After taking a long time off from this column and seeing the return of the famous Ross Report on WWE.com, I felt there was no better time than now, to bang out another infamous McRoss Report, the column that everyone loves for all the wrong reasons sometimes.

I've been getting alot of preorders for the Ref Sean Hanson DOI Shoot Interview. The shoot interview, which you all know by now, costs only $8.00. The reason why the price is so low compared to other shoots on the market is because we want this shoot to be affordable for all to see. We're not making much of a profit off of this shoot, it's just a way to help with some of the ever-rising bandwidth costs the DOI have and to help out a referee who can use some extra cash in his pocket. Alot of fans have asked me, "Why should I get shoot with just a ref?" The answer to that is simple. Ref Hanson has been around a long time and has seen alot of things go down in alot of locker rooms. This shoot isn't just about his career, which we cover in-depth, it's also about all the current events in indy wrestling today. He talks about everyone and everything. Ref Hanson, who is known to his peers, as "The Honky Tonk Man of the Indies" really lives up to that nickname in this shoot.

This shoot interview has created much controversey. This shoot is a shoot interview that some don't want you to see. The DOI and Ref Hanson have both received paperwork from lawyers respresenting several people in the wrestling business. That's right, this is the one shoot interview that lawyers are looking at, to see if their clients get trashed. Only in indy wrestling. Despite one company releasing shoot interviews with wrestlers, where the wrestlers implicate several people for sex and drug abuse, that same hypocritical company wants this shoot off the market, in case Hanson implicates them for anything. Even better, this "honorable" company hasn't even seen the shoot yet. That is how much fear this shoot has put into some people. Some people fear the truth, and Hanson lays down the law, in the only way he knows how- with pure honesty. Trust me, this is shoot that you will always remember. It sucks that in America anyone can sue anyone if you have money, no matter how frivolous the case is, but the DOI and Ref Hanson are releasing this shoot with full steam. This interview will provide the loyal indy wrestling fan, in addition to the many wrestlers/promoters/talent who read this site, many unknown tales. This shoot contains stories that were never talked about before this interview. This is one for the books.

As of now, the Ref Hanson shoot interview should be ready for shipping this Wednesday!!! Get your preorders in now, as there is a good chance we'll sell out of the first batch in a few days. We'll also have the shoots on hand at the 9/10 JAPW show, so if you're looking to save on shipping costs, you can pick it up there.

Ok, I'm done with the shill part of this report.

I've been receiving alot of emails and IMs recently, about a myriad of subjects. Therefore, to answer everything, I present... "Ask The MiC". The following are 11 of the most frequently asked questions I have been asked recently. If this section is something you like reading, maybe I can do a "Weekly Ask The MiC" column here on the DOI. Feel free to submit your questions to BULLSMC@aol.com. Please make sure any questions asked are wrestling related.

Question: What do you think is the best indy promotion today?
To me, this is a no-brainer. I think JAPW is the best when it comes to promoting indy wrestling. Some may say ROH, but it's tough to consider ROH an indy fed. It also seems that many ROH shows feature the same matches that you could see on previous ROH shows. JAPW runs a tightly run company with every event feeling special. JAPW relies on their stories and championships to get them over, with the occassional big name. They don't need big names to get big crowds, as they get the crowds no matter what. They are an innovative promotion and gave more wrestlers than I can count a place to start. Since abandoning the "Blood is Better" style, JAPW has been running consisently and been putting on great events. The advent of World-Wide saw JAPW take online wrestling to a new level. While NECW's TV might've been around first, JAPW will be remembered as the godfather of online wrestling, as everyone and their mother is trying to run online wrestling TV shows after seeing JAPW's success. To me, JAPW is doing everything right, when it comes to promoting, telling their fans the truth and providing quality shows. It's no mistake that JAPW has been around for 8 years now.

Question: What happened to indy tag team wrestling and what good teams are left?

Tag team wrestling in the indies has fallen wayside. Like all things in wrestling, tag team wrestling is cyclic. There will be a new wave of great teams again, like there was in 2002. The problem with tag team wrestling starts at the top. The WWE doesn't take it seriously. Their two tag team champions are makeshift teams. They have been firing and letting go of teams left and right. It's rare that a tag team gets looked at by the WWE these days. With the WWE being the ultimate goal fora lot of people, it's tough to be a tag wrestler.

For me, I think PWU presents the best tag division in indy wrestling right now. You have big time established teams like the Backseat Boyz, The Briscoe Brothers, (who are PWU exclusive) and The SAT. You also have thrown together teams like Homicide/Corporal Robinson, with up and coming teams like The OutCast Killahs and Jackson/Cardinal. If you're a tag wrestling fan, PWU is for you.

As far as what good teams are left? Obviously, The Backseatz, Briscoes and the SAT are around. The OutCast Killahs just need that one big match to be put over the top. All Money Is Legal is another fun team to watch, but give up alot of size to their opponents. There's always the Christopher Street Connection too, who deserve alot more from the wrestling business than they have gotten from it. Another team to keep your eye on are The Dead Presidents. Boogalou and Low Ryda, two accomplished athletes, who just need the right push and more exposure, and fans will realize that there is another team who can be a major force on the scene. Jerk Jackson/Scott Cardinal also show potential, and are a gimmick away from being a memorable team.

I'm missing several teams, but to answer the question, yes there are good teams up there, and the future of indy tag wrestling can be bright...it's all up to the promoters.

Question: What happened to KC Blade?
He got injured, then reinjured his neck. After taking almost a year off, he made sporadic appearances, looking way out of shape. He can wrestle now, but is not 100%, unfocused, and needs a diet to be taken seriously. When healthy and focused, KC Blade is a big asset to any promotion. He has the tools to be a star on the indy scene, it's only a question of how bad does KC Blade want it. If he trades in the Whoppers and french fries for dumb bells and tread mills and realizes he has talent, KC Blade will make a huge splash, similiar to his partner, EC Negro, which brings me too....

Question: Will the DRS ever team again?
Alot of fans are craving a DRS reunion, especially JAPW and UXW fans. Right now, I don't see it happening, unless Blade refocuses on his wrestling career. Many forget how tough it is to be a wrestler and manage your personal life, so once Blade can handle his career and his life, we might see it. For now, Negro has become a big indy singles star. He is a 5-tool wrestler and is capable of main eventing indy shows. It would be a step down right now, for Negro to take Blade back. If Blade can return at 100%, "The Greatest Tag Team In The Universe" might have life again. If not, the DRS chapter in Negro's book will be done.

Question: What are your thoughts on NYWC?
I haven't seen alot of NYWC recently, so it's hard to comment on just reading the results. I think they give a good show for local fans, but for the common indy fan, you will leave their shows disappointed. NYWC has found their niche and fanbase in Deer Park, and have been doing good numbers there. You can see however, that most of their roster has the "big fish in small pond" mentality, meaning they can be big in NYWC, but fail to get over anywhere else. The booking, like most indy promotions, is questionable at times, such as giving Josh Deely's tag team partner a run with the second biggest title in the company, and the way they dropped the ball with Reefers Heavyweight title reign, but the fans there don't mind booking, they just want to be entertained. If you just go to NYWC, you will have the time of your life. It's just when you start discovering other promotions that you start realizing, hey NYWC isn't exactly number 1 like I thought. However, for the 10 bucks they charge a ticket, it's definitely worth checking out if you got time, especially since they have been bringing in big names.

Question: What are three things you would do to make UXW better if given the chance?
I talked about improving UXW a while ago. I'm not going to get into the length of the shows or the ticket sellers, because those are two obvious issues that has been beaten to death. Three things that UXW could work on to make the promotion better are:
1- Booking show-to-show: Often, these shows feel like a big carnival, meaning you see a good show, but at the end of it, nothing is really set up for the next show. It's like "WRESTLING IN TOWN, BUY YOUR TICKET" and you go and have a fun time. UXW can work on setting up their next show at every show, to help push their advance ticket sales.

2- Aggressively seek new buildings: UXW hasn't been the same since they lost the Elks Lodge. Amazura is in a bad location and will never provide the same feel as the Elks. UXW needs a steady homebase in Queens, as that is when the promotion draws the most amount of fans. Running 4-5 shows a year adds to that "carnival" feel. UXW needs to be more of a competitor and needs to run 12 shows a year. UXW will lose wrestler loyalty when they are only doing 4-5 shows a year, compared to the standard 10-12 that everyone else is running. Wrestlers will take other bookings, do doubleshots, etc, because UXW is only around 1/3 of the time everyone else is. By getting new buildings and running more shows, UXW can reclaim their spot on the top.

3- Give a non-ECW guy the Heavyweight Title and Push him to the moon- One thing UXW hasn't been doing lately is creating new stars like they have in the past. The last few UXW champions, outside a 2 hour title reign from Mike Kruel, have all been former ECW wrestlers. This has been this way since the Elks era. It's time to do something new. Giving the title to someone fresh and unexpected will shock the crowd. They need to build someone "the Goldberg way". Find an untapped talent and make him the champ. When wrestlers see promotions creating stars, the wrestlers work harder and work cheaper, which is a benefit for the UXW fans and for the promoter.

Question: Who are 3 guys that you think haven't been used to their potential and can explode on the scene?
Tough question. In no particular order:
1. Greg Matthews- good look, good size, and good skill means he could be a force.
2. Havok- With the Solution only teaming up in one place, it's now or never for Havok. If he has the drive, he can be huge.
3. Kevin Matthews- he's gone from pissing on belts to pissing on all his naysayers. The transformation of Kevin Matthews, in every aspect- attitude, skill, size, has been amazing.

Question: What is your take on 3PW shutting down?
Like I originally said on the site, it's unfortunate. 3PW was a good company that was just plagued with politics. It seemed like there were too many chiefs and not enough Indians. Everyone associated with the promotion at one point or another, like Jasmin, Tod Gordon, Meanie, Rebel and Mike Hawes, all can be successful elsewhere. They all have been, except for Hawes, who is only known for 3PW. It's a shame that 3PW isn't around, as Philly is really starting to suck right now. There are only 2 "major" promotions left in CZW and PWU. ROH comes back sporadically, and JAPW hasn't ruled out another return, but right now it looks like Philly is dried up.

Question: What are your thoughts on people saying that people who haven't bumped shouldn't be writing about wrestling?
This is a question that can be dragged out with a lengthy answer, but I'm going to be brief. Everyone knows one line of defense against that question, and that is how can you say food tastes like shit if you're not a chef? How can you say a movie sucks if you're not an actor? It's the same thing here. You don't need to be a wrestler to know if a match sucks or not. Also, I find the people who complain about people who aren't wrestlers writing about wrestling, are the same people who are being criticized. However, it is those people who jump up and down when they get praised by the writers who aren't wrestlers. It's a double sided coin. The writers will be criticized and complained about by promoters and wrestlers if they say something bad, but if the writers say something good those same people will tell everyone to read what was written. Sometimes, you just can't win.
The best thing, as a writer, wrestler, promoter or just as a human being, is to have a tough skin and not let other people's opinions distract you from your goal.

Question: What are your thoughts on the current AWA product?
To be blunt, I think AWA has fallen off alot. AWA has wasted too much time caring about message boards, having witch-trials on who-said-what and who-said-what-to-whom, where that time could be used to tightening up their product. With JAPW not scouting their shows anymore, or as much, I think the workrate and the product of AWA has slipped a bit. When JAPW scouted the shows, everyone was on their best behavior and going all out. Without them there, it has turned into alot of squabbling.

AWA has great talent on their roster, and was a great place to be discovered. Guys like Neeno Capone, Archadia and Pinkie Sanchez are some of the talents that have gone elsewhere because of AWA. Even veterans like Danny Demanto, OCK, AMIL, Jay Lethal and others have benefitted from the AWA.

One thing AWA needs to decide is if they are a promotion or a school and stick with it. It's tough to make money trying to do both, because if you're a school running a promotion, alot of the students get bumped, and they take their money and time elsewhere. If you're a promotion running a school, the show quality isn't going to be that good, and you're gonna have to deal with criticism because of your past history of running good quality shows. I also believe AWA lets people who have money have more control on their shows, because AWA isn't making that much cash. It goes back to the school. I can't name one AWA student who has done anything or has made a mark. I can however name, JAPW, ECPW, IWF, WXW, etc, students who have made a mark and made a splash on the indy scene.

AWA is also drawing the shits right now because the product is all over the place. They need to focus and maybe start pumping up the shows more. There is potential money to be made in AWA, it's just going out there and grabbing it. AWA has drawn 100+ in the past and has put on several memorable shows. There's no reason why that can't happen again. If AWA is going to be a student/school promotion, they will make money hand over fist with proper advertising to potential wrestlers. If AWA is going to be a real promotion, they can make money by putting on good shows. It's all about finding a direction and sticking to it. It would also make sense for AWA to pay their wrestlers, if they are going to be a real wrestling promotion. By working for free, wrestlers will find their price not being met by other promoters, because every promoter wants to one-up each other. By working for free one place, it's hard to get the maximum amount of money you deserve elsewhere. No promoter wants to be the one known as being the one paying the top dollar, especially if guys are working for free elsewhere. Then again, that's a whole different issue.

The Most Frequently Asked Question
Question: When is Rob Feinstein starting a new promotion?
This is the most frequently asked question that I hear from people in the business and from wrestling fans. Once I know, everyone on this site will know. The biggest problem for RF will be the people who are obsessed with him like the Bob Barnett's of the world, who will try to get his show shut down by saying he's a pedophile to building owners. I'm not going to re-hash the issue, but all I will say is Rob is not a pedophile and is a victim of the media. That's the only hurdle RF will have, as he is a brilliant businessman and a powerful promoter. Rob has the tools to be the top dog in town, but it will be a difficult struggle to the top this time. However it can be done, and Rob can do it, if he can take the heat that will go along with being number 1.

That concludes "Ask The MiC". I hope you enjoyed this little gimmick here.

I'm hearing rumors that a booker of a predominant promotion maybe on the way out...

Chris Jericho has worked the internet before. I wouldn't bet on Jericho going to TNA, but stranger things have happened.

Speaking of TNA, how much better has TNA been? I'm really digging TNA right now. They have the perfect blend of young talent with established stars. Samoa Joe, TNA Champion, sounds like a phrase we'll be saying a few months from now.

Who do you want to see the DOI do a shoot interview with? Feel free to email in. Several upcoming shoots includes Frank Goodman and Carmine Sabia.

It's a shame that the best thing about the WWE right now is their DVD line. Imagine if their product was as good as their DVD releases?

It's sad that one former diva who was on top of the world acted the way she did at a convention this past weekend. I don't think anyone wants to put their name on this story, but one former WWE diva had to be escorted out of WrestleReunion II for lewd and drunken behavior. It's a shame but she is going through a difficult time. Hopefully things will get better.

Big thanks to Eric Nyinehouse/"Vale Tudo" for his great UFC coverage.

It looks like SMW might be closed before it even starts. There's a chance it will happen, but if I'm a betting man, I'm betting that Ricky O's new promotion has trouble getting off on the right foot. I hope I'm wrong.

In my opinion, the three top online TV wrestling shows right now are JAPW's World Wide, TNA's Impact, and World 1's World 1 Wrestling.

In some bigtime TNA-esque match-ups, UXW presents Rhino vs Raven, while NWA Cyberspace presents Rhino vs Abyss. Both shows should be good as they both feature stacked rosters.

If Rick Silver is truly gone from JAPW, I'll be one of the fans who'll miss him. If the DOI Year End Award grading period ended today, he'd be manager of the year. He might've not been the best wrestler in the world, but he was able to "Blassie" his wrestling career into a good managing career. I hope everything works out for Silver and JAPW. Silver was only supposed to be in JAPW for a cup of coffee but his strong work led him to a regular spot in JAPW.

Is it me, or is there just way too many conventions these days? It's even harder to promote a convention than an indy show, so it's mind boggling that there are alot of conventions around the northeast area.

If IWA Mid-South took over 3PW's dates in the ECW Arena, would IWA Mid-South prosper?

The DOI is working on a huge interview with one of the biggest females in the history of pro wrestling. It will be posted on the DOI site soon.

Well that's it for now. Keep checking the DOI for all your latest indy news, reviews and interviews.

Sean "The MiC" McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com