MUST READ - Letter From Current ROH Wrestler, Comments On Gabe; end of ROH?
The following was set to us by a current ROH wrestler who wanted to remain anonymous but wanted his points out there:
All good things come to a end. ROH was created in 2002 and we know all the history of the company. Rob Feinstein had a dream and put his heart and soul into the company. Along with Doug Gentry and Gabe Sapolsky they created something speical. They knew their niche and started their own brand of strong style in the states that resembled New Japan pro wrestling’s jr division with a blend of All Japan wrestling and a added twist of ECW.
In the last 24 hours ROH looks doomed. There has been so many behind the scene problems in the last 6 months that its own booker went looking to work for the WWE and that was not by choice. I know Gabe very well and he has always been outspoken on his problems with the office staff who just did not understand the wrestling business. He was given the keys to the car, but often told me that Cary always wanted him to drive the wrong highways. Gabe was not a easy person to get along with. He was a very paranoid person from day one in the company. In IL there were many fights in hotels between the office staff that if any of the other boys would have heard we would have all been looking for work else where. I always remained with the company knowing my spot.
Two months ago I told Gabe that he is going to be cut in due time. The writing was all over the wall. I was hearing all types of negative comments from Syd and Ross and there were many secret meetings in towns with Adam. I also knew that Cary was getting more involved and really breaking Gabe’s balls by always questioning him. Just last week there was a major blow up which at this time does not matter.
What matters is Gabe was fired with no warning what so ever. I was backstage and I knew it was coming on Saturday when I saw Cary storm off into Syd’s work area. Then the time bomb went off just hours later. Gabe was so in shock that when he was leaving I was scared to even go up to him. In less than 24 hours later the company has a new booker who I might remind you is a worker just like me.
Now this is not 1986 and Adam is not Dusty Rhodes but this is never going to work. ROH is a indy company and nobody in that locker room is going to take orders from another wrestler that has no track record. Why will the boys listen to Adam? What has he done in wrestling other than run a small company in CA. Do you know how many egos are in the ROH locker room. Do you know how many guys think they could now book the company? Adam sent a email out to the entire staff yesterday and asked us to Kfabe he was the booker. I almost spit my water out of my mouth. This thing is doomed to fail. You can’t be a booker and than book yourself into the top heel spot. Like I said if this was a Terry Funk or a Dusty Rhodes things would be smooth sailing but Adam can’t just come into our locker room and take over the ship. He is just a indy worker, who is a great old time heel. But that heat will never work in ROH.
I re-read his email and how he is going to change the style of the company and to be quite honest I know alot of the boys are not happy about this and we are not happy that Cary stabbed Gabe in the back. Gabe is no angel by any means but now there is a pattern here. I know that after the Feinstein incident that he was led to beleive he would be brought back. Cary and Feinstein met over and over again as Feinstein had a plan and a investor that was going to relieve Cary as the front man but let him remain owning the majority of the company. They were about to get a TV deal as well. Cary along with Syd Eick thought they could make more money without Feinstein by forcing him to sell ROH so they can do a version of RF VIDEO and combine it with ROH as they did early on with their straight shooting series. That system failed miserabally. Cary than promised Doug Gentry a spot for life later to turn on him because he remained loyal to RF VIDEO. Now Gabe after giving 6 years of hard work to the company they just stab him in the back. This man lived and breathed ROH and brought Cary to where he is at now. Yes he might be broke but without Gabe there is no ROH.
As a wrestler, how can you trust ROH? I mentioned Feinstein, Gentry & Sapolsky. Thes are the three men that built Ring of Honor. These are three men who put their livelihoods on the line for ROH. And now? All have been stabbed in the back & fired from Ring of Honor. The wrestling business will eat you up.
I don’t know where I stand right now with ROH, but any wrestler is expendable. I am happy that a straight person is booker rather than Luke though. If we had a gay booker it would fuel sites like DOI and message boards because of Cary’s orientation. I don’t think Pearce is the right guy in the end.
I read Bob Magee’s column about ROH and how you can compare this to Vince buying ECW where it’s called ROH, but it really isn’t ROH. The jury is still out on that and Bob does come off like this is the end of the world but I do agree that the ROH letters are about to go under a major transformation.
The company is going to go under after a few short months. I would have rathered see Cary be honest with his locker room because now we never know what to expect. Nobody trusts anyone after this week because we all thought we were a family. This is no disrespect to Adam, but brother your just one of us. You are throwing your career away on this one. This will hurt you with TNA & WWE. I hope NWA pays your bills because ROH sure won’t. I know many of us feel betrayed and I hope that after this weekend some of us learns the true definition of honor.
To Gabe, I know you hate this site but no other site would print this. It was an honor to work for you and shake your hand. The code of honor still lives inside of the ones who believed.
__________________
|
10-27-2008, 05:56 PM
Linear Mode
