So long but not goodbye
By JOHN POWELL --
SLAM! Wrestling
This is it. This is the last. I knew that one day I would have to write
this. I just didn't think it would be so soon or under these circumstances.
Funny how life goes sometimes, eh?
What you are reading is probably last piece I will ever write for SLAM!
Wrestling -- a site that Greg Oliver and I created six years ago and with
your support, became one of the most highly respected pro wrestling Web
sites out there. For reasons I will explain shortly, I have decided to
resign from the site as an editor and a reporter. From this day forward, I
will not be a part of the daily updating of the site in any capacity. That
will be SLAM!'s responsibility and I am sure they will do the best job they
can.
I regret having to take my leave but there are circumstances beyond my
control that have forced my hand. The most prominent reason is that two of
my best friends -- Greg Oliver and John Molinaro -- no longer work with me
here at CANOE (The Canadian Online Explorer).
As most of you are aware, SLAM! Wrestling is a part of SLAM! Sports which
in turn is the "sports section" of CANOE. SLAM! Wrestling was something we
three did in our "spare time". In reality, John Molinaro was a Jam!
(Entertainment) Editor, Greg was a part of the management team and I remain
the Senior CNEWS (News) Editor and part-time JAM! Showbiz reporter. Last
December CANOE laid off Greg Oliver and last month John Molinaro was
released from his duties along with approximately half the staff at CANOE.
As you can imagine, it has been a painful and disconcerting time for all
concerned. Here I am, the sole 'Survivor' of SLAM! Wrestling. The kicker is
there's no Mark Burnett to hand me a cheque for a million dollars. What a
drag.
Another reason that I am taking my bow is that the current WWF product is
boring me to death. At least a screen full of static has some life to it.
WWF programming has none at all. Nothing the federation has done since
WrestleMania has made me stand up and take notice. Though I have been a
passionate and devoted wrestling fan for 25 years, my interest fell to an
all-time low right after the "draft". Ah, the "draft". Another in a long
line of WWF angles that has failed in every way imaginable. With 17 per
cent of you saying in our current poll that you've turned off the WWF
completely and another 49 per cent saying you don't watch as much as you
used to, I can see that I am not alone in thinking that the current state
of WWF programming isn't worth wasting precious time, attention or energy
on either.
The WWF has now become what they've always despised. They are World
Championship Wrestling: The Sequel...and not the good WCW from the eighties
and early nineties either with such stars as Cactus Jack, Sting, Arn
Anderson, Rick Rude, Ricky Steamboat, Steve Austin, Ric Flair and Vader
either. Ah, those were the days. It's Vince Russo style WCW only it is
Vince McMahon driving the company into the ground this time around. As long
as there's no competition for the WWF and Vince McMahon remains at the
controls, I don't see things changing any time soon. Ratings will continue
to slide. House show attendance will decrease even further. Talent will be
laid off and programming will be cut. It wouldn't surprise me if Raw and
Smackdown! were reduced to an hour each by the end of the year. I can tell
you one thing for sure, if I was a WWF mid-carder I would be actively
exploring other shores or a second career because the future doesn't look
too promising.
While we are on the topic, as I wrote in my editorial months ago, I still
believe Vince McMahon should promptly resign from the World Wrestling
Federation. If not, he should do the next best thing and that is quit
trying to be the next Donald Trump or Ted Turner. News Flash Vince! Nobody
in the general public is ever going to see you as anything more than the
owner of a controversial but successful pro wrestling company no matter how
many football leagues or record labels you start. It is his blessing and
his curse. He should live with it and stop trying to be something he's not.
Just think of all the money Vince has wasted in his bid to "legitimize" the
WWF. What he should have done is invest the money he spent on the XFL, that
over-priced greasy spoon in New York and other futile projects in a
national television network so his product could have a stable home. That's
the Achilles Heel of the WWF. The future of the company has always rested
in the hands of other network executives. All it would take for the WWF to
tank is for the current television contracts not to be renewed and for no
other network to be interested in WWF programming. If that ever happened,
the WWF would be a shadow of its former self relying on syndication rights
or they'd be ancient history. It's as simple as that. For all his supposed
"genius", Vince McMahon's WWF is no better off than when the first episode
of Raw aired. Without strong ratings and the power that comes with them, it
is the television networks and not Vince McMahon who still decide the fate
of his company.
Anyhow, enough of that. Back to business.
There are a few people I wish to thank before I split the scene...
- Former SLAM! Producer and head chieftain at CANOE, Jim O'Leary. He gave
Greg Oliver and I the green light to start SLAM! Wrestling all those years
ago. He rarely interfered, trusted our judgment and was always extremely
respectful of the site and our efforts. He helped pave the way for its
success behind the scenes in so many ways. Without him, SLAM! Wrestling
would still be a dream and not a reality.
- Former SLAM! Producer, Dave Watkins. Just like O'Leary before him,
Watkins gave us the freedom to run the site on our own and supported us
through all the ups and downs.
- All of the regular contributors and "staff members" like Stephen
Laroche, Aaron Henry, Nick Tylwalk, Chris Gramlich, Eric Benner, Jon
Waldman, "Bloodthirsty" Bob Kapur, Pejman Ramezanpour and Donnie Abreu.
Like us, they did what they did because they love wrestling. Greg, John and
I will always be in debt to them for their hard work, invaluable assistance
and most of all...their friendship. Hopefully, you may see many of these
familiar faces when our future project is launched.
- To all the public relations people and talent over the years who've
gone out of their way to accommodate and help us out.
- To all the editors, writers, photographers, reporters and ad people at
Sun Media for their assistance. Shouts go out to Perry Lefko, Tim Baines,
'Coach' Glenn Cole and The Calgary Sun for actually seeing wrestlers as newsworthy people.
- Thanks to my wife and son for their patience when Daddy had "work to
do" or whenever the SLAM! Wrestling staff invaded the house on those
special Sunday nights.
- My best pals and partners in crime -- Greg Oliver and John Molinaro.
You put up with me. You backed me up. You motivated me to do things I never
thought I was capable of. Wherever life takes us, I will forever be proud
of the result of our teamwork. So many tales to tell, so little time. It
was a wild ride that I will never forget.
Last and by no means least, you, the readers. The decision to take my leave
wasn't made in haste. Greg Oliver, John Molinaro and I have put our hearts
and souls into SLAM! Wrestling. It is not easy to just walk away from that.
It is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.
I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish and the work we've done.
We did what we set out to do and that was put together a wrestling site
that treated the subject matter seriously and with the respect it deserved.
A mainstream journalistic site that held such values as integrity,
accountability and accuracy in the highest regard. I like to think we lived
up to the standards we set for ourselves and that's why we were fortunate
enough to garner respect from other media, the business as a whole and more
importantly...you the fans. Unlike some promoters out there (That means
you, Vince!) we never took your readership or your support for granted.
Which is why we worked on this site for six years without being paid a dime
for our efforts. You are just as responsible for the achievements of SLAM!
Wrestling as anyone mentioned above. Through your support, you gave us the
power to live out our dreams and also to inform you as best that we could.
Thanks for placing your trust in us. We hope that we didn't let you down
too often.
As for me, I'll still be around at CANOE, editing the CNEWS section every
day and writing movie reviews and stories for JAM! Showbiz. I will carry
with me so many great memories. All the pay-per-view gatherings at my
place. My chats with The Undertaker, Mick Foley and Booker T. My interview
with the late, great Owen Hart just a year before he died. Buh Buh Ray
Dudley for helping me cover my first ECW show when I was stopped at the
door by some sort of mix-up. Chatting with Roddy Piper about our kids. My
interview with Killer Kowalski in which he ripped on the Chyna book. Our
battles with the WWF. Meeting Bret Hart. Email (both good and bad) from
readers. The threats of being sued. It's been a blast and I don't regret a
single moment.
If there is anything you should take with you from the six years we
operated the site please remember:
- Wrestlers are real people. They aren't superheros. They aren't
indestructible stuntmen. They have families waiting for them at home.
Friends they rarely get to see. Respect them as performers but first and
foremost as people.
- Don't take what the WWF or any federation says at face value. Be
critical. Use your head. Don't be a mark. If you see a yellow-feathered
bird that has a beak, webbed feet and waddles around making a quacking
sound, it is probably a duck no matter what Vince McMahon or anyone else
tells you.
- In 1990, I sat in the 500 section of SkyDome watching WrestleMania 6 as
an unruly and appreciative fan. In 2002, I was fortunate enough to sit in a
press box and cover WrestleMania X8 for SLAM! Wrestling. The morale of the
story...hard work, dedication, sacrifice and a whole lot of luck pays off
if you believe in yourself and your abilities.
With that, I bid SLAM! Wrestling and you, the patient readers, a fond
farewell but not goodbye as we might be seeing each other again. I look at
this situation like a well-earned vacation.
Until
then, please continue to visit SLAM! Wrestling and take in what it has to
offer and feel free to email me your thoughts and questions.
Thanks for reading our drivel. Thanks for your years of loyalty and
devotion to the site. It will never be forgotten.
