AS I SEE IT
Bob Magee
Pro Wrestling: Between the Sheets
PWBTS.com
Well, since last week's show commenting on the CHIKARA Pro Wrestling promoted National Pro Wrestling Day doubleheader, I've:
1) Had a former employee of both promotions send me nasty e-mails claiming I was somehow picking on CHIKARA (despite the fact that 90% of the column plugged the shows), by pointing out correctly that they were excluding CZW, the longest running independent in the Philadelphia area
2) Reported that the National Pro Wrestling Day event moved with 48 hours to go...turns out there were issues with the Derby Ink Gardens having a "major issue with the fire sprinkler system". Since those involved with the show didn't trust that the necessary work that needed to be done would be done by showtime, they understandably chose to move the National Pro Wrestling Day shows to the Northeast National Guard Armory.
3) Seen a blow-up between CZW and Pancoast Productions (the folks behind HybridTV) that worked with CZW for several years, causing the cancellation of their "Ultraviolent Underground" iPPV only event (which would have competed with the National Pro Wrestling Day doubleheader)
4) After all sorts of inter-promotional drama, including fears that CZW workers would somehow cause a scene on Saturday...a CZW match (with three workers that were available on extremely short notice) was included in the National Pro Wrestling Day doubleheader.
Then, at the end of Satirday's day long National Pro Wrestling doubleheader, former ECW Arena manager Roger Artigiani was introduced. Roger was the source I cited last week regarding the Derby Ink Garden building issues, and the person who got a location for the doubleheader practically at the last minute.
At the end of the evening show, Artigiani came to the ring. He congratulated 2 Cold Scorpio for winning the CHIKARA Rey de Voladores tournament. First, he said that 2 Cold Scorpio was being named to the Hardcore Hall of Fame...and that the banner for him in the Hardcore Hall of Fame will be hung...when "the World's Most Famous Bingo Hall re-opens".
As has been reported on more than one multiple website, there have been legal moves to evict current leaseholder Joanna Pang. The community had objected vehemently to her plans to change the ECW Arena to a concert hall (much as they did when XPW took over the Arena years ago, and attempted to do the same thing, as well as store merchandise in the building for its adult film company). Nonetheless, the Arena had been gutted by Pang, down to the bare walls, with gas, water and electric service cut off before these plans were stopped.
Artigiant's plans are to remodel the ECW Arena and open towards the end of this year.
With any luck, the next one of these National Pro Wrestling Day events will be back at Swanson and Ritner.
Until next time....
If you'd like to send a presser for your show or send results, if you have comments or questions, or if you'd like to add the AS I SEE IT column to your website, I can be reached by e-mail at the address above. If you'd like to add advertising on PWBTS.com (the flagship website of this column), banner ads are available for $400 for one year. These ads would appear on each newspage appearing on the newsboard.
Cube ads are available for $200 for one year, which would be placed on the main newsboard page.
_________________________________________________________
If you have comments/questions, or if you'd like to add the AS I SEE IT
column to your website, I can be reached by e-mail at bobmagee1@hotmail.com)