December 12, 2024 • 10 mins
As 2024 comes to a close I share some updates on my efforts to start my own wrestling promotion this past year and what lies ahead in the industry for 2025.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
We talked to Universal because they were losing I knew
they'd be losing Monday Night Raw even back then, because
we know shit, even though we can't talk about it
on the podcast. They were similarly wanted something more established,
and again I was brand new there. I wasn't coming
in with somebody else's promotion, and that became the speed bump.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
That I hit time and time and time again. Ladies
and gentlemen.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Are you Ready's about to hit the fan? Welcome to
on sanctioned Thursdays are wrestling?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
What's ready? What's up? Everybody?
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Welcome to unsanctioned Thursday, and we're getting ready to wrap
up twenty twenty four. We'll talk about my year just
in general, not even we might not even talk wrestling.
Maybe we'll talk a little wrestling because we got big
move from Monday Night Raw leaving the USA Network and
joining Netflix.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I hope all of you have Netflix.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
If not, they're counting on you to become a subscriber
so the Netflix can remain the powerhouse juggernaut that it
is and their executives can get twenty two million dollar
bonuses instead of putting that money into the budgets for movies.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
And wrestling and TV and things like that. What, Freddie,
you're exaggerating.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
What No, I'm not Anyway, WW is gonna make a
lot of money for Netflix.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
It's going to bring a shitload of people over there.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
I am not surprised that they're leaving because USA just
couldn't compete price wise with what they were going to
get paid by Netflix. USA is a cable network on
you know, satellite TV and cable.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
But streaming is is the future.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Streaming is the now, and all that satellite and cable
shit is the past.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
It's just hanging on.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Like, you know, you go on Serious XM and you
can listen to the seventy station, but there's a seventy station, uh,
seventies meeting one seventies station. There's about forty different pop stations,
forty different rock stations. Like it's you know, the seventies
are what they are. I love them. My cars are
from the seventies and the sixties. Well, I got a
(02:12):
new car. You guys, got a sixty nine two thousand
dots in roadster. Been this thing's been getting worked one
for over a year. Finally got the clutch disc fixed,
replace the front shocks, just waiting on carpet that goes in.
I'm recording this on a Monday, so it's going in
today Wednesday. The car will be ready. I'll post pictures
of it. She's cherry red convertible. I may even keep
(02:33):
the hood off. Now it's wintertime, I'll probably put the
hood back. I'll put her clothes on. You know, it's
legal to be topless out here. I'll post some photos
on my Instagram. It's real Freddie Prinz. It's just real
Freddy Prince. Yeah, you guys got to check that car out.
But anyway, so, yeah, I didn't think USA would be
able to afford them. They're going to Netflix. I'm going
to be at that debut show, so look for me
(02:54):
in the crowd. I'll be the one with the sign
that says, look it's me Freddy Prince.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Do you know I won't do that.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
I'm bringing my kids and stuff like that, So if
I see you there, i'll definitely say hi, but I
won't be able to stop and take photos. I got
to look after my kids and take care of my
kids and stuff like that. But I'll definitely return any
love that you share. If you want to yell you
suck in front of my kids. You could do that too,
but you're gonna hear it back. And I talk shit
better than most, so you better come correct. But yeah,
(03:19):
let's talk about the year I went through some friggin
ups and downs wrestling wise. I've been trying to start
my own federation for a long time, my own promotion.
It started off this reality company came and pitched this
like docu series to me of me trying to pull
this off, with the final episode being sort of what
we call a backdoor pilot, so the last episode would
(03:42):
become the first episode of the new promotion that goes
a backdoor a backdoor pilot, so that was kind of
the hope and goal for it. I had some interest
from Vice, who couldn't afford it, and they're restructuring their
finances and their entire company. I don't even know if
there'll be a Vice in a couple of years. I
hope they're because they do Dark Side of the Ring
(04:02):
and seem to have some love for wrestling. They admittedly said,
we don't know anything about wrestling, but we like the
business and we want to be in business, and they
tried to make it work, but couldn't Warners wanted me
to be way Warner Discovery wanted me to me to
be way more established and only focused on the reality
portion of the of the pitch that they just wanted
(04:23):
a reality show, which I wasn't interested in, and the
things they pitched there like it needs more like people
working against you. I was like, I know, I'm actually
trying to pull this off. I don't want to have
people working against me. I'll have enough of that already.
Like all they wanted was like fake created drama, which
is such horseshit. That's why reality TV sucks because none
of it's real. So that was a pass on my side.
(04:45):
Who else was there? We talked to Universal because they
were losing I knew they'd be losing Monday Night Raw
even back then because we know shit, even though we
can't talk about it on the podcast. They were similarly
wanted something more established, and again I was brand new there.
I wasn't coming in with with somebody else's promotion, and
that became the speed bump that I hit time and
(05:07):
time and time again until the point where I spoke
to my partners at the place where I have basically
a distribution deal although not in writing, but the two
of us, my partner who is the streaming service, and
myself are now to the point where we're actively looking
(05:30):
for other well known promotions that I can then come
in creatively and help direct and build, you know, culture
and present to a mainstream TV audience. Right helped them
get on track. It wouldn't per se, it wouldn't be
my idea, per se. And I'm not trying to change
someone's brand. Let's just make up a wrestling company's name
(05:53):
real quick. Let's say we acquired ICW, right is, which
is International Competitive Wrestling.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
That's the name of this one ICW.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
There's probably actually an ICW out there, so if there is,
I'm sorry, I'm not trying to blow you up. I
would then go in and acquire their contracts, their brand,
their ring, their their content, their everything. Although the content
on low budget stuff isn't really presentable for TV, so
those libraries don't have the value that these guys hope
that they have just because the quality won't match. I
(06:27):
would then go in there, bring them in and instead
of calling them what I was going to call my profession,
because that's disrespectful to just take their shit and change it.
I would just maintain their name and I would become
their head of creative and help sort of reguide and focus,
you know, and do what I did well in WWE
into their promotion and then make that our promotion. So
(06:49):
that's where I'm at now. That's the most information I
can give and just well, no, it's not. That's been
a freaking challenge too. I've already tried with one that
I was really passionate about, really like their roster, loved
a handful of their wrestlers. It just fit so well
with what I was trying to do, and we just
couldn't freaking make a deal work. It wasn't their fault,
it wasn't our fault. It's just sometimes you can't come
(07:10):
up with with the right numbers that everybody feels comfortable with.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
And that's what a negotiation is.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
And never that's why I don't want It's hard for
me to talk about stuff because I don't want to
go I got it, because you never have it until
both sides have signed in ink or blood and it's
on paper and you're moving forward and ready to rock
and roll. And even then sometimes shit falls apart. But
that's when I'm comfortable talking about. It is when contracts
are signed. So the most recent one that I've been
working on fell apart. We're actively looking for more brands
(07:37):
out there that are looking for a TV deal, and
we'll investigate all of them. Some of them don't bring
enough to the table for my partner and I to
bring our investment too, and some of them want more
of an investment than I'm willing and my partner are
willing to bring to the table.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
So it's a challenge.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Man.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
It's been hard as hell.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
It's been so hard it's made me doubt myself to
the where I'm like, maybe this isn't the right move,
maybe I'm not meant to do this, and like I
almost you almost want to give up on yourself sometimes,
and then took a moment realize, that's just how I'm
feeling right now. I didn't feel like that ten minutes ago,
and I probably won't feel like that ten minutes from now.
(08:18):
And usually you're right. Sometimes it takes an hour, a day,
a week, but whatever it takes, that feeling eventually subsides
and something stronger takes its place and you get reinspired
and reinvigorated. I was doing the I know you did
last summer sequel in Australia. When I got the news,
the deal I thought was for sure going to happen
fell apart, and I was so pissed. But I was
(08:39):
working with all these young people who were so hungry
and at the beginnings of their career that it made
me hungry. I fed off their energy and I shook
that bullshit off as quickly as I could, and it
did not take long, about ten minutes, and I called
my partner. I was like, let's just let's reach out
to everybody else and see who's receptive to what we
bring to the table and try to get it going.
(09:00):
That was the outlook that they took as well. For them,
it's more business than passion for wrestling. For me, it's
passion of wrestling and then the business for it. But yeah,
so I'm still on the road. It is not easy,
and I am not giving up, but yeah, I am
further back than I was two weeks ago. So you know,
it's I'm out there searching and hunting and trying to
(09:22):
find the right deal, and as soon as I do,
I'll let you. I'll let all you guys know stay
tuned for our holiday episodes coming up. Stay tuned for
us every single Wednesday. We're going to be with you
all throughout the holidays. We'll bring some old school stuff too,
but I'll still be with you guys. So make sure
you guys tune in and I'll see all of you
next week every week, and I wish everybody happy Holladays too.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Peace.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
This has been a production of Iheart'smichael Toura podcast Network.
For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
We talked to Universal because they were losing I knew
they'd be losing Monday Night Raw even back then, because
we know shit, even though we can't talk about it
on the podcast. They were similarly wanted something more established,
and again I was brand new there. I wasn't coming
in with somebody else's promotion, and that became the speed bump.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
That I hit time and time and time again. Ladies
and gentlemen.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Are you Ready's about to hit the fan? Welcome to
on sanctioned Thursdays are wrestling?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
What's ready? What's up? Everybody?
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Welcome to unsanctioned Thursday, and we're getting ready to wrap
up twenty twenty four. We'll talk about my year just
in general, not even we might not even talk wrestling.
Maybe we'll talk a little wrestling because we got big
move from Monday Night Raw leaving the USA Network and
joining Netflix.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I hope all of you have Netflix.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
If not, they're counting on you to become a subscriber
so the Netflix can remain the powerhouse juggernaut that it
is and their executives can get twenty two million dollar
bonuses instead of putting that money into the budgets for movies.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
And wrestling and TV and things like that. What, Freddie,
you're exaggerating.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
What No, I'm not Anyway, WW is gonna make a
lot of money for Netflix.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
It's going to bring a shitload of people over there.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
I am not surprised that they're leaving because USA just
couldn't compete price wise with what they were going to
get paid by Netflix. USA is a cable network on
you know, satellite TV and cable.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
But streaming is is the future.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Streaming is the now, and all that satellite and cable
shit is the past.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
It's just hanging on.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Like, you know, you go on Serious XM and you
can listen to the seventy station, but there's a seventy station, uh,
seventies meeting one seventies station. There's about forty different pop stations,
forty different rock stations. Like it's you know, the seventies
are what they are. I love them. My cars are
from the seventies and the sixties. Well, I got a
(02:12):
new car. You guys, got a sixty nine two thousand
dots in roadster. Been this thing's been getting worked one
for over a year. Finally got the clutch disc fixed,
replace the front shocks, just waiting on carpet that goes in.
I'm recording this on a Monday, so it's going in
today Wednesday. The car will be ready. I'll post pictures
of it. She's cherry red convertible. I may even keep
(02:33):
the hood off. Now it's wintertime, I'll probably put the
hood back. I'll put her clothes on. You know, it's
legal to be topless out here. I'll post some photos
on my Instagram. It's real Freddie Prinz. It's just real
Freddy Prince. Yeah, you guys got to check that car out.
But anyway, so, yeah, I didn't think USA would be
able to afford them. They're going to Netflix. I'm going
to be at that debut show, so look for me
(02:54):
in the crowd. I'll be the one with the sign
that says, look it's me Freddy Prince.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Do you know I won't do that.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
I'm bringing my kids and stuff like that, So if
I see you there, i'll definitely say hi, but I
won't be able to stop and take photos. I got
to look after my kids and take care of my
kids and stuff like that. But I'll definitely return any
love that you share. If you want to yell you
suck in front of my kids. You could do that too,
but you're gonna hear it back. And I talk shit
better than most, so you better come correct. But yeah,
(03:19):
let's talk about the year I went through some friggin
ups and downs wrestling wise. I've been trying to start
my own federation for a long time, my own promotion.
It started off this reality company came and pitched this
like docu series to me of me trying to pull
this off, with the final episode being sort of what
we call a backdoor pilot, so the last episode would
(03:42):
become the first episode of the new promotion that goes
a backdoor a backdoor pilot, so that was kind of
the hope and goal for it. I had some interest
from Vice, who couldn't afford it, and they're restructuring their
finances and their entire company. I don't even know if
there'll be a Vice in a couple of years. I
hope they're because they do Dark Side of the Ring
(04:02):
and seem to have some love for wrestling. They admittedly said,
we don't know anything about wrestling, but we like the
business and we want to be in business, and they
tried to make it work, but couldn't Warners wanted me
to be way Warner Discovery wanted me to me to
be way more established and only focused on the reality
portion of the of the pitch that they just wanted
(04:23):
a reality show, which I wasn't interested in, and the
things they pitched there like it needs more like people
working against you. I was like, I know, I'm actually
trying to pull this off. I don't want to have
people working against me. I'll have enough of that already.
Like all they wanted was like fake created drama, which
is such horseshit. That's why reality TV sucks because none
of it's real. So that was a pass on my side.
(04:45):
Who else was there? We talked to Universal because they
were losing I knew they'd be losing Monday Night Raw
even back then because we know shit, even though we
can't talk about it on the podcast. They were similarly
wanted something more established, and again I was brand new there.
I wasn't coming in with with somebody else's promotion, and
that became the speed bump that I hit time and
(05:07):
time and time again until the point where I spoke
to my partners at the place where I have basically
a distribution deal although not in writing, but the two
of us, my partner who is the streaming service, and
myself are now to the point where we're actively looking
(05:30):
for other well known promotions that I can then come
in creatively and help direct and build, you know, culture
and present to a mainstream TV audience. Right helped them
get on track. It wouldn't per se, it wouldn't be
my idea, per se. And I'm not trying to change
someone's brand. Let's just make up a wrestling company's name
(05:53):
real quick. Let's say we acquired ICW, right is, which
is International Competitive Wrestling.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
That's the name of this one ICW.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
There's probably actually an ICW out there, so if there is,
I'm sorry, I'm not trying to blow you up. I
would then go in and acquire their contracts, their brand,
their ring, their their content, their everything. Although the content
on low budget stuff isn't really presentable for TV, so
those libraries don't have the value that these guys hope
that they have just because the quality won't match. I
(06:27):
would then go in there, bring them in and instead
of calling them what I was going to call my profession,
because that's disrespectful to just take their shit and change it.
I would just maintain their name and I would become
their head of creative and help sort of reguide and focus,
you know, and do what I did well in WWE
into their promotion and then make that our promotion. So
(06:49):
that's where I'm at now. That's the most information I
can give and just well, no, it's not. That's been
a freaking challenge too. I've already tried with one that
I was really passionate about, really like their roster, loved
a handful of their wrestlers. It just fit so well
with what I was trying to do, and we just
couldn't freaking make a deal work. It wasn't their fault,
it wasn't our fault. It's just sometimes you can't come
(07:10):
up with with the right numbers that everybody feels comfortable with.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
And that's what a negotiation is.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
And never that's why I don't want It's hard for
me to talk about stuff because I don't want to
go I got it, because you never have it until
both sides have signed in ink or blood and it's
on paper and you're moving forward and ready to rock
and roll. And even then sometimes shit falls apart. But
that's when I'm comfortable talking about. It is when contracts
are signed. So the most recent one that I've been
working on fell apart. We're actively looking for more brands
(07:37):
out there that are looking for a TV deal, and
we'll investigate all of them. Some of them don't bring
enough to the table for my partner and I to
bring our investment too, and some of them want more
of an investment than I'm willing and my partner are
willing to bring to the table.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
So it's a challenge.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Man.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
It's been hard as hell.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
It's been so hard it's made me doubt myself to
the where I'm like, maybe this isn't the right move,
maybe I'm not meant to do this, and like I
almost you almost want to give up on yourself sometimes,
and then took a moment realize, that's just how I'm
feeling right now. I didn't feel like that ten minutes ago,
and I probably won't feel like that ten minutes from now.
(08:18):
And usually you're right. Sometimes it takes an hour, a day,
a week, but whatever it takes, that feeling eventually subsides
and something stronger takes its place and you get reinspired
and reinvigorated. I was doing the I know you did
last summer sequel in Australia. When I got the news,
the deal I thought was for sure going to happen
fell apart, and I was so pissed. But I was
(08:39):
working with all these young people who were so hungry
and at the beginnings of their career that it made
me hungry. I fed off their energy and I shook
that bullshit off as quickly as I could, and it
did not take long, about ten minutes, and I called
my partner. I was like, let's just let's reach out
to everybody else and see who's receptive to what we
bring to the table and try to get it going.
(09:00):
That was the outlook that they took as well. For them,
it's more business than passion for wrestling. For me, it's
passion of wrestling and then the business for it. But yeah,
so I'm still on the road. It is not easy,
and I am not giving up, but yeah, I am
further back than I was two weeks ago. So you know,
it's I'm out there searching and hunting and trying to
(09:22):
find the right deal, and as soon as I do,
I'll let you. I'll let all you guys know stay
tuned for our holiday episodes coming up. Stay tuned for
us every single Wednesday. We're going to be with you
all throughout the holidays. We'll bring some old school stuff too,
but I'll still be with you guys. So make sure
you guys tune in and I'll see all of you
next week every week, and I wish everybody happy Holladays too.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Peace.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
This has been a production of Iheart'smichael Toura podcast Network.
For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
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