Their business model calls for iPPVs – shows offered over the Internet for a fee.
While I don’t know all the ins and outs, one can assume iPPV is much cheaper to produce than tradition Pay Per View.
On a recent iPPV show, “Border Wars,” there were serious technical errors which caused great inconvenience to viewers.
Gabe Sapolsky co-founded ROH back in 2002 and was it’s acclaimed creative leader for six years before being released by the company he founded.
Sapolsky, now with several new wrestling groups, posted the following on his Facebook page:
”When the ownership and management of a company doesn’t care or have enough respect for its employees and more importantly paying customers to spend enough money to have adequate equipment they can f— off.”
“When a company decides to go on the cheap and take a risk that something like a website will work instead of doing everything in their power to guarantee it will work they can f— off. If the ownership and management doesn’t care or respect it’s fans enough to do this they don’t deserve your support.”
According to ProWrestling.Net, Sapolsky signed an agreement in 2008 saying he would not publicly disparage the company.
So, you can imagine what happened next – Sapolsky was allegedly served with cease-and-desist orders from ROH, invoking said agreement.
The next step, which ROH is apparently considering, is a lawsuit.
And there is some recent legal precedent. Earlier this month, a Virginia judge ruled that liking a Facebook page does not constitute protected free speech under the First Amendment.
Sure, this may all sound like a joke – a war between “minor league” entities in a choreographed athletic soap opera – but it’s actually quite serious business.
Can a company sue you for what you say on Facebook?
Last year, TNA Wrestling (now kinda-sorta known as Impact Wrestling), put it’s World Championship on Jeff Hardy, despite the fact that he was under investigation for felony drug charges.
Hardy will be returning to TV tonight on SpikeTV, in a segment taped two weeks ago, asking fans for one more chance.
But that chance shouldn’t come any time soon.
Today, those charges that Hardy faced last year led to him pleading guilty – and being sentenced to 10 days in jail, 30 months probation and a $100,000 fine.
I’m not saying Hardy shouldn’t be given another chance.
What I’m saying is, how can an organization to allow him to return BEFORE his court case was settled?
This is a major embarrassment to TNA, as they are going to portray him as a fan favorite looking for redemption just hours after one of the darkest moments of his life.
What lesson does that teach people? It’s OK to do drugs and commit crimes! Come to TNA!
Timing is everything and this is the WORST timing possible.
What could have been a feel-good moment of Hardy returning AFTER his legal matters were settled, humbled after serving jail time, will now become a hollow TV segment – we know that the “one more chance” isn’t coming from the judicial system.
I never understood why the rich guy was so chummy with the tax guy. But…BOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! I hatez rich guys! I hatez taxes! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! There, that works!
Their opponents on this night were the Natural Disasters! Earthquake and Typhoon were massive and mean – but, oddly, cheered by fans.
Earthquake was previously known for squishing Hulk Hogan, sitting on people, but ultimately, causing no real impact.
Typhoon was a big, scary, young behemoth that was primed for destruction. What would his career hold? (Wrestling fans know about The Shockmaster!)
So, in 2011 news terms – we have the stock market/global financial crisis pitted against the Virginia Earthquake and Hurricane Irene!
Who would win this 1992 battle for August 2011 supremacy?
That should come as no shock to anyone who has read this blog before.
However, I was also intrigued by The Ultimate Warrior.
These two wrestling superstars personified heroism in different ways.
Hulk Hogan was the Boy Scout, waving the American Flag, defending honor, pride and integrity, living by the demandments of training, prayers and vitamins.
The Ultimate Warrior was the embodiment of rage and passion. Uncontrolled, untamed -wearing bright colors with big hair, face covered in neon paint, he was an action figure come to life.
Their battle at Wrestlemania VI in Toronto was one of the biggest matches of all-time. It’s very rare to have a “dream match” where both competitors are good guys or “faces.” Warrior defeated Hogan in an attempt to “pass the torch” and create a new #1.
While Warrior was immensely popular with the fans, he came and went from the industry for much of the next decade. He had some more good runs with the WWF, including a comeback attempt around Wrestlemania XIII, before disappearing for a while.
He returned in the late 1990s in WCW, where Hogan was the prime villain (heel), in order to confront his old nemesis.
That run was disappointing, as it is best remembered for the trap door Warrior used causing a career-ending injury to Davey Boy Smith, which led to painkiller abuse and his ultimate death.
Over the years, Hogan has become a reality show star, which tore his family apart. He is no longer the hero he was in the 1980s, but he is still one of the most recognizable people on the planet.
Warrior pursued artwork, motivational speaking and other interests. WWE made a DVD about him that outlined his alleged shady business practices. A seemingly endless parade of stars and insiders took shots at Warrior.
So, neither of them has anywhere near the level of shine on them they used to.
Which is what makes this so sad.
Warrior will be releasing a long-form video discussing his disdain for Hogan. Here’s a preview that was released this week:
It’s sad to see my two favorite prime-of-their-life wrestlers at such public odds at this stage.
Who does it help?
Kicking around anger doesn’t make you less angry – it often does the exact opposite.
Sad news today, as professional wrestler, spokesperson and actor Randy “Macho Man” Savage died today after suffering a heart attack that caused him to lose control of the car he was driving.
He was only 58.
In 2009 when I first launched this blog, I had an occasional series called “Great Moments in Wrestling History.”
One of the moments discussed was one of my favorites of all-time, as bad guy Savage lost a career-ending match to the Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania VII. Sensational Queen Sheri Martel, his manager at the time, attacked him after the loss. As he was defenseless and shattered, Savage’s on-screen former manager (and real-life wife) Miss Elizabeth, who had been watching from the crowd, ran into the ring and saved her love, even though he had turned his back on her previously.
Savage was touched by her gesture. You see, he had kicked her to the curb years before as he sank into paranoia and jealousy over her friendship with Hulk Hogan. She had no reason to help him, save for love.
Of course, it wasn’t an actual retirement. But the moment felt so real.
He came from a family of professional wrestlers and became the greatest of them all.
His match with Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat at Wrestlemania III was long considered to be the greatest match of all time. His feuds with Hulk Hogan, Sgt Slaughter, Jake “The Snake” Roberts and The Ultimate Warrior provided some of the most iconic moments in WWE history.
He became a pop culture mainstay as the celebrity endorser behind Slim Jim (“Snap into a Slim Jim…OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH YEEEEEEAAAAAHHHHH” is a classic tagline.)
Over the past decade, he had quietly disappeared from the public eye. He remarried just last year (Savage and the late Elizabeth divorced in the mid-1990s) and stood a good chance of being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame next year, according to rumors.
it’s World Championship on Jeff Hardy, despite the fact that he was under investigation for felony drug charges.
