Post by russ on Nov 19, 2008 11:06:46 GMT -5
I generally hate these types of announcements. I find them self-serving and "look at me" more than anything else. Additionally, it seems like that the pattern of the last three years is that I get back into the business in some way shape or form, only to back out a few months later complaining that my workload is too high. I'm sure that my annual "stepping away" might make me the butt of jokes, but I don't care. Anyway, I figured this would be the best place to address everything at one time and not have to worry about contacting a bunch of people individually at once.
I'm walking away from indy wrestling for good this time. I find that I no longer have the time to devote to the amount of research required to keep up on it. This impacts the job I've been doing for IPW for the last several months as their color man. I have never been able to do my job at a high enough level that I think the product deserves and puts the wrestlers over, and my inability to do so has frustrated me for the last few months.
I've mentioned this a few times before, but I teach night school with Indiana Wesleyan. I've been doing so for a little over a year now, and it helps to supplement my income so that my wife can stay home with our daughters. In the current economy, every little bit helps, but it is still a job, even a part-time job of 10 - 20 hours per week with the amount of involvement I have in it.
My involvement with indy wrestling has ceased to be fun anymore, and when it becomes work, I figure that I already have two jobs... why add more jobs to my plate that I'm doing for free? It's just the reality of the issue... not complaining about pay. Nobody gets paid in indy wrestling. That's the reality of the business. I just don't have time to devote to it, whether speaking, reading, or writing about it. Heck, I didn't log into any of the message boards I post on for two weeks, and the world kept on spinning. It took a lot for me to step away, but once I did, I found that I didn't miss it anymore.
I want to thank Mike, Greg, Dan, and Donnie and all the other folks at IPW for giving me one last shot at indy wrestling. I unfortunately stepped on a lot of toes when I came in, but everybody was nice to me, and they run an organization the way it should be run. I figured that my time in indy wrestling was done at that point... most of the other people I used to work for are either out of business or want me to do something I'm not interested in doing. I would say that IPW is the premier organization in Indianapolis, and I wish more people would give their product a shot. I also want to thank Adam and Robert Rush, because without them, people wouldn't know me or walk up to me at shows to talk. I probably wouldn't have any recognition by name anymore if it weren't for them allowing me a soapbox to run my mouth.
In closing, of all people, it took Rob Kincaid to help me put things into perspective. He left me a message a few weeks ago on the Showcase telling me how he liked the job I was doing and how he had moved on from indy wrestling. He didn't need to leave me a message, but it was kind and he sounded genuine. It sounded like he really had moved on from wrestling, that he was doing something that he enjoyed doing, and he was getting a fresh start in a new field that didn't carry over the stigma he had gained from pro wrestling. I mean, the guy puts up a post to promote a karaoke show, and the immediate reflexive kneejerk reaction generates all kinds of "Queencaid meatloaf" posts.
It made me think... what was the end result of all these feuds on message boards or hotlines about Rob, the Mastermind, calling out Tim/bigfreaky in Ohio, IPW vs. Randy Klemme, Randy vs. Adam, WCWA, Cruz vs. IPW, Basher and the Stone Cold fake, or any number of other issues that have crossed our paths? What was the end result of me fanning those flames in order to put myself over?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It didn't make me a better person. It didn't make me a better "journalist". It didn't help bring the situation to closure. It didn't make the business look better or bring more fans into the business. It didn't earn me any money for my family. It just spawned more noise, more dissent, more bickering, and more splintering of an already weak pro wrestling industry that doesn't need to be weakened in the current economy.
I just need some peace and quiet now and some time to concentrate on things that matter. Unfortunately, I can't include professional wrestling in that list any longer. I hope to stay in touch with everyone, but for the most part, my work here is done.
Goodbye.
®
I'm walking away from indy wrestling for good this time. I find that I no longer have the time to devote to the amount of research required to keep up on it. This impacts the job I've been doing for IPW for the last several months as their color man. I have never been able to do my job at a high enough level that I think the product deserves and puts the wrestlers over, and my inability to do so has frustrated me for the last few months.
I've mentioned this a few times before, but I teach night school with Indiana Wesleyan. I've been doing so for a little over a year now, and it helps to supplement my income so that my wife can stay home with our daughters. In the current economy, every little bit helps, but it is still a job, even a part-time job of 10 - 20 hours per week with the amount of involvement I have in it.
My involvement with indy wrestling has ceased to be fun anymore, and when it becomes work, I figure that I already have two jobs... why add more jobs to my plate that I'm doing for free? It's just the reality of the issue... not complaining about pay. Nobody gets paid in indy wrestling. That's the reality of the business. I just don't have time to devote to it, whether speaking, reading, or writing about it. Heck, I didn't log into any of the message boards I post on for two weeks, and the world kept on spinning. It took a lot for me to step away, but once I did, I found that I didn't miss it anymore.
I want to thank Mike, Greg, Dan, and Donnie and all the other folks at IPW for giving me one last shot at indy wrestling. I unfortunately stepped on a lot of toes when I came in, but everybody was nice to me, and they run an organization the way it should be run. I figured that my time in indy wrestling was done at that point... most of the other people I used to work for are either out of business or want me to do something I'm not interested in doing. I would say that IPW is the premier organization in Indianapolis, and I wish more people would give their product a shot. I also want to thank Adam and Robert Rush, because without them, people wouldn't know me or walk up to me at shows to talk. I probably wouldn't have any recognition by name anymore if it weren't for them allowing me a soapbox to run my mouth.
In closing, of all people, it took Rob Kincaid to help me put things into perspective. He left me a message a few weeks ago on the Showcase telling me how he liked the job I was doing and how he had moved on from indy wrestling. He didn't need to leave me a message, but it was kind and he sounded genuine. It sounded like he really had moved on from wrestling, that he was doing something that he enjoyed doing, and he was getting a fresh start in a new field that didn't carry over the stigma he had gained from pro wrestling. I mean, the guy puts up a post to promote a karaoke show, and the immediate reflexive kneejerk reaction generates all kinds of "Queencaid meatloaf" posts.
It made me think... what was the end result of all these feuds on message boards or hotlines about Rob, the Mastermind, calling out Tim/bigfreaky in Ohio, IPW vs. Randy Klemme, Randy vs. Adam, WCWA, Cruz vs. IPW, Basher and the Stone Cold fake, or any number of other issues that have crossed our paths? What was the end result of me fanning those flames in order to put myself over?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It didn't make me a better person. It didn't make me a better "journalist". It didn't help bring the situation to closure. It didn't make the business look better or bring more fans into the business. It didn't earn me any money for my family. It just spawned more noise, more dissent, more bickering, and more splintering of an already weak pro wrestling industry that doesn't need to be weakened in the current economy.
I just need some peace and quiet now and some time to concentrate on things that matter. Unfortunately, I can't include professional wrestling in that list any longer. I hope to stay in touch with everyone, but for the most part, my work here is done.
Goodbye.
®
