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• The TWF has received delivery of a brand new championship belt, which is being kept under wraps at TWF Towers. There are two trains of thought about the new belt - it is either a brand new championship belt, speculated to be either a "No Limits" belt like the RWF had or a United Kingdom championship; or a redesign of an existing belt. The production staff acknowledged during the meetings where they signed off on the new sets and theme music that a new belt or two to freshen things up wouldn't go amiss. The speculation is that the belt is a redesigned Television Championship belt and will be introduced following it's next title change.
• There is no word, as of yet, on what the new Grit BasH and Fury theme songs will be. The TWF is still trying to think of good tracks to put to the videos that have been filmed and edited.
• ITV have apparently entered negotiations with the TWF to either take Grit BasH to one of it's bouquet of channels (likely to be ITV4) or, most interestingly, on a prime-time Saturday night venture. However, the naïveté of the ITV negotiators in the deal became apparent when they asked for an initial 12 week run on Saturdays and then wanted a "new series" to pick up where the last one left off. The TWF insisted the negotiators do their research and they witnessed an episode of Grit BasH before reporting their mistake. However, the people on ITV's side of the deal were taken aback with how the TWF ran their operations and are seriously pushing for a deal. A prominent publication in broadcasting circles has been quoted a lot around TWF Towers lately with a sentence about the TWF being an extremely valuable commodity in 2011 ringing in the ears of many of the powerbrokers in television.
• Much of the locker room was surprised to see Mr. BIG shave off his beard two weeks ago, but, he reminded those who asked that he only did so for Movember. In the past couple of months, many of noted the return of the "reclusive Uncle Biggie" as he now spends increasingly more time in his office at TWF Towers than socialising with talent any more. Biggie has taken the departures of Marz and Sophie from the company quite difficult and although there was a period where he and NJS spoke daily, they haven't done so in months as a result of "drifting further apart". Nothing has materialised in his quest for a relationship either, which has definitely taken it's toll according to one close friend. "It's killing him to be alone. He may seem like a lonely creature, but when he's with someone he loves, he is an even better person."
• An idea was floated this week during meetings that one of the big Summer Break winning streaks gets ended next year. Knowing that those two feats belong to Blade and Mr. BIG, they were asked if they were willing to lose their streaks. Blade seemed adamant that he would not, but Mr. BIG has always stated that should the right opportunity come along, he would be willing to put someone over on the company's biggest stage.
• There is a feeling that getting rid of a permanent on-screen match maker will take something away from segments, but several wrestlers have commented that it is a strong thing, citing that when major announcements should be made, they can count on one hand when it happens during a year, not during a week. The strong feeling that if the Commissionership role does go, the new figurehead will not be Mr. BIG (although his "nudge-nudge, wink-wink" command of his CEO position during November was regarded as quite funny), but instead someone else on the TWF board, likely to be either Executive Director Debra Bailey or Vice President Katie Brown.
• Michael King's final appearance with the company will be PayBack. He is not expected to appear at the following Grit BasH or Fury. King is one of the TWF's longest serving employees and while many are sad to see him leave, there is some criticism of his announcing since his departure was made official to the TWF, with many stating that he was "phoning in" his last announcing jobs. The door for King will always held open for him return, but it is highly unlikely. King has signed a new deal with PCW in the past few months that is more favourable to him and he wanted to cut back his work. Bryn Tomos will be accommodated in a re-shuffle of the "B-Team" alongside Mr. Smooth and Kyle Richards.

• The TWF production team signed off this week on massive changes for the company's presentation next year. The company will do away with separate sets for Grit BasH and Fury and instead have one similar looking set for both shows, with only minor, but noticeable changes made (for example, the boxes of grit which have been present on every Grit BasH set in the company's history will remain). The theme music for both shows will also change and be changed to something "a little more modern". The company will also put a moratorium on "retro" shows so fans don't get too fond/forget the old looks. The other major news is that Michael King will be done with the company after PayBack, meaning that the TWF is looking to accommodate Bryn Tomos in another role, as the Welsh announce team will be completely dropped shortly afterwards. Sky conducted some research into the usage of the Welsh commentary and found that less than 2% of the TWF's total audience used the service, not making it viable enough.
• Some promotion shattering news was delivered to management earlier this week that has had them seething. The rumour, which is being kept a closely guarded secret at the moment, is that a relationship between a male and female superstar has resulted in some complicated matters for both which would require some time away from the promotion to deal with it. Although this seems to be the favourite, I understand that this is just gossip which could come back to haunt those who flaunt it. My understanding is that a superstar who was promised a long championship run has decided to bail on the idea (not for the first time) for family matters, meaning that plans for early 2011 are being hastily re-written.
• Mr. BIG's new Marz-inspired look of long hair and trimmed beard has raised eyebrows, but Biggie reminded people backstage that he is partaking in Movember and that the look will disappear next month. Biggie did reveal to someone who asked that he originally grew a beard upon his return because he thought it would be more convincing if he were to turn heel. Mr. BIG remains more open in years past to turn against his fans for a feud, but is public in stating that it will fail horrifically. A quote from Jim Ross has apparently rung in the ears of many people who insist Mr. BIG should turn heel: "That would be just like making John Wayne a Nazi soldier in a picture. Not gonna happen." Mr. BIG is however drawing some serious praise, even from his most passionate critics for being in the shape of his life at the moment and he is seriously looking forward to his match with Blade at Dangerously Serious, going as far as saying it will be "career-defining".
• PCW's shots at the TWF are continuing and there is some speculation that the company is punching above it's weight to simply get the TWF to acknowledge it. There are some that think if PCW is bought by the TWF, it would be the ultimate victory as the TWF would see some worth in the company. The TWF, according to my sources, are not interested in the slightest. PCW's next major event is on the final Sunday in November and some inside the company are hopeful that Mr. BIG will make his long-speculated appearance to acknowledge his role in the Ryan Jenkins story, but Biggie's relationship with his long-time friend, Michael King, appears to be waning so this does not look forthcoming.
• Connor Kelly and Matt Aish were spotted by fans at WWE house show events in Cardiff during the company's European tour last week. The two bought tickets as fans many months ago and the TWF told them they were not going to stop them from attending. The two men are considered at the forefront of the TWF's future. Interestingly, they were only acknowledged by Maryse (a friend of Mr. BIG's) and Wade Barrett, who was schooled in the city. Two interesting stories have come out about the two men lately: Matt Aish and Katy Ledger find their on-screen pairing quite amusing as their long-term partners apparently made bets on it in PWC; Connor Kelly's gimmick of coming out to the ring through the crowd cutting promos was an idea of Mr. BIG's because the two struggled to think of theme music for Kelly. He will eventually get a theme song, but it seems a while away as backstage, the gimmick is popular for being regarded as "fresh".
• Look for fewer and fewer "big" names to début in the TWF in the coming months and years. PWC is getting some serious momentum going with it's graduates and the TWF feels that adding a big name free agent will take away from the hard work that all of the PWC graduates are going through. There is hope that in the next 2 years or so a PWC graduate will become TWF World Champion, finally giving the promotion the rub that it deserves as a classy, fun and great wrestling organisation.

• Marz and Mr. BIG have been spotted training together once more which is leading many to believe that the Metal Militia will be reuniting shortly. However, my sources have told me that the two, who have trained together since Biggie's return last year, are simply continuing their old routines so that neither falls out of shape. Marz completed the Cardiff Half-Marathon last weekend and posted a very respectable time, although privately he has said that he wanted to do a little bit better.
• In an interesting interview this week, Mastermind has stated that he doesn't see his career as a week in, week out, member of the TWF lasting very much longer. Despite being a relative young pup in terms of TWF tenure, Mastermind is admitting that as he gets older he would like to spend more time with his growing family and cites a dislike of being on the road that is only made better by the company of his close friends Mr. BIG and The Assassin.
• NJS is said to be enjoying his time as the World Champion at the moment and feels he is producing the best work of his career at the moment. NJS has been more vocal recently about the direction of his persona and how he feels his involvement with the Entourage should end. Lucy Rose, who initially was said to be very protective of her husband immediately after their marriage has seemingly let loose of NJS's chains to allow what many of the talent describe as "the old NJS" come back into the fold.
• When Eric Herrera told the writers that he wanted to introduce Veronica Rodriguez, many eyebrows were raised. Herrera was originally set to join Genesis as it's fourth member and second-in-line to Blade, but decided against it and wanted to take on a more darker edge. There were rumblings that Herrera could be a World Champion very soon, but, Herrera has seemingly put the development of his relationship with Veronica as a higher priority for now, which many backstage find utterly incredible. As a side note, Veronica's introduction also meant a name change for Katy Ledger, as she was known as Veronica Ledger in PWC.
• In an interview for a US wrestling talk show, Mr. BIG expressed his surprise that his old friends Louise and Rebekah came to his house personally to deliver their cards and wish him a happy birthday. Biggie said that he didn't expect them to do so, but was ultimately delighted to have their company for a while. The two have also expressed an interest in helping Biggie "get over" Sophie, which is something he is taking a while to do. Biggie is seeing life after Sophie as a fresh start - he has already decided to change his promo style, come up with a new nickname and a new finishing move and most surprisingly of all, retired The BIG Storm or relegating it to "rarely used" status.
• In an earlier report, there was a suggestion that Hades would return to the TWF in early-2011. Hades had seemingly dropped out of bodybuilding events and expressed an interest in taking a drug test to join PWC before heading to the TWF. It has emerged however that Hades had changed bodybuilding circuits and won an impressive UK show just a few weeks ago, which many took as a sign he would not return to wrestling at all. Hades even said at the event he sees an entry into Mixed Martial Arts before a return to professional wrestling, which disheartened some of his TWF fans present, and many of the TWF's higher-ups, who felt feuds with Jackal, Riptide, Titan and perhaps most of all, Nytro, would be major draws.
• The interest in a Ryan Jenkins return to the TWF has apparently been raised this week when PCW announced that their September event was their highest attended in history and that their DVD of the event is already out of stock on their website. Most talent are seemingly against a TWF run for the current PCW star based on his past form in the TWF locker room, where he was considered a disruptive influence and more importantly, many feel that his ego would swell because he would be, as one wrestler said "hand-picked to feud with Biggie, when all the guys in the locker room know he makes everyone a star… Jenkins, simply because he's banging his ex-missus doesn't deserve it." Biggie continues to state that he does want to acknowledge Jenkins's verbal attacks on him in PCW at some point, but the when is likely to be the biggest issue, as well as his personal safety - the PCW locker room feels that the negative media attention Biggie gets his thoroughly deserves.
• Earlier this year the rumours of Scott Hudson's departure from the TWF were rampant and his replacement were already discussed. While Hudson still wants to return to the United States, there is now a feeling that he will continue with the TWF right up until Summer Break XII then simply remain in the USA whilst the TWF returns to Wales. The initial favourite for the position, Michael King, is allegedly closer to leaving the TWF and leaving Bryn Tomos's job in jeopardy. There is a story that King was given the Welsh announcement table role as a substitute for not getting a job as either play‐by‐play man or colour commentator for the main broadcast team. If King leaves, the Welsh announce team is likely to be taken off-screen at the very least, with Tomos's position still up in the air. At the moment, those close to the TWF Board say that Kyle Richards is the favourite to join Bryan Daniels when Hudson leaves, with many feeling that Mr. Smooth is best-suited to his current role as studio host.

• A significant piece of the jigsaw regarding why the trigger was never pulled on the much talked-about Mr. BIG/Ryan Jenkins feud this year became apparent this week when a member of the TWF backstage team casually slipped up. As it turns out, the original plans were for Jenkins to enter the TWF in February and to feud with Mr. BIG through the summer, eventually becoming a star in the uppercard. However, as with all new talent, Jenkins was required to do a drugs test, something he flat out refused to do, feeling he was being singled out (incidentally, he was not. As all wrestlers know, new talent must pass a medical and a drug test to get a contract). The plans were dropped and Jenkins headed to PCW, where he had a lighter schedule and took a personal vendetta against Mr. BIG, who he felt was against his return. The reason why Jenkins refused the test was his body was riddled with marks from steroid needles and Mr. BIG did not want him in the company, fearing "if one guy breaks the cycle, the floodgates would open". Jenkins, who in-between recent PCW events has been seen getting help for his addiction, is seen to be getting better, after getting serious bouts of "roid rage" with his girlfriend Siân. The original plan for PCW's Retaliation event on September 26 was for Mr. BIG to return in the ring at the conclusion of the evening's main event and set up a match with Jenkins at their November event. But, Biggie informed the company that he would instead be doing media for the TWF's European tour that weekend, so it was decided to go with a heel turn for Aled Davies instead. Mr. BIG still feels there is a good story and money to be made and has verbally told his PCW contact, Michael King, that he is still interested in putting Jenkins over eventually.
• Backstage, the TWF considers it's European tour a quiet success. Not much was expected from the tour, but every date was a sell-out and all of the wrestlers were delighted to wrestle in front of a new crowd. The TWF is already planning a return to the continent after it's mammoth US tour next year, with dates in Germany seemingly being lined up. While some are criticising the TWF for looking abroad, the company internally feels that by opening up to more new territories, there is more money to be had.
• Mr. BIG has become more quiet and withdrawn since Sophie's departure, something that has surprised much of the locker room. Sophie's Facebook page has apparently become a wash with plenty of "good looking chaps" according to those who are her friends and Biggie didn't take to it too well, but did reflect "there isn't much I can do about it". BIG has apparently been drawing interest from an old friend or two, but he feels that "I'm building myself up for a fall". In-between doing media work for the European tour, including a very well received appearance on Spanish television last week, BIG has been working on his "proper" autobiography and follow up to "Degrees of Sanity", which he has told friends is due in April 2011 with the tentative title "When the Crowds are Gone" (which is the title of a Savatage song, yet again). Those who have read the snippets BIG has floated around have said it seems "darker than DoS, if you can believe that, but delivered with even better humour than before". BIG did raise a smile when he received an offer to potentially guest host Paul O'Grady Live on ITV1 should O'Grady want a break for any reason, BIG said "I thought they didn't want me to do a show for them anymore?".
• TWF fans were treated to an incredibly unbelievable sight a few weeks ago when three men who have never always been on the same side, sat down for a meal with their partners. Those three men were, Mr. BIG, NJS and Marz. NJS and Lucy Rose were celebrating the anniversary of their relationship, Marz and Michelle were celebrating still being married and Mr. BIG sat alone, but the three were overheard by fans to be trading some hilarious stories about life on the road with their partners. One fan did casually overhear that Mr. BIG and NJS have agreed that the only way they would ever face each other in the last ever TWF show, should there ever be one. In fact, BIG and NJS are now planning to resurrect the Z-Pack in 2011 for a "reunion tour". NJS was initially not contracted for early-2011 but has now agreed to it. Marz has also said that he may consider a return as an on-air authority figure in the future, but is happily enjoying married life and getting his architecture business back up and running.
• There is a very strong feeling that the current class of TWF rookies could be it's best yet. Besides Matt Aish, who was always considered to be the best in his class, Connor Kelly has seriously impressed much of the main roster with his passion, knowledge and enthusiasm for professional wrestling. Much of the roster is becoming aware of James Magnum's previous work in the United States and are becoming more impressed too. There are high hopes for the female contingent too, especially Kaitlin Simmons. One source told me, "You should have seen the look on the faces of some of the guys when she walked through the door. She's absolutely gorgeous. What's she doing wrestling?".
• Mary-Anne was said to be in pieces when she became TWF Women's Champion and immediately after her match at Doomsday, found her mentor, Mr. BIG, waiting for her backstage. BIG said that he was "extremely proud" of his student and has said he expects it to be the first of many title reigns for her. While there was some apprehension that she wasn't ready for the TWF when she arrived, Mary-Anne has continued to impress and prove all of her critics wrong, to such a degree that she was the highest mover in this year's PWI 50 list of top female wrestlers.
• Plans have been submitted for an extension to the gym facilities at the Asylum. The initial equipment was deemed some of the best on the market, but the TWF has consulted with some of the wrestlers, who have instead joined private facilities and asked what would draw them back. Much of the wrestlers asked for an expanded range of weight training equipment and a swimming pool, which the TWF was apprehensive about doing on cost grounds. However, the plans were finalised this week and it should completed by the beginning of 2011.
• The TWF's much delayed follow-up to it's successful "Power and Glory" video game is now getting much nearer completion. It was originally due for release in May, but was pushed back after some flaws were pulled up in beta testing. The game's designers originally wanted to feature the Devil's Den as a match type in the game, but have now decided to possibly release it as a free add-on when it was fine-tuned. A demo is expected to appear on the X-Box Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network before Halloween Hell with a new release date set for November. The TWF is planning to push the game very far and doesn't expect to release a sequel for at least two years, instead using a variety of free game updates and paid for downloadable content to extend the game's lifespan. The initial plan is for a free monthly update with new pay‐per‐view arenas, sets and licensed music, with paid-for updates including new attires, characters and their related items, storylines as well as possible cross overs with former xWa promotions.

• The biggest story to come out of Summer Break weekend appears to be the departure of Sophie from the TWF once more. Sophie has told everyone that she never intended to stay long-term in the TWF and was simply there as a travel companion for Mr. BIG. Sophie has pushed ahead with her plans to set up her graphic fashion design agency in Manchester and will move up there in the next few weeks. Some backstage are angry that Sophie "used" the TWF as a promotional vehicle, but others are stating "if she's happy, so are we". Sophie has not committed to returning to the company at any point in the future, but has said that should the opportunity arise, she will definitely think about it.
• Many expected Marz to be backstage at Summer Break, but he was nowhere to be found. He had recently returned from his honeymoon with Michelle after his wedding, which many said was a pleasantly surprising occasion. The Shott fore filled the role of best man although the now customary Mr. BIG wedding speech stole the show once more, finishing in him giving Marz a gift of a hospitality box for a few Manchester United home games this season, which took Marz as a major surprise. After my last report, it seems certain that aside from his already mentioned one night only return later this year, Marz may be done with wrestling all together.
• Jim Ross wrote in his blog this week that the TWF is "certainly in the top 2 wrestling promotions in the world right now" and also said "there is a lot that North American promotions can learn from the way the company does business". Ross was a pleasure to speak with to many backstage and didn't miss a beat at the announce table, admitting he watches the TWF weekly although does not comment on it publicly. Ross said that because he watches the program, there was no need for him to do extensive research for his announcing notes. Scott Hudson and Bryan Daniels both admitted one of their career goals was realised in calling a Summer Break main event with JR. Ross admitted afterword he considered Summer Break his farewell from professional wrestling announcing duties, but did say that if the TWF was desperate for someone, he would certainly consider it.
• From the point of view of everyone backstage, the Tag-Team Three Way Dance seemed to win the straw poll of match of the night at Summer Break. The wrestlers themselves were said to be happy with the way the card was constructed, although some were vocal in saying that they felt the BIG-Bandit match should not have main evented. BIG, who was struck down with a serious bout of flu at the weekend (which was why did not cut a promo at the event), was quietly agreeing with them however and said later on that if he had his way, his match with Bandit would have taken place 3rd from last on the card, leaving the World Championship match last.
• NJS is expected to continue his reign as TWF World Champion for the foreseeable future. NJS has continued to be the TWF's "go-to guy" when it comes to delivering a tremendous match and working with anyone on the card. NJS has also made two notable actions recently - he has said he is considering entering negotiations to sell the XCW Video Library to the TWF on a similar deal to what Marz got for the TECW/NCW library (but, will inevitably be asking for more money on the basis that the XCW library is considerably larger). NJS also spoke out against the long proposed Mr. BIG/NJS match for the first time publicly stating he wants to be a "What if?" for fans and that it should only ever take place at the very last TWF show, should there be one. Surprisingly, many agreed with this view point.
• The Shott's status has become the discussion of some higher-ups backstage. Many feel that the experienced grappler has worked extremely well and is deserving of another shot at the main event, but, Shott is experiencing some trouble with his wife, Cameron, and their children (mainly due to his wife's family) and he is again considering withdrawing from wrestling and returning to retail management, where he carved an excellent career outside of wrestling.
• PCW's constant attacks of Mr. BIG have now turned into attacks on the TWF. The company, which has recently renamed itself "Premier Championship Wrestling" as both a shot at the TWF's own renaming in 2003 and the TWF's development federation, PWC, has been promoting itself as "the real pro wrestling alternative" and is positioning itself as direct competition for the TWF. However, this Insider believes their dreams will be shattered very very quickly when a major occurrence happens in their area in the next few weeks. Watch this space.

• Sky One revealed it's autumn schedule at a major press conference today and to the surprise of many, the TWF was featured. There was strong speculation that the TWF would be taken off the network to accommodate it's new lucrative deals with US networks, which lead to rumours that Channel Five's new owners were looking to move all of the TWF's Sky broadcast output to their stable. ITV was also linked with putting the TWF on it's new competitor to popular Freeview channel, Dave, which was also linked with Grit BasH in particular. However, Sky One controller Stuart Murphy again iterated "the TWF is probably the easiest program to keep because it attracts everything we need to survive as a channel: viewers and advertisers".
• Some people also seem to be surprised that this year the TWF is not pushing any celebrity involvement with Summer Break. The internal focus this year seems to be on giving back to the fans and having a predominantly wrestling emphasis on the show, moving away from what some fans have criticised as a "Hollywood" approach. The TWF is looking to bring in Only Men Aloud to perform the Welsh national anthem this year, which is likely to be the only real celebrity involvement in the show, unless the company finds any famous people who have bought tickets.
• It appears that the TWF's date with destiny at Wembley Stadium is being pushed further and further back. This Insider understands that the actual Summer Break venue was confirmed internally months ago and that Wembley is now the first venue being discussed for Summer Break XIII. As reported on June 02, a United States venue will play host to the event next year, although this is likely to be the last time in the foreseeable future for the company, as they want to concentrate on expanding into Europe rather than the United States.
• There is a feeling among some backstage that Marz will make a return to the TWF full-time next year. Marz and Michelle's marriage is forthcoming and some reckon that if Marz is not kept busy, he will return to the business. Marz is looking to restart his architecture firm and likely move out of the country eventually at some point. One source has said "If he doesn't get out of Bridgend and/or have kids soon, he'll be back by January". Marz has already committed to at least one more appearance later this year, but beyond that, he has no contractual obligations to anyone.
• Many backstage are glad that Jean Claude Van Slam will be given a good send off into retirement. Van Slam has always been passionate about the care of his disabled younger brother and hopes that he can continue to look after him for years to come. JCVS is described by many as being one of the most passionate workers on the roster. The Vamp has been contacted about playing some role in his retirement and sounded enthusiastic about the role he was given, so many fans will be as happy as Van Slam with his retirement.
• Hades has apparently decided to no longer enter any bodybuilding exhibitions at present, leading many to ponder his future. There is some strong speculation that he will take up the offer that the TWF has given him of returning to the company and will return to PWC in the coming months. High Voltage was attempted to be contacted by several members of the roster about his future but did not return any messages, leading many to believe that he has again decided wrestling is not for him.
• Rather than seeing them face each other, it is now considering more likely that Mr. BIG and NJS will reunite in the near future. The two have been back to their old tricks backstage lately which has delighted many who feel that they need to get back together on-screen as soon as possible. However, if this were to happen, it may not happen in the TWF. In the last week in particular, PCW have returned to their attacks on Mr. BIG, hoping it will draw him to return to the company. What I understand is that Mr. BIG is assembling a team which he is calling "The Cavalry" to head into PCW and have his back. They are what he considers his closest friends and are likely to include people who will cross the political lines of the battlefield to have his back. PCW is already advertising new events in September and November on the basis of their war of words with BIG.
• Scott Hudson will now stick around until at least mid-October as TWF play‐by‐play man. He originally planned to leave in September and this would have left the two main candidates for his job: Michael King and Mr. Smooth, three months to prove their worth before the TWF makes a decision. However, Michael King has, according to one prominent source of mine, said he too plans to leave and concentrate on working less, but continue in PCW. If that is the case, the Welsh announce table will likely disappear from ringside and the broadcast teams will again be shuffled, with Mr. Smooth likely to take over as the play‐by‐play man.
• After only a couple of episodes, many are delighted with the format of TWF Flashback, stating that the TWF has finally found a good way to show off the Video Library that they are now in possession of. There is some talk that the company is looking to speak to NJS about using the XCW videos that he has, but this has always remained a sticking point as NJS feels any sign of using the library will mean the TWF will attempt to make it theirs. A lot of people backstage however are very critical of NJS simply sitting on the XCW video content instead of giving it to the TWF. One production source told me: "he could sign a deal like Marz did for the TECW videos where he will still make a considerable sum despite not owning the company. We all know how much Biggie hated TECW/NCW and he's hardly treated their stuff poorly. He still loves XCW, so what has NJS got to lose?".

• The shock waves surrounding the surprise appearance backstage of High Voltage backstage two weeks ago are still being felt. His unannounced arrival was a shock to many after a lot of confusion surrounding his status with the company, but his conversation with Mr. BIG was one of the things that seemed most surprising as it was said HV still harboured a grudge against Biggie from their acrimonious split almost five years ago. Voltage was even extended an offer to re-join the company on a similar deal to the ones offered to JT Money and The Bandit and HV is seriously considering it as he plans to emigrate to New Zealand at some point in 2011 but requires some funds to do so (his financial mismanagement of the RWF has gone down in infamy).
• Another man who has re-appeared on the TWF radar at the moment is Hades. He was backstage at the same episode of Fury as HV and looked in good shape and was very pleasant with those who approached him. TWF management has told him that if he wants to return, he would have to pass a drugs test, something he did not seem worried about. Mr. BIG, who was a very close friend of Hades during his original run, has offered to re-train him (he hasn't been anywhere near a ring in a year - since the last RWF event) and put him in PWC to work off the ring-rust. Hades is again seriously considering the offer with much speculation he could be back on the active roster by the year's end.
• Aaron Hill's departure from the company was expected. He had just completed his law degree and looks to be eventually heading into politics. Many have said that they will miss the highly informed political debates that Hill (a Labour party member), Hulmes (a Green party member) and Mr. BIG in particular would have, especially on Wednesdays after Prime Minister's Questions. Hill, who became notorious for his backstage attitude, seemed to loosen up in his final few weeks on the roster but has told the roster he doesn't expect to return to the ring at all. Hulmes on the other hand, seems more likely if either were to return, but he is heading to Scotland in September to begin a degree in Enviro-Science.
• Two speeches that Mr. BIG has given have already become the stuff of backstage legend. Prior to Marz's departure, Biggie compared a special "roast" of the former World Champion, having a pleasant and light-hearted tribute to Marz prior to his departure that had the whole locker room in tears of laughter at one point. The speech he gave at his brother, Mr. Edwards's wedding, was described by those who witnessed it "as the funniest and most heart-felt wedding speech ever given". Biggie, who was not the best man, was apparently toasted by almost the whole wedding party during the ceremony. Sophie, who was present at the wedding, was said to be bursting with pride at her boyfriend's accomplishments lately, stating that between his speeches and ever increasing weight loss, Biggie is the happiest he has ever been. When asked about marriage for himself, Biggie did say he would love to get around to it, but not for a little while yet.
• Speaking of Mr. Edwards, he was spotted by some TWF fans who attended UFC 117 at the weekend in Las Vegas, but he told them he would not be at the event. After the event, he was seen in conversation with Paul Heyman, Jim Ross and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in various parts of the Las Vegas strip. When asked by fans about whether he will be at Summer Break, Jim Ross said "I don't have any other obligations on that particular weekend… " and seemed to hint at fans that he will be calling the final matches on the card. Paul Heyman was interviewed about his time in the TWF by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and he said that if anything, "TNA should look at how between 2007 and 2010 the TWF has gone from not being on the radar to the second biggest pay‐per‐view company in the world behind UFC. That isn't a fluke. I'd like to think I had some success in it, but Biggie is an incredibly smart man, especially when it comes to taking educated financial risks - there is nobody better" with Heyman going as far to say "If I could go back to 1999/2000 just before the TWF was founded and I could have got BIG, I'm positive ECW would be the #2 wrestling promotion in the world right now at the very least".
• Mr. BIG confirmed on his Twitter account this week that he will be hosting the Channel 4 5-O'Clock show during the week of Summer Break, filming the show on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. He has informed the production team that he wants to bring two items from The Last Word to the show, his "The Reasons Why… " lists and the Sergeant Rhodes group, who will be a house band for a week. Biggie confirmed on the last episode of the current run of the Last Word that the show would not be renewed and he would not be interested in returning to the show in the near future. There is a strong rumour that ITV, should they sign Jonathan Ross, will place him in the slots that Biggie wanted for a potential sixth season.
• Carly Rae this week confirmed that Summer Break will be her last event for the TWF. Rae will return to the United States to complete a degree whilst also working for several independent wrestling shows. The TWF has already announced that former HDW Chief Official Mark Tenson has been assigned to PWC to get ready for a début at Summer Break. In an interesting side-note, there is talk that if, as potentially being discussed the World Title match does not close the show, then Sophie Matravers could referee the main event, high praise for the leading female wrestling official in the world.

• It appears the TWF will indeed brake with tradition and announce the Summer Break venue for next year at this year's event in August. Wembley Stadium is still the hot favourite to hold the event, should issues with the Football Association be ironed out over it's use (the date is apparently that set aside for the 2011 Community Shield match, but the FA may change it due to the immense draw that the TWF is). Old Trafford was one venue also being mentioned, but that is also apparently not a real possibility due to the uncertainty about football fixtures. The Louisiana Superdome is looking a good bet thanks to it's hosting of Easter HeAT, the Rogers Centre in Toronto is also being looked at as well as BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.
• If this reporter was a betting man, I'd bet on a United States venue for the event as the TWF is already booking arenas for it's largest ever tour of the United States, which will take over 5 months and travel much of the southern parts of the country. The company wants to take events into territories unfamiliar with the TWF-style of wrestling to spice things up a bit, but many TWF diehards are angry that the company is holding fewer events in it's south Wales homeland, which fans are beginning to make serious noises about.
• The current gossip about Summer Break main events is that NJS will take on JT Money, Mr. BIG will face Nytro and there will be a Three Way Dance tag team match involving Technically Superior, the Synyster Youth and the Dangerous Alliance. There is also some serious speculation that the TWF World Championship will not close the show, with the Tag-Team match getting the honour. Strangely, there is already a rumour that Mr. BIG will face The Avenger in a mask-versus-hair match at next year's event.
• The TWF has extended an offer to Jim Ross to call Summer Break which Ross noted in a blog entry he is "definitely considering and hoping the logistics work out so I can do this". It is expected that he needs clearance from WWE to accomplish this, but Ross has apparently told the TWF he has a clause in his new contract that enables him to do work for the TWF if they asked. The TWF does not want JR to call all of Summer Break as they feel whilst if anyone can turn up and call a card, it's Jim Ross, it may undermine the position that Scott Hudson and Bryan Daniels (who have publicly said they'd like JR to call the entire card if he likes) in many people's eyes if he does. At the moment, Ross will appear to call the main events.
• Sophie's return to the TWF did catch most people by surprise. It was understood that she would maybe make an appearance before she concentrated on a new venture, but she was instead asked by Mr. BIG to return when Louise decided against being his manager at Collision Course. Whilst Louise's appearance would have been a one-time only deal, Sophie is back as a regularly contracted talent. Biggie has told everyone backstage that they have been dating since mid-March once more but kept it very quiet, with very few people inside the company being aware of it. It was also confirmed this week that BIG's sister Cerys has quit PCW based on remarks Siân made about her family at their Super Clash event a few weeks back, with their cousin Capricorn also requesting her release. One source tells me that "whilst they may not all appear to be playing happy families, BIG's family hasn't got into their position without being very strong and having backing from one another and this definitely proves it".
• Biggie was not present at all on Wednesday due to preparations for the stag weekend he is attending for his brother's upcoming wedding. He will also miss Fury, with Marz and NJS being put in charge of his duties backstage. Biggie was invited to prepare a speech for the wedding reception, something he still is not entirely sure about doing as he is not the best man. In related news, The Shott has told friends that he was asked to the best man at Marz's wedding, an offer he was delighted to accept.
• NJS's marriage has not changed him according to those close to him. NJS returned from his honeymoon with a big smile on his face but remains committed to wrestling at this time. The talk of Mr. BIG-NJS has talked up again and there is now some agreement that the match will eventually take place, but it isn't sure when as both men want the build-up to be "perfect" and it needs to be saved for something special. NJS is considering having children but says that will come much later on.
• There is a slate of media appearances coming up for prominent TWF personalities. Marz will be appearing on the new Channel 4 5-o'clock Show next week to promote Against All Odds, NJS has been tapped to return to the Chris Moyles Show almost 5 years after he last appeared there and Mr. BIG has asked Jonathan Ross via Twitter if there was an opening to be on the final series of his talk show to which Ross said he would look into it. There will also be several local appearances by TWF talent in the run-up to Summer Break and the company's advice is check the TWF Web for the initial details a week before a signing or appearance, with further details posted a few days before the event.
• Every year it is promised that a laundry list of talent will leave for pastures new, but this year it will actually prove true. It is already understood that Marz is making minor changes to his farewell speech, but I also understand that Frekishi will leave shortly after his motorsport business has struck gold doing work for several Formula One teams, Aaron Hill is expected to leave to practice law on a regular basis as well. The Bandit and JT Money's statuses are uncertain at this time, although many are under the impression that they will not see out the year.
• Referee Carly Rae also has expressed an interest to leave and return to her native Chicago to pursue a degree. Rae, who was only 18 when she was signed by the TWF two years ago, was considered one of the company's rising stars, but the company has agreed to let her go. There is also talk that Cliff Switzer, the Senior Referee since 2007 will also return to the United States, leaving a refereeing vacancy of two, which are tapped to be filled by former HDW Chief Referee Mark Tenson and one-time RWF referee and head Referee in PWC, Michael Souza.
• There was a small gathering of TWF talent on Sunday night at the house of former TWF/XCW talent The Fox for a barbecue and whilst there, much of the talent were exchanging stories about the company as well as workers and former co-workers. It was understood that "Lover Boy" Jon Bennetta let slip a story about the sexuality of one former TWF star which came as a shock to many, but was quickly proven true by those who backed up his story. One superstar told me "It was quite incredible, certainly didn't expect them to do that after all the abuse they used to throw out for people doing what she has now gone and done."

• The race for Scott Hudson's position at the announce table is underway backstage according to my sources. Michael King looks to be the favourite for the job, which many backstage "pretty much has his name on it". However, Mr. Smooth has continued to impress with his hosting of Overload which has lead to Sit Down with a Superstar going on hiatus. The addition of Kyle Richards to the backstage team however has thrown a third contender into the mix as many on the production team thought his work in HDW was superb and they would like to produce him. Hudson has officially confirmed he will be gone shortly after Doomsday, the September pay‐per‐view. There is some talk that the company will offer both King and Smooth a chance to call a pay‐per‐view each, with a possible three-man announce team at PayBacK and the winner getting the job permanently after the TWF 2010 Awards. This is all subject to change however.
• Mr. BIG posted some significant tweets this week about his immediate future. "There WAS a deal for me to show up at SuperClash, but I've pulled out. PCW said some bad things :(" regarded his now non-appearance at PCW's SuperClash event on May 23 at which many expected Mr. BIG to appear to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the event, ending a hiatus of 5 years from the company (unofficially, officially it's 12 years). There is a strong rumour that Mr. BIG pulled out after hearing that Ryan Jenkins and Siân pulled out of their bargain in some form of interaction, where as the man formerly known as The Defender was enthusiastic about Mr. BIG showing up. In a reply to a tweet about appearing at Collision Course "It's always good to go home. Love Brack-LA. Got some great company lined up for it too" is apparently a sign that Mr. BIG may bring a manager back for one-night only, which is expected to be Louise after the recent interaction between the pair.
• Biggie's impressive new look is also being seen as lighting a spark under the backsides of many backstage, especially as he has quickly shot up the list of who many people want to work with. Biggie has always agreed to put people over, but some backstage would let him do so begrudgingly as they always felt he came out best. Biggie, who is now down to a career low of 270lbs, has been said to be "the most approachable he's ever been, which isn't saying that much because he's always had 5 minutes for anyone who asked", but many have found him to have a new "spring in his step".
• For those asking about the return of NJS, you won't have much longer to wait. I have it on very good authority that he is an entrant in the Gold Card tournament and will return in the next two weeks. NJS has fallen very quiet lately, with his Twitter account being inactive since sometime in January and his website and fan pages also falling dormant. This is very much the influence of Lucy Rose, who felt that NJS would reveal more about himself to fans than her, which she found uncomfortable. As a result of this, Mr. BIG and NJS appear to be on different sides of the locker room for the first time, as NJS and Lucy tended to spend time with the couples part of the locker room, whilst Mr. BIG would float between the couples and "the boys".
• With tickets going on sale next Saturday, expect the Summer Break XI hype to kick up a notch from now to the event. At present, the TWF is not planning any outside involvement to the event at all. The company is looking however to bring in some legends such as Johnny Saint, Bobby "the Brain" Heenan, Jimmy Hart and other wrestling legends rarely seen in the UK for a special part of FanFest. There is loud noises that Jim Ross has been contacted to call the main event of the show, which Scott Hudson has actively encouraged, citing the one thing he wanted before he left "was to call a match with "the best" of all-time".
• There is some serious consideration being given to a total re-format of the Time-Out format. Many are happy with the Saturday Sound-Off portion, but other portion of the program is not considered a draw, so, there is talk being made for the "From the Vault" segment being spun off into it's own program hosted by either Mr. Smooth or Kyle Richards. The TWF's video library is now deemed big enough for a program like this to be sustainable, and a pilot is already being drawn up. The TWF is planning to increase some output to include web shows, but is dependant on what concepts the company can come up with.
• In the process of filming the pilot for a "Classics" show, footage of the Rebels with Attitude and Seek and Destroy storyline was played, giving some the idea to run a similar style faction storyline, possibly in early-2011. In the same meeting that this idea was floated, a suggestion was made to create an angle whereby the TWF's television feeds were being disrupted by a mysterious voice making grave messages for a superstar, leading to a blow-off of the reveal, reasoning then main event match. The idea gained some support until one person felt that the way the disruptions were created could be very intense for some viewers, driving them away. The idea maybe tweaked but it was given the idea of being truly revolutionary and different.
• Matt Aish is getting some serious kudos in PWC at the moment, the likes of which have only ever been felt with Hades back in 2004 prior to his début. Aish was already considered a stand-out wrestler but elected to go to PWC to "hone his skills the TWF way" before he felt confident enough to be in the main roster. It has emerged that he is a close friend of Mr. BIG along with Connor Kelly and Aish has apparently been training with Biggie in Cardiff. Despite what many are having people believe, many are happy for Aish that he is learning from one of the best in the industry and feel it could get him that extra few bits of knowledge that could eventually put him in the same echelon.

• The TWF found out as Fury went on the air that they would not be able to fly back to Wales as originally scheduled on Saturday afternoon. As soon as they found out, the decision was made to extend the tour by one week, with dates quickly added in Memphis. The TWF initially looked at holding events in San Antonio, Dallas, Austin and Oklahoma City, but found those buildings being already booked and the company was fortunate to book venues at such short notice. Many in Memphis however are sceptical of the company using The Pyramid as it has not been used in a few years, but the TWF is determined to use the building. The company is rushing to book Tennessee media for any promotion they can get for the tickets, although an impressive 8,000 tickets were sold inside 24 hours on Sunday.
• Hayley Holder was officially done with the TWF after Easter HeAT and unusually, her departure from the company was not made public. This is apparently at Hayley's request. Holder has had a tough time with press intrusion on her life at the moment and felt leaving quietly would help matters. Holder was one of the longest tenured employee's in the company's history, working since 2001. However, her manner of conducting affairs in public (such as postings on her Facebook fan page and the countless photos and stories of her drunken escapades) did not win her many fans and is largely the result of her departure as the TWF did not renew her contract. Prior to the event, Hayley did privately speak to some higher-ups (Mr. BIG and Marz are the two who have said that she spoke with them) to thank them for the opportunity, with Marz suggesting that Holder could perhaps stay on if she agrees to stay away from nightclubs, but Holder didn't seem interested.
• Marz has apparently told some members of the roster that he has already written his retirement speech. There is a strong feeling that Marz will make the speech on the Grit BasH following Summer Break. The current plan is for Marz to win his final match at Summer Break then retire the following night and vacating the TWF World Championship in the process. The sticking point apparently is what to do with the championship - initial thought was about simply giving it to the Gold Card winner, or holding a House of Pain match for the vacant championship. Marz has stated his intentions to leave and not wrestle another match, but has committed to making guest appearances in the TWF in future in roles such as Special Guest Referee.
• Mr. BIG's weight loss has not been forgotten backstage. The locker room are delighted that Biggie is down to below the 290lbs barrier for the first time in almost a decade with his aim of dropping a further 40lbs to get down to 250lbs. BIG has also been uncharacteristically smiling backstage, largely as a result of the confidence the new look has given him back. There are some whispers backstage that Mr. BIG is currently in the shape and form of his career at present and some loud backstage sources have said "when he can make Frekishi look like it was 2003 again in this climate, he is truly on top form". Many have speculated that BIG has found love once more, but judging by his tweets this is not the case, with him still lamenting "how boring the road is with no-one by my side".
• In a very interesting YouTube video posted on his popular account, Mr. BIG surprised many with a video apology to Louise about the comment he made about her during his Friday Night with Jonathan Ross appearance in September 2009. Biggie said that he was "very sorry for not taking into account the whole situation and that it was very unprofessional and extremely close-minded of [him] to say something like that on national television". Several of Biggie's friends were quite surprised with the comment and quite emotional 4 minute video. A day or two later, BIG posted another video of him meeting up with Louise whilst she was on vacation in Florida and the two chatting and getting along again. BIG's original comments, it now transpires, were apparently a shot at a story we reported a long-time ago about Louise's relationship with the manager of the restaurant she was running. Louise laid low for many months, left the restaurant and has apparently worked her way up to a high position in a short amount of time in her new role, something BIG is very proud of.
• It is all but official at this present moment that Mr. BIG will be at PCW SuperClash '10 on May 23. The company are hopeful that BIG will stick around and work some kind of program with Ryan Jenkins, but this remains to be seen. Michael King is being held responsible for the deal and many backstage were very impressed with how he brokered things between BIG and PCW management. It is expected that BIG have some form of interaction with his old enemy The Defender, the kind of which is uncertain. Due to her involvement with Mr. BIG, there is increasing talk of Siân joining the TWF at some point. Whilst Siân has appeared in the RWF, she has yet to appear in the TWF, but apparently contract talks have secretly been ongoing for a few weeks about her joining in June as an extension to the storyline PCW is currently running about Mr. BIG being "obsessed" with her affections. Biggie has said that this is rubbish because of the unwillingness of the two company's managements to co-operate.
• The xWn is set to announce that from May 1, the subscription price will drop from £5.50 a month to £2 as a result of an improved contract with Sky and Virgin Media. The current xWn bouquet of channels is xWn (which shows Fury live and all of the TWF's classic content as well as live MLB/NHL/NBA games) and xWn₂ (which shows former xWa promotions content as well as parts of the TWF Video Library, specifically TECW), with xWn HD costing a premium. The announcement is expected to see the xWn SD and HD channels moved to adjacent EPG numbers and xWn₂ getting a HD channel as well. There is also some speculation that the TWF has agreed for the HD channels to go to free-to-view to those with an xWn subscription instead of those with an xWn and Sky HD subscription, giving the network the same standing as BBC and Channel 4 HD.
• Bill Hansen is continuing to impress many backstage with his great dedication and in-ring prowess. The other recent TWF big men such as Nytro, Riptide and Titan are also working very hard backstage. Eric Herrera is being eyed up as being a serious player in the company when many superstars leave in the next few months. At the moment, no major TWF superstar will be returning after Summer Break and much of the talent are already casting their eye to post Summer Break when the company will have it's biggest change in direction since the 2007 rebirth.
• I have been asked to give a quick rundown of the current whereabouts of some former TWF stars: Sophie is going to start her own graphic fashion design firm, with the initial premises being setup in Preston, near to where the company's production facilities will be located… .AJ Jeffers, Dougie Christian and The Terminator are partners in a car garage in Bridgend… .Hawke was last seen in auditions for a West End role… .The AshTaker was spotted out with his wife and daughter on a day off from running his father's old business… .Matthew Wright is still involved with Elisha, the woman who was the cause of his split with tag team partner, Joey Davies.

• Reaction to Marz's TWF World Championship backstage was that of congratulations. Many backstage felt that after Marz's performances since the TWF's return from hiatus, he deserved one more "big run" at the top of the company. Interestingly, he has become the only man to become TWF World Champion and Tag-Team Champion at the same time on two separate occasions. Nytro was also given much praise for his run with the belt, and many do not expect this to be his only run with the belt.
• Big kudos were given backstage at the event for Blade and Eric Herrera, whose match was a particular favourite with internet fans; Riptide for his performance against JCVS and The Shott for his performance in putting over Titan. Some however were not happy with Frekishi for his sloppiness in his match against The Assassin - there is talk once more that Frekishi is again set to leave the company. At one point, Frekishi was set to be the linchpin of the new Evolution-style stable the TWF has planned, but that has been axed and apparently a big time player will be turning heel to fore fill the role of leader.
• NJS and Lucy Rose are legitimately on their honeymoon for the foreseeable future at least. The two got married as planned in New York City on March 4, with Deadman taking the role of best man. When the initial speeches were made, they were given by The Fox, Jon Bennetta, Aaron Hill and Deadman about the couple. Before leaving to head back to Bridgend for his niece's christening, Mr. BIG made a short speech about his friendship with the couple that many felt was heartfelt and arguably the highlight of the evening. NJS is expected to return sometime in May as he is arranging moving most of his belongings out of Brackla to Swansea, where he and Lucy have bought a house together.
• NJS was noted to be very "separate" from the rest of the wrestlers during the United States tour. Whilst some particular venues hold unhappy memories for NJS for various reasons (mainly locations relating to his relationship with ex-wife Lita), one backstage source has said "No-one is quite sure what is up with NJS these days, he never seems quite as involved as he used to be - always having a vested interest in the product - now, he doesn't seem to have any enthusiasm and doesn't speak to anyone, not even Biggie".
• JT Money's return has surprised many who expected him to instead concentrate on the work of his band. However, JT has expressed a desire to "close the book" on his wrestling career before he can fully concentrate on music. One surprising factor for many people is that many expect him to return to the ring before The Bandit, who has been on the road since February. There is talk backstage that Bandit was not happy with the initial storylines thrown at him and due to the creative control clause in his contract, he vetoed them. The word on the grapevine also is that Bandit will headline Summer Break this year in some form too.
• The talk of Mr. BIG appearing in PCW has gone into overdrive since Siân appeared on S4C talk show Jonathan on Friday night discussing her relationship with him, dropping a hint that he would return to the company. The rumour among PCW talent is that BIG would attack PCW International Champion Ryan Jenkins during his match at their Super Clash event and begin a program with him. PCW talent reckon that BIG coming in would transform the company's standing and perhaps help it compete against the TWF. Biggie has kept tight-lipped about returning to where he began his career back in 1996 - his feelings in the past about the company's treatment of him after he left and their constant jibes at him (even almost 8 years after he left) mean he doesn't really want to vindicate them.
• There were plans for a "Fan's Vote" show for the second date in Dallas in late-April, but the TWF has cancelled them. The original idea was that prior to the show, fans would be able to vote and decide aspects of the show, such as opponents, stipulations, match types or even attires for the wrestlers. The TWF still wants to do a show like this, but there is some internal anger that the company hasn't arranged a voting mechanism yet, so it has been delayed until later in the year. There is a strong suspicion instead that the show will feature a "Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal" gimmick during the show.
• The TWF has finally reached an agreement to do a show at the historic Margam Park. A Grit BasH event will be held in the grounds of the park in late June, many years after the company had first tried to hold an event there. It is expected to be the marquee show in the period between Against All Odds and Total Chaos.
• During a board meeting held in the last week or so, an idea was floated to drop two pay‐per‐views and go down to 10 special events a year, and to tape Fury on a Thursday night to maximise the number of cities the TWF goes to. Dropping two pay‐per‐views (expected to be in May and December) has been given some thought and there is a fact-finding committee working on deciding if that would work. The idea to tape Fury was shot down very quickly, especially by Mr. BIG in the meeting who stated "the reason our guys are in much better shape than the competition is that we work only 150-odd dates a year, all live and we don't have to travel all the time."
• The company is set to break with tradition and announce the venue for Summer Break XII at this year's Summer Break. The TWF wants to build-up the event year-round like WWE does with WrestleMania and they feel they announcing the venue for the following year's instalment at that particular event is a good way to start. The odds-on favourite is currently Wembley Stadium, although there is now a strong rumour that the Louisiana Superdome could hold the event once more if Easter HeAT ticket sales and promotion goes well. This is also likely to be the last time in the foreseeable future the event is held in an arena, the company wants to help elevate the event by holding it in much larger stadiums, even if it perhaps eliminates some potential host cities, especially in the United Kingdom.

• NJS has apparently given notice that he wants to be done with wrestling inside 2010. This has shocked many backstage who were under the impression that NJS returned to the company in 2008 for the long-haul and felt he had many more years left in him. The sudden shift has come as Lucy Rose, it is being said, is putting pressure on NJS to leave the business and set up a family, with Lucy herself saying that in a few years she sees herself disowning the business. Many people, including NJS's closest friends, are increasingly worried with the time the couple are spending with each other and it appears that a wedge has been driven between Biggie and NJS on this US Tour.
• By contrast, Marz is becoming among the go-to veterans backstage for the younger guys for advice. One backstage source told me "if around five years ago you would have said that NJS is being the diva and Marz the down-to-earth veteran, everyone would have laughed you out of the room". It is no secret that Marz will take an extended period of absence after his wedding to Michelle in July. Unlike NJS, his departure seems to have the backing of everyone, especially for his loyal service to the company since the 2007 revival.
• The TWF has been approached by Playboy magazine for a nude pictorial in their August issue, as a tie-in for Summer Break. At this moment, the TWF is unsure whether to accept as they feel it could be "a cliché" if they were to accept. In initial discussions, Mary-Anne seems the favourite to pose, although the company may instead have a series of smaller articles instead of one main pictorial.
• There are several rumours floating around at the moment that Mr. BIG will be buying the Cardiff Devils hockey team. These are untrue. Whilst Matt Burge, the Devils current owner, is having some "arguments" with the Inland Revenue, Biggie (who is a season ticket owner) has not placed a bid to buy the team, although he has told their management he would do anything he can to help them out if necessary.
• Some very interesting storyline ideas have been floated around in a backstage meeting recently and the most interesting of which is a heel turn for a very popular persona on the TWF Roster. One source said "they really haven't had a chance to get to that next level yet, so we're looking at how we have done things in the past and we'll see what we can do for them". Speculation states that the TWF will look to switch things up very soon.
• The rumours about Mr. BIG and Ryan Jenkins have begun to spark up, with varying sources talking of various texts being sent back and fourth regarding Jenkins's relationship with Siân. Biggie has told my sources that no such thing has happened: he has attempted to speak to Siân about various matters recently and she has not got in touch, he asked Jenkins if it was to do with him and he said "no", so BIG will not be chasing anything up. For those who are interested in Biggie's private life, there is said to be more of a chance that former Playboy centrefold, Jessica Burciaga is his new piece of arm candy if her tweets are anything to go by (she has posted one tweet that her crushes growing up were both The Rock and Mr. BIG).
• With both the New Sensations and Rebel Messiahs seemingly now part of history, a new stable is coming up on the horizon. The initial plans call for a manager to begin to assemble this super stable in the next few weeks leading to a big unveiling at one point.
• One person asked me about the status of the Square Ladder Match this week. The TWF is not planning to hold the match this year as they feel that they have exhausted almost all possibilities at the moment and they feel that the tag team division would be stretched at this point. tlC is also apparently getting the year off, but there was a large order placed for several Pyramid style pieces of fencing a few weeks ago. I'll let you decide what that means.
• With the Gold Card tournament also expected to be held this year, there is a feeling that the format of the King of the Ring tournament this year will be changed so the TWF does not have two similar tournaments running this year. One idea is to go back to having the final as a Battle Royal (putting it at odds with the Chairman's Cup), the most likely format is that of an Elimination Chase - a series of superstars competing in matches over a few weeks narrowing it down to possibly a three-way dance in the Finals, which will again be held at Dangerously Serious.

• NJS's surprise birthday celebrations after the television cameras finished on Friday was the work of Mr. BIG. Initially Marz wanted no part in proceedings, but in the end Marz was won over by Biggie's enthusiasm for his friend. Biggie paid for NJS's close friends Jon Bennetta and The Fox to make the show and kept them hidden backstage for much of the event. Many backstage were also impressed with BIG's dedication and persevered for pulling the whole stunt off.
• The Bandit will return to the TWF full-time after Deadly MindGames. The Chicago-based icon has been present at most of the TWF's US-based shows and has been engaging in dark matches and pre-show scrimmages with TWF talent so he can return at 100%. JT Money will also pick-up the TWF schedule when he completes the recording of the début album of his hardcore band, who many in the Chicago-area press are touting as being a big deal before the year's end.
• Hayley Holder has given word that she will finish with the company after Summer Break. Holder is one of the TWF's longest continually employed talent, having missed very little since her début in 2001. Holder has had a rough few months with constant tabloid intrusion into her life, with pictures of her falling out of nightclubs becoming such a regular occurrence that some TWF wrestlers have held a sweep stake for many appearances she can get in one month. Holder has apparently decided to per sue other interests including modelling (like seemingly every TWF female who has left in the past couple of years) and it also seems becoming a socialite.
• Former TWF superstar Ryan Jenkins has turned many heads with his impressive performances in Porthcawl Championship Wrestling lately. Jenkins, who recently won the promotion's most prestigious belt, the International Championship, is being largely credited with the revival of the promotion, which was bought out by several of it's most prominent wrestlers in late-2009. What makes this interesting is that Jenkins has confirmed he is dating Siân, the ex-girlfriend of Mr. BIG, which many find perplexing as many were under the impression that her and Biggie were getting back together after a separation of almost a decade.
• Speaking of PCW, the company's annual major event, Super Clash, is gaining some momentum after the company announced it would try to reunite several of it's former stars to celebrate the 15th year of the event, including Mr. BIG. Many PCW superstars have laughed off the idea saying that Biggie would never return, but apparently the thawing relationship between Mr. BIG and the Defender as well as Ryan Jenkins's constant taunting of both Biggie and the Protégé regarding Siân means that both men are interested in "proving a point".
• Mr. BIG is reportedly in one of the worst frame of minds of his career at the moment. Biggie has lamented privately to several higher-ups in meetings that he is losing touch with all that he holds close as both Marz and NJS get married later this year, several wrestlers who he once deemed close no longer speak to him and after NJS's surprise birthday celebrations, several members of staff thought Biggie blew them off when he did nothing of the sort, forcing a badly worded reply from the members of staff concerned. Add to this the fact that Sophie continues to flaunt her single status on Twitter and his "one true love" as a close source told me, Siân, is dating his neighbour, Biggie is deeply unhappy.
• There are strong rumours coming out of TWF Towers that two TWF signings will be fast racked onto the main roster this side of Summer Break. Plymouth-based Matt Aish, who has also been working as a writer recently, has blown people away in the Asylum and PWC with his amazing work and could be on the roster quickly. Also, former Celtic Wrestling talent Connor Kelly is expected to skip development and head to the main roster. Kelly, who also works as a DJ on a local rock radio station, has said on air many times that working for the TWF would be his ultimate goal and he is working towards achieving it.
• The TWF has attempted to contact High Voltage regarding an interview for the PayBacK home video release as an added bonus but Voltage has seemingly vanished, with even Blade not sure of his brother's whereabouts. There is an understanding backstage that the brothers had a falling out a year or so back that explains when HV's name is mentioned Blade will quickly change the subject.

• Scott Hudson has told sources within the company that he foresees as this being his final year with the company. Hudson wants to make it until September and the eighth anniversary of his first appearance before then returning back to the United States to concentrate on other interests. Already there are two favourites to fill his role as lead play‐by‐play announcer: Welsh lead announcer Michael King and perhaps surprisingly, Mr. Smooth, who made a big impression with his job at the one RWF event that he announced in 2009. If King leaves the Welsh desk, the company is considering dropping it in-vision and going back to just one announce table at ringside as they have nobody else who can call the play‐by‐play in Welsh.
• The TWF has sent a letter to Jeremy Borash, the well-known TNA backstage announcer who was "fired" on Sunday night at their pay‐per‐view, asking if he would like to join the company as "creative consultant". Borash would likely continue in his TNA-like roles of hosting wrap-up programs and YouTube clips and may even host some of the TWF's broadcast programs. Borash has yet to reply to the offer, but he did re-tweet one of Mr. BIG's Twitter statuses about the TWF focusing on 2010 with new programs and that "this would be pro wrestling's year", setting the rumour mills crazy.
• Hulk Hogan made several phone calls to TWF talent who were affiliated with XCW to try and persuade them to join him in TNA. Mr. BIG, NJS and The Terminator have all spoken in recent weeks on their respective Twitter feeds about TNA, with NJS being the most outspoken saying "Hulk is the right man to lead a revolution, but the supporting cast just isn't strong." In another tweet, NJS said "He needs to leave some guys in the 90s whilst AJ, Daniels, Abyss, Joe etc. get their chances in the main event". NJS did muse about one potential match-up: "The only thing I'd really like to see in TNA is if Biggie went there and faced Kurt. That's a match I'd love to see personally". Biggie in a reply agreed stating "Kurt's on my top five guys I want to wrestle.
• The rumours about the TWF leaving Sky will not go away. With the news that from Deadly MindGames that the TWF pay‐per‐views will be offered to BT Vision customers starting straight after the event's conclusion, some take this as the TWF looking for new avenues of making money away from pay‐per‐view. The TWF have released a statement that they have an agreement with Sky that includes pay‐per‐views. Sky One continues to get better ratings with Grit BasH than previously and these will only improve as the new way of calculating program ratings in the UK comes into force.
• An erroneous press release has lead many to believe that the TWF is planning to reintroduce new programming including a third weekly show. This is not true. My sources tell me that whilst a third, 45-minute highlights show is being considered for international markets, the only show that TWF is considering as a new property moving the Saturday Sound Off to it's own 30-minute segment and altering Time-Out to a 30-minute show. The success of the Sound Off as both a podcast and segment of Time-Out leads many to believe it could stand alone without the rest of the Time-Out format, which some people find "growing stale in a world of Twitter and Facebook". A "Legends Roundtable" show is also being considered, but there are worries that a weekly show would dry up of topics quite quickly, so a compromise is that on pay‐per‐view Sundays, a legends format is used. Expect some kind of decision in the next month or so.
• Mr. BIG and NJS's mega-feud has apparently been postponed until next year as the TWF is already looking at getting their dream Summer Break venue - Wembley Stadium will apparently be accommodating enough for one weekend in August as long as the TWF promises not to ruin the turf, something the TWF initially laughed at. Therefore it is expected that the hints for the two's feud be planted this year, but the nitty-gritty of the feud will take place in 2011 with the TWF already forecasting one of the biggest gates in pro-wrestling history for the show.
• Blonde Man and Brownie have resurfaced on Facebook and have been posting a series of links to their favourite TWF moments during their tenure. Both brothers posted YouTube clips of their tag team battles against the Z-Pack in 2005 and their one-on-one match at Summer Break 2003 that saw them re-unite as a team. The duo also posted that they may have looked back not as fondly on part of their time in the TWF, but they admit that it was all a fantastic experience and that they would love to make one more appearance. They were expected to be given some kind of role in the TWF's first shows of the year, but, due to their training regimes for their new roles (as players for the Warrington Wolves rugby league franchise), they were unable to attend.
• Marz and The Shott's appearance at Time Crisis were not kept secret backstage. Marz was given a very warm return, especially considering the tragic circumstances of what happened in-between the two pay‐per‐views. The Shott was also given a hero's welcome as he made his first appearance in many years, sporting a short hair cut and gold earring. The Shott is expected to work programs elevating some new stars, but he is expected to be a big player over the duration of his contract, which is believed to be 3 years. Since his departure, The Shott gained an Honours degree in retail management and remains married to his wife Cameron, and they have a one-year old son.
• Lucy Rose and NJS's wedding is pencilled in for No Way BacK. The TWF wants to "out-do itself" with the plans for the ceremony itself. It is expected that as part of the storyline, moments from NJS's past are revisited with the exception of Lita, but Louise has verbally agreed to film a video regarding her thoughts on the nuptials. NJS is looking forward to the angle but has concerns that he will not be wrestling as much during it. He also feels that his chemistry with Lucy is quite different to that with his best friend Mr. BIG, with whom he found it "natural to be funny and goof around" where as his legitimate compassion and love for Lucy feels he can't make it happen.
• Speaking of weddings, when Marz returned, he immediately told higher-ups that he wants to take an extended leave of absence after his wedding to Michelle, which is pencilled in for July. The Shott is expected to be the best man, although like with NJS, Mr. BIG is expected to give a show-stopping speech and humorous monologue about his former next-door neighbour. Mr. Edwards's wedding is also in June, although Mr. BIG has said he only intends to miss the Fury before the ceremony for the event.
• NJS has turned in the first draft of his autobiography and only a few selected eyes have seen it. Mr. BIG is in the process of reading through it apparently as a favour to NJS proof reading his book Degrees of Sanity in 2008. Grand Central Publishing have yet to announce a date for the book but the preliminary title is "My Laws, My Story", although this is expected to change. The book is in marketing materials as being released in late-2010.
• Bill Hansen's début was well received. NJS taken Hansen under his wing and wanted a strong veteran for his first match, but the nearest thing to it was Sebastian Gross, who was happy to put Hansen over. Sam Allen, who turns 30 today, was chosen as his first pay‐per‐view opponent and the two's match was also taken well. Allen, who many feel has been underused in his TWF tenure, takes being given the chance to put over new talent is a way of getting his chance to prove himself.