WHAT-ANSWERS A FEW QUESTIONS
I want to thank Chandler Biggins for taking time out to do this.
1. When did you discover pro wrestling?
My father and grandfather both were fans of wrestling. I remember watching Wrestlemania 2 and other PPVs with my father and his work friends. I remember renting Coliseum Videos every week. My dad took me to my first show at Survivor Series 1988. My first indy show was in 1993 with Ronnie Garvin, Junkyard Dog and A wrestling Mummy. I've watched it my entire life, with only two pauses. When Jake The Snake had the cobra bite Macho Man and when Earthquake killed Damien. Besides those two brief pauses, it's been my life.
1a. What were your favorite prmotions to watch as a fan?
Of course WWE was the number one. Other than that, I tried to catch NWA/WCW when I'd get the chance. Around 1995, I found ECW, SMW, USWA and others. Once I found stuff like that, that I already knew from Magazines, I was in heaven.
1b. Did you ever have a favorite wrestler?
I had a wide range as a kid, everybody from Hogan to Rude to Jake The Snake. As I got older, I loved guys like The Sandman and PG13. Now I don't have one favorite. I enjoy almost everybody's work.
2. How did you get your start in the business?
In 1998 or so, I did a few shows as a manager in Pittsburgh with Shirley Doe. He taught me all the basics of wrestling like locker room etiquette and such. I knew Nick Belushi and John Thorne and in 2005, they brought me onto AIW. Since then, I've worked my way up and now am the co-owner of the company. Our success speaks for it's self.
3. What made you want to promote your own shows?
We run because we feel that we are providing different shows than most Indies in Cleveland and most other areas. Plus with it's being your own show, you get to call the shots and your vision is the one being presented, not somebody else's.
4. How easy/difficult is it to set up a show?
There are both easy and hard aspects to running shows. Luckily we're pretty easy to run physically, we have all our own equipment and a great crew that sets up and tears down at venues. Mentally, it's a lot harder. When your main event cancels 24 hours before a event, or you are worried about a draw, it's hard. But you just have to take a deep breath and work it out.
5. What do you look for in a wrestler if you want them to wrestle for your company?
You can be the best worker in the world, but it takes a lot more to make money. Everybody on our roster is there for a reason. People have to fit the role we need them too.
6. For the uninitiated-how can a casual fan recognize a "fly by night" indy fed from a professional outfit?
I mean for example, longevity. We've run top level shows for years, we don't cancel shows, when somebody advertised can't appear, we find replacements. It's in the name of good business. You find a lot of "fly by night" companies that promote names and such and don't deliver. You can usually research a company and find out if it's worth it to buy tickets or DVDs.
7. Describe AIW for someone who hasn't watched a single show?
We try and have something for everybody. In a typical show, there's highflying, comedy, hardcore, strong style, etc. People have compared us to the old ECW, where there's more variety than a normal straight forward indy fed.
8. Your biggest name just advised you that he got a developmental offer from one of the major promotions in the US how do you fill in the gap?
We run AIW under the guise, like ECW did, that AIW is more important than one single person. A lot of guys and girls have come and gone from AIW over the years, and little effects us long term. The name and mission of AIW doesn't change if the cast of wrestlers change. If somebody like our Absolute Champ, Johnny Gargano informed us of this, I would wish him well and move on with AIW.
9. Does your talents have any input in their characters/story lines?
Of course. Either we come up with something or they do, and the other helps work out the details. Some of the guys on our roster have amazing business minds, so it would be stupid not to listen to them.
10. Are the indies anything like the old territories in your opinion?
Not at all. I see pro and cons to the old territories. The simple fact is that the money that once existed in pro wrestling doesn't anymore and it's sad.
11. Will the indies ever die?
No, because no matter what, people will always have the dream and somebody will be there to fulfill it. If it hasn't died yet, it won't ever.
12. Any upcoming shows you'd like to plug?
11/26/2010, we return to Lakewood, Ohio with HELL ON EARTH 6. Check out http://www.AIWrestling.com for more info. Also check out: http://www.facebook.com/Aiwrestling
