PWG Break Ties With TNA!

[spunkynut]

Another significant indy wrestling story. I think TNA may be shooting themselves in the foot with all the demands they place on the wrestlers...


Pro Wrestling Guerrilla ends agreement with TNA Wrestling
By Silverback, PWG Staff Writer

Los Angeles, CA - Generally, the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (http://www.prowrestlingguerrilla.com) news releases have been light-hearted yet informative, however that will not be the case on this occasion. Since our humble beginnings in July 2003, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla has booked employees of TNA Wrestling to appear on our shows, in what can only be considered a successful relationship for all parties involved. Both companies experienced tremendous growth during this time period, admittedly with Pro Wrestling Guerrilla aided infinitely more so by TNA Wrestling than the other way around, and the relationship between the two companies has been affable. On April 24, 2007, TNA Wrestling presented Pro Wrestling Guerrilla with a contract that would prevent TNA Wrestling employees from appearing on DVDs sold through or distributed by any third parties. Because this would include long-time partner Highspots.com, as of May 3, 2007, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla has severed all ties with TNA Wrestling.

Since February 2004, Highspots.com has been a major contributor to the success of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, by helping us to increase the popularity of our company through Highspots.com production and distribution of our DVDs. Since TNA Wrestling presented us with the contract on April 24, we have considered every possible solution, from opting out of our contract with Highspots.com, self distribution of events featuring TNA Wrestling employees (both of which, to their credit, Highspots.com was agreeable with), to releasing DVDs without the matches of TNA Wrestling employees through Highspots.com. Each solution, except one, was either financially irresponsible, meant higher costs for the fans, or would greatly compromise the quality of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla as a whole. Therefore, we have been forced to end our business relationship indefinitely.

Because of this situation, TNA Wrestling employees Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley will not be appearing at Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's DDT4 Tag Team Title Tournament on May 19 & 20. We at Pro Wrestling Guerrilla would like to apologize to Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin, who along with Frankie Kazarian, were not simply employees, but part of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla family. We would also like to apologize to Samoa Joe, Low Ki, AJ Styles, and Christopher Daniels, whom we had booked for upcoming Pro Wrestling Guerrilla events. We would also like to thank Homicide, Austin Aries, Petey Williams, and all those previously mentioned for their hard work and professionalism as Pro Wrestling Guerrilla wrestlers.

And most importantly, we would like to apologize to our fans, who have come to enjoy seeing TNA employees both at our live events and on our DVDs. Your appreciation and support gave the TNA employees a chance to wrestle at a level they often time are unable to. We hope you can understand that this was not an easy decision to make, but we did what we feel was best for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla now, and in the future. Later today, we will provide updated information regarding the DDT4 Tag Team Title Tournament, including the last team, more non-tournament matches, and the final DDT4 first round matches!

[Dave Youell]

Man, TNA guys are running out of places to work! This could lead to a revolt at this stage, as there's only a few other 'big' promotions who could afford the wages

[Mr. Monday Morning]

Yeah this will hurt PWG et al more than TNA, but long-term, unless they start running a schedule similar to WWE (which a lot of guys don't actually want) they're not going to be working more than 4-5 dates a month.

[Blitz]

PWG had ties with TNA?

[thecc]

PWG had ties with TNA?A bunch of TNA guys have been a big part of PWG.

[Xero]

It looks like TNA is getting ready to make a large leap. I have a feeling that they're going to start touring for Impact if and when they get a two hour slot.

This might be Spike trying to see if they're serious enough to get the two hour slot too.

[thecc]

I Hope for a lot of guys sake that they are touring. Otherwise it's pretty messed up how they're essentially taking money out of a lot of guys' pockets.

[The One]

I gotta hand it to TNA, their show is pure crap, but on the business end, they're starting to make some smart moves. I think Spike is about ready to entrust them with another hour, and they are turning profits finally. They have signed enough name guys to put on the marquee, plus have done a very good job of making solid and strong homegrown talent (Styles, Joe, Abyss, etc.). I think 2008 is shaping up to be a very big year for TNA in terms of MAKE IT or BREAK IT.

[Blitz]

A bunch of TNA guys have been a big part of PWG.
They've been parts of a lot of other indy companies as well. I didn't know that PWG had specific ties with TNA.

[IC Champion]

TNA better bump up there pay cheques or your going to be seeing the younger mid carder's opting to work the independent circuit instead of drawing a 300 or 400 dollar pay cheque a week. Why would you when you could work 3 or 4 dates a week instead of one or two for next to nothing really, other then a chance to be on TV and showcase your talent.

TNA isnt a major player or a big time promotion working 3 or 4 house shows a week, so they should stop pretending that they are.

[Mr. Monday Morning]

They've been parts of a lot of other indy companies as well. I didn't know that PWG had specific ties with TNA.

Semantics. Although AJ was the PWG champion for a while. But they're basically losing Shelley, Sabin and Kazarian as regulars or semi-regulars, and AJ, Joe, Daniels, Ki, Homicide, Aries and the usual suspects as guest spots. I just think the situation is exacerbated because of PWG being west coast and so it being more difficult for them to tap into the main indy talent stream, which is decidedly east coast.

[Dave Youell]

I gotta hand it to TNA, their show is pure crap, but on the business end, they're starting to make some smart moves. I think Spike is about ready to entrust them with another hour, and they are turning profits finally. They have signed enough name guys to put on the marquee, plus have done a very good job of making solid and strong homegrown talent (Styles, Joe, Abyss, etc.). I think 2008 is shaping up to be a very big year for TNA in terms of MAKE IT or BREAK IT.
LOL ROH made Joe and Styles

Abyss is one of the very few examples of guys who weren't known in the US before coming on board, he was known in Puerto Rico, so they just put him under a hood.

Most of the other unknowns that they have put on tv are stuck in the X division and that's it

[The One]

Who made Styles and Joe???

AJ Styles was working in Air Raid in WCW's Cruiser Tag Division and had nobody give a shit about him. Joe was working in RoH. Sorry buddy, but in the chain of wrestling, if you pick up someone from a smaller company or a no name from a big company and make them into stars, they're considered your homegrown talent. Christian, Jarrett, Angle, and Sting were all about the same before they arrived, so TNA is simply capitalizing on their past success. The fact is before Samoa Joe walked through TNA's doors and had his long unbeaten streak, he was a nobody to the American market. Just like Brian Danielson is a nobody. You can be the savior of an indy company, but that doesn't mean you're worth shit until a national player says it does.

As for AJ Styles being made in RoH...uh...are you fucking high? RoH and TNA came in the scene around the exact same time, the difference was TNA made Styles their X-Divison star right off the bat and made him a focal point since day one...RoH used him, but not that much.

And by the by; WWE made CM Punk. Choke on it.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

ROH did make Joe, there is no way around that. Joe had a STRONG following going into TNA because of ROH. That's a fact. It's also a fact that Joe is far more over in ROH than he is in TNA, because TNA is the suck.

Styles is a toss up.

WWE may have "made" CM Punk, but without ROH, there would be no CM Punk to make.

[The One]

That's like saying without ECW there would be no Chris Benoit. It's idiotic.

But if your commitment to the idea that over glorified indy companies truly shape the landscape of the entire industry, I guess you're allowed to continue to believe that.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

Not quite sure who said that an indy company shapes the landscape, but it sure as hell wasn't me ;)

Anyway, you can say without WCW there would probably be no Chris Benoit.

ROH put CM Punk on the radar. If it wasn't for CM Punks work in ROH, more likely than not, WWE would have never signed him. CM Punk is good, but as you'll probably agree, in many people's eyes, including WWE's talent relations, he's probably a dime a dozen talen on the indy scene. ROH made him a standout.

[The One]

Actually, I'd go along with that. RoH put him on the radar, but WWE made him a star...just like RoH may have put Joe on the radar, but TNA made him a star. You could be a god to RoH ans (which Joe was) but they won't be worth shit in America until TNA or WWE says so. It's just a fact.

More to the point, ask a WWE (the most common wrestling) fan who Samoa Joe is to this day, they will probably stare at you blankly or guess Rikishi. I am always baffled how people are convinced their little fanboy mark outs for indy workers means they are worth anything more than a couple hundred die hard wrestling fans gate money.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

Fair enough. Afterall, you never hear anyone talk about Joe's work in Zero-1. ROH definately put him on the radar.

[The One]

A great compromise has been found here today. Mark it down, the road to uniting RoH fans and anti-fans began with this step. :p

[The One]

Joe still sucks though. :D

[BigDaddyCool]

Joe still sucks though. :D

It is true, Joe does suck.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

NO! LIES! JoE IS THE AWESOMENESS WRESTLER IN ZE WORLDZ!!!!! .........

Okay, I won't go that far. I don't know, I like Joe. The Joe stuff that I've watched, I've liked. Joe's never really dissapointed me. Mind you, my favorite wrestler right now, outside of Shawn Micheals, is Jimmy Jacobs, so my opinion may not be valid ;)

[thecc]

NO! LIES! JoE IS THE AWESOMENESS WRESTLER IN ZE WORLDZ!!!!! .........

Okay, I won't go that far. I don't know, I like Joe. The Joe stuff that I've watched, I've liked. Joe's never really dissapointed me. Mind you, my favorite wrestler right now, outside of Shawn Micheals, is Jimmy Jacobs, so my opinion may not be valid ;)Jimmy Jacobs is the shit. Although he can't compare to super amazing monkey.