WHO: Evolve and Dragon Gate USA booker Gabe Sapolsky.
When did you become a wrestling fan?
When I was a kid. I was switching channels one Saturday morning, I think there were like 5 at the time, and saw Greg Valentine cutting a promo for an upcoming Boston Garden show and was hooked.
Favorite Fed?
The original ECW was such a great time as a fan and a place to learn.
Do you wish that the territory system was still in place?
It would be impossible for it to be in place now since the internet and national TV have really connected us all. The territories were a perfect system for wrestlers and bookers. When someone got stale, just move over to another region of the country and you were fresh again. It really insured work and kept things fresh and moving. I wish I was able to experience the territories first hand.
Will we ever see a time when the best of the independant feds come together for one huge super show?
Anything is possible, but I don't really see what it would accomplish now. Everyone is using similar talent. What makes the indies different from each other is the overall brand. For instance, CHIKARA and AAW and FIP and DGUSA and EVOLVE might use some of the same talent, but the overall vibe and structure of each promotion is different. You need a complete show from each promotion to show that difference. A supershow with just one match from each promotion couldn't accomplish that. It would be pretty pointless besides just spreading the names of various indy companies.
Why is Atlanta, Ga such a dead zone for pro-wrestling despite being WCW's seat of power of years? Any plans to run shows there?
That is a great question and I wish someone out there had the answer. However, it does look like we'll have Dragon Gate USA there for Wrestlemania weekend.
If you could have kept one of the talents that left for another fed, to bring to any fed you ran, who would it have been.
Well, that's a loaded question because I've been fortunate enough to book so many great talents. I couldn't really name one. I mean just look at the matches Samoa Joe, CM Punk, AJ Styles, Evan Bourne, Homicide, Low Ki, just to name a few, could have against the DGUSA and EVOLVE talent roster. There are so many match possibilities it would be hard to narrow it down to just one.
Is there any wrestler you felt another booker made more from than you did?
Chris Sabin looks like a guy I definitely dropped the ball with. He immediately comes to mind. He's had so much success in TNA with the Motor City Machine Guns and he didn't really have that kind of opportunity when I was booking him.
You're never going to be involved with TNA are you? ARE YOU?
LOL, good one.
Do you think you'll ever be able to infuriate eight year olds and the "It's still real to me" crowd like the NXT invasion of RAW did, or are fans "too smart" for that?
It's always possible, its just about everything clicking and coming together. It's magic when it happens.
How can one tell one indy fed from another? (the really good one's from the fly by nights?)
This is something that I feel really hurts indy wrestling. It is hard for casual fans to really tell one from the other, when there are huge differences between them. The fly by nights, which are run by amateurs, can really do a lot of damage and turn fans off. If they have one bad experience, then they won't give anything else a chance. We actually had this problem down in Florida with FIP as there were several towns that were killed by bad promotions. Then FIP comes to town and the average fan just sees it as the same thing and won't give it a shot. It is definitely a problem. I'm not sure what the solution is besides slowly building a reptutation and hoping word of mouth spreads. Either that or hoping that fans will do their research and see what gets a good buzz and why.
Has the internet helped or hurt wrestling?
It has done both. It has helped it tremendously because it lets you target your audience and affordably promote to them. There is no greater media at a cheaper price for spreading word about your promotion. Things like torrents and making bootlegging easier than ever have almost killed the business though, so that is a major negative. There are many major positives and negatives. The internet isn't going anywhere so we have to make the most of the positives and do our best to counter the negatives. For instance, for DGUSA was have tried to counter torrents and downloading by making our DVDs really special with 2 disc sets, deluxe packaging, optional commentary bonus matches and other things. We have tried to do the same with EVOLVE DVDs too. We want to make people feel good about owning them. It has meant we have had to step our game up and I feel we have done our best to do that.
Have "dirt sheets" (insider news letters) helped or hurt wrestling?
Some of both. They can ruin a great angle, but they can also create a great buzz. It's like the internet, but to a lesser extent. There are both major positives and negatives. Actually, there are a lot less negatives than the internet. The media can be really helpful when it comes to creating a positive buzz and that is a huge plus. The downside is really just spoilers. If you keep your nose clean and don't try to rip people off you really shouldn't have anything to fear with the "dirt sheets" as you call them in the question.
What to you is the ideal time for a wrestling match?
a. 10 min or less
b. 15-30 min
c. 45 min to an hr
d. Anything longer than that?
There is no right answer to this. It depends on the circumstances, the wrestlers, the angle, the building, the crowd, the place on the card, the goal of the matches, lots of factors. This is one of the most difficult parts of booking and wrestling.
Is tag team wrestling dead?
Not at all. Just pick up a Dragon Gate USA DVD or PPV and tell me that tag wrestling is dead. I love that style.
What to you is better: spot fests? chain wrestling? good story telling? combo of all 3?
Again, it depends on the talent involved, the circumstances, the crowd, the building, the place on the card, the goal of the match, and several other factors,
Looking at the Evolve roster right now if you had to crown an inagural champion who would it be?
Good question, but I can't give that away. Just keep watching. Thank you.
Where do you see EVOLVE and DGUSA in 5 years?
I've been asked this question for the various promotions I've worked for over the years and the answer is always the same. In 5 years they will be wherever the fans take them.
Would you use "legends" on any of your shows?
Sure, the right legends add to any show. Plus I usually mark out for guys I grew up watching anyway.
NXT Angle with Danielson-thoughts?
It was really awesome, easily the best and most excting angle in years. It was totally fresh.
NXT Angle WITHOUT Danielson-thoughts?
It seems like it still has steam, just not as much.
Would Evolve or DGUSA ever consider releasing compilation DVD's showing the best matches and angles for 2010?
Probably not right now. Part of the reason is that we feel we really deliver from top to bottom. We don't put filler on our shows. There wouldn't be much to edit off for a compilation DVD. You'd pretty much get the whole show anyway.
Anything you would like to tell anyone who has never heard of EVOLVE or Dragon Gate USA
Check us out and give us a chance. We are offering something different with both promotions. We put a lot of love and care into our products. We feel you will enjoy each if you give it a chance. You can go to www.EVOLVEwrestling.com or www.DGUSA.tv for more info on both promotions. We have free videos, articles, in depth roster pages and a lot more so you can really get a feel of each brand. Thank you for reading.
I want to thank Gabe for taking time out to do this interview. please check out the sites and spread the word. EVOLVE's next show will take place on 7/23/2010 at the Ace Arena in Union City, NJ. Dragon Gate USA's 1st year anniversary show will take place on 7/24/2010 at THE ARENA in South Philadelphia, PA. Both events will feature the return of "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson.
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