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RING OF HONOR NOTES & NEWS ON ABYSS, HEENAN, TALENT PULLED FROM ELIZABETH, NJ EVENT & MORE
By Mike Johnson
March 8, 2004
The feeling among those in the ROH office and among the workers I have spoken to is that starting Monday, things have to get back to normal as much as they can for the sanity of the crew. While many have voiced anger privately over the situation, the feeling is there has been so much damage done, their focus needs to be on moving towards strengthening the future of the company. "How are we supposed to rebuild this company if the first thing we do is bury [Feinstein]?" said ROH one worker who asked not to be named. "Everyone knows what happened and everyone with common sense should know how pissed we are." While they wait for the paperwork regarding the departure of Rob Feinstein to be finalized, many are looking forward to 3/13 as a goal to meet by having a strong show and making a statement to their fan base that life will go on.
As I reported on my Elite Hotline on Friday, the promotion opted to pull The Christopher Street Connection off the 3/13 event in Elizabeth, NJ because of the Feinstein situation. The CSC do a gay gimmick that is popular with the ROH crowd but it was felt to be in poor taste to showcase them at the moment. The team will be paid for the booking and will be used again down the line.
For those who asked, AJ Styles will be working 3/13 for Ring of Honor and pledged his support to the promotion. HC Loc of the Carnage Crew was the latest worker to publicly rally the fans around the promotion in a statement on ROHWrestling.com.
Abyss, who was scheduled to work the Scramble Cage match as a member of Special K vs. The Carnage Crew has pulled out of the 3/13 event due to concerns from the Feinstein situation. He joins Bobby Heenan, who pulled out of his scheduled bookings in April, as the only workers who have publicly backed off from ROH due to the Feinstein situation. The door remains open for them to return down the line. Low Ki released a statement distancing himself from the promotion after the Feinstein situation became known publicly, but wasn't scheduled for future ROH dates at the time.
The storyline featuring Tony DeVito's daughter being "seduced" by the Special K raving lifestyle, which had led to some excellent promos from The Carnage Crew, will be downplayed due to the Feinstein situation. Some of the promos that were filmed for the video of the 2/14 ROH Second Anniversary show that showcased the storyline may end up being scrapped for the same reason.
Xavier vs. Slyk Wagner Brown has been added to the evening card for 3/13 in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
ROH CHAMPION SAMOA JOE SPEAKS OUT ON ROB FEINSTEIN SITUATION
by Mike Johnson
March 8, 2004
On the live journal section of his official website www.SamoaJoe.com, Ring of Honor champion Samoa Joe made his first explosive public statements about the ROH-Rob Feinstein situation.
In regard to the Feinstein, Joe wrote a personal message to the founder of ROH, stating, "Rob please do not allow yourself to EVER enter my sight. My anger for you and your actions far surpass anyone or anything imaginable. Your heinous, terrible acts are beyond excuse and explanation. Your shame is YOURS alone and forced upon us by your arrogance and lies. Though others formerly close to you are holding their tongue and focusing their efforts on salvaging what your sick, selfish and stupid actions have caused, I have the luxury of telling you that I hope you get exactly what you deserve. My gut instinct tells me I hope you are found one morning without breath, but in reality as a DECENT human being, unlike you I hope you find some help for your sickness."
Joe stated that he would be working on 3/13 in Elizabeth, New Jersey and "whatever future dates I am able to attend" based on "the assurance that Rob Feinstein is done with ROH and all associated companies."
Joe noted that he has been told that none of the "money from my appearance or any other wrestler will be benefited upon by Rob."
In regard to the Ring of Honor promotion, Joe wrote, "ROH is something that not only myself but EVERY guy in the lockeroom has literal blood sweat and tears invested into building. This is not about 'saving a paycheck', this is about saving a place we have taken pride in working in and have done our very best to build."
Joe also noted that if the dismissal of Rob Feinstein proved to be false, he would have no problem making it public and said if that turned out to be the case he would "melt down" the ROH championship belt and turn it into a golf club.
Joe is scheduled to face Jay Briscoe on 3/13 in a Steel Cage at the ROH event in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
To read Joe's complete comments, visit the live journal section of his official website www.SamoaJoe.com.
DANNY MAFF RELEASES STATEMENT ON RING OF HONOR SITUATION
by Mike Johnson
March 8, 2004
ROH's Danny Maff sent the following statement to PWInsider.com in regard to the Rob Feinstein-Ring of Honor situation:
STATEMENT FROM DAN MAFF
Rob Feinstein, I am almost ashamed of myself when I think of the opinion I had of you the day before this happened. Unfortunately, after the recent events that have occured, I think you are nothing but a disgusting pig and a slob with no integrity. I think you have no respect for those who have broken their backs to build your name and the name of your company. As the father of an 11 year old girl who I love, I cannot believe at one point I had any respect for you whatsoever.
Sure Ring of Honor is yours (or was yours), but it was built on the blood, sweat, tears, and physical sacrifices of your roster. I don't have a problem washing my hands clean and walking away from Ring of Honor forever if you are going to be a part of it from now on. As hard as it would be and as much as it would kill me, because I love ROH and I have made sacrifices for it, thanks to you, the three letters that we have all taken pride putting on our shirts and on our backs, have been tarnished forever. It wasn't ROH that was on that tape, it was you, but we are the ones forever hurt by your actions. We are the ones that must face the public you won't face. You ran away on that video, but we are standing firm and hope to build our company (not yours) back to where it was. As far as this situation goes and as far as you are concerned, I am finished with you. I am also finished with your company if you have anything more to do with it, including making a dime off the boys.
To my fellow co-workers in the locker room, we can stick together or we can all walk out together, but we must do this together. That is what we have always done from day one of Ring of Honor. We have made each other look good, together. We have sacrificed ourselves to make each other look good, together. The key word is together - whatever we agree on doing, we all must do it together.
I think my voice will echo the voice of others in the company by saying I will continue to support Gabe Sapolsky and Ring of Honor, but only as long as Rob Feinstein is never a part of this company again.
We the boys and the fans deserve this.
Thank you for your time,
Dan Maff
CHANNEL 10 IN PHILADELPHIA REPORTS POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING FEINSTEIN
by Dave Scherer
March 9, 2004
On the NBC 10 11 o’clock news tonight in Philadelphia, the station did a follow up on last week’s story where Rob Feinstein was caught in a sting to catch child predators. They reported that the town in which they set up shop for the sting, where they caught Feinstein coming to meet what he thought was a 14 year old boy, was up in arms protesting the station “bringing pedophiles into their neighborhoodâ€ÂÂÂÂ. They then mentioned that the station was turning over all of the evidence to the local district attorney and that the office would look into whether there would be arrests of the two local men, of which Feinstein was one. They reported that police in Middletown Township, PA are investigating Feinstein, who they said has “resigned from his video company". They again mentioned that Feinstein was in the wrestling business. Channel 10 reported that they spoke with Feinstein’s attorney and he would only confirm that Feinstein was being investigated.
ROH NOTES & NEWS ON DUSTY RHODES, RODDY PIPER, EMPTY ARENA MATCH & MORE
by Mike Johnson
March 10, 2004
Ring of Honor officials began faxing out documentation yesterday that all shares held by Rob Feinstein were now held by Doug Gentry. "He had no choice to sign over his stock of the company." said one ROH official. "His hands were tied. No one was going to stay and work for him. It was over. He had no choice." The same official agreed it would take time before anyone believes Feinstein is truly gone, because, "None of Rob's enemies want to let it rest. Rob is not ROH. Not ever again." I was told that the entire ROH and RF office staff was prepared to walk out and quit the company had Feinstein balked at signing over the company.
Dusty Rhodes has been booked as a replacement to Roddy Piper on this Saturday's Ring of Honor event in Elizabeth, New Jersey. No word on what Rhodes will be doing yet on the show but he will be signing autographs. As reported by 1wrestling's Bob Ryder on Monday, Piper pulled out of the ROH event due to the Rob Feinstein situation. Piper was scheduled to do an autograph signing as well as a Question and Answer Session. The Q & A Session is definitely canceled, so if you have tickets for it, I would contact ROH for refunds immediately.
ROH's festivities on Saturday will now begin at 2 PM with their afternoon Do or Die II convention card with the theme of new stars breaking into the company, which features the following lineup:
*Dunn & Marcos vs. Outcast Killaz vs. Fast Eddie & Don Juan vs. TBA - Scramble Match
*Super Dragon vs. Excalibur
*Caprice Coleman vs. Rainman
*Danny Daniels vs. Austin Aries
*Roderick Strong vs. Hydro of Special K
*Jimmy Jacobs vs. Brad Bradley
*The Solution vs. Todd Sexton & Jared Steel
*Sal Rinuaro vs. Jerelle Clark
*April Hunter vs. Allison Danger
For those who asked, I do not believe TBA in the Scramble match will end up being The Backseat Boyz.
A few readers have asked me the status of the Teddy Hart vs. Steve Corino Empty Arena bout that was scheduled to be taped on 3/23 at the ROH Wrestling school in Pennsylvania. According to one ROH official, they haven't come to a decision as to whether they are going ahead or postponing the match yet.
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