The other day, someone in the wrestling business asked me how come the DOI hasn't been as updated as it used to be. Someone else said to me that "The DOI has been going through the motions" recently. Looking at it right now, and after thinking about it for a while, those people were on to something. Indy wrestling is somewhat boring right now. I've actually decreased the amount of shows I was going to because I found every show to be the same old shit and I was looking forward to partying after the show, and not the actual show itself. As of right now, the only shows I can actually pump myself up for and actually look forward to watching, are UXW, JAPW and PWU. And before you DOI-haters start saying "this is another ROH-bash thing", I just feel that once you've seen one ROH show, these days, you've seen them all. The one show you might see can be really good, but most of the shows don't differeniate from the next show.
As far as everything else, and all these promotions that would cream their pants for 100 fans in the seats, it all seems to be the same and seems to be the same boring crap. The worst part is when you know the business, you just shake your head when seeing things develop.

Case in point. This past Friday (10/21), AWA and PWF-NJ both held shows. AWA, whose attendance has significantly dropped since their whole "waa-waa journalist/fan criticsm is bad" segment they aired on "Hotwired", has been stale for a while, but usually sees their attendance boost when they hold shows the day before JAPW runs their shows. PWF-NJ was running their sophomore show in a building that has been burnt, literally.

For those who don't know, PWF-NJ holds their shows in the infamous "SSCW Fire" building, which is the building that went on fire during a SSCW show that drew a whopping 15 fans, with guys like Al Snow, Simon Diamond and Justin Credible on the card. You'd think PWF-NJ would have reservations paying $1100 in rent (At least that was what Carmine paid, I really don't know if PWF-NJ is paying the same) for a building that couldn't break 20 fans with good talent on the show. Despite SSCW bombing there several times, PWF-NJ marched ahead, and ran their second show in Clifton, NJ, which is only about 15 minutes or so away from the AWA building, with half of the card featuring wrestlers who work for the AWA consistently.

I really don't know who announced their date first, nor care, but do you see where I'm getting at? You had two shows, with pretty much the same roster, running 15 minutes away from each other. To make matters even more interesting, the PWF-NJ booker is Damian Dragon, who has been getting a nice little push in AWA. By having his show run head-to-head with Morgan's AWA show, not only was he fucking himself out of an extra night of work, he was competing for the same 50 fans (and that's being very generous) who attend AWA shows regularly. These two promotions also put the wrestlers and more importantly, the paying fans, in a bad spot. AWA, who don't pay their wrestlers regularly, could feel snubbed by guys who took the PWF-NJ payday. PWF-NJ could feel snubbed by guys who would rather work for free than get paid. Fans of both promotions also had to choose where they wanted to go, and these promotions put themselves in a spot where they'd split the same fan base. To make it harder to make money, JAPW was running a show in Atlantic City the next night, and alot of fans went to AC early to gamble and hang out. JAPW's show affected PWF-NJ more, because AWA will always have their regulars who won't miss a show, while PWF-NJ is running their second show in the area, and trying to build up a fanbase.

So what was the end result? AWA had about 40 paid fans, while PWF-NJ had a whopping 10 fans paid. Neither show brought home any significant cash and nothing major happened at either event. Shit like this gets on my nerves and frustrates me, because both promotions could be making money if they had any common sense. For starters, why run head-to-head and split the fanbase? I think PWF-NJ has to take more of the blame on this one, because AWA has been around longer and employed the majority of the wrestlers on PWF-NJ's show before PWF-NJ even existed. PWF-NJ certainly took the brunt of it, attendance wise. 50 fans for two shows on a Friday night. Pathetic. It just makes you wonder, why don't these promotions actually try you know, promoting?

Internet press releases are all fine and dandy, but the bottom line is that fans who read the internet, already have their mind up on where they are going even if they read your press release. Promotions can't expect fans to go to every show, considering there is an average of 20 shows in the northeast area per month. Fans aren't made of money, and the average indy fan will choose two shows to go to a month.

Some promotions can get away with announcing nothing, and still will draw a good crowd, based on their reputation like ROH, JAPW, etc. There are die-hard fans who will pay to see any line up, like fans of CZW, who will go to every show no matter if the card is stacked or crap. Promotions need to realize that, while they do have to use the internet to their advantage, if they don't hit the local area with flyers, they are going to draw bullshit crowds.

It's hard to draw indy fans these days. There is so much competition and so many things can go wrong. In this scenario, with AWA & PWF-NJ, I am willing to bet money that neither promotion flyered the area that they were running in. I know that AWA didn't for a fact, but I don't know about PWF-NJ. Even if PWF-NJ did, then they did a fucking horrible job, because they only had 10 fans paid. AWA gets some slack because they have their own little thing there and don't pay most of the wrestlers, but PWF-NJ paid everyone who worked for them, meaning that they they lost money on the show. Simply put, PWF-NJ did no real promoting at all. There were no local groups. There were no sponsors. There was no deal or call made to a local high school. There was no active street team. For all the shit that people want to say about NWS, every NWS show has sponsors and every area that the NWS runs in is flyered. There's a reason why NWS can run 50+ shows a year, and that's because they promote. If they draw a shit crowd, at least they tried, and know not to go back there again. I just don't understand these promotions that don't hit the streets nor the town, then return to the same building after losing money on a show. It must feel great to be rich, because I don't know how all these promotions can afford to piss money monthly.

Even though AWA has their own building, I think they've done a piss-poor job of promoting too. It was only a year ago that they were talking about running shows outside of their home building. There was talk about paying the wrestlers consistently as well. A year later, AWA is still running on the third floor of an apartment building, where the wrestlers get changed and urinate in water bottles, while getting ready for their matches in a staircase. The indies aren't supposed to be glamorous, but instead of steadily increasing their fan base and profit, AWA is even-steven. I understand running wrestling or wrestling for the love of the sport, but sometimes you need that business mentality, when you realize wrestling is a business and eventually money runs out. Last year, I figured AWA would be running one main show, at a bigger venue, which holds 300 people, and student/B-shows at their school. Instead, AWA is in the same place, if not in a worse place, than they were last year. They actually lost some of the building space they had, and instead of running forward, they've taken steps back. Again, this all comes to promoting. If AWA actively promoted their area, every show would be a sell-out, and AWA would be forced to find a bigger venue, therefore, being left with bundles of money at the end of the night, not water bottles filled with urine.

One promotion that has stepped up and the AWA could learn from, is Pro Wrestling Unplugged. In one years time, PWU is bigger than AWA, has more respect than AWA and has a better working environment than AWA. Plus, there's a bathroom in the locker room, so there is no need for Poland Spring bottles filled with piss after the show. This isn't to compare the two companies, but the two companies have many similarities. Some of those similarities are that both companies run in a low-economy neighborhood, both companies own a wrestling school and both companies have loyal wrestlers. If anything AWA should be where PWU is today, if not bigger than PWU, since AWA has been around longer and don't have to worry about "Rebel-tics" or a state athletic commission, like PWU does.

In their year plus existence, PWU has a building where they can hold school shows and train their wrestlers during the week. PWU now has a building where they can hold up to 500 people, for their main shows, in the same area as their student shows. Fans get a price break on the student shows, and if they like what they see, they can pay a little bit more to see better talent and better matches from more established wrestlers at the main shows. PWU also hits the streets and flyers their area hard, in addition to catering to internet fans. PWU is doing best of both worlds. If they don't draw a good crowd, it's most likely due to the bad economy in the area that they run in. PWU also does a great job of staying a bit controversial and unpredicatable, so fans who might hate the promotion, still follow it, because they want to know what PWU is up to next. PWU is climbing the ladder at a nice pace, and other school/promotions can learn from them.

Another promotion, that doesn't get much coverage on this site, because they stay to themselves, is ECPW. They've set the forumla that PWU is following right now, as they hold their student shows for their loyal fans, then draw huge crowds for their main or sold shows. The wrestling might not be the best in the the world, with matches for kids, like Johnny Thunder vs The Patriot, but who can argue with 1000+ paid? ECPW is quiet in the land of the internet, but at the end of the year, they've got green in their pocket.

It's just amazing how much money is actually invested in wrestling and how much profit is made in in wrestling. I just look at NWA Cyberspace sometimes, and just roll my eyes. NWA CS's shows are good, but what's the point of running a $20,000 show to only make $4000? I understand Billy Firehawk loves the sport and is more of a fan than a promoter, but he can be making money off of his hobby, not losing it.

So I guess to wrap up this segment of the McRoss Report, all I can really say is that it's just a crazy world in indy wrestling land. People will fork over thousands to run shows, but do no work to actually make money off of it. People will use the same talent and recycle the same angles over again. If the promotions don't try, why should the fans care? I guess that's the reason why my interest has been waning in the last several months.

On the opposite hand, you got people who care too much. I'm specifically talking about the Slyck Wagner Brown situation. Not to rehash, but to all the indy wrestlers who put some stock, whether it's little or big, into this column- here's a big secret. I'm going to tell you something that you might not know. 99% OF WRESTLING FANS KNOW THAT WINNERS OF WRESTLING MATCHES ARE PRE-DETERMINED. Fans pay to see good matches. Fans remember good matches and big spots first, and who won the match second.
But please, keep that on the down low.

Here's something else to keep in mind- gossip in wrestling spreads super fast. Once you get labeled as a crybaby who refuses jobs, promoters who don't even know you won't even bother with you because of what they heard or what they read. Reputation does supercede work-rate at times. Your work-rate can always rapidly improve, but once you get a bad reputation, it's hard to lose. Trust me, I know this first hand- do you think the DOI message board's reputation will ever change?

And while on the subject of the infamous message board, it's amazing how many people let their lives to be consumed by it. Is there a day that goes by, without Billy Firehawk commenting about the board in his company blog? Read the board for what it is- entertaining half truths, dirty pictures, flat-out lies and once in a while, if you're lucky, wrestling discussion. If anything, the message board is a parody of an indy locker room. Everyone's trash talking in a locker room, and the board allows you to read the latest indy locker room bullshit. How do you think half the posts wind up on the board? It isn't the fans posting it. The site is designed to be serious. The board has become "The car accident of indy wrestling." The shit there is so bad that sometimes you can't take your eyes off of it. If an annonymous post calls you a fat slob on the board, are you really going to let that affect your daily life?
And please- someone get some ice and counseling for Tara Charisma. That poor girl has sure suffered enough this year, at least according to the board. I don't even know how that even got started or caught fire, but it's funny that some fan actually IMed me a few days ago asking me "Did John Curse really give Tara Charisma full blown AIDS?"

Vader vs Rhino. Homicide vs Masato Tanaka. Balls Mahoney/Axl Rotten vs New Age Outlaws. Is this a dream-show line-up? Nope, it's UXW's line-up for 11/26. Being the UXW commissioner for almost two years now, and being a Masked Maniac confidant, I can say there is also another match that might get the "funniest match ever" award. If anyone can remember how funny and just how awesome the ICW match of CSC/Mikey Whipwreck vs Steve Corino/Guillotine LeGrande/ was, this match that is being kept hush-hush can potentially blow this out of the water. Oh, for Slyck and for the wrestlers who refuse to do jobs- I can't even remember who won that kick ass match. All I can remember 2 years after the match, was that it was one of the best matches I have ever seen live.
If you haven't tried it yet, dry drinking your Heinkens with a lemon in it. It really accentuates the natural flavor of Heineken.

Jeff Jarrett on top of any promotion is a sure fire way not to make money.

Would the Powers of Pain draw in the northeast? We might find out.

We're getting close to the end of 2005, which means that it's time to start putting thought into the Fourth Annual DOI Year-End Awards. Keeping in mind that the Year-End awards are based on northeast work only, I'd have to say Homicide (Holding 4 different Heavyweight titles), The Backseat Boyz (holding two sets of tag titles), JAPW (expansion and consistency), and Alicia (Two womens titles and 2005 WXW Elite 8 Winner), are making strong cases for their respective awards. (Wrestler of the Year, Tag Team of the Year, Promotion of the Year, Woman Wrestler of the Year.) If there any more actual fans who still post on the message board, I'd like to read some of your thoughts on what you thought was the best feud and best match of the year, as these are two things that are hard to compile.

Pete Ferriero plans on running PW Elite on 1/28 in Boonton, NJ. I really hope he reads the first part of this McRoss Report, and I hope he can make some money, because making money (and losing money) is contagious on the indies. It was only 7 years ago that there were 50 indy promotions in a 50 mile radius, all making thousands. If he runs another AWA-lite show, like he did with the first PW Elite show, expect another sizzling wrestling event in this area with 50 fans yawning in the stands.

In a move that should shock no-one, Carmine Sabia is also thinking about running shows again. If he doesn't buckle down or take it serious, he'll bomb, again, but at least it will make interesting message board fodder.

To make it a trifecta, Ricky O is not thinking about running shows right now. Give him three months.

Whatever happened to Shawn Sheridan?

The Kevin Kelly Shoot Interview is almost 100% complete. Unlike other DOI shoot interviews, the DOI went all out to make sure our production was superior. The purpose of the DOI Shoot Interview line is to make some money to pay for website bills. That's why the DVD's are so cheap and that's why the quality was cheap. However, this DVD we took our time with, and the quality is excellent. Johnny 5 will be putting up a review soon, and look for some major hype about it here, because it was the best shoot we've conducted so far.

That about wraps it up for now. I'm off to play NHL 2K6, which is another reason I haven't been updating as much- I got a whole year of hockey fandom built up inside of me. (Yes, I'm one of the 12 NHL fans.) Shit, it's only a matter of time until IMPACT is outdrawing NHL games.

Till the next time I feel like doing this...

Sean "The MiC" McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com