T-Mart Promotions announced this morning that two years after agreeing to the date, WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Von Erich has pulled out of this July's The Gathering convention in Charlotte, NC, citing that he did not want to wear a mask on his flight and did not want to take a COVID-19 test upon leaving and returning to Hawaii, where he resides.
T-Mart's Marty D'Amoto announced:
Very important Gathering update.
Yesterday was a very stressful day for me as this is the part of the job I hate more then anything and that is letting the fans down.
People that know me know I am a straight shooter and I thought what was the best way to do this and as always with me I feel the 100% truth is the best way.
Up until April I was still thinking of the idea of holding off the Gathering until 2021 with all the crazy stuff still going on. Going in to May the hotel was at 50% occupancy still. I said we have waited long enough and no matter what happens at the Gathering this year and how many attend I'm going through with the event..
So I started pushing the event, booking talents, booking flights, making up flyers , tshirt designs and other stuff as I was 100% committed to the event.
Well yesterday I got sucker punched and it was not a very good feeling and been nothing but stress for the last 24 hours..
I last spoke with Kevin Von Erich on May 4th about the Gathering and all was good. Since then I reached out to him through text , calls and his family about getting the flight information to book Kevin and his wife's flight from Hawaii. ( trust me folks the flights were going to be a lot of cash but I was meeting all demands and keeping my word going back to when I booked him in November 2019 to be at 2020 show as delta one flights was the only way to get him there.
Finally Kevin got back to me yesterday morning to tell me he is against wearing the mask that is required on a flight and also with the rules of anyone flying in and out of Hawaii now has to he tested for Covid 3 days before leaving and tested before heading home again or vaccinated.
So he is pulling out of the event. Trust me folks I tried everything and told Kevin the fans have waited two years for this and that you are my big gun and the show is two months away.
Nothing worked and he has decided not to come..
Unfortunately I know a lot of people are going to be pissed, upset that KVE is not coming but I cant physically go to Hawaii and put him on a fligh to Charlotte.
I just had 1000 postcards made up to start. Having people hand out around North Carolina and South Carolina with Kevin smack in the middle but thats more money wasted as now have to do new ones.
All I got for you is I apologize for promising you something and not being able to deliver it for you. That's not me as I'm the guy all day with a paper and pen in my hand trying to come up with different ideas.
But
THE SHOW MUST GO ON!!
I am at the drawing board with a list of names problem is show it two months away and a lot of talents are booked elsewhere already as I have tried reaching out to a lot of talents some turning me down and some cant cause they are already booked.
I know a lot of people are going to ask for big names but you have to take in to consideration that one huge names would not be on the superticket for financial reasons and we are still in a pandemic and would not be smart on my end to invest in the bigger names that demand huge amounts of money.
Also bushwackers, bret hart. Guys from japan can still not get in to the united states that eliminates any of them
I have work to be done and going to try and pull off sometime of miracle to make you the fans happy.
Again very very sorry
D'Amato would later announce the additions of David Crockett and Eric Bischoff to the event, with Bischoff doing a Q&A Session over the course of the weekend.
George South, a perennial regular in the Carolinas dating back decades through his work in Jim Crockett Promotions, WCW and the WWF will be honored this July at a banquet as part of The Gathering II event promoted by TMart Promotions in Charlotte, NC. South has trained a number of stars including Cedric Alexander and Tessa Blanchard, among others. There could not be a better place to honor someone so beloved. The Fantastics, Steve Keirn, Demolition, Bill Eadie & Barry Darsow have been previously announced as being honored.
It has also been announced that as part of the weekend, NWA Champion Nick Aldis will defend his title against Trevor Murdoch.
The latest name announced as part of the Superticket guests that weekend is former All Japan Pro Wrestling and SMW star Jackie Fulton, who I believe is making his first ever convention appearance.
Former World Class Championship Wrestling star informed TMart Promotions this week he would not be appearing as originally scheduled, however.
Names previously announced as Superticket guests that weekend include Dr. Tom Prichard, Ken Resnick, former NWA World Champion Barry Windham, Rick Steiner, Tony Atlas, Eric Embry, a reunion of Original Midnight Express members Norvell Austin (his first ever convention) and Dennis Condrey, John "Bezerker" Nord, Mike Rotunda, The Fabulous Ones and more.
The weekend will feature autograph and photo sessions, several Q&A Sessions, the banquet dinner, several live events as well as afternoon BBQ to kick the weekend off. Dr. D David Schultz will take part in a special Q&A Session on Thursday 7/22 as well.
Vendor guests announced are NWA Champion Nick Aldis, Mike Jackson, Jimmy Valiant, Kevin Sullivan, Ted DiBiase, Andy Anderson and Greg Valentine. For details, visit www.tmartpromotions.com.
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