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January 2020 - #4 - Saying Goodbye to an old friend. "If I ever leave this world alive The madness that you feel will soon subside So in a word don't shed a tear I'll be here when it all gets weird If I ever leave this world alive" "If I ever leave this world alive" - Flogging Molly When you spend 5 decades in any business, certain aspects of the job feel dull and laborious because they're so commonplace. In our business it's the lonely nights in hotel rooms, the long hours of travel on the road and the waiting about for hours before a show begins. All certainties. All dull. Then you have the other aspects that are equally commonplace but never get dull. The butterflies you feel before you walk through the curtain and the buzz you get when you hear an audience 'pop' for something are a few examples of that. Another thing in the business that is, unfortunately, commonplace and never gets dull because it always sucks each time is death. Now, for the younger guys that might not necessarily ring true. The kids these days are much more focused on longevity in their careers and clean living and taking care of themselves and that's the way it should be. But I'm an old-timer and things were, unfortunately, different back in the day. Drink, drugs and painkillers were common features of the locker room and hotel rooms and there were few people more closely associated with these back in the day than Rip Chord. For that reason, it's almost considered surprising that this event didn't occur 20 years ago. There are genuinely few wrestlers in the history of this business as iconic as Rip Chord so it's no surprise that the attendance for his funeral was nothing short of huge, at least by funeral standards. He was a man who in the last 10 years of his life tried to gradually distance himself from wrestling and forget about it but, clearly, the business never forgot about him as it seemed the entire state of Texas was lining the streets to pay their respects to the man. The service was held in one of the biggest churches in the state and it's only right that a big venue was used for a big man. Inside the church was a company of stalwart legends and the current stars of the business - Sam Strong, Richard Eisen, Ricky Dale Johnson, Micky Starr, Chief Two Eagles, Casey Valentine, Cameron Vessey and, of course, Rip's son, Jay. Just a few of the names who came to pay tribute. It wasn't your standard funeral. Very much an open book affair. There was no hard and fast schedule to abide by for the service. The officiant said a few words and left it at an open podium for others to come up and share stories and tributes to the Texan legend and they did. Some shared touching tributes to their hero. Some shared stories of their time on the road with Rip. Many voices were heard but a few stuck out to me. Marvin Earnest and I travelled together to the funeral. Firstly, we were there as friends of Rip and secondly as representatives of MAW - the creation that helped people forget Rip as a washed-up has-been and herald him as a saviour of wrestling's future. Marvin is a good man. An honest and hard-working man and one who I couldn't really do without when it comes to running the company. I could tell this was perhaps going to be tough for him but I knew he wanted to share his thoughts. He rose gently from the seat beside me and walked calmly but firmly to the podium. He pulled out an envelope from the inside pocket of his jacket, carefully opened it and highlighted and reminded all of us of just how excellent Rip was a wrestler and as a man. A powerful tribute. Those last two sentences seemed to almost sum up the unanimous feeling everyone in the building had towards Rip. Following on from Marvin was Richard Eisen. Maybe the most polarizing figure in the business, at least while he was in it. He had recently taken early retirement for... well, we've all heard the unflattering tales of some of his business practices. His SWF rose to the top off the back of Sam Strong vs Rip Chord and rode that rivalry for 10 years. I knew that he was never close to many of the boys and that he and Rip had their altercations but even today, he'd be here to share in the positivity. Some of the boys certainly were less than thrilled to see him there due to his ruthlessness and standoff-ish nature over the years but understood, or at least assumed, he was here to pay respects. I had noticed that he seemed to be in attendance alone. Not unusual for a man as private as he was. As he approached the podium he didn't look sad. He didn't seem downhearted. He barely seemed present. But this wasn't incredibly surprising. In almost 14 years of working for the man as talent and in the office with him, he didn't show much emotion for anything. I wasn't sure what we were all expecting. It was unusual but respectful. He never looked up. Never made eye contact with anyone. He mumbled in classic Richard fashion. He simply said his piece and sat back down in an unceremonious fashion. I doubt he'd be hanging about long after the service. Sam Strong stood up next and it seemed the whole church stood with him. Everyone seemed to rise in their seats. The man was 73 years old and still looked larger than life itself. He stood tall and still had a commanding presence about him. As Marvin said, Sam seemed to have this Superhero-Esque aura about him and it never seemed to diminish with age. Before approaching the podium he walked toward the solid, oak casket with a bag in his hand. Everyone sat up in their chairs intrigued as to what would be in it. He carefully unzipped the bag and paused. Once a performer, always a performer. He had everyone hooked and knew how to work the crowd. He slowly pulled out of the bag a bright pink balloon. Written on the balloon were the words - 'Get Well Soon'. Certain sections of the church exploded into a bout of laughter as you could also hear a few gasps ripple through the gathered crowd. I knew the uproar of chuckles was from the old boys. Rip always appreciated a good rib and Sam may have saved the best, and most risky, for last. Short, to the point and it brought laughter to, what are usually solemn affairs. We all appreciated that and we all appreciate Sam Strong. From the church, we all ended up at Rip's ranch. We entered a big barn that was laid out with food as far as the eye could see and a make-shift bar filled with more alcohol than any group of people should be able to finish, or so they probably thought. The afternoon ran into the evening and time seemed to fly by us all as a whole barrel load of us old wrasslers shared old road stories. None of them stories that we hadn't heard before but stories that still brought us smiles and laughs. We shared our experiences of working with Rip, in-ring and behind the scenes, and discussed some of his classic matches. We drank many a drink and toasted many a toast in his honour. Jay and some of the younger kids sat with us, shared their stories and even matched us drink for drink as the night rolled on. Well, they tried to. You ever tried to outdrink Bruce The Giant? It simply can't be done. It was a truly excellent evening and a fitting celebration for a truly excellent man. As we bid farewell to the boys to the following morning I caught RDJ. We exchanged a few words. He asked about MAW. I asked about his retirement and if the boredom of it was setting in. Did he have any interest in a small scale return? Perhaps to lend words of wisdom to some of the youngsters of the business? He didn't turn his nose up at it anyway. We'd stay in touch and see what develops. So, now Marvin and I had to go back to base and continue our final preparations for the upcoming tournament and make it the best event it could possibly be. For Rip. Still time to get in your picks for Rip Chord invitational. Next entry: The Rip Chord Invitational

A different take on the diary form and I'm especially enjoying how neatly written the behind the scenes segments are. Plus, I'm an RDJ fan so keep it coming.

Joey Morgan vs. Spencer Spade Hawaiian Crush vs. Fame & Money Des Davids vs. Masked Patriot Marshall Dillon vs. Rogue Hollywood Bret Starr vs. ZWB Rocky Golden vs. The Crippler

<p><strong>Kerry Wayne & Will Beaumont</strong> [vs] Kal & Kian Wayne</p><p> </p><p> 'Pretty Boy' Lynx [vs] '<strong>Beautiful' Blake Belushi</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> Heath and Horton w/ Autumn Gleason [vs]<strong> The Masterminds w/ Spin Doctor</strong></p><p> </p><p> Isaac Taylor [vs] <strong>Tombstone</strong></p><p> </p><p> Local Enhancement Talent [vs] <strong>The RAW Giants</strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>'The Alpha Male' Swoop McCarthy</strong> [vs] 'The King' Maurice Jackson</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> Give Swoop all the belts. #SwoopDogg</p>

MAW Wrestling Classic 2020 Fri, Wk 4, Feb 2020 Opening Match Tag Team Match 15-Minute Time Limit Jaylon Martins & Joey Fili vs The Past Masters Singles Match 15-Minute Time Limit Josh Jacobs vs Local Talent Tag Team Match 15-Minute Time Limit DeMarcus & Gray vs Deuce Deadline & Trix Triumph Tag Team Match 15-Minute Time Limit The Heartbeak Express w/Lisa Bowen vs The Wolf Pack Singles Match 15-Minute Time Limit Copperhead vs Miller Fforde Main Event Mid Atlantic Championship Match Singles Match 30-Minute Time Limit The Architect vs Bradley Blaze © Bonus prediction #1: What will be match of the night? The Architect vs Bradley Blaze Bonus prediction #2: Who will be the local talent Josh Jacobs faces off against: Blind guess... Bob Casey? 'Pronouns, pal'! Building a good head of steam with this. Looking forward to it continuing.

I enjoyed the custom graphics that combined the number with it's equivalent grade hut I've always primarily been a numbers guy.

<p>Really nicely written start. Flash is such an iconic character in the C-Verse with an equally iconic, if run down, promotion in NYCW.</p><p> </p><p> Always love following a diary of the smaller companies. I'm in!</p>

Getting invested in my MAW save but when I start TCW, plans are to slowly and gradually unite Chord, Stone and Gauge as a sort of Legacy stable. Hawkins, fed up with being down on his luck navigates and allows a situation to develop where his current Syndicate members will be unanimously beaten and bloodied by The generational trio. These 3 join Hawkins as a new and further improved Syndicate that'll have 4 elite talents in it. Ideally, one combination of the trio will have at least good chemistry. Also, in an ideal scenario, Hollywood Star or Matthew Keith becomes available and I sign him up to join them. Then I've got my dominant heel stable to run riot over TCW to then allow Andrews, Mighty Mo and their baby face underdogs to go to war. Fast forward months, maybe a year and the group will overthrow Hawkins and they're a second-generational dominant Legacy stable with a new face to fight off. All sounds great in theory and planned out. Not put it to the test yet.

2 shows passed and 2 shows that I thought I'd predicted and hadn't. Fool. Excellent shows though and well written as always. Shaping up nicely.

Didn't get my predictions in in time but a really nice write-up for the RCI tournament. Plus, I'm enjoying following another MAW dynasty to see how our stories compare. Good stuff, dude. I'll follow more closely next time for predictions.

January 2020 - #3 - The Rip Chord Invitational "This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill Fifteen percent concentrated power of will Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!" "Remember The Name" - Fort Minor The Rip Chord Invitational. Highly regarded among those in the industry, especially among all of us on the independent scene. It's not a stretch to say that success in this tournament can almost guarantee future success in the business. Previous winners include Cameron Vessey, Casey Valentine, Mainstream Hernandez and Greg Gauge. All kids who are now plying their trade in the biggest companies in North America. The tournament is held in high esteem by others and rightfully so, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that selecting the participants is never an easy task. I did talk about and consider the idea of stretching it out over 2 days and including 16 workers but, as I'll get to later, plans change and, due to recent circumstances, it was especially important we upheld the traditional format this year. So we have done so and I've carefully selected the 8 worthy participants. Mr Lucha III - Our representative from OLLIE. An 11 year veteran of the ring who is a truly exceptional in-ring performer and deserves a spot on a bigger stage than the Independents can provide. Frantic Ali - Our representative from IPW. He narrowly beat out Blackfriar for the spot. He's a five-time champion and can go in the ring. Earned his spot. Masked Cougar - Our representative from CZCW. One half of the reigning Sam Keith Classic winners and a veteran of the sport. Not his first time in the competition either. His experience will serve him well. Tennessee William - Our representative from NYCW. An excellent promo and a real heat magnet in New York who is starting to get some notoriety about him. I've considered bringing him before now. Ernest Youngman - New to the company but has certainly earned his spot in the tournament from his work elsewhere. One of the most consistent performers in the business and we're glad to have him here. The Architect - MAW born and bred. Not his first rodeo and always looks good in the ring. A solid representative for us. Seth Whitehead - We've got to get a TCW representative in somewhere and, at the moment, he's the best of the bunch. Maybe not who they would want in but it's my call. He's earned it above the others. Miller Fforde - Another MAW kid through and through and our fans consider him a star of the promotion. A recent former MAW heavyweight champion, he's earned his spot. So there we have it. The 8 guys carefully selected to compete for the 15th Rip Chord Invitational. Not to mention the Tag titles will be defended and we're holding a special exhibition bout between our MAW World Champion and the COTT Heavyweight champion. It's sure to be an excellent evening with something special about this year more than others for... not so great reasons. But I'll talk about that next time... Next entry: Saying goodbye to an old friend.

A third dynasty? Given yourself a hell of a lot of work here but damn if I ain't sitting down for this one too.

January 2020 - #2 - The TCW deal and hirings "Together we stand, divided we fall. Come on now people, let's get on the ball and work together, Come on, come on let's work together" "Let's Work Together" - Canned Heat I've always prided this company on its relationship with others around it. With the talent who work for us, with the volunteers who work at the shows we put on, with the fans and providing them with a product they love, and with all other companies in the professional wrestling business. I've never bought into the idea of being at 'War' with anybody. Nobody should be entitled to a monopoly on the business. The Land of Supreme and The Land of Giants have been desperately trying to do so for a number of years now but I've never seen it that way. Competition is good for business. It lights a fire under your ass and inspres you to put on the best show you possibly can. I always want MAW to be better than our 'perceived' rivals but I'm never actively in competition with them or looking to put them out of business. I just want to be better than them. Even with the COTT. I'm head honcho. Naturally, I want all the companies within the alliance to be doing well but I want MAW to be doing better. Nothing wrong with that. So how do we continue to do better than those around us? Form a link to the big leagues. The company has always been a converyor belt of talent. They enter here, they work on their game whether it's character work or in-ring or whatever and then they get picked up and move on elsewhere. As I said before, that was Rip's intention when he created the company. Our way of giving back. But the talent doesn't leave here with an automatic trip to the big-time in their future. At least until now... sort of. Linking up with Total Championship Wrestling was a very easy and natural thing to negotiate and I'm honestly surprised it didn't happen sooner, what with Rip & I's links to the company. Rip spent the last 9 years of his career there. He entered in at the ground floor as they were born, he and Sam Strong helped build the company up and give it a name, value and legitimacy as they challenged SWF. He eventually wound up as the head booker of the company for a couple of years before finally winding down and ending his in-ring career there. Myself? Well, I landed there after being made a scapegoat by the SWF for storyline BS going on there. I spent just shy of 4 years there as my career began to wind down. I helped build up and put over talent, had a brief run with the midcard belt, gave my thank you's and rode off into the sunset after a fine end to a career. Our connections to the company were clear as day and, after a difficult last few years for them with talent leaving and retirements etc. they're looking for a way to help build for their future. They need somewhere for their Dojo graduates to go and continue to learn their shit. Where better than Mid Atlantic? The terms of the deal were fairly straightforward. When they get graduates from the dojo, they'll either cut them free, put them on the main roster or 'want' to send them to us. I made sure that we wouldn't be held captive by them so the 'want' part is important. We're given a refusal option on the talent. If I don't think they'll cut it, I'll refuse to take them, no hard feelings. If they've got a shot? Welcome aboard, kid! In doing all of that, we help continue to teach the kids, work with them and give back to the business, TCW helps with our financials for the trouble and they've now got a 'developmental' league to rival the SWF's developmental of RIPW. Now, unfortunately, all of that doesn't guarantee entry for anyone on a Mid Atlantic contract and that I hire personally but it certainly boosts their chances of being picked up. So all in all, it's a good deal for everyone involved. Speaking of talent missing out on the big-time, I made a few new signings recently. For all the 'talent scouts' out there, some are either blind or piss-poor at their jobs because there is some exceptional talent that still aren't getting the recognition they deserve and that is an injustice. So I signed them and will make others take notice. Ernest Youngman: 'The Assassin of the Squared Circle'. A good looking kid who has been loyal to PSW for the past 6 years but never done anything bigger. Davis-Wayne Newton: Another good-looking kid with an air of arrogance about him. He's been only working in Puerto-Rico for the past 5 years but is the wrong side of 30. The Latino Kings: An excellent tag-team who have been loyal to FCW for 13 years. Few teams are better in the world than these guys. Jack Avatar: Renamed him as Jack America. The kid is an absolute stud-athlete, he looks like a star and is as pure a babyface as they come. I don't think he'll be here for too long. 5 new additions to the MAW roster to go with our already decent talent list. Not everyone is gonna be on every show we put on but remember earlier when I said that competition is good for business? Well, here it is in action. With a slightly inflated roster and TCW bound guys on the roster, everyone is fighting for a spot on every show and they've got to continually prove they belong. I love it. So from here, we roll on towards the Rip Chord Invitational. Currently, it's a one-night event with 8 wrestlers fighting for the prize. But it's 2020 and we can't afford to grow stale so I've got a plan to mix it up slightly... How about 16 men over 2 nights? Possible? Yes. Smart? Maybe. Maybe not. Let's see what happens... Next entries: The RIP Chord Invitational participants and card. Saying goodbye to an old friend.

' The Natural' Nicky Gilbert [vs] Joe 'The Z-Man' Zucco The 3AM Boys (Stoppard & Kerr) [vs] God's Gift (Banks & Standish) 'The Enigma' Echo [vs] Louie Louis 'The Prospect' Rod Sullivan [vs] 'Beautiful' Blake Belushi 'Smooth' Brodie Lachlan [vs] 'The Innovator' Tye LiberTeen w/ Raymond Royce 'Tailor Made' Cole Taylor [vs] 'Unbreakable' Luke Steele 'The Real Beaut' Loxley Robbins [vs] Captain Wrestling II

Very good show. Only called one of them ring and, as The Lloyd said, the ratings improved as the card progressed. Good shit. Push Hangman. Give him all the belts.

<p>Interesting beginning so far, dude. As someone who has just started a MAW dynasty on the boards also, I'll be following on to see how our worlds develop. Us little companies gotta stick together. Haha. </p><p> Good luck</p>

Randy Unleashed vs ZWB James Prudence vs Lenny Brown Des Davids vs Oliver Kobb High Flyin' Hawiian vs Paul Huntingdon The Crippler vs Steven Parker Rocky Golden & Valiant vs Remo & Rogue Glad to have you back doing your work, sir. Gonna be a hell of a ride!

At this stage I've absolutely no idea since we've only got 2 months to play around with. But they don't own MAW so I'm not bowing down to everything. Glad to have you on board. You're absolutely right, Historian. They're not part of the official roster at start-up but they have been signed to deals as we'll cover in upcoming posts from Sam. I'm just not a dab hand at the dynasty stuff and with 2 kids and a wife, I don't have a lot of time so just edit and keep on top when I can. In this case, just pre-empting. Lol. Glad you're here to enjoy though people.

<p>An intriguing start. RDJ is a character I've always been drawn to as an in and out of ring talent.</p><p> Curious to hear you continue to bring his voice to life. </p><p> I'll be following, fella.</p>

<p>Main Event - CWI Championship - Java vs. <strong>Conner Threepwood ©</strong></p><p> Using the vets to put over the younger talent is always the way forward. Champ retains. </p><p> </p><p> Women's Championship Semi-Final - <strong>Suzanne Brazzle</strong> vs. Talia Neema</p><p> Women's Championship Semi-Final - Steffi Chee vs. <strong> Steph Blake</strong> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> Jason Patterson & Matt Blackburn vs. <strong>Bred for Battle w/ Andrew Gibson</strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Nate DeMarcus</strong> vs. Charlie Corner</p><p> De Marcus is what's called a solid-hand at this level. He'll take the win here. </p><p> </p><p> The Hangman Open Challenge - ??? vs. <strong>The Hangman</strong></p><p> No one can hang... man. </p><p> </p><p> Pepper Pelton vs. <strong>The Masked Mauler VII</strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> Always a big fan of your work, Historian, and now I'm organised enough to be able to follow along in real-time instead of playing catch-up. Presentation is crisp as always. My body is ready!</p>

Dropping in to say I'll be following. With running my MAW save/diary, I'll be watching to see what the 'competition' is doing. Good start, my friend.

Solid first show. Simple lay out of the diary which isn't a bad thing. Easy to follow. I'll be following closely to see what you do with RIPW and see how it compares to my MAW. Keep it up, dude. You've got a follower in me.

Sam's Diary Logs #1 - An Introduction #2 - The TCW deal and hirings #3 - The Rip Chord Invitational #4 - Saying Goodbye to an old friend #5 - January Round Up #6 - The Wrestling Classic preview #7 - A recap of February and The Wrestling Classic #8 - Super Showdown build-up and preview #9 - Super Showdown and March recap #10 - Meeting the TCW Dojo graduates and MAW Evolved card #11 - Evolved! Recap and Americana preview #12 - MAW Americana and April review plus Evolved! preview #13 - Another farewell to another friend #14 - MAW Old School Rules Preview #15 - MAW Old School Rules and May recap #16 - MAW Evolved! June preview & Sam Keith Classic Update #17 - A six month recap #18 - What Comes Next? #19 - The Battle of the Mid Atlantic #20 - Whatever It Takes Narrative Pieces Time to walk away? I'll see you down the road MAW Events 2020 Rip Chord Invitational XV The Wrestling Classic Super Showdown MAW Evolved (April) MAW Americana MAW Evolved (May) MAW Old School Rules MAW The Sam Keith Classic - Night 1 MAW The Sam Keith Classic - Night 2 MAW Evolved (August) MAW The Battle of the Mid Atlantic MAW Evolved (September) The Pro Wrestling Reporter January & February Recap Admin Roster & Champions

Roster Ade Nelson | Big Richard | Bobby Barnett | Bradley Blaze | Carlos Randelman Cheetah Boy | Copperhead | Davis Wayne Newton | Deuce Deadline | Duke Freeman Ernest Youngman | Findlay | Guillotine | Harvey Robbinfield | Hector Galindo Jack America | Jaylon Martins | Joey Fili | Johnny Needham | Jonah Pilgrim Josh Jacobs |Kip Keenan | Miller Fforde | Milton Monk | Nate DeMarcus Ralph Liotta | Rudy Velasquez | Sandman Winks | Sean Noggin | Seth Whitehead Sione Tokoeka | Tennessee William | Terry Ambrose | The Architect | The Historian Trixx Triumph | Tyrone Gray Other Talent & Staff Chris Caulfield | Ernest Forthdyke Human | Haley Buck | Jay Fair | Jez McArthuer Lisa Bowen| Marvin Earnest | Ricky Dale Johnson | Sam Keith Tag Teams American Made - Jack America & Kip Keenan BFT - Chris Randleman & Milton Monk Jacobs & Nelson - Josh Jacobs & Ade Nelson The Disaster Artists - Seth Whitehead & The Architect The Heartbreak Express - Johnny Needham & Ralph Liotta The Latino Kings - Hector Galindo & Rudy Velasquez The Past Masters - The Historian & Sandman Winks The Wolfpack - Sione Tokoeka & Sean Noggin Champions Mid Atlantic Championship 'The Dallas Cowboy' Bradley Blaze (1st reign - 5 defences) (Friday Week 4, October 2019) Mid Atlantic American 'Davis Wayne Newton (1st reign - 3 defences) (Friday Week 4, April 2020) Previous Champions: Jaylon Martin (1) - November 19'-April 20' Mid Atlantic Tag Team The Past Masters (1st reign - 2 defences) (Friday Week 4, April 2020) Previous Champions: Nate ' The Great' DeMarcus & 'High Energy' Tyrone Gray (2) (December 19' - April 20') Rip Chord Invitational 2020 Winner: Ernest Youngman 2019 Winner: 'The Dallas Cowboy' Bradley Blaze Sam Keith Classic 2020 Winners: Jackpot Jordan & Jake Idol (Rich & Famous) 2019 Winners: Frankie Perez & Masked Cougar COTT World Ernest Youngman (1st reign - 7 defences) (Friday Week 4, April 2020) Previous Champions: Pablo Rodriguez (1) (Wk 2 August 2019 - Wk 4 April 2020) (9 defences) COTT World Tag Team Laberinto Jr. & Luis Montero Jr. (1st reign - 3 defences) (Saturday Week 4, April 2020) Previous Champions: The American Cobras (1) (Wk 1 November 2019 - Wk 2 May 2020) (3 defences)

January 2020 - #1 - An Introduction "Hello again hello I just called to say hello I couldn't sleep at all tonight And I know its late But I couldn't wait" "Hello Again" - Neil Diamond New Year, new me? Pfft, right. 2020 marks entry into my 6th decade in the wrestling business. 41 years since I debuted in TWL and I still remember it clearly. The stench of beer, blood and body-odour mixed with Old School Southern Wrasslin' is a memory that, despite the passage of time, never fades away. Since my retirement and beginning my tenure at MAW that's what I've always aimed to bring back: That old-school feel to the business. If I was able to bring it without the overwhelming stench of body-odour from wrestlers and fans alike? Bonus! Some of the biggest names in business history came through the likes of the Texas Wrestling League. Rip Chord, Professor Nero, Ricky Dale Johnson and Vengeance (and what a hell of a team those two were) to name a few, made their names in the Lone Star State and then went on to bigger and better prospects. Not too dissimilar to what we've got going on here. Promote the product, promote the talent, give them a platform, teach them their shit and hope they make it to the big-time. That's what I do with my time here now. Some have worked out, some didn't and some are still a work in progress. Maybe some of the talent that ran through here aren't at that name level yet but someday they could be. You're telling me that the kids of Rip Chord, Micky Starr & Sam Keith aren't gonna be some of the biggest names in the business? Please. When Rip decided in April 2011 he wanted out and handed over the keys of the company to me, many words were exchanged but two of the most important things he said were as follows: 1. Don't harness the kids. You and I got enough out of the business. Now it's time to be selfless and give back. Learn them, train them, teach them, set them free. 2. Old School's Cool! That first one stays firmly planted in my brain. Constantly playing on a loop whenever I'm doing work for the company. He's out of the business but I'll occasionally call him and give an update on what's going on. He still checks in but it feels like more of a courtesy than genuine interest. The second one is on a huge plaque in my office, hung up on the wall behind my desk so everyone who walks in can see it. I've had my share of runs in the 'entertainment' plazas of SWF and CGC. The business is constantly evolving. Sports Entertainment is more popular than ever before. Nothing wrong with that, I guess. They've taken over the face of North American wrestling between USPW and SWF. More power to them. I spent just shy of 14 years working for the Eisen's and I was grateful to what we did together. We did good business and made good money. But I helped break-in, train-up and then later worked alongside a certain Tommy Cornell. He took over the fledgeling company that was known as Hollyweird Championship Grappling that had failed to take out Richard Eisen and turned them into a major player which legitimately challenged the SWF! I closed out my in-ring career working for Tommy and his, at the time, company. I know which of the 'Big 3' has my backing in this business. Enter: Total Championship Wrestling!