1PW Returns

[WyattSheepMask]

24 minutes ago, lanky316 said:

I can't remember the exact bit I have vague memories of Chris Hero (I think) being on one of those customs/airport security reality programs where he was held up in immigration over questions around his Visa and the rather conspicuous wrestling belt that he was carrying with him.

 

21 minutes ago, Big'Olympic_Hero'Pete said:

Border Control Australia I believe it was called

 

[rAZN]

In case anyone had tickets or knows anyone who does. 

 

 

[Daddymagic]

Gauntley speaks out....

 

Statement from Steven Gauntley 

Despite what internet speculation may lead you to believe, I have not disappeared, nor have I run off to some sunny destination with a mountain of ill-gotten gains.

If you truly know me, you know that the accusation that I would embezzle and defraud my own company, my life's work, is absolutely ridiculous.

Since June, I have been battling health issues, which, due to the stress and pressure of the last two months, have nearly cost me my life.

When my former business partner left in July, I was given the option to liquidate the company then, but I stayed on and battled forward, to the extreme detriment of my own health, to try to redress the company's creditors and to do the right thing for the fans.

The day my health forced me to quit, the company was in a more positive position than it had been a few months before, despite an obvious smear campaign against me.

Am I saying I didn't make mistakes? No. Am I saying I haven't made poor decisions in desperation? No. Did I defraud, manipulate, and embezzle? Absolutely not!

Less than 48 hours ago, I nearly lost my life, and that is on top of losing dozens of thousands of pounds of my money, my car, and my house. I have genuinely sacrificed everything for this company that I loved.

People who hide behind "be kind" have revelled in gossip, trial by Twitter, and malicious rumours. Talent who disingenuously used to praise me, some going as far as to tell me, "I love you!" have never even dignified me with a conversation.

People who pretended to be my friend and now play for internet pack mentality virtue points heard a rumour and decided I was the devil without even asking me for my perspective.

I brought back this company in honour of my father's memory, and it was my dream and life's work.

Since July, I have been vilified, blamed, betrayed, and had the truth manipulated to suit the narrative that no one else made mistakes and that this company failed because I am evil, and that others are merely innocent, have acted with impunity, and are without reproach.

Because I loathe confrontation, I have deliberately kept my counsel on the matter, but the time has come to let the truth be told.

I am working with professional insolvency specialists to liquidate 1PW LTD, and also with an accountant and solicitor.

When I get the all-clear, I am going to release publicly every bank account statement connected to the company.

The financial history of the company is very complex, and if you look at a snapshot or even just one account without context, and without the bigger picture, and you do so with a preconceived narrative that you want to believe, then you can make me look like a bad person.

I will release EVERYTHING, including a summary of all the money that I invested in this company (including over £17,000 in USD that I took from my own bank and paid directly to performers last October), and a large transfer to my personal account to again cash for USD in February (for which I have WhatsApp screenshots and statements), and I will also summarise what I paid myself back from these vast directors' loans.

You'll also see what anyone else connected to the company previously invested in the company and what they took out of the company.

After being made a scapegoat, having been doxxed and had my address and phone number shared online, and having had several death threats, and having suffered massively with my own health, and having lost the company I loved, I genuinely have nothing to lose now, and I firmly believe the truth shall set me free.

Have I made mistakes? Yes, absolutely... huge mistakes. The biggest mistake I ever made was trusting people who betrayed me.

I want to conclude by offering my sincere apology to the 1PW fans. If I could have continued, I would have. I thought I would have given my life for this company, but in the end, I am sorry, but I could not let that happen.

I feel genuinely awful for any affected customers, but rest assured, I am working with professional advice to ensure that customers are able to obtain refunds.

Today, I have worked with our payment provider, Stripe, to authorise over £6000 of customer refunds.

I will make further statements on this matter in the coming weeks. Thanks for reading.

Steven Gauntley

[DavidB6937]

 

[Tommy!]

15 minutes ago, Daddymagic said:

a large transfer to my personal account

 

[Surf Digby]

Sorry to hear about his father. I liked him, and will always remember our little chats about things, like how much he paid for the ring.

The rest comes across as the same inconsistent, desperately deflective bollocks that we've heard time and time again.

[DavidB6937]

8 minutes ago, Nostalgia Nonce said:

Sorry to hear about his father.

[SuperBacon]

41 minutes ago, Daddymagic said:

Am I saying I didn't make mistakes? No. Am I saying I haven't made poor decisions in desperation? No. Did I defraud, manipulate, and embezzle? Absolutely not!

#Garthing 

[Loki]

[Lorne Malvo]

1 hour ago, Daddymagic said:

I want to conclude by offering my sincere apology to the 1PW fans.

What, all four of them?

[gmoney]

Well, I'm convinced. I'll be buying tickets for the next show. 

[Daddymagic]

1 hour ago, Daddymagic said:

I will release EVERYTHING, including a summary of all the money that I invested in this company (including over £17,000 in USD that I took from my own bank and paid directly to performers last October), and a large transfer to my personal account to again cash for USD in February (for which I have WhatsApp screenshots and statements), and I will also summarise what I paid myself back from these vast directors' loans.

Not that I believe for one second that he will "release everything" whatever that means, let's looks at this statement for one moment.

 

So he is claiming that he paid £17k out of his own pocket to performers last October. Last October was the first 1PW show in this new inception and sold out. So in that regard, Gauntley went £17k over budget and paid out of his own pocket, good! That's what you're meant to do! 
 

Then he says he made a "large transfer for his personal account" back in Feb this year. He doesn't say why, or that he was re invested or anything. Is that Steven basically admitting the embezzlement but trying to justify it by that he went £17k over budget a few shows previously? 
 

He also admits above to taking money "back" from "vast" loans. Clearly these loans were not for him to take money "back" but loans to run events (of which he had several scheduled) and to therefore be paid back. 

[Tommy!]

37 minutes ago, Daddymagic said:

Then he says he made a "large transfer for his personal account" back in Feb this year. He doesn't say why, or that he was re invested or anything. Is that Steven basically admitting the embezzlement but trying to justify it by that he went £17k over budget a few shows previously? 

Not quite.

It's not uncommon for someone to loan "their" business money (because the business if plc is a separate entity) and draw it back on repayments, especially in early start up or when it's getting fucked on cash flow.

That said it's got tight rules around it IIRC, and it wouldn't surprise me if that's not been followed.

Also doesn't he say he paid out his personal account for a usd transfer and then reimbursed himself or transferred to his account to pay in USD again from the business account. Why you'd do that I don't know (currency restrictions on the business account, lack of funds in the business account) but again it's the sort of thing I've seen done before in business to be honest, right wrong or otherwise.

Edited October 5, 2023 by Tommy!

[Hannibal Scorch]

19 minutes ago, Tommy! said:

Not quite.

It's not uncommon for someone to loan "their" business money (because the business if plc is a separate entity) and draw it back on repayments, especially in early start up or when it's getting fucked on cash flow.

That said it's got tight rules around it IIRC, and it wouldn't surprise me if that's not been followed.

Also doesn't he say he paid out his personal account for a usd transfer and then reimbursed himself or transferred to his account to pay in USD again from the business account. Why you'd do that I don't know (currency restrictions on the business account, lack of funds in the business account) but again it's the sort of thing I've seen done before in business to be honest, right wrong or otherwise.

Yeah, I know this happens with a lot of football clubs when they are taken over. It was certainly what Gold and Sullivan did at West Ham although I believe thats almost all resolved now, or certainly the loan value has been reduced last I read.

[Keith Houchen]

34 minutes ago, Hannibal Scorch said:

Yeah, I know this happens with a lot of football clubs when they are taken over. It was certainly what Gold and Sullivan did at West Ham although I believe thats almost all resolved now, or certainly the loan value has been reduced last I read.

And on the very opposite side of the scale, isn’t that what Trump is currently being done for? Escalating and inflating his worth for more favourable loans. I mean, Musk does it all the time. It’s something wealthy people can do, borrow money they don’t need to buy or finance stuff and be able to pay it back without having to dip into their own pockets. The Glazers did exactly that with Man Utd, but that’s hilarious. As is me mentioning the Uber wealthy in a comparison with a crackhead wrestling fraudster to be fair.