@bigfanhere thoughts?

This will be a long post that probably go off on tangents but @ness and maybe 1 other person seem interested so here goes.

This is the worst kept secret in the world but where HVW/Kingdom held their majority of their shows is also my workplace which I won’t name as a frequent contributor to the OT job thread but is easy to find. As are the names of said promoters but will keep it anonymous.

So K17 goes fantastic, most successful show in Kingdom history. I got buried on the All-Star wrestling Australia podcast with a “butts in seats” style comment when they incorrectly assumed D’Licious and I were the main event as we are featured prominently on the poster.
So I promoted the fuck out of this show and told everyone who would listen about it and even did a free commercial for my barber in exchange for plugging the show and letting his customers know:

www.facebook.com/share/v/PeSPtQr7qdSVDA7k/?mibextid=gtsPdC&startTimeMs=1000


Meanwhile Someone is brought in to be the booker as promoter feels he has too much workload promoting and booking. They helped massively with this show with video editing, even did a live press conference with the
shoot mayor of our city rocking up!

www.facebook.com/share/v/2Qm18um5tTtsNnJM/?mibextid=gtsPdC&startTimeMs=190000

So K17 was to quote borat “great success!”.
Before all this promoter has me organising dates for the rest of the year and 2024
(which at the time was the next year). As a favour to me work is letting us have the room for hire and it normally costs $380 per night.
Promoter then complains he has to move a date in August of 2024 because someone wants a wedding which is obviously going to bring way more money than a wrestling show.
Again the room was FREE you can’t really complain.

K18 while not a failure only drew an OK crowd.
Was countless things on this area that night including another wrestling company so all things considered it wasn’t a failure. I wrestled in a pointless tornado tag that I hated it, I wanted to defend my belt after winning it.


Prior to this new booker and the promoter are constantly butting heads as they were before K17 creatively. I remember we had a group chat for my match with D’Licious and it was voice notes (which I hate) back and forth between them for hours while I was at work.

They already weren’t on great terms before he got brought back and both stubborn people. So while he was a great booker I wasn’t exactly shocked when it went sour.

I’d organised all dates for the year, with K19 being very close to K18 as there was very little availability during the Xmas season. I was scheduled to wrestle Randy Red Dragon and even filmed a promo for it. Ticket sales weren’t good as promoter would tend to rely on pre-sales rather than make sure funds were available for a show regardless if it drew 0 or 1000 people.

Anyway booked and promoter have a huge argument, K19 is cancelled. I go to work to do my first aid training and find out promoter has cancelled ALL the dates for next year and didn’t tell me. The dates I got him for free
I was obviously going to find out as it was at my work. Radio silence when I try to contact him.

Work understandably doesn’t want to deal with him again and I’m annoyed as he made me look bad at my actual shoot job that pays me more than a hotdog and a handshake.

It looks like Kingdom is done, I have a meeting with someone about starting our own promotion but it would cost about $15k AUD (mostly for a new ring) and take years to make that money back so shelved that idea for the foreseeable future.

Anyway nothing really to report and then HVW promoter hits me up about taking over Kingdom (they are brothers) or bringing back HVW. Kingdom promoter says thank you/ he is done with wrestling and wants to do other things. Which is fine but the way he went about it wasn’t great.

I tell HVW promoter the truth that work obviously aren’t to thrilled with how things went down so I’ll have to smooth it over. Work tells me any more cancellations (sans emergencies) no more wrestling at the venue which is more than fair.

Now arranged I do all the organising with the venue directly and they won’t hear from HVW promoter unless specifically stated. Before Kingdom promoter would email them after I had and so forth and HVW promoter will handle all the wrestling side of things.

I’m guessing it was an ABN situation more than anything regarding bringing back HVW rather than just having Kingdom under new ownership (HVW promoter’s ring anyway).

tl:dr Kingdom promoter quit so his brother is bringing HVW back with Kingdom champions still sanctioned.

So it HVW completely it's own thing? Do you expect to see titles merged eventually? I'm guessing this back and forth, ghosting and general in the dark professionalism is standard indy fare or was it just them? Either way you love to see System working the marks for a free haircut and fade combo!

Jan 1, 2024 14:58:52 GMT @ness said:

So it HVW completely it's own thing? Do you expect to see titles merged eventually? I'm guessing this back and forth, ghosting and general in the dark professionalism is standard indy fare or was it just them? Either way you love to see System working the marks for a free haircut and fade combo!

It will be 90% the same wrestlers, same championships, same ring and same venue.
Only real difference other than the branding is ownership which is Kingdom promoter’s brother anyway. I’d say something like will happen eventually with the titles.

So two brothers were rival promoters?

They couldn't work together?

Nath didn't grow up with siblings.

I imagine The Hunter Valley divided down the middle by wrestling affiliation.

Jan 2, 2024 5:18:12 GMT NATH45 said:

So two brothers were rival promoters?

They couldn't work together?

No, not at all. They weren’t rivals

So originally HVW closed down as the promoter A was over the stress of dealing with it all and wanted to just go back to being a wrestler.

His brother then started his own company Kingdom using his brother’s ring (the HVW ring) and most of the assets. His brother still wrestled/was part of every Kingdom show. Why they didn’t just keep the HVW name I don’t know but I’m assuming it’s an ABN situation. Because would have been a lot cheaper to say HVW under new management then get new championships/new banners etc.

Anyway Kingdom promoter decides to call it a day and didn’t handle it in the best fashion. Looked like that was a wrap until about a month later his brother said he was possibly taking over Kingdom. Which he basically is it’s just going to be HVW again.

Jan 2, 2024 7:42:34 GMT NATH45 said:

I imagine The Hunter Valley divided down the middle by wrestling affiliation.

That’s actually pretty accurate :lol. Aussie wrestling is a lot like the territory days and promoters get upset if you run in their area and ESPECIALLY at their venue.

Newcastle area - Newcastle Pro Wrestling

Maitland area - HVW/Kingdom

Cessnock Area - Suplex

Side note Suplex started after an HVW wrestler got disgruntled and left.
They treat it like it’s the crips and the bloods despite us not really caring on our end :lol:. When we were showing Wrestlemania at my work some of the wrestlers came in and they saw me…moved to the other side and walked with their head down.

It’s not that deep :lol:

Australian wrestling used to be weird. I remember in the early 2000s, there always seemed to be bickering between companies, despite the obvious that no one was all that successful.

What's the endgame for an Aussie wrestler when you're sitting around talking about the local market? To get to MCW, or EPW?

Jan 2, 2024 21:19:42 GMT NATH45 said:

Australian wrestling used to be weird. I remember in the early 2000s, there always seemed to be bickering between companies, despite the obvious that no one was all that successful.

What's the endgame for an Aussie wrestler when you're sitting around talking about the local market? To get to MCW, or EPW?

Yeah that seems to be the goal for most people or wrestle in Japan/US.
Robbie Eagles is the only exception I can think of that stillwrestles in Australia and makes a living rather than other people moving.

Other people just do it for a hobby.

With the talent available... Eagles, Buddy, Buddy's buddy in MCW, Slex, Aussie Open, TMDK, Dashwood, etc I'm surprised no one has attempted a bigger supershow. WSW has a crack with yearly tours but still a big part of the card are local talents only.

I'd imagine the cost would clearly outweigh the return. So I answered my own question.

In a throwback to HVW your 600 champion takes on Linstrom, the man he faced in his very first match up in Nov 2014.

Oct 1, 2023 14:43:10 GMT @ness said:

How can she merge?

Handshakes. Is it like the WWE? Do you have to essentially walk around with a clipboard to check off names LMAO?

Yeah pretty much. The older guys get real offended if you don’t but the new guys aren’t as fussy about it. One of the last shows guy rocks up at 4pm (doors at 6) then complainined no one said hello to him, wouldn’t do what the promoter told him. Didn’t do any ring crew and left complaining no one said hello to him for 45 minutes. People obviously going over their stuff once they’ve been at the venue since 10am setting up.

He hasn’t been booked with us since.


Also Big Pete any chance you can merge the system wtf thread into this?
I appreciate the questions but I don’t need 600 threads :lol:

www.maitlandmercury.com.au/story/8502158/maitland-wrestler-fergus-ferguson-defends-600-championship-title-against-grant-linstrom/

It’s behind a paywall so full article here:

Winning the 600 Champion title is wrestler Fergus Ferguson's crowning achievement, and he isn't planning on giving it up when he takes on fellow Maitland resident Grant Linstrom.

Ferguson will defend his title at Club Maitland City on Saturday, February 3 during Hunter Valley Wrestling's No Matter What show.
The 600 Championship match, which goes for a fast paced 600 seconds, is just one of the main events of the night.

Singles matches will go ahead between Syd Parker and Zuzu the Muscle Clown, Morgan Rose and Harvey Falco, Ethan Hughz and Bee Boy, and Goran Uriel Nikolov and Johnny Vercetti.
Ferguson said he is looking forward to defending his championship title, which he won in August 2023.

"It was probably the best moment of my wrestling career, because I live locally and got a huge ovation when I won so that's pretty cool," he said.
When Ferguson takes on Linstrom on Saturday night, it will be quite the throwback.
Linstrom was actually Ferguson's first ever wrestling opponent back in 2014.
"My very first match I lost in my home town, it wasn't the greatest feeling so there's always been a sore spot there," he said. Ferguson said it's always special to compete at home in Maitland.

I've been watching wrestling since I was 10-years-old, I imagined being a wrestling champion on the trampoline with a toy belt, now I have a real championship that I not only won in my home town but I've defended, it's huge," he said.
Ferguson takes on what he describes as a politician persona in the ring, and was very used to being booed on stage - that is until he won the championship.
"I think the fans started to like me a little bit more, but we'll see what happens in this show," he said.


The event is family friendly, despite its wild atmosphere.
"It's chaotic, it's incredibly loud, people are bringing their kids because the kids can run wild and enjoy it, they're allowed to yell at the wrestlers because we're paid to entertain them and have a good night," he said.

"It's a really good family friendly atmosphere, the kids really get into it."
Hunter Valley Wrestling's No Matter What show starts at 7pm on Saturday, February 3 at Club Maitland City. Doors open at 6.30pm. All ages are welcome.
Tickets are $27 for adults and $17 for kids under 12-years-old. Get them at www.hvwshop.com/product/tickets-feb-3rd.

Physical copy




Oh and as for said match



YOUR WINNER




AND STILL 600 CHAMPION


FERGUS “SYSTEM” FERGUSON ☝🏻

Ferguson vs. Kattau in SYDNEY!

From Facebook:

www.facebook.com/share/r/D5dn4UnJTZW53bmd/?mibextid=WC7FNe

600 Champion @inferguswetrust wanted to address the allegations of breaking the rules in his recent matches and talk about his upcoming match with MFN this Sunday at @club_maitland_city_ !

With @barrytheswooperblake by his side anything can happen.

⬇️TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE HERE⬇️
www.hvwshop.com
➡️OR AT THE DOOR ON THE DAY!⬅️

#HVW #TheRematch #MyMaitland

Probably one of the most frustrating shows I’ve worked. Sunday afternoon show.

Went to Sydney last night for a concert and didn’t get home till 3am. Doing ring crew at 9:30am. People are told it’s an afternoon show not evening we need people there earlier to get the ring up by 2:30pm.

Usual excuses and it’s the main people as usual doing crew.

I’m wrestling aforementioned guy in a non-title who’s excited to work me and is shocked he is going over. Going to be presented as a big win for him as he’s fairly new. I plan a very simple match.

I just work as a cowardly heel and do mostly character work/running away & been told I’m light to wrestle so I’m definitely not stiffing anyone. I’ve also been very sick all week so I wasn’t at 100%, Keep this in mind for later.

People rock up late, doors open late as usual except for fans who came up the elevator and got the shits I told them to back outside and wait. (People were in the ring going over stuff).

I do my match. Opponent is struggling on the ground, ref tells me to bring it home.
Alright he’s injured. Fine by me, we go home.

After the match I check on him and ask 3 times what’s wrong.
He was winded.

I know it was just inexperience but if he would have just told me I could worked the crowd a bit or milked something. A sidewalk slam & an elbow off the second rope was the only real offense I gave him outside of stomps etc. Minoru Suzuki in the ring I am not :lol:

Someone else earlier in the show tore their bicep and finished the entire match.

Anyway match is done. Go to do ring crew and suddenly everyone has to leave and get home before even the ropes are off. sandylea did more ring crew than most people on the show.

The show went short & finished early than usual due to being an arvo show.

One of the wrestlers went down to the sports bar almost the entire time & came up the last minute trying to make an excuse he didn’t want to be rude to the “fans” down there. Someone else went off at him and rightfully so as did the promoter.

A lot of pays got cut due to it so hopefully they get the hint and it’s not just the same core group of guys doing it each time.

Like I get it, Indy wrestling is very long hours for very little money but ring crew is part of the gig. Don’t like it? Retire.


Tl:DR

People doing no ring crew and finding excuses to leave instantly.
System’s opponent got winded & cut the match down short even though it was meant to be a big win for said opponent.

(A far cry from the days where everyone beat the system :lol:)

☝🏻

Cagematch (sadly no results for Fergus Ferguson without adding cagematch... the System is broken) and says you defended it at the beginning of the year. Is that the only title defense?

The good news is I purchased & now own the 600 championship…

He's never going to lose it.

So just found out through a third party the ring got sold, so no more shows.

1RealSmartAlex was right I’ll be 600 champion

For

600 Days
600 Months
600 Years

One silver lining out of it :lol:

I could wrestle for other promotions but I was thinking of wrapping it up in November anyway so will see what happens

Aug 7, 2024 5:59:32 GMT System said:

So just found out through a third party the ring got sold, so no more shows.

1RealSmartAlex was right I’ll be 600 champion

For

600 Days
600 Months
600 Years

One silver lining out of it :lol:

I could wrestle for other promotions but I was thinking of wrapping it up in November anyway so will see what happens

I always tell people. When it comes to this kind of stuff, I'm ALWAYS RIGHT.