Ernie Todd's Straight Shooting

[Booker Thee]

from nwawrestling.com

I may provide a 'translation' later as this is too good.

Straight Shooting with the Prez!!!
Fri, Apr 15th, 2005

To say my schedule is hectic is an understatement. I am about to embark on another 3 week tour of Western Canada, then when I get back, the pace picks up even more with a tour of Eastern Canada. Before another round of "Ask the Prez" I would like to give some advice to those wrestlers out there that a looking for work with promotions outside of their home base.

I receive numerous phone calls & e-mails on a weekly basis from all over North America from wrestlers wanting to come work for the CWF. However, a phone call or an e-mail just does not cut it. If you want to work for anyone, you need to put together a promo package.

First you need a quality tape. Don't send one of those grainy, unprofessional looking things that no matter how hard I try to see if you can work, I can't because of the quality of the tape. Send a second or third generation tape.

Next, a good promo picture, plus who trained you? Supply the name & number of who trained you. Try to be trained by someone with a name or a bit of a reputation. If I never heard of the guy, then I have no idea if he even knows what he is doing. I always try to get a veteran to do the training. Luckily I have had guys like Paul Diamond involved with training. Some local Jabronie name Gibby or Joey training you, if not going to get you booked anywhere.

Personally, I could care less if you worked for a 100 indie promotions! That does not impress me. In fact it sends a mixed message.

Here in Winnipeg, guys jump from promotion to promotion to feed their ego's. If they don't like the way they are being used (LOL), they usually quit without notice & many times they don't drop whatever strap they are holding, disprespecting the business!

When I see 20 or 30 promotions listed on a resume, it makes me wonder if you are one of those guys who screws over promoters?

The last thing I want is a "wh**e to the business" working for my company. If a guy is sincere about making pro wrestling a living, he has to work for as many independents as possible to pay the bills, but don't list them because I never heard of most of them & it does not really matter to me? I am more concerned about your attitude & your work, then how many promotions you have worked once for.

After you have done all this, then contact the promoter to see if you can get a booking. Don't expect to demand a big PO or hundreds of dollars in trans. Be prepared to sacrifice, even trans yourself in if you have to. If the promoter likes what he sees on tape & likes what he sees in the ring, you more than like will get offered more work & probably get a decent PO, then maybe some trans money down the road. Remember, you have to prove yourself first!

Now onto "Ask the Prez" & I have many, many questions to get to.

Q: If NWA-TNA gets a TV spot on Spike TV? will You offer let's say when TNA visits Miami or Atlanta TNA has the NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion wrestle on Impact! vs a TNA star in Atlanta or if in Miami the NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion wrestles a TNA star on Impact? is that a good idea?

alexander arce

A: The NWA has no say over what talent TNA uses or does not use. My advice is to send you request to TNA.

Q: Do you run your own NWA promotion?

Are you willing to go the distance and take chances to make a promotion much more popular to wrestling fans?

Jay Verni

A: I do run my own promotion. I go the distance travelling 40,000 miles a year, right across Canada. My type of wrestling entertainment is very popular in the communities I visit.

Q: Dan Severn and The Shane Twins was stripped of the NWA World Heavywt. ann World Tag Team Titles because they want to start TNA. I think you should get the belts back and give worthy NWA Wrestlers a shot of the belts, not used-up has-beens like Kevin Nash and DDP. Let TNA create their own titles the NWA World Heavywt. and World Tag titles should belong in the NWA organization and only the NWA.

Best regards, Henry West

A: Your feelings are shared with many who e-mail me on a weekly basis. However, the NWA has an agreement with TNA regarding those titles that we must abide by.

Q: I think the current look of the NWA National Heavyweight Title Belt should retire and get a new look. The new belt should look similar to the Zero-OneMax US Title but it should say "National Heavyweight Wrestling Champion" with the NWA logo on the main plate.

What do you think?

Best regards, Henry West

A: I am a traditionalist personally. In my opinion the belt should remain the way it is but I would like to see the belt have the names of the past champions engraved into it.

Q: There is a lot of talk going around the NWA Forums saying that TNA will buy the NWA organization after the 10-year agreement is over. They saying the there will be no more NWA regional member promotions and no NWA titles, there are even saying that you will agree to this. This is not true, is it? This is just some ugly rumour they like to spread.

Please reply.

Best regards, Henry West

A: TNA has never made a proposal to buy the organization. This is just an internet rumour.

Q: Over at the NWA Forums, they are saying that you and The NWA B.O.D. have no control over the World Heavywt. and World Tag Team belts. They also said that if TNA and The NWA breaks up, half of the NWA member promotions will go with TNA. I know that is not true. When you put your next column up on nwawrestling.com, I hope you can explain that the rumours are all false.

Best regards, Henry West

A: As far as the title are concerned, TNA has an agreement to promote & use the titles as they wish. The rest of those rumours are just that, rumours. I don't know what twilight zone these rumours initiate themselves from.

Q: Dear Prez,

I'll be the first person to admit that I've been extremely critical of your reign and questioned several of your moves (like the imo biased push for Spyder as NWA World champion and the the treatment of the North American title)

However I've got a suggestion that I think will make some POSITIVE headlines for the NWA. How about actually reviving the NWA Hall Of Fame during this year's NWA Anniversary? I came up with a list of 10 possible inductees and would await your response.

1. Dusty Rhodes

2. Ricky Morton

3. Robert Gibson

4. Dory Funk Jr.

5. Tully Blanchard

6. Lou Thesz

7. Terry Funk

8. Harley Race

9. Buddy "Nature Boy" Rogers

10. Danny Hodge

So what do you think?

Bigkhrisdogg of the NWA Forum

A: You have the right to be as critical as your want. While your idea of the NWA Hall of Fame has merit, how will you pay to bring all these guys in to induct them, issue them plaques & actually maintain the Hall of Fame on line or in a building? It is easy to come up with a concept but how will it be funded & implimented? I would suggest the fans getting together & running the Hall of Fame, then each year at the convention we could have a Hall of Fame dinner, where former greats are inducted by those fans. Much like a Cauliflower Alley kind of approac but more fan involvement. The NWA can start the NWA Fan Club, each Fan Club member pay the NWA a small fee each year to belong to it, then the Fan Club can host the dinner & the event. It would be a spectacular way to enhance the convention each year!!! Let me know what you think?

Q: I think that Jeff Jarrett is a BIG XXXXXXX DISGRACE to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship because he is AN OPPRESSIVE TYRANT WHO DOESN'T ACT LIKE A REAL NWA PROMOTER SHOULD!!! All Jeff does is make SELFISH BUSINESS DECISIONS WHICH TOTALLY DISRESPECTS THE FANS OF TNA JUST ONLY RESPECTING HIMSELF!!! Now I demand that you talk it over with the NWA Board of Directors and tell TNA President Dixie Carter and the Jarretts that TNA WILL LOSE THEIR RIGHT TO USE THE NWA NAME AND THE NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP AND NWA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP BELTS BECAUSE TNA IS MISUSING THE NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BY ONLY ALLOWING JEFF JARRETT TO WEAR THE BELT AT ALL TIMES, THAT SON OF A XXXX!!! This will force TNA to keep only the TNA X Division title belt and have to create 2 new belts to replace the NWA belts: The TNA Heavyweight Championship belt and the TNA Tag Team Championship belt, respectively. Now are you with me or against me, Ernie? Because I really hate Jeff Jarrett BECAUSE HE REALLY ACTS JUST LIKE VINCE MCMAHON, NOT A REAL NWA PROMOTER!!!

BEN FURGASON

Aurora, IL USA

A: First off I had to edit your questions due to the vulgar content. I understand your fustration but you can relay you questions & thought without swearing. That being said, while I may agree with you on some point, others I do not. Jeff Jarrett is not a NWA Promoter. While it would be nice to have "control" of TNA, we do not. TNA is it's own entity. The NWA entered into an agreement, whether I, you or anyone else likes it or not, we have to abide by as does TNA have to abide by the agreement. One of the things I always believed in was having a strong champion build up the credibilty of the title.

Q: Does one man decide who the heavywieght chapion is or the NWA BOD?

A: No.

That is it for this go around. Sorry for taking so long to answer your questions but I did answer them to the best that I am allowed to do so.

Take Care,

Ernie Todd - NWA President

[CyberTranz]

lol - Henry West must be his biggest fan.

[Skinartia]

Only Ernie Todd can be his own biggest fan...

[Booker Thee]

I'm sure when Ernie posts his 'news', it's good for a laugh around the NWA. He's been President for months and nothing of note has occured. All Ernie has done is made it clear he is against the most positive thing the NWA has - the TNA affiliation. Can you imagine if that deal came up for renewal with Ernie as Pres...?

Anyway, I thought I recognized that article. It was a previous 'Notes from the Pres', except well written.

Here it is - which person's advice would you follow?

Bill Behrens gives good advice for aspring wrestlers sending promo videos to big or small promotions

3/1/2004 2:29:00 PM

www.liveaudiowrestling.com/wo/news/headlines/default.asp?aID=9757

As some may know I help NWATNA in the selection of wrestlers for TNA XPLOSION and I run NWA WILDSIDE, so I see a lot of tapes from a lot of wrestlers, which means I see a lot of really bad stuff before I see good stuff. I'm frequently amazed at how many wrestlers have no idea what to send to a promoter, and other simple basics. In today's NOTES I'm going to present a few "rules" or "suggestions" for wrestlers.

First, all wrestlers need a demo tape of one good match. It does not need to be a long match, but it does need to be well shot, and as recent as possible. Don't send a match taped in 2000 to get work in 2004 or guys like me assume you haven't had a decent match since 2000, if ever. Rewind the tape, and put it in a sleeve or protective box. Mail it in a way that will keep it from breaking. Use "media mail" at the post office to save money, as it gets to me nearly as fast as 1st class or priority, and don't send it where I have to sign for it as if I'm not home it may take even longer to get to me. Make sure I know which guy or girl in the match is you. Include with the tape, a picture and a brief bio. Include your phone # and e-mail address. If you have a phone make sure you have an answering machine or voicemail or don't bother putting a phone # down. If you are out of shape, and therefore wear a t-shirt, don't expect much, even if you can work, unless your weight is part of your gimmick. Wear real ring gear. Jeans and cargo pants aren't real ring gear unless part of your gimmick. Don't send Hardcore Matches unless the promotion you are sending it to is into a lot of Hardcore. These promotions feature the chant "he's hardcore, he's hardcore" plus "ECW" chants even when nobody on the card worked there……BTW, most of the ECW guys at least knew what they were doing. A lot of hardcore is garbage, not really wrestling. Those who make it "good" are few and far between, so most of the time if I see "hardcore" on a tape I assume you can't wrestle. If your ring name is based on some current wrestling star's ring name, it may hurt your chances. Don't ever start a tape with an in ring or any type of "promo" or at least I won't even watch the tape. Sending matches where you face an established "star" can be a double-edged sword, as some may perceive the "star" as "carrying" you through the match. It is as important to show bumping and selling, as it is high spots and offense. A highlight tape is fine if it consists of more than one high spot repeated, but if you send highlights also send one match, so folk like me do not assume all you can do is the high spots. Don't suggest someone recommended you unless they really did, and really thought you were good, and weren't just being nice or ribbing you. To send demo tapes and promo packages to me use: PO Box 941787 Atlanta, GA 31141.

Additional rules or suggestions: Never post on message boards using fake names or your work name to put yourself over. Instead get a Website. Do not burn bridges with promoters. Always try to leave on good terms even if you think the promoter is an idiot, and be careful sharing that kind of opinion as it will likely get back to the promoter. The only way to "grow" as a wrestler is to wrestle as many matches with people better than you as you can. If you stay in one place, one promotion, even a good place, you can only grow so much. And honestly promoters that won't give you the opportunity to get to other places are just wrong. The smart promoter knows that if he let's you get out, and gain experience; you will come home a better wrestler, and more valuable to him. The smart promoter will even help you. Get a passport. Always have your gear in the car, and wash it every once in a while. Always introduce yourself to everybody in the lockeroom. Consider wrestling a job, and don't show up impaired or perform impaired. Wait until after the show to "party", particularly if you are just getting started in the business. Be respectful.