ROH splits with RF Video

[JHawk 0]

I dont know if I even want to go the ROH show tom. now...

 

Good wrestling is good wrestling but I was under the impression RF was completely cut off from the company...

 

Fuck.

 

All right I'll go but i will NOT buy any merch. Hell, I won't even buy a fucking beer or hot dog.

If the building's as hot as it was last year, you'll need that beer. And I doubt ROH makes much off the food.

 

But why the hell does this shit get timed like this? The initial story broke about three days after I bought tickets for tomorrow's show (and unlike Dixie Chicks boycotters, I realized that I'd already spent my money so I might as well go), and now this comes out a day or two before that show.

 

If any of the wrestlers walk (especially last minute like this), I'm demanding my money back, because it's a situation that was entirely under the control of the promoter.

[Guest Choken One]

I would hope the workers decided to stay and put on the show...I certaintly hope they don't accept the tainted money.

 

I wouldn't blame them for walking out...

[Nevermortal 0]

The money is tainted because I peed on it.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Well, they better hope that they get the belt from Samoe Joe before this is confirmed or not. I could see him giving the belt to TNA if this was true.

 

Also it sounds like Silken was kept in the dark about RF. I wonder if he'd cut RoH off over this.

[teke184 0]

Well, they better hope that they get the belt from Samoe Joe before this is confirmed or not. I could see him giving the belt to TNA if this was true.

 

Also it sounds like Silken was kept in the dark about RF. I wonder if he'd cut RoH off over this.

Actually, Samoa Joe threatened to turn the title into a 9-Iron then go golfing with RF-hater Bob Barnett.

[Guest Choken One]

Something tells me...The Dayton show could very well be the FINAL ROH show.

[EricMM 0]

Is it really so impossible for someone to take over the helm of ROH?

 

Is it really so impossible for Feinstein to see that his being with the company will certainly doom it?

 

ROH was once as good a fed as I have ever seen, the best I have had the opportunity to watch. Now to see it all go up in flames due to one man's pedophilia is wretched.

 

And then to watch it go up in flames AGAIN due to one mans continued quest for money is just saddening.

 

I don't particularly care about Rob Feinstein at all. Whether or not I buy videos, he is who he is and he'll do what he does. If ROH tanks or succeeds, RF will be no more or less likely to commit statutory. But I do care that ROH seems to be dying, and what do I have left? WWE?

[Guest Jay Z. Hollywood]

TNA, CZW, IWA Mid-South, NWA Wildside, PWG, H2, CMLL, various Japan stuff.

 

The world is your oyster...most of it is cheaper than ROH's prices too. ROH wrestlers *do* work other places, ya know.

Edited June 12, 2004 by Jay Z. Hollywood

[JustJoe2k5 0]

Looks like Rob Feinstein is going for a "if I can't make money off of Ring of Honor, no one can" sort of approach. IWA Mid-South is better than Ring of Honor at this point anyways, so I'll gladly go with IWA and PWG shows over RoH.

[EricMM 0]

But are the tapes as easily purchased?

[Guest Jay Z. Hollywood]

If not easier.

 

www.smartmarkvideo.com

[thecitythesky 0]

*

 

yeah. smart mark video's shipping time is absolutely ridiculous.

 

.. i've order 6-8 tapes from them on numerous occasions and gotten them in about a week. maybe 10 days.

 

compared to RF's... "we'll get around to it" attitude...

[Guest Markingout]

Keep this info to yourself, I've been burned by posting alternate ROH tape sites on here before. Do it by PM.

 

-Jay

Edited June 13, 2004 by Jay Z. Hollywood

[Guest OSIcon]

Not that I claim to know anymore than anyone else, but EVERYONE really seems to be jumping to conclusions. All of a sudden 1wrestling's take on the story (along with everyone's personal assumptions) becomes the truth. 1wrestling said they were never going to cover ROH again, but out of nowhere posted all of this information. They say they have "several sources" giving them this information. Who exactly, in the know, would talk to 1wrestling about this situation and give them this info? Besides Feinstein that is and if people are all of a sudden taking in his word as gold, then I don't know what to say. It is funny how people all of a sudden take 1wrestling AND Feinstein's word as gold. Again, I don't claim to know the truth, but that "source" certainly isn't full-proof and there are other accounnts of what is going down.

 

This is Mike Johnson's latest story on the issue and it paints a fairly different picture than what is being reported by 1wrestling.

 

http://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.asp?id=2945&p=1

 

RING OF HONOR AND RF VIDEO REACH VERBAL AGREEMENT ON SPLITTING OF COMPANIES; ROB FEINSTEIN RESURFACES

by Mike Johnson @ 4:07:00 PM on 6/11/2004

 

 

Sources from both the Ring of Honor and RF Video confirmed today that the two sides have reached an agreement regarding the split of ROH from original parent company RF Video. The agreement, which will involve a gag order on all the principals involved, has not been signed yet but the terms were verbally agreed upon by both sides.

 

The two sides have basically agreed that they want to move on and are working to finalize the agreement. It is believed that the agreement would allow Cary Silkin (who became ROH's majority investor in January 2004) to purchase the minority stake that Doug Gentry currently retains in the ROH promotion.

 

As the negotiations to finalize the split of the companies continued this week, former ROH owner Rob Feinstein resurfaced and began contacting several people around the wrestling business. NWA:TNA sources today reported that Rob Feinstein contacted Bill Behrens yesterday, claiming to have still been involved with ROH while looking into whether an old invoice to Behrens had been paid by the departed staffers. According to TNA sources, Feinstein claimed to have financial records and emails that would back his claims.

 

Feinstein had also contacted PWInsider.com this week, offering to tell his side of the split story in an exclusive interview, but when he was informed that the interview would have to include questions about the NBC sting operation, he decided not to speak until clearing it with his lawyer. PWInsider.com is still awaiting word that the interview will go ahead.

 

The ROH faction, most notably booker Gabe Sapolsky were vehemently against the idea of Feinstein ever returning, to the point Sapolsky claimed to many that he would resign and "the company would die" if Feinstein ever appeared again.

 

According to sources from both factions and wrestlers who regularly visited the offices, Feinstein had not appeared at the RF Video offices after the NBC sting situation and his announced departure from the companies. Whether he was involved with different aspects of the company is unknown, but he wasn't dealing with anyone outside of it and was absolutely not dealing with any of the wrestlers.

 

At the time of the split, Feinstein had not made any efforts to return to the company. In recent months, he has been looking into what legal recourse he has stemming from the NBC sting. According to sources on the RF Video side, Feinstein had privately hoped to eventually return to the companies publicly, but was looking at a timeframe of something in the area of two years before doing so.

 

Since Feinstein's departure, it appears that the ROH and RF Video teams had slowly dissolved into two separate factions, with 99% of the staff pitted against Gentry, who remained personally loyal to Feinstein due to their longtime professional and personal relationship.

 

It is my belief that when the companies' ownership was transferred over to Gentry, that the staffers who evolved into the ROH faction had likely hoped to keep Feinstein locked out of the company permanently for fear of reprisals from their fan base. They eventually came to the realization that it was going to be impossible due to Gentry's loyalty to Feinstein, which is what started the ball rolling for the split.

 

It is believed that the plan to split the companies apart began to take shape during the April Minnesota and Chicago events, which were the first live events the promotion had run beyond a lone Elizabeth, New Jersey event after Feinstein stepped down. Those involved kept it a closely guarded secret among themselves with not even wrestlers who hold a high level of trust and responsibility in the company being aware of the situation until this week. Several wrestlers I spoke to were unaware about the situation until after PWInsider.com had broken the initial story on Wednesday evening.

 

The situation came to an ugly head on Monday when at the end of the business day, Gentry let the RF Video staffers go and changed the locks of the Langhorne, PA offices. They have all since been hired by Cary Silkin to work for ROH.

 

On Monday, the ROH faction was given merchandise and video/DVDs to sell at this weekend's ROH live event in Dayton, Ohio. The remainder of the merchandise will be handed over to the ROH faction once the settlement agreement is signed, according to both sides. I believe the agreement will also include giving Cary Silkin the rights to the ROH and Ring of Honor names. While Feinstein has been involved in discussions over the split of the companies, he has not officially returned to RF Video and Gentry still holds the power of President. I am told that there are no plans for his official return anytime soon.

 

Sources from both sides of the factions appeared happy in conversations today, wanting to move ahead and deal with their businesses. ROH is promoting a live event this Saturday 6/12 in Dayton, Ohio headlined by ROH champion Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk. There is talk, currently unconfirmed, that RF Video may decide to run live events down the line as well.

[Vyce 0]

So is everyone who said they wouldn't ever support ROH again if RF was involved going to overlook the last 3 months now?

I haven't supported ROH or RF Video in over three months now, so this only reinforces the feelings I already had on the situation.

 

I hope Rob Feinstein dies from an infection caused by getting anally raped by a guy named Bubba.

Agreed.

 

But I do find it amusing, because there were a lot of people here who defended RoH and who were very vocal against those of us, such as you and I, who doubted the veracity of all involved who claimed RoH was truly gone.

 

Fuck RoH. They had a shot to make it right, and they blew it.

[Youth N Asia 0]

As far as shipping and customer service Smart Mark is the very best I've ever delt with.

 

I had a tape that was messed up. I e-mailed SMV and they sent out another copy priority mail the next day. Where as RF would want you to ship it back at your own cost and then MAYBE they'll replace it.

[DCMaximo 0]

The UK branch of Smart Mark is fantastic too. I ordered the IWA-MS title tournament on Thursday and it arrived on Friday- now THAT'S efficient.