I want to come out and say that, overall, I have enjoyed XPW’s product as of late, and I plan to continue attending shows and giving the company it’s accolades when they are successful in putting on a show.
However, just because I am a fan of XPW does not mean I have to sit here and listen to people preach about how XPW can do no wrong. Refer to Joshua Shibata’s column on our site, as well as the latest “In the Mind of Jon Grunge” on XPWrestling.com in order to understand what I am talking about. In Grunge’s column, he puts over the show, saying it was good despite all the bad that happened. Jon, I respect you for standing up for your company, but what the fans say is pretty much what goes. They can make a break a company. Judging by the loud and clear “refunds” chant at the end of the show, I’d say the fans thought it sucked. And while I did not participate in the chant, I did in fact think the show sucked.
Maybe then, instead of interjecting your opinion, which is driven by your own bias (hell, you work for the company, it’s hard not to be), you should look at the opinions of the fans, and wonder how to make the product better. As for the matches being up to par, I heavily disagree. Hardcore spot fests are not always the most effective thing. Let’s look at the Supreme vs Vic Grimes match. The crowd was dead throughout the whole match, and barely even showed signs of life for the sick chair spots. The match lacked psychology, so the fans just didn’t care.
Not only was that match abominable, but the appearance of Homeless Jimmy to ruin a perfectly good wrestling match didn’t help either. Granted, Jimmy has my respect for being fucking insane, you don’t stick a hardcore guy in a match between two guys who have the potential to have a good wrestling match up. Jimmy belongs in hardcore matches. It’s what he’s good at. You can’t take a wild gorilla out of a forest and expect him to adapt to city life.
Also Grunge, while I know Sabu has been a force in XPW, you are greatly misinformed as to his former status with the “Big Two.” WCW had reported signing him on WCW.com. They even posted his picture. When ECW stepped in and said Sabu had a contract, WCW pulled the deal. Sabu did not choose XPW over WCW or WWF. That is no insult to XPW, it’s simply explaining that Sabu didn’t just say “oh fuck them, I’m going to XPW.”
As for Shibata’s column, well, I respect that too. Not too many people have the balls to defend XPW. Hell, I agree with some of your points. One shitty show isn’t worth giving up on XPW for. They have great potential as a fed. Shitty, last-minute booking got in the way of a potentially good show. However, I don’t think Shibata knows what the Socal scene has to offer if he cites “We Wrestle” as the best technical wrestling this state has to offer. Ricky Reyes, Chris Daniels, Pinoy Boy, B-Boy, Samoa Joe, Primetime Peterson, the Ballard Brothers, and Frankie Kazarian are just a few of the amazing technicians that are currently in Socal that run circles around any technical workers XPW has ever had. Not only that, but XPW’s best technical match, and hell, best match of all time, Messiah vs. Dynamite D, was not included on the tape. It is not a great example of what the scene has to offer.
Also, saying Rob Black used Eric Bischoff’s business tactics like it’s a good thing is absurd. Yes, for a year, WCW won the ratings from WWF. However, Vince McMahon proved that the best thing to do is create your own talent. A Rattlesnake, Rock and Game later, Vince McMahon has a Fortune500 company and Eric Bischoff has nothing. As for the money issue, that cannot be denied. Porn is a huge industry. That money is helpful, no doubt about it. Finally, comparing XPW’s beginning to ECW’s beginning is pointless. When ECW started, the market for hardcore wrestling in the U.S. was nonexistent. While ECW did receive some critics, they were an overall success because of how complete ECW shows were. You had your technical matches, your hardcore matches, your big man matches, etc… ECW’s hardcore matches were different because they meant something. Every chairshot, cane smash and table move had something behind it. Case and point: Sabu vs Taz. XPW is going down a road that ECW already paved. Will the road end? I hope not. I like XPW and I want it to continue. However, I think XPW needs to realize they can only unlock their potential if they stop patting themselves on the back and start seeing how they can improve.
Bottom line: XPW is in desperate need of solutions. Some of these include better angles, more well-rounded cards, and pushing their own guys. Sabu is a good guy to have around, but if he doesn’t put over home grown talent, it will make his XPW tenure stale.
XPW, I wish you all the luck in the future. I’ve loved coming to the shows since December 1999, no matter how good or bad I thought they were. As a long time, die hard fan, I am being straightforward with you and telling you that your survival is dependent on the changes you make in the next few months. A change for the better will lead to success. One for the worse will put the company back into a hole. Strive for the best, as the worst could sink the ship forever.
