IWA Midsouth closing up in December

[Guest Youth N Asia]

I heard from someone who goes to the shows that Ian is going to close down IWA Midsouth in December unless business picks up big time. There were only about 50 people in the crowd last night, and they get a lot of those nights. Plus they bring in good named talent now for most of the shows.

 

It'll be sad if this happens. They've been one of the bigger indies for about 6 years now.

[Chunk 0]

Never good to hear of an indy being forced to close down. How much truth do you think there is to it?

 

ChUnK!

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Ian announced it to the crowd for at the start of the show.

 

Edited

Edited April 28, 2003 by Youth N Asia

[Guest ShooterJay]

This is really a shame, just as interest for IWA is at the highest point ever they have to close down.

 

They were kind of forced into a hole, because to pay for the building they have to run weekly in a crap building in a desolate neighborhood, and paying the wrestlers weekly with low crowd return creates a vicious cycle.

 

Hopefully the upcoming strong style tournament, deathmatch tournament, and December's Ted Petty Invitational pick up business.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Strong Style's in June (I think) and KODM is the first weekend of August.

 

They need tv or they're toast.

[PsychoDriver 0]

Damn, Why aren't people going to see IWA:MS? Their fans seem very ungrateful, IWA:MS puts on amazing shows that yet don't draw anything, maybe the shows aren't "good" enough for them. Just sad really, Maybe they will finally realize how good IWA:MS was after it's too late.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Fact is IWA runs way too many shows. but Dave told me that by running that many shows that's what keeps them from losing even more money.

 

Fans only seem to show up for their big shows now.

 

They need a good building deal, local tv, and more support from the locals

[Guest Youth N Asia]

I just yanked this from moonsaults a 1bob.com

-----------------------------------------------------------

 

 

IWA Mid-South ran their weekly show in Clarksville, IN, on 4/26. Promoter Ian Rotten lost to Cpl. Robinson in the main event. They worked most of the match similar to Rotten's matches with Chris Hero in Dayton, OH and Terik the Great, stiff with a lot of submission holds. It did eventually turn into a big brawl where Robinson brought in a barbed wire table and fluorescent lighting tubes. Ian gave Robinson his boot camp (combo cobra clutch and Russian legsweep) into the tubes, but Robinson kicked out. Robinson then gave Rotten the finisher and got the pin. Rotten opened the show saying that if business didn't pick up at the weekly shows, the promotion will close its doors in December. He also announced several big shows coming up, including the "Spirit of 76" on 5/24 (Memorial Day weekend) with Chris Hamrick coming in, and an eight-man strong style tournament called "The Revolution" on 6/28. He also added C.M. Punk vs. Chris Hero to the King of the Death Matches weekend in August. They did an angle where Michael Todd Stratton (Todd Morton) placed a $5,000 bounty on Rotten for giving him several piledrivers on a chair at the April Bloodshowers show and injuring him. He tried to get J.C. Bailey to go after the bounty, but Bailey refused. Danny Daniels and Jimmy Jacobs then attacked Bailey, and the three of them worked him over until Robinson, Rotten, and Chris Hero made the save. Hero kept the IWA title beating Simon Sezz. Sezz used all sorts of gimmicks to try to beat Hero, including putting a plastic bag over his head ala Terry Funk-Ric Flair 1989. Hero got Sezz to tap to a hangman's clutch. Bailey retained the light heavy championship over Jacobs when Alex Shelley interfered. This was revenge for Jacobs distracting Shelley and costing him a match with Daniels. Stevie Lee and Elvis Elliott from Ohio and Michigan indies debuted against each other, with Lee going over. Opener was Nigel McGuinness beating Gavin Starr. They return on 5/4 with "Derby Madness 2003" (Kentucky Derby weekend) featuring C.M. Punk and Lucy. This will be Lucy's first appearance with the promotion since she injured her knee there.

[Guest swan]

Hasn't he pulled this before in the past?

[Guest Phoenix Fury Legdrop]

I think Jim Fannin pulled this stunt in the brief time where Ian gave up ownership.

 

I'm extremely sorry to see the only awesome promotion in the Midwest (or at least in Indiana) go; the same promotion that brought us probably the best indy show in years, and years to come (Night Two of the TPI 2002), and the same promotion who introduced greats like CM Punk, Chris Hero, Colt Cabana, and, yes, the f'n "Spyder" Nate Webb (that entrance at the Ultra Styles Clash Weekend Night One show is a classic wrestling moment); the same promotion who revitalized Danny Daniels's career as a wrestler; the same promotion who gave us one of the sickest matches I've seen in years, the Circus Deathmatch (and for Pondo & Bailey to get paid almost nothing for that performance proves that Ian had some intrical power over these guys far greater than greed); the same promotion that brought us the now cult-legendary Chris Hero/CM Punk 93:15 match. At least they'll get one more shot at it, if IWA-MS shuts down, during the KOTDM shows. They are going out with a bang, though, as the strong style tournament, the KOTDM, and the 24-man Ted Petty Invitational are still happening this year.

 

What I'm more worried about is the status of Chris Hero. At least until a few weeks ago, he was in XPW as a part of some deal that Ian had with Rob Black. Unless 3PW or ROH put that aside (don't even mention Hero going back to CZW after the H8 Club incident), Hero won't get work in any of the other major indies unless he packs his bags and moves to Cornelia, Georgia. This leaves Hero going to Harley Race's WLW promotion, whose tapes don't get well-circulated enough for them to get out as regular as SMV got out the IWA-MS tapes. Let's hope Hero gets relocated and successful if Ian closes shop.

[Guest Doyo]

They need to stop having 10,000 wrestlers on each show.

Really though, most indy shows that draw 50 people will have

4 singles matches and 1 tag match. Many IWA result listings I

see will have 10-15 matches.

[Guest j.o.b. squad]

styles clash i woudent worry about hero. He spends about half of his time with bookings in europe so he will not go hungry.

[Guest swan]

like CM Punk and Colt Cabana

They both got their start's in Chicago and still live thier. CM Punk was in a tag team w/ CM Venom in the Chicago based LWF.

[Guest bigdunn20]

I heard recently from an indy wrestler that they are $140,000 in the hole, and that December is when the cash flow from the investors will run out.

 

There is simply no way you can make money having 30+ workers on a show in the indys, especially with the names they bring in.

[Guest j.o.b. squad]

well there is not really any money to be made in american wrestling. The best any promoter can hope for is to break even.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

I heard recently from an indy wrestler that they are $140,000 in the hole, and that December is when the cash flow from the investors will run out.

Yeah, I heard the same thing but didn't want to throw a number out. I guess that's what Ian and his 3 investors have lost since 1996

[Guest Phoenix Fury Legdrop]

like CM Punk and Colt Cabana

They both got their start's in Chicago and still live thier. CM Punk was in a tag team w/ CM Venom in the Chicago based LWF.

They also worked first for Steel Domain (their training grounds) and MAW, but they made their names in IWA-MS, you have to admit.

[Guest bigdunn20]

well there is not really any money to be made in american wrestling. The best any promoter can hope for is to break even.

If you can find sold shows at nightclubs, bars, or casinos, there is money to be made.

 

But it IS VERY difficult to even break even running at your own building, or at an armory, rec center, etc.

[Guest ShooterJay]

Off topic- If CM Punk and CM Venom are a tag team in Chicago- what does the CM stand for, anybody know?

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Crooked Moonsault

[Chunk 0]

Crooked Moonsault

Where does it come from? Is there any story to the name?

 

ChUnK!

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Crooked Moonsault

Where does it come from? Is there any story to the name?

 

ChUnK!

I'll ask Prazak next time he's on. He should know.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Prazak said it means nothing (kinda like REM)

 

He said for a while it stood for Chick Magnet, then Crooked Moonsault, now Cookie Monster. Just kinda changes for whatever reason and has no real meaning

[Guest bigdunn20]

MEOW!

[Guest swan]

Off topic- If CM Punk and CM Venom are a tag team in Chicago- what does the CM stand for, anybody know?

Chick Magnet, but they haven't been together in years.

[Guest swan]

like CM Punk and Colt Cabana

They both got their start's in Chicago and still live thier. CM Punk was in a tag team w/ CM Venom in the Chicago based LWF.

They also worked first for Steel Domain (their training grounds) and MAW, but they made their names in IWA-MS, you have to admit.

They all started in Chicago Ace Steel and Danny Domain took off north and booked all these guys. They all started in Chicago but made a name for themselves in Minnesota.

 

Check www.chicagowrestling.com for interviews with the guys related to the LWF.

[Guest Doyo]

Prazak said it means nothing (kinda like REM)

 

REM is a widely used abreviation in the medical world for Rapid Eye Movement,

which is the sleep state in which one dreams.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Prazak said it means nothing (kinda like REM)

 

REM is a widely used abreviation in the medical world for Rapid Eye Movement,

which is the sleep state in which one dreams.

I meant the Athens, Georgia alternative rock group. They picked their named cause they saw R.E.M. in the dictionary, and for years people wondered if the letters meant anything...which they say there's no significance with how it relates to them.

 

I know about Rapid Eye Movement. It's how your eyes go nuts when your asleep dreaming or something like that.

 

Like Blink 182 for example...they added the 182 cause a band named Blink was going to sue them. They've said the 182 means nothing.

 

That's what I meant by that.

[Chunk 0]

Prazak said it means nothing (kinda like REM)

 

REM is a widely used abreviation in the medical world for Rapid Eye Movement,

which is the sleep state in which one dreams.

I meant the Athens, Georgia alternative rock group. They picked their named cause they saw R.E.M. in the dictionary, and for years people wondered if the letters meant anything...which they say there's no significance with how it relates to them.

 

I know about Rapid Eye Movement. It's how your eyes go nuts when your asleep dreaming or something like that.

 

Like Blink 182 for example...they added the 182 cause a band named Blink was going to sue them. They've said the 182 means nothing.

 

That's what I meant by that.

The band 'Liberty' in the UK did the same thing. They became 'Liberty X' because of a possible law suit.

 

He said for a while it stood for Chick Magnet, then Crooked Moonsault, now Cookie Monster. Just kinda changes for whatever reason and has no real meaning

 

Thanks for the heads up.

 

By the way, whats your connection, how did you get to know Prazak? (Sorry if you've explained that before, and i've missed it).

 

ChUnK!

[Guest Youth N Asia]

I e-mailed him once over an indy tape. It was a show he was on and I was there, I had zero luck finding it. There were only about 25 people in the crowd that night so it didn't go over well.

 

We set up a tape trade and now we chat regularly, cool guy.