"Dear WILD Warriors and WILD Minions,
Over the last few days, there has been a small storm brewing, and I
thought I would take this time to explain and clarify a few things, to hopefully
put some peoples’ minds at ease and to take a look at what is coming up soon in
WILD Wrestling. Everything I will discuss now is absolutely true, and if you do
not want to “peek behind the curtain,” so to speak, then please stop reading
now. But I have always made it a point never to lie to the fans, or the people
who work with me to make this company a reality. So I will tell you all exactly
what is going on, the good and the bad. WILD Wrestling is truly at a crossroads,
and the next few months will be very interesting indeed.
Back in August, I made a risky move. Ashley Massaro contacted me and
wanted to be a part of this organization. After weighing the pros and cons, I
decided to bring her into WILD Wrestling in a non-wrestling capacity. She
assured me that she was training regularly for her in-ring return. We spoke
about having her film a lot of that training (at a very reputable and well-known
wrestling school that I will not name) that I could edit into a reality show of
sorts. I have always been the kind of man that gives people a chance at
redemption, and although many people were advising me not to do it, I gave Miss
Massaro her chance. For a few months, all was well. We spoke on the phone
constantly. We had a lot of fun at our photo shoot and while filming the segment
with the fan. Around the holidays, however, Miss Massaro suddenly disappeared.
She had told me she was spending time over the holidays with her family. But
ever since, she has not responded to any emails, text messages, phone calls,
Tweets or any other messages. So I am afraid that this risky move has not paid
off. I sincerely hope that Ashley Massaro is able to sort things out. I’d
personally like to hear from her again, even if only on a friendly basis. Right
now, however, it is time to move on without her.
This brings me to what seems to be a hot topic lately. I understand
that more than one of the women listed on our website as WILD Warriors are not
happy at the moment. They have been making comments in Social Media and it
appears that they are concerned that they have not been booked in WILD matches
recently (or some at all) and that I am, in a sense, using them as false
advertising. I understand that in this business, there are a lot of shady
promoters who will do all sorts of underhanded things to get people to notice
their product, including making grand promises of big names who will appear, and
then announcing at the last moment that the worker could not appear. I know you
just have to take me at my word on this, but that is not and has never been my
intention for including you on the roster. Here is how somebody becomes a WILD
Warrior. Either I contact them, or they contact me. I tell them that they become
part of a talent pool that I can use to book from. I tell them that at this
point, the bookings are going to be few and far between, as we do not run full
shows, but rather showcase matches on other promoters’ cards. But they are still
there, listed as Warriors in order to make potential sponsors more interested in
our product. And I always ask specifically for permission to put them on
the roster page of the WILD website. I absolutely intend, when the time is
right, to book full shows, utilizing the full roster of WILD Warriors. However,
WILD is not in a position, financial or otherwise, to be able to do that just
yet. I have made it my personal goal to run our first full card before the end
of 2012. I renew that promise to all of you, Warriors and Minions,
now.
Which brings me to the next point. When WILD began, we had a number
of affiliate companies in Southern California. Some of those affiliates have
closed shop, others have stopped working with us due to creative differences and
still others have seen the value of breaking off to start their own women’s
divisions. The number of promotions that recognize the WILD Championships (in
America) has dwindled, making it more difficult to run on a regular basis on the
West Coast.
Yet, there is some hope. We will begin working with Apex Pro starting
with their third show, in just a few months’ time. We still have an arrangement
with FreakShow Wrestling. We have been contacted by another company in Southern
California who is interested in having WILD matches very soon. And in England,
UKW is taping their TV show “UK Women’s Wrestling Gets WILD” and will be
defending the WILD European Championship on their show. I am very excited about
a lot of things that are being planned right now.
But here is where it gets tricky. Many people are under the
misconception that WILD is a wrestling promotion. We are not. WILD is a
sanctioning organization, similar to the NWA or AIWF. We hope to eventually
transition into a hybrid company that still has the affiliation program while
running internet pay per views under our own banner 2-3 times per year. In that
way, the WILD Warriors would still get to defend the championships all over the
place, but there would be a more traditional system in place as well for fans to
follow. The most important thing for WILD at this point is to continue to grow.
Those WILD Minions who ask “When will you come out here and have matches in my
town?” need to be more proactive. Contact your local independent wrestling
promotion and tell them to contact us. If they become a WILD affiliate company,
then the opportunity arises to have the Warriors come to their shows. For you
WILD Warriors that are wondering when we will book you in WILD-sanctioned
matches, ask the promoters of the shows in your upcoming schedule to contact us.
Maybe that match you are already scheduled for will become a WILD match. The
best way for WILD to expand is if everybody from the fans to the workers to
myself all buckle down and get the brand out there.
Until then, we have a few upcoming matches to promote...
Shelly Martinez has challenged WILD World Champion Katarina to a
match. We are nearing a deal for the date, promotion and place. We will tell you
all when things become more finalized.
Jessicka Havok, the WSU Spirit Champion, has challenged WILD North
American Champion Terra Calaway to a match. We can tell you that this will
happen at Apex Pro in the near future, but we do not yet know a
date.
To sum it all up, things are moving slowly here, but they are
moving. We just need to be a little more patient and proactive, taking steps
toward growth, and everyone will get what they want.
Thank you all for your time, your tireless hard work, and your
support. I am ever grateful.
Travis James Leland
Owner/Promoter
World Independent Ladies’ Division"
So WILD fans everywhere, keep updated on this, as it seems WILD may be going down.
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