shot themselves in the foot due to their greed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted July 7, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted July 7, 2020 49 minutes ago, andrew "the ref" coyne said: if they had a international you HAD to use them It's a really overused spot these days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew "the ref" coyne Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 28 minutes ago, Carbomb said: It's a really overused spot these days Took me a moment. Very good. 😝 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted July 7, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted July 7, 2020 1 hour ago, andrew "the ref" coyne said: It quickly fell apart because (a) Len Davis who was a key part of it was difficult to work with @Tommy! hit me with that Len gif, please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snitsky's back acne Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 9 hours ago, Pogue said: Is that true? After thinking about it, I don't really know Haha. I remember Stevie saying it was Alex's middle name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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