GEORGIA WRESTLING GETS A REPRIEVE
- 12/18/2007 (4:38:13 pm)
- Rich Tate
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December 18, 2007Georgia Wrestling Gets Reprieve
From Rich Tate:
The public forum with the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission today resulted in a reprieve for professional wrestling in the state of Georgia. After a session lasting about an hour, the board declared the proposed regulations on the business would be delayed until its February meeting.
It was decided by the board to hold off on making any movement toward passing these rules, disputing what Farr had told GWH earlier. In an earlier report, we noted that he had declared a vote would be held today, and that everything that passed would go into effect on January 7, 2008. However, prior to the meeting, Biello reiterated that would not be the case. “There will be no vote today”, he informed the audience of about fifty who had gathered to defend the business.
Upon conclusion, they suggested the local wrestling community create a board of its own, and work to put together alternatives to bring forth in an attempt to create a resolution that would work for all parties. Following the hearing, several key members from various wrestling entities around Georgia met in an informal discussion, in an effort to form a group that would assemble its recommendations prior to meeting again with the GAEC.
There were several representatives from the wrestling business who spoke directly to the commission, including Jerry Palmer, Daniel Mayne, Rob Adonis, Thunderbolt Patterson, Scott East, Bill Behrens, Darrell Gower, the Unknown Soldier, Todd Sexton, Frank Aldridge, Fallon Waddell, Iceberg, Rocky King, and Curtis Hughes.
The commission had made it clear beforehand that it would allow orations of no more than five minutes per person, and repetitive points would be discouraged. Most speakers focused on the theme of how the proposed regulations were more suited to legitimate combative sports, such as boxing and mixed martial arts, stressing that wrestling was more about entertainment.
Jerry Palmer, of NWA Anarchy, spoke first, citing his credentials as an EMT, and setting the stage for what would be a recurring point, noting that nothing about professional wrestling is a legitimate competition, and thusly should not be regulated as such. He even offered to assist in any way possible to work with the commission to build regulations which would be feasible for both sides to make events as safe as possible for both wrestlers and fans alike.
Rob Adonis, of Ultimate Christian Wrestling, suggested that if these rules were going to apply to pro wrestling, they should also apply to other forms of staged entertainment. He said that otherwise it would be a double standard. Adonis also stated that he has had more injuries playing drums and climbing the stairs inside hi home than he has had in the ring during his career.
“Just like Clint Eastwood didn’t really kill people in his movies, I didn’t really stab anyone in the head with a fork”, Iceberg, a professional wrestler, told the committee. “We know who is going to win, so why are the rules written as though this is a legitimate sport?”
Behrens spoke of “dramatic differences” between wrestling and other combat athletics, stressing that wrestlers are “trained to protect, not hurt” their opponents.
Many seemed to agree that some form of regulation should be required, as it would clean up the business, making it more possible to remove the “backyarders”, with Mayne, of Flatline Championship Wrestling, saying are the ones who should be the ones under scrutiny.
Thunderbolt Patterson received the first ovation of the meeting. At first appearing to be speaking out against the wrestling business, which he likened to the “cutthroat practices in Hollywood”, Patterson closed by proclaiming passionately that the commission understand that “we want to be compliant, but don’t shut us down!”
East, of Southern Extreme Championship Wrestling, only spoke briefly, stating he didn’t want to be repetitious, but emphasized wrestling should have “fair representation” in regard to making certain the commission understands the entertainment aspect as opposed to true competition.
Twice Kelly Farr, of the GAEC, tried to cut off speakers. Once when Behrens was addressing the board, and later during Frank Aldridge’s oration. Just as Aldridge, of World Wrestling Alliance 4, finished pointing out that the majority of the proposed items were “idiotic”, Farr called time. However, in both instances, Chairman J.J. Biello corrected him, noting both still had not reached their five minute limit.
During Aldridge’s address, he noted that he had more issues with fights and injuries in a week’s time running Good Ol’ Days bar than he has seen in his entire career involved with pro wrestling. He also was the first to utter a reference to Chris Benoit, claiming that was the catalyst toward everyone “getting hysterical”, and noting that “wrestling does not cause death”.
Curtis Hughes, who is employed as head trainer at WWA4, which is primarily a wrestling school, admitted wrestling “is as phony as a $3 bill” and that the commission is “making a big thing out of nothing”.
Rocky King talked of how he runs shows for charity, and that if his proceeds were instead being given to the commission, he would no longer be able to justify doing so. “I cannot run with these rules”, he said.
When Biello was asking the board for direction following the presentations, Cary Icther, who was previously believed to be the biggest antagonist toward wrestling, said, “We have a good sense of what wrestling is all about.” He reiterated that the proposed tighter sanctioning of wrestling is not to “ban wrestling in Georgia”.
An informal gathering of the wrestling community was conducted afterward to address the forming of its own committee, as requested by the GAEC. We will have more info on that in a later report.
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