World of Wrestling Report

For those of you unfamiliar with the World of Wrestling report, that's probably my fault. This is my forum where I get to sit down and write up my thoughts on the state of things, give a recap or predictions where I see fit, from time to time do an interview with someone of note, and I typically give a list of who I think are the top ten guys in the company at a given time. Above all else, this is just a write-up of my opinions. On occasion I get a rumor or news tidbit that I want to share, so that'll be here too.

What you will notice, if this is your first time reading one of my Reports, in the days following the posting of a WoWR, various parts get updated as the week goes on. Typically once the show goes live and the bookings for the following show are officially announced, that's when most of the updates will show up. I will try to respond to the post on the LEGACY forums to let people know when it gets updated. I would like other people's feedback and thoughts on various parts of the WoWReport, so read it, hit that reply button, and give me your best.
(And try to be constructive)

GLIMMER OF HOPE
Predictions & Reactions

PRE SHOW Matches

LEGACY Top Ten Wrestlers

This list is only my opinion and isn't the official voice of the LEGACY front office (which would be a combination of the various opinions of all the front office members, not just mine).

The Official List

10. - John Iley - Last Time : Not On The List
Given the circumstances surrounding his loss in the semi-finals of the Hawkins Memorial Tournament, I can't keep him out of the top 10, but given the fact that he was unable to actually compete in the Co-Op Challenge, I can't rank him any higher than this.

9. - Cronos Diamante - Last Time : 3
I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon of people who believe Cronos Diamante is secretly (or not so secretly, if you listen to Gryffin Anselm) working for The Diabolik, but I will say that some of the things he has been involved with over the past month or two have been moderately questionable. I can't rank him any higher than this just because he didn't show me too much during the Co-Op Challenge, but I can't rank him any lower than this because he has done some good things the past few months, which included a decent reign with the No Limits Title.

8. - Devastation - Last Time : On The Radar
Were it not for Stephen Rawlings' questionable tactics, I think it's highly possible that Devastation would've made it to the finals of the Hawkins Memorial Tournament, which would've been an incredible match with X-Calibur. He only got eliminated from the Co-Op Challenge due to Cronos being eliminated, and it makes me wonder what he could've done. My prediction is that Devastation finds himself in this list the next time it comes out.

7. - Issac Entragian - Last Time : 4
His loss to Greyson Blade at GLIMMER OF HOPE is not something that I'm going to knock him down the rankings too much for, because it was probably the hardest-fought loss on the show, if not of 2008. He didn't give up, the match ending by referee stoppage, and he put everything he had into the match and came up just short. He's certainly not the type of guy I'd ever want to share a meal with, but that's not what this list is all about. No doubt about it, he's one of the best competitors we've got in LEGACY, and whatever he sets his mind to next, I think he'll accomplish, especially with this match serving as motivation.

6. - Stephen Rawlings - Last Time : 8
It was hard for me to put the Tao of Valor Champion in the number 6 spot, especially considering the fact that he was a Hawkins Memorial Tournament finalist, but the way he got to the finals is what kept him out of the top five. He got a big victory at FORGED BY FIRE and very well might've advanced through the tournament without shady tactics, but I doubt it. Because I can't say for certain how he would've fared otherwise, I can't put him any lower than sixth.

5. - Justin Moreno - Last Time : 5
Sure, he lost the Tao of Valor Championship at FORGED BY FIRE, but it was a loss to an opponent whose submission skills are far superior to those of Moreno, and so it's an understandable loss. Since then, Moreno defeated Jake Dominion for the second time in a Hawkins Memorial Tournament match and also picked up a good victory over Greg Allocca en route to losing a close rematch with X-Calibur at STRIFE 36 in which Moreno successfully avoided the X-Terminator. Making it to the final three in the Co-Op Challenge was a very impressive feat, and because of not only his successes but how he has handled himself and progressed, I'll give J-Mo the number 5 spot again.

4. - Greyson Blade - Last Time : 9
He not only picked up the No Limits Title since the last set of rankings were determined, but he also kept Issac Entragian from taking it from him in a brutal tables match on STRIFE 35 and then defeated Issac Entragian at GLIMMER OF HOPE. No doubt in my mind that The Outlaw belongs in the number 4 spot.

2. (tied) - Loco Martinez & X-Calibur - Last Time : 1 & 5 (respectively)
Having just come off a record-setting title reign with the World Championship, Loco made a strong case to be in the top spot even after losing the belt (especially considering the circumstances under which he lost the belt). Because he wasn't able to win the belt back, I can't rank him in the top spot, but I also can't find a way to justify ranking him ahead of X-Calibur. X-Calibur had a great showing in winning the Hawkins Memorial Tournament and then making it to the final two in the Co-Op Challenge. Because of that, I feel he deserves the recognition of being tied with Loco in the secondary spot on this list.

1. - Crash - Last Time : 2
I always find it hard to say that anyone other than the World Champion can take this spot, and based on how Crash took the World Title from Loco Martinez, I had the two of them tied for the top spot prior to GLIMMER OF HOPE. Given that Crash was able to find a way to win the Co-Op Challenge, there's no justification for ranking anyone other than Crash in the top spot. Besides, I promised to put someone alone in the top spot after GLIMMER OF HOPE, so I did.

On the Radar

Greg Allocca
If you're a fan of LEGACY and Greg Allocca's not in the forefront of your radar, then something's wrong. Greg Allocca is one of the more exciting competitors to watch, and with a big win over X-Calibur at FORGED BY FIRE, he's proving that he's one of the better competitors on the roster, too. He made it into the final five of the Co-Op Challenge, which is enough to say that he should, rightfully, be in the top 10 list above, but I couldn't make a sound justification for it this time around.

Crazy Boy
When Crazy Boy is on top of his game, he can stand toe to toe with anyone in the business. The problem is that he's inconsistent. Lately he's been more "on" his game than "off", and his big over Mirage at FORGED BY FIRE certainly gained him a lot more praise from critics and fans alike. He nearly beat Crash at STRIFE 34, and that was a World Title match. He didn't do enough to put himself in the top 10, but he was darn close. He had a great showing in the Co-Op Challenge, coming into the match under harsh conditions - having to take on both Gryffin Anselm and John Thomas, who obviously had an alliance - and came through it looking great. What's next for Crazy Boy? Only time can tell.

Rocky Stellar
Some people think Rocky Stellar is getting too old to continue to compete, whereas other people think his career is getting a "second wind". Regardless, you have to keep your eyes on Rocky Stellar, because he has shown that when he's on his game, he's one of the best in the industry. His victory over John Thomas at FORGED BY FIRE definitely goes far to showing that he's still capable of big things. His showing in the Co-Op Challenge, to me, spoke volumes to the fact that people still consider him enough of a threat to target him with their focus. If he's on THEIR radar, then he's rightfully on mine.

John Thomas
Recent losses to X-Calibur (ELEVATED TENSIONS), Issac Entragian (STRIFE 33), and Rocky Stellar (FORGED BY FIRE) definitely keep him out of the top 10. I said it before and I'll say it again, you can see it in his eyes: John Thomas is on the verge of getting back on track. It's only a matter of time before he finds a way to start back on the winning track, and I think it's going to happen sooner than later... Eliminating Loco Martinez from the Co-Op Challenge was a huge shocker to me, and I'll be real interested to see where he goes from here.

Mirage
When Mirage starts getting focused and puts his energy towards something, he's very dangerous, and lately he's been showing that he is able to rebound from his loss to Crazy Boy. His alliance with Lucien Gray makes him a serious threat to whatever he has his sights set on next.

Eli Storm
Many people think that had Eli Storm not gotten injured in his encounter with Greyson Blade days prior to the event, Eli Storm might've walked out of FORGED BY FIRE with the Tao of Valor Championship, but a concussion kept him from even competing. Something tells me that it won't be long before Eli gets another shot at championship gold, and I think he's quite capable of bringing it home when it does happen. Were it not for the alliance between Mirage and Lucien Gray, I think Eli Storm had a better chance of winning the Show Me Showcase than anyone else. He's talented, he just needs to put it together.

Ron Bailey
He was tied for eighth in the rankings prior to GLIMMER OF HOPE, but due to his short span of time actually involved in the Co-Op Challenge, I couldn't find justification for keeping him in the top 10. He scored two victories during the FORGED BY FIRE weekend, one of which put the Tao of Valor championship belt around his waist, and then picked up a a victory over Adam Davis in the first round of the Hawkins Tournament (albeit by questionable tactics). That information, to me, is enough to warrant Ron Bailey staying on people's radar.

Hawkins Memorial Tournament 2008
Final Thoughts

The Hawkins Memorial Tournament has a different feel this year than it did last year. The 2007 tournament was an opportunity for someone new to step up and get a chance at greatness, and this year the tournament felt like an opportunity for the cream of the crop to rise up and show what they were able to do. I enjoyed both tournaments for different reasons, and I'm looking forward to the finals.

Prior to the tournament getting under way, I picked who I thought were the Best Odds To Win the tournament. Listed below were my picks and initial reasons for choosing them, as well as my thoughts on it looking back.

Crash - With the Diabolik behind him and the World Title on the line in each of his matches, can you really imagine a scenario where they wouldn't do everything in their power to make sure he runs the table?
Thoughts: If he was willing to trust his ability and had stayed in the match with X-Calibur at STRIFE 35, there's certainly a chance that he would've lost the World Title that night. There's also a chance he might've won the match and continued to advance through the tournament, probably ending up in the Tournament Finals against Stephen Rawlings. But he wasn't willing to do that, which is part of the reason why I'm not picking The Diabolik as my choice of teams who I think is going to leave GLIMMER OF HOPE with the World Title. They're so used to doing things the easy way that they don't have confidence when things get tough.

Issac Entragian - He is arguably one of the toughest guys on the entire roster, as evident by his run with the No Limits Title reign. He matches up well against all the various types of opponents he might see in the tournament.
Thoughts: I truly believe that Issac Entragian could've gotten to the finals of this tournament if he could've kept from falling back on No Limits rule-breaking. He's a great athlete, one of the toughest guys on the roster, and he's got a good skillset which could've worked under regular rules... but I don't think Issac Entragian valued a tournament win enough to play under the rules.

X-Calibur Prior to his recent losing streak to Moreno, Crash, and Greg Allocca, there was no one with more momentum than X-Calibur. Getting to the finals could very well mean he would have gotten revenge for two of those losses (and become World Champion in theprocess), and if that happens, I'm not sure who would be able to stop him aside from Issac Entragian.
Thoughts: I am extremely happy to see X-Calibur come through with the victory in the Hawkins Memorial Tournament Finals. He made it to the finals by overcoming the tactics of Derek Shane and Crash, two individuals who have deception to thank for a significant amount of their recent success on screwing people over, so I'm not surprised that he was able to put down the threat of Stephen Rawlings.

Devastation - The former LEGACY World Champion has plenty of motivation to win this tournament, and aside from being screwed out of victories by Stephen Rawlings a couple times, Devastation has competed very well since his return to the roster. His size and ability matches him up nicely against anyone else in the brackets.
Thoughts: Had it not been for Stephen Rawlings' typical tactics, I fully believe that Devastation would've won that match, and he very well could've ended up in the finals in a match against X-Calibur, a match I really would've liked to have seen.

News and Rumors

From what I've heard, no one in the Diabolik has seen Gryffin Anselm since he packed up his dufflebag and left the arena at GLIMMER OF HOPE. Is it possible that tapping out to his former rival Devastation is going to be Gryffin's last act inside a LEGACY ring? I do know for a fact that he has received at least one offer to work for a different promotion, but I'd be real surprised if he left LEGACY. Despite a popular rumor going around, Gryffin Anselm isn't angry that Crash is the one holding the World Championship instead of him. I asked him about that when I saw him at the pre-show two days prior to GLIMMER OF HOPE, and he said the following:

"If I'm in the final two of the Co-Op Challenge and the other guy in there isn't Crash or Jake Dominion, I'll do whatever it takes to win that belt. Otherwise, I'm happy being one-half of the BEST tag team in the business today."

Helena Fitzgerald hasn't made any friends backstage since her arrival in LEGACY - not any female friends, that is. Whether it's because of her actions or jealousy due to the attention people have been paying her, the other ladies of LEGACY don't seem to be warming up to Helena Fitzgerald at all. Not even Hannah Perez - whom doesn't have many female friends backstage either - seems to want to be anywhere near Helena. There are plenty of men who are more than willing to spend time with the free agent valet, many of whom are hoping to get a better idea of the services she brings to the table. At the GLIMMER OF HOPE pre-show when I tried to ask her if she was any closer to picking a client, she just laughed and walked away without answering my question.

The day before GLIMMER OF HOPE, Laura Depp saw me at Quiznos and requested that the front office take another look at her contract, as she believes she was signed as a wrestler, not a manager. With the pay per view weekend being a busy time, no one got around to it, but I expect that someone got in touch with the contracts folks to get a copy of Laura's contract faxed to them, and this matter should be figured out soon.

Although I don't know the details, I have heard that Rob Belote has "special plans" for the Tao of Valor Championship at LEGACY's next pay per view event.

A rumor going around is that Crazy Boy has stated he doesn't want the No Limits Championship if it means getting into the ring to fight Greyson Blade, whom he considers not only a mentor, but also a good friend. The rumor goes on to state that if Greyson Blade is able to continue his reign, Crazy Boy will consider the possibly of teaming up with his brother - Psycho - and going after the tag team championships, even though he is also friends with Domination.

There is no word on when the next LEGACY International event is going to be, but if it's prior to Labor Day weekend, there won't be an Octagon Heavyweight Championship fight on the card. There will probably be a fight for the vacant Octagon Light Heavyweight Championship.

New shirts in the works for LEGACY Merch, the production crew putting the finishing touches on shirts for Greyson Blade, Justin Moreno, Chris Turner, and El Chupacabra. Another Canuckin' Cowboys shirt design was presented to & vetoed by Calgary Carl. There has been a good response to the new Adam Davis and Greg Allocca shirts.

Although the front office can't prove that Jean-Girard Baptiste was faking an injury to get out of the "Show Me Showcase" match at the GLIMMER OF HOPE pre-show, they appear to be ready to enact a different strategy to deal with the International Icon. Despite the fact that they feel his true talents involve his in-ring ability, the booking team has decided not set him up for a match until he requests one. Due to the bonuses he would get for winning matches, the front office feels that this is a good way to force him to decide to get into the ring sooner than later. He will continue to make personal appearances.

The front office has been disappointed in the performances thus far by Zaine. He's not performing at the same level of what they saw from him before they signed him to a contract. Though he's not being fired just yet, there is talk that unless he shows signs of improvement, his next match could be his last in LEGACY.

Upon arriving in LEGACY, "Iceman" Adam Davis was fairly quiet, mostly just keeping to himself, occasionally talking to other members of the roster, but typically only when someone approached him. Lately, though, it has been a completely different story. When he arrived at the Oracle Arena for GLIMMER OF HOPE, road agents said he seemed borderline hostile. They attributed it to the fact that Davis had a big match coming up that evening against Derek Shane, who had caused him a lot of frustration since the Iceman stepped foot in LEGACY. I'd say that this might be Adam's true colors shining through now that he's comfortable with our organization, as I've noticed he's been more vocal about things. I've heard from several road agents that they've heard him talking about wanting a title shot at one of the belts in the very near future.

Several veterans were backstage at GLIMMER OF HOPE. I didn't personally see any of them, but I have heard (from reliable sources) the following names: Bryan Lucier, X-Stacy, Erik Boyer, Ben Jackman, Markus King and others. I know that there was an attempt to have Dave Hawkins appear at the show, but I don't know why he wasn't in attendance. I might be wrong, but I do believe I saw Osamu Hayashi, Pain Staker, Nosferatu and "Sandman" Jack Norris at various points in the evening.

I have heard from a VERY reliable source that at least one of the team captains for the Co-Op Challenge sent an invite to get Jonny Johnson as a member of their three-man team after clearing the idea with the front office, but apparently he had other plans that night.

Interview - Rob Belote

With everything that has happened in the past couple months, I could've gone out and asked the opinions of various members of the LEGACY roster, but it seemed fitting to go right to the top. I made the call, I set up an appointment, and I interviewed LEGACY owner and founder, Rob Belote. Just like I did in a past interview, I'm splitting this interview into two parts. I've saved some questions to ask until after GLIMMER OF HOPE, and I'm sure based on what happens during that event, more questions will arise.

Smith Cartwright: I'll start things off with the obvious question and go from there... what went through your mind when you saw Jake Dominion give Loco Martinez the Iced Out superkick and gift the World Title to Crash?

Rob Belote: Honestly? "Damn it, I should've known better than to trust a guy from New York City!" And then I threw some shit. Some expensive shit. And I'm not completely proud of it, but I swore a good bit. With my young nephew in the ring. Huge Jake Dominion fan. And do you know what he did? He took off his custom "Dominion" Yankees jersey... which I had begrudgingly bought him for Christmas 2007... and he put it in the trash and cried for a little while. He's a little kid, just 10 years old, so I'm not surprised that he cried or reacted the way he did... but it just kinda hit me, ya know? Just how messed up all this is... And that's when I decided I needed to do something. I called up the other front office members, I told them what I wanted to do, and they were all in agreement.

Smith Cartwright: I know the answer to this, but where did you come up with the concept of the Co-Op Challenge?

Rob Belote: Well, it's not the first time I've produced a show on which a match like this has taken place... as X-Calibur could tell you... or has told you, depending on whether or not you've seen the video from him and Ron Bailey interacting during a basketball shoot-around or whatever they were doing. About seven years ago or so, on an SWA show, I had what I called The Big Match, at the time I couldn't come up with a name that was any better than that... It was for the World Title, and yes, X-Calibur won the belt that night to become World Champion for the first time. As to where I came up with the concept? Well, it has evolved a little bit since then into what it is now, but I like to think of it as a bit of a mix between War Games, Royal Rumble, and maybe Survivor Series... with my own little twist.

Smith Cartwright: You mean with the part of the rules that state that team captain eliminations will result in the elimination of the entire team.

Rob Belote: Yeah, which I think adds a great little twist to things, because the same guy that you might be trying to protect to help him get to the final five... he might also be the one guy you don't want to face in the final five. Same goes for team captains who have to rely on their partners to help them get to the end, only to possibly be backstabbed. It creates a lot of trust issues between people.

Smith Cartwright: What made you decide to drop that stipulation once it gets down to the final five?

Rob Belote: Well, because I want to give the non-captains a sense that they're fighting for something. I wanted to make sure that anyone could win this match, not just the team captain. Without the "final five" part of the rules, then a person would never be able to eliminate their team captain until, what, the final two? That's no good. And since each time I've done this match there have been five teams, that makes five the magic number.

Smith Cartwright: As some people know, I worked with you back in SWA, taking on some backstage duties while also working as one of the announcers. This environment here in LEGACY seems to be a lot different than the SWA days. What's your thought on that?

Rob Belote: There is a difference, and it's not a matter of having talent or not, because there was some great talent back in SWA and we've got a ton of talent here now. Some of the names are the same, guys I love working with, whose matches I'm extremely happy to produce... and then there are some new guys who I wish I'd had back in SWA.

Here in LEGACY, we've got a bunch of guys who seem to kinda respect each other... or at least respect what each other can do. Back in SWA... and I'm not going to name names... there were some guys who were just looking out for themselves, just trying to make their name seem bigger and better than everyone else, often at the expense of others. And that's fine if it's done in the right way. In a way, that's what this business is all about. But when people tried to make each other look bad unfairly... they just didn't get it, and those are the types of people who I don't want to work with.

Issac Entragian and Greyson Blade want to kill each other, and very well might kill each other at GLIMMER OF HOPE... but you can tell that they are both looking forward to this upcoming match because they both know what the other is capable of, and they're looking forward to the competition. They know that whatever happens, they're both going to come out of that match looking great. They're not trying to embarrass each other or make each other look bad... they just want to win and come out looking like the better competitor.

You know what? I got a little off topic...

Smith Cartwright: That's fine, let's get things back on track. On the LEGACY roster right now, you've got a bunch of guys who have won championships all over the world, and with that comes a lot of people who want to get the chance to be the top guy. How have you dealt with that?

Rob Belote: Well, I think it's all about the Tao of Valor Championship and the No Limits Championship. Both of those titles are seen as very valuable prizes, and we treat it as such. Greyson Blade had a very historic reign with the LEGACY World Title before he got injured. He was undoubtedly THE TOP GUY in the business at the time, and when he came back, he saw the No Limits Title and turned his focus to it because he knew that by attaining that title, he could re-establish himself and build his legacy, no pun intended. To be honest, that's what we're doing here in LEGACY. We're giving people the opportunity to build their own 'legacies'. They get the chance to accomplish things that they will be remembered for. That's the concept I had when I was coming up with a name for the organization formerly known as True Talent Wrestling, and now it's become much bigger than a name. It's a concept in action. Guys on our roster are doing things that they will be remembered for, not just competing in matches. When guys see how well respected the Tao of Valor Championship and No Limits Title are, and the World Tag Team Titles, for that matter, it gives them reason to have a focus on something other than just the World Title.

Those three championship divisions - Tao of Valor, No Limits, and Tag Team - those are very unique divisions which have identities of their own, so it gives people chances to prove what they can do. It allows people to show how well they can compete with various different strengths required to be a success in each of those divisions. The No Limits Division is THE BEST HARDCORE DIVISION in the business. The World Tag Team Division is THE BEST TAG TEAM DIVISION in the business. The Tao of Valor Championship is a title which has been recognized as being a belt which requires the holder to be a VERY versatile competitor who is capable of all different things inside the ring, and it's easily one of the MOST respected championships in the world. To have three divisions like that, it makes it almost automatic to deal with people who might think highly of themselves, because they know that even if they're not fighting for the World Title currently, they're still competing for something which is recognized as having high value all around the world.

Smith Cartwright: What division in LEGACY do you have more interest in out of all the title scenes?

Rob Belote: You've known me for the better part of a decade or more, so this isn't going to surprise you at all. Obviously my primary focus is on the World Title, but the one that interests me the most? The Tag Team Division. I love tag team wrestling, it's a skill that even some of the best singles competitors don't have, it's an art-form, and I'm proud that we've assembled some great tag teams in LEGACY.

Smith Cartwright: Are there any teams you've been actively recruiting to add to the division?

Rob Belote: People call me all the time looking for work, names who you might be surprised are looking to show up on the roster, especially given their current status in other organizations. Some of them are demanding too much, some of them have schedules which we're trying to work around... and in the next few months you might see the landscape change a little bit in the tag division.

Smith Cartwright: Any chance we might be seeing teams like The Beautiful People, The No Limit Soldiers, Long Island Hardcore, Totally Metal, The Loose Cannonz, Ascension, or even Stellar Insanity fight for the LEGACY World Titles in 2008?

Rob Belote: Wow, that's a lot of names you just threw at me... and while I won't comment on all of them, I will say that it would be great to get The Beautiful People to work a handfull of STRIFE shows, a few pay per views, hell, even just a SuperCard... whatever I could get them to be a part of. It would be fantastic, even if it would just be a showcase match if we couldn't figure out contracts. Anything would be great, but honestly, I'm not going to speculate any further about that. And as far as Stellar Insanity is concerned, obviously they're regarded right up there with The Beautiful People as one of the top two best tag teams of all time, and if Loco Martinez and Rocky Stellar want to team up again for one match or to make a run at the belts, I'd love to see it, I wouldn't be surprised if it happens in 2008, but I'm not pressuring anybody into anything. If it happens, it happens. If not? It's not the end of the world, because honestly, we've got a bunch of tag teams right now who are capable of being considered in the same list as The Beautiful People and Stellar Insanity someday.

Smith Cartwright: That said, where do you see the LEGACY product in the next year?

Rob Belote: Who knows, Smith, who knows. The landscape has changed so much just within the past year, it's hard to say where we'll be in the summer of 2009. I think we'll still be going strong, I think we'll have fresh match-ups, great pay per view events... and there's no telling where we'll be, but I'm guessing that the company will be making a lot more money than we're making now... and as you know, business is good right now.

Smith Cartwright: Up to this point, who do you see stepping up and making a run in Legacy?

Rob Belote: Well honestly, if Issac Entragian and Greg Allocca can learn to play by certain rules, they can find themselves having success outside the No Limits Division. Obviously X-Calibur's stock keeps rising. Greyson Blade and Stephen Rawlings and Devastation, they've all been to the top before and so it wouldn't be shocking to say they could do it again, and they probably will.

Smith Cartwright: Anyone out there you feel could shock the world with a big win?

Rob Belote: Crazy Boy would probably be considered a shocker if he ended up winning the World Title, but I think it could happen. I don't know how serious John Iley's neck injury is, but he could step up and make things happen. I guess maybe I'm more optimistic about the talent that guys on the roster have, so not a lot would surprise me... I guess maybe Diego de Cardenas winning the World Title would shock a lot of people. Other than those three guys, I'm not sure what would even be shocking.

Smith Cartwright: You've been in business for over two years with LEGACY, and a few years before you took over TTW, you made SWA successful for a while. Having seen other federations come and go, some coming and going multiple times, how does LEGACY stay afloat during this time where feds in our "circle" have such trouble staying in business?

Rob Belote: Well, it's for a few reasons. First of all, I treat people the right way. I don't try to manipulate people or create friction between people in hopes of creating controversy or trying to get better matches out of people by creating hostilities out of lying to people. I don't try to force people to feel like they should be loyal to me or to my company by lying to them or saying things to play on their emotions. I just try to be as honest to people as possible. I tell them where I'm coming from, I tell them what I'm thinking, I tell them when I'm happy with what they're doing, I tell them when I'm not happy with things. I tell people when I think they're talented in a certain area, as well as how I think we can make good money together by accentuating those talents. I also tell people where I think their flaws or short-comings are, and I do my best to try to help them fix those short-comings and improve themselves. The way I do it, my honesty, my sensitivity... a lot of people respect that. Secondly, I don't just run LEGACY like it's a circus. We're not just a wrasslin' show. We don't just try to entertain people. We're also here to make money, and I make it very clear to people that my goal is to try to help everyone make as much money as possible. I'm not just trying to make money for myself and my family, but I want to help other people make money, too. I do whatever I can to try to create outlets through which to make money, and I don't just keep it to myself. I share it with the people whose talent is creating capitalistic opportunities. That, too, breeds loyalty, and when you help foster loyalty with people, when you're doing things to try to help people other than yourself make money, that makes those people want to help you and your organization and your endeavors be successful. What I've got with the LEGACY roster right now, what I had with a lot of the SWA roster... I surround myself with people who want to help make themselves and our organization successful, and in the long term, that helps keep us going. Simple as that.

Smith Cartwright: Do you think the lack of some of those things is what caused TTW to end up closing?

Rob Belote: Honestly? I wouldn't consider TTW a failure. I don't think it would've closed if Ed Raymond had wanted to keep running it. The thing about Ed, though, is that he's an extremely creative person and also very ambitious. He didn't just want to run a wrestling organization, he also wanted to do about a hundred other things, knowing full well that he'd be fantastic at each and every one of them. Ed's the kind of guy who doesn't like to half-ass anything, and I can understand him not wanting to only be part of TTW half-time, which is why when he decided to do other things, he wanted to completely distance himself from TTW, and I can understand that, and I can respect it. Since then he has returned to the business, and I can understand that, too. This is a hard business to stay away from, and I always figured he'd be back at some point.

Smith Cartwright: Are you surprised or angry that he didn't come to LEGACY when he decided to come back to the business?

Rob Belote: Honestly? Neither surprised nor angry. Ed likes challenges, just like I do. Coming to LEGACY and helping me run this organization wouldn't be as big of a challenge as other things he has tried in our business, and so to me, that makes his decision very logical. He's doing a great job with what he's doing, just like he's always done.

Smith Cartwright: So the organization he went to, SHOOT Project... do you feel like they needed Ed Raymond in order to be successful?

Rob Belote: Look, SHOOT Project has been in business off and on for a long time, and they've been very successful at times. Did they need him to be successful again? Of course not. They know what they're doing, they're very good at it. I think Ed Raymond adds a different aspect to what they do that, in the past, they haven't had. He also helps add some extra stability to their organization, which in the long run will probably extend the period of time in which they're in business this time around.

Smith Cartwright: The situation with Mirage and SHOOT Project's World Title... a lot has been said about it, what can you say to help people understand your perspective on that situation?

Rob Belote: What it boils down to, in my opinion, is this: distrust and misunderstanding. A little background on the situation... While Mirage was SHOOT Project World Champion, they went out of business, for one reason or another, I don't know what the back story was behind that. Needless to say he wanted to find another place to work, and having worked with him in the past back in CEWF as a competitor and when I was running SWA, obviously I know how great of a talent that Mirage is, so of course I signed him up. We waited to debut him at the right time and in the right way, and Mirage wanted to keep carrying around the SHOOT Project World Title that he'd never lost, so I had discussions with one of the guys who runs SHOOT Project.

Smith Cartwright: About the fact that Mirage was going to be wearing the SHOOT Project World Title on LEGACY shows?

Rob Belote: No, because at that point I still wasn't sure if I was going to let him do it. I was talking to a guy who, for a number of years, I considered to be a very close friend in this business... as close as a friend in the business can be. SHOOT had closed, they were in talks to re-open their doors, but things broke down and they decided not to, so I wanted to give that friend a job after all we'd been through. I was looking forward to working with him again. Through our discussion, though, I could really tell that he was burnt out on the business and looking forward to spending time with his family. The way he talked, I believed him. I really thought there was a distinct possibility that he was hanging up his clipboard and riding off into the sunset.

From the things I had heard, since he wasn't going to be around to help run SHOOT Project, the other forces behind running that organization had no interest in trying to make it work, and they decided to close their doors for good. So at that point, I didn't think it would be disrespectful to let Mirage walk around with their World Championship on his shoulder on LEGACY shows. Instead, I thought we were basically saying "This guy was the top guy in a great organization which is no longer around anymore. We're not going to treat him just like any other guy, we're going to acknowledge what he had done and make mention that their championship belt meant a lot."

Smith Cartwright: But then they came calling.

Rob Belote: Yeah, I had heard that they were trying to start things back up, and apparently they tried to make contact with Mirage and for whatever reason they weren't able to. Jason Johnson reached out to me personally and told me he wanted to get in touch with Mirage. It was a very busy time in my life, but I reached out to Mirage and told him that they were trying to get in touch with him. He said he had heard the messages but wasn't really paying much attention to them.

Smith Cartwright: What were you wanting him to do?

Rob Belote: Well obviously I didn't want to lose a talent like him from my roster, but I don't have an exclusive contract with him, so if he wanted to go there and defend his title, he was perfectly in his right to do so... and I told him that. I told him that I would be fine with whatever he wanted to do, but that I wanted to still have him involved with LEGACY in some way.

Smith Cartwright: And he decided not to go back. Rumors have been floating around that you made some incentives to help sweeten the deal for him if he didn't go back to work in SHOOT Project.

Rob Belote: Nope. Completely false. Not once did I say anything about any ramifications behind his decision. Not once.

Smith Cartwright: He's not the only one who didn't go back, though, right?

Rob Belote: That's right, there were a number of people who had offers to rejoin SHOOT Project... guys who had been mainstays there for a while, guys who had good relationships with the guys who run SHOOT Project, but they decided they didn't want to burn the candle at both ends.

Smith Cartwright: Why do you think they chose LEGACY instead of SHOOT Project?

Rob Belote: Honestly? I think they wanted to keep building their personal legacy through working in my organization, and they didn't want to put all their hard work to waste. They devoted their time and energies to LEGACY, and they didn't want to just pack up and go elsewhere and start anew.

There are guys in this business who, from time to time, will split their energies between multiple organizations. That's fine if people want to do that... back when I was an active competitor, I sure would do it, as much as my schedule would permit me, I'd wrestle quite a few times a week. It wasn't until I focused in and put my time and energies to one organization, though, that I was on the top of my game. It just takes its toll, trying to hop flights to go to this town and that town, preparing for multiple different styles of opponents in a given week. The injuries pile up, certainly, but so does the mental wear and tear. You can look around this business and you can see guys who do that, and you can tell that there's an extra strain on them, some pressure that they're experiencing that others don't have to deal with. I'm not a doctor like my dad is, but I can tell you this much for sure, that strain was, I believe, part of the cause behind Ray Willmott's death.

...

You know what? I don't really want to talk about this subject anymore... I'll just say one final thing... I didn't mean any disrespect behind allowing Mirage to carry the SHOOT Project World Championship. When I heard they were coming back and weren't happy with their belt being on our show, I talked with Mirage, I talked with Crazy Boy, and the belt didn't show up again. I didn't have to do that, Mirage didn't have to do that, we're all free individuals who can do as we please, we were legally fine to do what we were doing, there were going to be no lawsuits, nothing like that... we just decided to stop showing that belt on our shows as a sign of respect towards them. To this day I don't think they believe me when I say that... but I don't care anymore. There's some animosity and distrust coming from them focused on me and on LEGACY... and it's whatever. People make their own choices, and as for me? I try to do things the right way.

Smith Cartwright: Switching gears again, as many companies in this industry continue to get darker and darker with their competitors and their product, do you see LEGACY moving in this direction as well?

Rob Belote: I don't know if it's so much that companies are getting darker and darker, but I think if you look around, a lot of the competitors are getting darker and darker. If there were a bunch of very talented happy-go-lucky competitors who made it a point to be super nice to people, then that would be what's out there, but it's not. Right now you just see a lot of super talented people who happen to be... angrier, darker, more sadistic... I'm not sure how to better explain it. If guys like Issac Entragian, Greg Allocca, Kenji Yamada, Hantakira, Damien Black, heck, even Greyson Blade gets a darker edge to him from time to time... if those guys weren't as talented at inflicting pain as they are, then you wouldn't really think of the industry as being in a "darker" period. I think maybe promoters tend to be more accepting of different personality types, different beliefs and backgrounds, and so when we give people an open forum to be themselves and promote themselves, then you're bound to have people come up of all different types.

Smith Cartwright: On the pre-show for GLIMMER OF HOPE we're going to be seeing a MMA match, and then on the pay per view itself you've got the Co-Op Challenge. What are some of the unique ideas/gimmick matches you could see implemented into Legacy in the foreseeable future?

Rob Belote: Ha ha, wouldn't you like to know? If I told you, then other organizations could pick up on it and do it first, and I can't have that, now, can I? But I do want to set the record straight about the MMA match at the pre-show. That's not a LEGACY match, that's a LEGACY International Match. We're broadcasting it as part of our pre-show to help get people interested in our separate brand that we're launching for other parts of the world. You're not going to be seeing LEGACY competitors in mixed martial arts matches on STRIFE. You're not going to see an eight-sided fenced-in structure at a LEGACY pay per view. If you're into that kinda thing, and I know a lot of people are, then we're providing an outlet for that. There's going to be a wrestling part of LEGACY International, also, but that's to get the chance to promote or organization as a whole world-wide. By having a touring group of wrestlers and MMA fighters who travel all over the globe and compete in cities in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America, we can not only entertain a new set of fans, but we can also reach out and find great fighters and new competitors and new entertainers from those various cities which the LEGACY organization which has been touring for the past two years won't reach. This organization, the one whose roster is competing at GLIMMER OF HOPE, we probably won't ever reach Cape Town, South Africa, but the competitors under the flag of LEGACY International are going to Cape Town before 2008 is over. And Tokyo. And Sidney. And Rome. And Berlin. All these great places.

Smith Cartwright: And what if someone from the LEGACY roster decides they'd like to try their hand at LEGACY International either as a wrestler or as a mixed martial artist?

Rob Belote: Then we'll work something out and we'll let them go. Some guys have already said that at some point in the future they'd love to be able to go to various other countries and compete while seeing the world, and I've told them that we could make something like that happen. It's not out of the question that this LEGACY roster might go to Europe or Japan for a short tour, but it won't be anything like LEGACY International. If that's the route that someone wants to go, then it could very well happen for them. There's money to be made and fans to entertain all over the world, and I want to maximize the potential of the individuals who are under contract to me.

Here is the second part of this interview, which was conducted following the GLIMMER OF HOPE pay per view event.

Smith Cartwright: I almost hate to ask this question, but what did you think of the outcome of the Co-Op Challenge?

Rob Belote: I thought the Co-Op was a great way to end a weekend filled with fantastic examples of what LEGACY is all about. When the main event at GLIMMER OF HOPE rolled around, I was in my luxury box there at the arena, ready to watch a match that I knew was going to be great, and to be honest, I didn't have any strong hopes one way or another as to what I wanted to happen.

Smith Cartwright: Really?

Rob Belote: Yep, really. As I said before, I wasn't happy with the way Crash won the belt, but the way that I set up the Hawkins Memorial Tournament gave other people a chance to take the gold away from him, and the Co-Op Challenge definitely gave twelve guys the opportunity to make sure The Diabolik didn't walk away with the World Title. I put Crash into the position to prove he was the top guy on the roster, and that's what he did.

Smith Cartwright: There was some slightly underhanded tactics used by Crash when he brough the brass knuckles into play. The referees on hand didn't catch it, are there any chances that you're going to show up on STRIFE 37 and make a ruling to rectify that?

Rob Belote: Whether they'll admit to it or not, everyone on the roster knows that the use of foreign objects is something that is going to happen from time to time. Sometimes the referees are going to see it, sometimes the person is going to get away with it. It's a risk, for sure, and Crash could've found himself eliminated from the match due to disqualification - and I can assure you that there was a clause in the contract that everyone signed prior to entering the Co-Op Challenge that notified them that the title would change hands even if a disqualification was part of any of the eliminations. I'm positive that Big Lou didn't let that detail slip by, neither did Crash. When you think about it, the use of brass knuckles or a steel chair or a table is just as much a part of life as speeding in your automobile, jaywalking, or driving under the influence of alcohol. Each of them carries with it a ramification, but not everyone who speeds, jaywalks, or drives impared gets caught. A police officer doesn't grab his handcuffs after hearing a story about someone who drives after drinking a fifth of vodka, because it's too late then. Not getting caught doesn't make it okay to cheat or break the law, but each of those individuals takes a chance, makes a gamble, trying to avoid getting caught by the people who are out there to enforce the rules we're supposed to live by. Crash didn't get caught. On some level, it's not just up to the referee to catch Crash. Justin Moreno, X-Calibur, and ten other guys could've stopped him from doing what he did.

Smith Cartwright: So you don't mind at all that Crash and The Diabolik still have the World Championship?

Rob Belote: Well there are positives and negatives to Crash holding the belt. The Diabolik aren't exactly the kind of guys to go and do autograph signings for fans, they're not going to be invited to be on Saturday Night Live or MAD TV or the MTV Movie Awards, but they are helping to build the ratings while people tune in to find out which LEGACY competitor is going to dethrone them. The GLIMMER OF HOPE buyrate was very high. That said, I'm not in the business of trying to enable any of my roster members anymore. I learned my lessons back in SWA when I played favorites, I won't do that again. I put people into positions to see what they can accomplish and that's as far as it goes.

Smith Cartwright: You've said there were twelve other guys in the Co-Op Challenge who had the chance to take the belt away from The Diabolik... That assumes that no one in the ring had a Diabolik shirt at home in their closet prior to June first. Do you think it's safe to make that assumption?

Rob Belote: You're talking about Cronos Diamante, right?

Smith Cartwright: Yeah, or even John Thomas.

Rob Belote: First, I'll say this about John... I don't think he's a part of The Diabolik, but it wasn't any surprise to me to see him work together with Gryffin Anselm at the start of all that. They both sort of owe each other for their current spots in the business - without Gryffin, John wouldn't have progressed into quite the well-rounded competitor he is; and without John, Gryffin wouldn't probably be back in the business at all yet because before he weaseled his way into a contract as John's masked manager, Will was still being black-balled. I see it more as a strategic move by those guys to look out for their own interests, and for a while, it worked out well for both of them. Had John won the belt in the Co-Op, I think Big Lou would've personally invited John to join The Diabolik before the night was over, but even then, I don't know if he would've accepted the offer.

Smith Cartwright: And as for Cronos?

Rob Belote: I don't think he's a member of The Diabolik either. I think this is all a big mind f*ck by Gryffin Anselm, but that said, I won't be letting Cronos be a special guest referee in any title matches anytime soon.

Smith Cartwright: Other than Crash, X-Calibur, and Justin Moreno, whose performances were you most impressed with in the Co-Op Challenge?

Rob Belote: Considering the circumstances he was involved with for the first few minutes, Crazy Boy had a great showing in the match. Devastation did well for himself, too, and he looks almost back at the point he was at a few years ago when he was TTW World Champion.

Smith Cartwright: What can you tell us about John Iley?

Rob Belote: Well I'll start by saying that we suspended Jake Dominion for what he did to John Iley, but I don't feel bad about allowing him to compete because he was medically cleared to be in the ring. I know you're going to be interviewing him sometime between now and STRIFE 37, so that's all I'll say on the situation.

Smith Cartwright: As we all know, LEGACY has expanded into international markets with its new brand. The now-defunct promotion OPW had a long-standing agreement with the Japanese promotion Rising Sun Pro Wrestling. Has Legacy had any talks with Toni A. Noki and the other board members of RSIW?

Rob Belote: The idea did cross my desk, so I did look into it a little bit. Since OPW closed, RSIW has not aligned with any other American promotions, and while I suppose it's a possibility for a mutually beneficial agreement to be reached in the future, there isn't anyone on our end working on it currently.

Smith Cartwright: Pro Wrestling Independent, a popular wrestling magazine owned by Patt Erson known for their yearly list called the INDY 300 that ranks the top indy wrestlers in the United States, is celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. It is rumored that in honor of this major achievement PWIndy will be hosting aspecial event called Assassination Tango which Erson invented. The rumor has it that over the next few months Erson will be sending personal invitations to people who have been ranked in the Indy 300 over the years. Quite a few members of the LEGACY roster have been ranked in the Indy300, both before and during their time in LEGACY. Have you heard anything about this event, and will current LEGACY members be allowed to participate if it happens?

Rob Belote: I don't have too many details about the event, and it's certainly not my place to promote it for them even if I did, but yes, current LEGACY members are certainly allowed to participate in any matches which take place, just like with the Sky High Cup which was produced by Ed Raymond. Competitors are still expected to fullfil their obligations to LEGACY first and foremost, but if scheduling conflicts arise, I am willing to try to help work around them. That said, I have heard some people indicate that they don't have interest in the Assassination Tango based on some of the individuals from SHOOT Project and elsewhere who have already decided to participate. Certain people bring drama with them when they walk into an arena or get booked to be on a show, creating a very negative environment. I don't blame people for not wanting to take time out of their personal schedules to be involved with something that might not be fun. They spend enough time on the road away from their families as it is, why should they spend extra time doing something that they know isn't going to be worth the stress?

Smith Cartwright: With Derek Shane joining the LEGACY roster and making a name for himself, had there any talk with other celebrities to either work with Derek Shane or take part in other storylines?

Rob Belote: That's not the kind of thing I would be involved in setting up. If Derek Shane wants to call up some of his friends and get them to leave their Hollywood Hills houses and backlot sets to make an appearance, that's fine, but I don't want to ruin any relationships I have with people by trying to get them to be involved with Derek Shane.

Smith Cartwright: In another part of the World of Wrestling Report update, I'm going to be listing some of the various names who were rumored to be backstage at GLIMMER OF HOPE. Care to validate any of the names? I could list them off for you...

Rob Belote: You know what? Let's not. I'm sure some of the names are going to be accurate, some of them not. For the people who were there, some of them are in negotiations to become part of our organization in some way or another, and some of them want to try to make the biggest splash possible the first time they show up on-screen. If I acknowledge that they were backstage, part of their cover is already blown.

My conversation with Rob Belote continued for another fifty minutes, talking about various things, including the old SWA days, his time in AWA, CEWF, AODWF, and SHOOT Project. Because that part of theinterview would make this edition of the WOWReport enormous, plans are in the work to get a DVD made with the footage from the entire interview, since all of the interviews I do are video recorded for various reasons.

Real World of Wrestling

I know this is the least enjoyed part of the World of Wrestling Report, and while I typically like to write it anyway, I'm going to forgo this section for the foreseeable future. I am working on a different outlet through which I can discuss my thoughts on WWE, TNA, and the rest of the wrestling industry.

Parting Words

I believe it is the intention of the front office for me to start doing the World of Wrestling Report more frequently, so there very well might be an edition after SuperCard STRIFE 38. I'm attempting to get others to help contribute to the publication, including the possibility of getting the website designers to help with the formatting so it's not just black and white like an inverse newspaper. Thanks to everyone who left me kind words of encouragment after the first half of this edition was made public. It means a lot.