Reports included on this page… 

January 21 • February 18 • March 18 • April 18 • May 6 • June 3 • June 22 • July 4 • August 3 • August 19 • August 27 • October 5 • November 3 • November 12 • December 14

• Mr. BIG returned backstage on the December 4 Grit BasH and immediately apologised to the locker room for walking out, but also set about two major goals: ending The Avenger's contract talks lock out and booking a "major venue" for Summer Break XVI. I'm reliably told that Biggie has now got the Avenger signed to a good new deal, but it's start date is ambiguous as I believe BIG wants to continue the Avenger threatening to walk out with the championship story. I'm also told that he's also very close to naming either the Millennium Stadium or Wembley Stadium as the venue for Summer Break XVI, either of which would be massive gets for the company. He doesn't mess around, does he?
• A preliminary Summer Break XV card got thrown about this week that included as headline matches Tobias Granville vs. The Assassin, Connor Kelly vs. Matt Aish and Mr. BIG vs. Justin Polaris. I understand that Mr. BIG has already planned out the lead up to Easter HeAT and it all sounds very exciting to those who have heard it.
• NJS told everyone backstage at Dangerously Serious that his appearance to present the Lover Boy Memorial Trophy would be his last ever appearance on a wrestling show, announcing that he and Lucy Rose were moving away after he accepted a new role in a large upstart tech company. There was so much disappointment in the eyes of many people when he announced the news, as many felt that NJS could always return for one last pay day, but it appears those dreams are over. Marz was in good spirits at the event too, excited to pay tribute to one of his closest friends. Hulk Hogan, to the surprise of many, was also warm and friendly and was seen for most of the day with BIG and NJS, reminiscing about their days in XCW together I'm told. The overall feeling is that the Memorial Trophy tournament could have been booked much better, but the ending to it made up for all of the mess at the beginning of the tournament.
• Mastermind will return to the company in a backstage capacity from January, and is already being deemed the number one road agent upon his return. The future TWF Hall of Famer is well rested and has told people that he has several ideas for the company that he would like to try and implement in the near future.
• Mr. Smooth is done with the TWF. Smoothy remains in rehab, but the company feel at this point he will no longer be able to carry a show as a lead broadcaster, and so once he finishes his rehab stint, his contract will be terminated. Kyle Richards will also finish up with the company at the end of the month, after deciding that his heart wasn't in becoming the new lead play‐by‐play announcer. Scott Hudson recommended Jonathan Cullen for the role once it became clear that Smoothy and Kyle Richards were out, and the reason Bryan Daniels has made cameos in PWC in the past few months is to see if there was chemistry between the two, which there evidently was. Michael King is expected to replace Roberts in PWC as the schedule for it would work out for him. King did not want to become the lead announcer due to all of the travel involved, where as in PWC, he can remain in Bridgend and work very infrequently for good money.

• The news over the weekend about BT Sport purchasing the exclusive rights to Champions League and Europa League football in the UK has implications for the TWF which are actually very very good… 
‐ In the eyes of BSkyB, BT over paid for the rights as the company has altered it's focus onto new comedies and dramas, with renewed investment in it's "home-grown" programming and not relying on imported shows. The biggest "home-grown" program on the network is Grit BasH. I have heard figures in the £600m range that BSkyB are expecting to pump into this new kind of programming and the TWF is expected to get a big chunk of that money due it's status as being the most reliable ratings draw (alongside Premier League football) on the whole Sky network. What this means is that when BSkyB are likely to begin negotiating the TWF's television rights in late 2014, the TWF's value is likely to be the highest it has ever been, barring a total disaster.
‐ BT's insistence that they will pay pretty much what it can to gain what it considers to be important programming, also means that should the TWF find Sky's deal not up to scratch, they can turn to BT and know they will get a fair value for their rights. The main stumbling block should BT attempt to gain the TWF programming is that they will likely freeze out one of the TWF's biggest income earners - pay‐per‐views, although I understand that should that come to pass, the pay‐per‐views would switch to the xWn and the xWn subscription will go up to allow a third "Main Event" type channel to be created.
‐ This is a lot of speculation on my part although my understanding from sources within the company is that the TWF is keen to maintain the status quo, but gain a large amount of new money from Sky which will allow two major things to happen - changing the taping schedule so that Grit BasH is live on Wednesday, Fury is taped on a Thursday and the TWF runs a house show on a regular basis on Friday nights. The other major change would be that the TWF would be able to do the "World Tour" (dates in Australia and Japan in particular) on Sky's dime. All in all, this is an exciting time for the TWF and it's stars and I promise to give you the best coverage possible over the next 18 months as all of this speculation continues.
• Hollywood Hulk Hogan has been contacted about making an appearance on a TWF television show whilst the company is in Florida, particularly it's dates in December. There is currently talk that Hogan has been asked to be a part of the presentation of the Lover Boy Memorial Trophy, which has upset many of the long-time talent in the company who are angry that Hogan will get the limelight of a poignant moment in the company's history. Hogan and Lover Boy did cross paths in XCW and Hogan is said to have fond memories of JB, but many people feel that any presentation will be insincere.
• There was a rumour going around this week that the TWF was looking to prominent United States based federations about some possible talent acquisitions, but since the Exodus of 2011, the TWF has decided against signing any significant talent from another promotion. The black eye the company got as a result of that whole affair has soured the company on the strategy all together, which is not a bad thing as it has allowed the company to concentrate efforts on it's own talent.
• Tobias Granville continues to impress many people with his run at the top of the card. Tobi is seen by many people as the new face of the company and this first World Championship run is expected to be the first of many, allowing Tobi to get used to how things are done at the top of the card. There are some voices of dissent within the company who feel that Tobi is being pushed too hard, too fast and too young however, and that Tobi could find himself burned out in the very near future, but his love of the company has put many people at ease.
‐ On a related note, Tobi took some fan questions this week on Twitter and one response interested me. Upon being asked for the influence of Hulmes in his career, Tobi said that he disregarded everything Hulmes taught him very quickly and that he learned more from watching the apron of the Six Man Tag Team match at Halloween Hell in 2009 than any time during his partnership with Hulmes. It must be said that since leaving the TWF, Hulmes has not endeared himself to the company, it's workers or fans.

• There have been major snags in the contract negotiations that I reported in my last dispatch. Justin Polaris, who has been consistently on the road with very little down time since his début in September 2007, is after a contract that would allow him some time off along with Alexis, as the two are looking to hopefully get married in the very near future. The new regime under Brendan Villa is apparently unwilling to do this as they consider Polaris a key player in the company and would like him around for a long time and to push him as a major star. The feeling is that this will eventually be worked out. But The Avenger has flat out refused his latest contract offer and has told several members of the locker room that he feels "grossly under valued" and is considering his options. Avenger is a very well-liked member of the locker room with an incredible work ethic who has been unlucky at times, but after his feud with The Assassin many feel that this is "his" time to shine. The fact that the company so publicly announced him as Tobias Granville's opponent for Dangerously Serious came as a surprise as many thought with the current contract situation they would not want to push someone who is intending upon leaving the company. However, there is a strong rumour the TWF will join the conga of companies who are going to replicate the CM Punk angle from 2011, with Avenger in the starring role and Villa in the Johnny Ace role.
• The departure and subsequent treatment of Mr. BIG has had repercussions beyond the locker room. Jim Ross was in talks to appear at Halloween Hell as a guest announcer, but when news of BIG's non-involvement appeared, Ross politely declined the TWF's offer. BIG's exile has also got ITV worried as the TWF made a press release this week announcing it's January show on the network. ITV have already spoken to the TWF and are desperate to get BIG back on board as he would be a key tool in promoting the show and they feel he would be the person people are tuning in to see. BIG's departure leaves The Assassin as the only person on the TWF "Mount Rushmore" still active with the company and some circles of the internet are excited that new talent is being pushed to the fore, but many people within the company are worried that without the direction of BIG, as well as Mastermind ‐ who has also not been seen since Summer Break, allegedly conducting his own protest at BIG's treatment ‐ will prove more detrimental to the promotion in the medium-to-long term.
• The Assassin is the only person who has reached out to BIG thus far and the two have spoken a few times over the past few weeks. BIG has apparently not watched the TWF, in a similar fashion to his 2008 hiatus, but was delighted to hear that TWF fans sing Happy Birthday to him throughout the October 9 edition of Grit BasH. As far as BIG's actual whereabouts, I'm told that he has headed to California with his girlfriend Shay on a vacation and is likely to return to Britain, but not Wales, in the next few days. BIG has been offered a chance to tell his side of the story but has so far refused, with the usual activity across his social media pages grinding to a halt (Brad, his webmaster and videographer, has been tweeting lately that he is now "looking for work"). Assassin has speculating that BIG is perhaps enjoying some real time off, given that in his previous hiatuses, he has always been working to some extent - be it recovering from an injury (2003, 2012-13), writing a book (2008-9) and still running the company off-screen (2012). My sources in London tell me that BIG is not expecting to do any television or film work lately either, so maybe he is just really in love and perhaps all the shots he has thrown at several people over the years about being under the thumb and leaving the business might come back to bite him.
• It may not be the massive Global Tour that some people have envisioned, but the TWF has, according to a well-placed source I have ‐ who will remain nameless ‐ begun looking for sponsors in Australia to allow for a tour there sometime soon, with December 2014 looking very likely. The plan is then to go from Australia to the West Coast of the United States, with possible stop-offs in New Zealand and Hawaii in between. The company is also looking into the legal aspects of the touring and working out visas for everyone involved.
• Many people are already angry at the lack of promotion given to the Lover Boy Memorial Tournament, which is being seen as a way of "sticking it" to the old TWF establishment. The idea of keeping the identities of several teams as a surprise has angered many, especially when Mastermind had an idea to use an episode of Overload as a tournament preview, featuring a studio show with several of the teams in attendance to discuss the tournament. I have also not heard of any plans to fly out Lover Boy's family to Orlando for the pay‐per‐view for the trophy presentation, and most people I have spoken to about this are scratching their heads about it.
• The decision to split up Isaac Dyer and Ross Lee has divided the locker room as many feel that the duo worked very well as a Tag Team and now that they are out of the Tag Team ranks, the duo will get respectively lost in the shuffle of the TWF's midcard. One former company veteran sounded off on a radio station this week that they felt the fact that the duo did not turn on each other worked against them, as it didn't give them a natural feud to go into straight afterwards.
• Maxx Nova has won many people over with his work in the past few months and the Intercontinental Championship is a rich reward. Nova and Matt Aish really enjoy working with each other and several main eventers are remarking that the feud between the two is among the best in the company at present. After Summer Break the natural plan was for Connor Kelly to have a match with Disturbed after his return at next year's event, but the long-term plan has apparently now shifted back to the PWC fan's dream bout of Connor Kelly versus Matt Aish next summer, but whether it will be for a Championship or not is undecided.
• Former TWF World Champion The Shott and TWF Hall of Famer Marz have come back into close contact and were seen enjoying each other's company this weekend for the first time in a long while. Shott has returned to south Wales, moving his young family back to the area after several years away, naturally leaving people to speculate that The Shott would be making another return to the company. Shott has spoken in a recent interview of his regret in the manner he has walked away from the TWF, twice. Shott reportedly feels that had he stuck around, he would be mentioned in the same breath as the TWF's "Mount Rushmore" of BIG, Marz, NJS, Mastermind and The Assassin. I'm told that when his family has grown up a little, he might consider a return to the ring, but he is happy with the career he has formed away from the wrestling business. On a related note, Marz was asked about the TWF's current state and Marz's honest answer was that the last time he saw the product was when he was ringside at No Way BacK 2011. Marz said he looks back on his career with a lot of fondness, but he would never make a full time return to the ring due to his love of his current job.

• Here is the complete story about Mr. BIG's absence… 
‐ BIG showed up to the post-Summer Break Grit BasH and in the writer's meeting was informed of Jack Beam's injury and that any plans for him would be put back a few days whilst a new storyline was constructed. BIG's former backstage duties have been divided up amongst the new influx of staff so that BIG's workload has been lessened. BIG did not sit at the Gorilla position, like he often does, and outside of seeing a few members of the roster on Wednesday, decided it would be better if he went home. New Head of Talent Relations, Brendan Villa, caught wind of Biggie leaving early on Wednesday and was immediately angry with the CEO, but chose not to call him about it. BIG did the Summer Break XV press conference on Thursday, which was a big success, and talked with several people about heading to PWC for a little while to work with some new talent, whilst a new storyline for him could be created. This was a win-win for everyone ‐ Biggie could still work, PWC got the rub of the best of all-time working there for a little while and some new talent could be made in the process. BIG showed up to Fury on Friday and got a very public chewing out by Villa for leaving early in the pre-show meeting for talent, but BIG stood his ground and eventually, when Villa couldn't give him a straight answer for as to why he waited two days to publicly call him out about it, when absolutely everyone in the locker room knew why BIG left the show early on Wednesday, BIG walked out, got in his car, drove to the airport and flew to his house in Florida, where he has stayed ever since.
‐ Ironically, since the eVo angle has ended, there has been a definite split within TWF management about the direction of the company, with at one point talk that everyone over the age of 34 would not have their contract renewed, which includes Mr. BIG and The Assassin. Villa has come into the job with a vision of crafting the TWF into what he deems the future of professional wrestling, but has apparently not read the memo that the TWF has always been about the collective roster's vision of the company, not one man, exemplified by the numerous speeches given by BIG through the years that whilst he has publicly appeared to steer the ship, the TWF is the sum of all it's parts and is a team effort, an ethos the roster was very proud to achieve. Villa has had BIG taken off the active roster list and he is not expected to return any time soon, but I anticipate him being back in some fashion by the rumoured big event at the Millennium Stadium in March or April next year, as incredibly Biggie has not wrestled in the venue since that famous XWF show in February 2002 where he got the monster pop.
• Mr. Smooth is being kept off TV whilst he completes a stint in rehab. This was inevitable. Prior to Summer Break, only in-ring talent were required to take random drugs tests, however, it was agreed a few months back that this would be extended to all on-screen talent, which includes referees and announcers. Smoothy had become known backstage for taking drugs before the show, then taking more drugs after the show to get down from the initial high of being in front of an audience. When there was initial rumblings of his addiction being bad, the company extended an olive branch to him, but he refused and eventually it was agreed that this was the only way to make things work out. The rumour about him being found in his home prior to Grit BasH on Wednesday after Summer Break passed out, I'm told is completely true, hence the return to the two-man booth that night and the vague reference to Smooth's whereabouts.
• Smoothy's situation has thrown a spanner in the works as it was expected that Scott Hudson return to the United States before the year's end, but Scott has decided to stay on until the situation has been resolved. Michael King's return is also a short-term deal and came about after a chance meeting with Mr. BIG a few weeks ago, with King expressing his hatred with his current PCW situation. Currently, the talk is that Kyle Richards is internally being pegged to take cover as the company's main announcer when Hudson leaves, given Smoothy has given his doubters enough of a rope to hang him with, although if King performs and is as committed as he seems to the TWF (he is apparently desperate to leave PCW at the moment as he is unhappy with both his treatment and the company's direction).
• Two major contracts are in the process of being renegotiated and it looks like both will resign. Both The Avenger and Justin Polaris have contracts that expire in December but both are in the process of hammering out the fine print on new deals. My understanding however that the two men will get time off after their contracts expire to rest up and return a few months later. Both men feel that their characters need some time away to rest and perhaps be fresh for a big run with the TWF planning two massive pay‐per‐views in March and April next year.

• Jack Beam fractured his wrist during the match with Tobias Granville and has been seen walking around with his arm in a sling and a cast. My source tells me that Jack is expected to be out for two months and his absence has shaken up plans for the TWF main event scene, as he was expected to feud with Mr. BIG, who was planning to give back one of the wins he "owes" Beam for during their World Championship feud last year. The World Championship picture has been rewritten, with a planned program for the new champion bumped up a couple of months, but BIG's status is now unknown, as he is unsure who would best benefit from a feud with him at present.
• Tobias Granville was not expecting the reaction to his tweet on Sunday evening post main event to be so overwhelmingly positive. Granville posted a tweet of him with a picture of him with Mr. BIG backstage at King of the Ring 2000 as a 12-year old holding the TWF World Heavyweight Championship, then a picture of the two following the Summer Break XIV main event with Tobi holding the World Championship belt with the caption "follow your dreams". It quickly became among the most retweeted statuses in the history of Twitter and shows how much Tobi has connected with the crowd through out the years, as well as the TWF's popularity on social networks. Were it not for the ovation Tobi got entering the Time Crisis match first a couple of years back, I don't think anyone in the upper echelons inside TWF Towers would have taken him seriously, but now he's a Triple Crown winner.
• John Harper and Mick O'Brian's match got a standing ovation backstage and there is a strong feeling that Harper is finally being groomed to be the #2 baby face behind Tobi. Harper has done a terrific job over the past month in terms of promoting both the match and Summer Break, as well as his work with former partner O'Brian being a highlight of the pre-Summer Break build. For the longest time there was talk as soon as Harper entered the promotion of the TWF capitalising on both Harper's popularity and the company's great successes in Canada in holding a Harper-Rick Majors main event at the SkyDome in Toronto for a Summer Break main event, but that match up will probably never be. But, an all-Canadian main event in Canada for a pay‐per‐view is certainly not out of the question.
• Bill Hansen has already left the UK and is somewhere in the United States undergoing preparation for an intense training camp to see if he can make the grade as an American football star. I am also told that given New Japan Pro Wrestling has a deal with an English-language television network in the works and they want someone who can work as well as draw in some Western interest, the incredible deal they offered Hansen is still on the table. Hansen may take another look at the deal now NJPW have an English-language TV deal in the works, which I understand was one of the reasons Hansen was reluctant to look at the contract seriously.
• Rick Majors has also left the UK and has returned to Canada and is likely to take a long vacation. Majors was in a good mood through out the weekend and was determined to go out in style and many were delighted with the technical match that BIG and Majors had. Majors encouraged BIG to take the match in that direction as he felt it was a refresh from BIG's usual style, as well as a throwback to his early career when he was a gifted technical wrestler - that it worked to Majors' strengths only made it better. Majors is still on the company pay roll as a member of the creative team, but whether he returns after Summer Break or not is likely to be after some serious discussion with his family.
• The atmosphere at the Hall of Fame ceremony was great on Friday night and the TWF was also happy that the ratings for the show did better than last year's "Live from FanFest" pre-Summer Break edition of Fury. BIG's speech for Lover Boy, as many people expected, was the definite highlight of the evening and I don't think there was a dry eye anywhere in the building when JB's family accepted the induction. Blade was asked to be involved in the presentation of the Television Championship at Summer Break, but decided against it when the original plan called for him to hit Connor Kelly with a Blazer post-match.
• As I understand it, a news conference is being scheduled for Thursday at the TWF Arena to announce the Summer Break XV venue and I anticipate that it will be held at the TWF Arena. Internally, "Believe In Now" is the slogan being associated with the event, which I think is a shot at the much talked about "Generations Collide" idea of old versus new for the show. At the moment, the top matches being pegged for the show are Connor Kelly versus Disturbed and The Assassin versus Tobias Granville for the TWF World Championship. Although obviously we are one year out and things will change very quickly.
• The biggest surprise of the whole weekend was the news that Mr. BIG was seen in public for the first time with his new girlfriend, Shay Mitchell. As you would expect, Shay is incredibly beautiful but made waves with her infectious personality through out proceedings, especially at the Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday. The two have been dating for just under nine months and it now appears that Shay was the person who accompanied BIG to Los Angeles when he was rehab-ing his injuries back in February, as it has been pointed out that Shay looks a little bit like Jessica Burciaga, the Playboy model BIG has been linked with in the past. The two met through a mutual friend, which I'm reliably told is Echo, as Shay is the younger sister of one of Echo's best friends (the two are Canadian). Shay has been seen on PWC TV lately filling in for one of the backstage interviewers who has been on leave for personal issues and she gained the job on her own merit, as her relationship with Biggie was not known by anyone outside the two's family (and Echo) until this weekend. Shay does not have in-ring experience but has been working out in PWC as a way of keeping herself in shape, although she has denied wanting to wrestle at any point, putting her aspirations as an actress first (she graduated from drama school and I'm told she has serious acting chops).

• Summer Break is nearing a legit sell-out, although the company is not optimistic about matching (or bettering) the attendance for Summer Break VIII or the profits from last year's show. The only seats left to be sold are those due to the production set up, which has been finalised and is being readied by Saturday morning.
• I can confirm that the show will air in 3D and that they will get their own separate announce team for the show. The company is pushing hard the various ways to watch the show this year, which is been seen as a way of expanding the company's reach without going into new territories. To the company's credit, the show will air live on pay‐per‐view on Sky, Virgin Media and BT Vision in the UK, be streamed on the TWF Web, on Xbox Live, the PlayStation 3 store among other ways worldwide. Pretty impressive going for just one event, but this happens every month and the company doesn't get enough credit for it.
• There is talk that The Assassin and The Avenger match will steal the show on Sunday. Internally, three matches are seen as being stand out: BIG/Majors, Assassin/Avenger and Nytro/Ortega.
• The heat on Mr. BIG for the Lover Boy induction has completely evaporated. BIG held a big meeting over lunch with all those who had a grievance on Saturday afternoon and much to his surprise, once BIG told everyone his plans for the speech and how to honour their friend, they were all delighted. Apparently, some rumours were spread that BIG's intentions in giving the speech were not entirely good, but this was never the case. Shortly after I filed my last report, there was talk that BIG was ready to quit the company after Summer Break due to several factors and the reaction to his speech was one of them. BIG roared back into form with a classic showing this week and shows no signs of going anywhere, which is good news for everyone concerned.
• Skindred and Testament will be at the show on Sunday, performing Tobias Granville and Mick O'Brian's entrance themes respectively. Neither are expected to perform as an intermission act a la Megadeth last year, with a parade of the Hall of Fame inductees expected to serve that purpose instead.
• Scott Hudson was legitimately kept in the dark about his Hall of Fame induction until the video for it aired last Friday, as all material in the run down for the show stated "Final Hall of Fame inductee". The induction was supported unanimously, but (there always seems to be a "but" in these situations), there is a strong feeling that inducting Hudson is a way of gently pushing him towards the exit door. Hudson's departure seems to have been a running theme for this column and the closest he came was when his contract was expiring 18 months ago but he signed an extension. While inserting Mr. Smooth at the announce team was a gimmick to get the eVo/TWF divide over, it was also to get him experience behind the live announce desk on a regular basis. Smoothy's work on Overload was great, but he was able to gloss over some mistakes thanks to the show being taped. Hudson's current contract details are not known to me at this time and there is strong talk that he wants to return with his family back to Atlanta. If Hudson does leave, also don't count out Kyle Richards possibly taking his place as he has impressed many in the company and has the advantage over Smoothy of being a former play‐by‐play lead, back in his HDW days. And yes, Hudson was always the "secret" Hall of Fame inductee planned for the show.
• The cause of Disturbed's injury is still unknown and no-one quite knows exactly how he did it. Connor Kelly spoke with Disturbed on Saturday from the hospital and along with Gabriele Hiemler was by his side through most of the day. Mr. BIG stayed with Disturbed through out the night on Friday in hospital and his planned promo was switched with a Rick Majors promo on the fly. The seven months time scale is said to be about average for Disturbed's kind of injury and from speaking with members of the roster, due to Disturbed's highly technical style, his in-ring work upon returning should stay roughly the same. The plan to use the injury as an angle to further the Four Way Dance at Summer Break was okayed by Biggie, Disturbed, Kelly and Zero and many people, especially after the sensational segment on Wednesday night, feel the program could be the hottest going into the big show on Sunday. I should state the obvious as well now and the planned Zero heel turn has been shelved indefinitely.
• Since my last report, I have been asked about details of the TWF's relationship with BSkyB. The company signed a new contract in December 2011 effective January 1, 2012 that was for 3 years in duration. The TWF can opt-out of the deal at any time, but can do so without any financial penalty inside the first 20 months. During that time the TWF signalled it wanted to lower it's number of pay‐per‐views from 12 to eventually 9 in exchange for Sky throwing in some money to help with production (for example, the TWF had absolutely no interest in doing any 3D broadcasts at all fearing it would be a money pit, therefore all 3D events have come out of Sky's pocket). In exchange, Sky wanted more TWF programming, hence why Meltdown was moved to Sky One and Road to Glory was commissioned. Sky now also gets a cut of the xWn subscription, which is why it is expected to be raised in October for the first time in four years. The general feeling within the TWF about Sky is that they have been good partners for the company and without whom, the company would not be the success that it is. But, Sky don't acknowledge the TWF when it is among, if not, the biggest successes in it's history and the TWF's existence is second only to Sky picking up the rights to Premier League football in 1992 as turning points for the organisation. The TWF keeps good relationships with Sky's competitors largely as a way of keeping Sky on their toes. When the company was at it's most angry in mid-2007, the company did actually look at going xWn/online only, but concluded the technology was not there at the time. However, when the TWF TV deal gets reorganised next year, things could very well change… 
• There was a statement that did the rounds on the internet this week that ITV had agreed a deal to revive World of Sport wrestling and what this would mean for the TWF. I believe that the statement was used to drum up publicity for a promotion that is using the name and style for a show, but will not air on the ITV network. The TWF's deal with ITV is still on, but there has been a change of plans due to their plan of showing new episodes of The X Factor on both Saturday and Sunday through out this autumn and winter. As I understand it, the TWF's next ITV special will air in January 2014 and will be a 90-minute special from the TWF Arena as a result. These negotiations were all Mr. BIG's doing, and the company believes that getting 90-minutes on a Saturday in January is a better result than an hour where it will simply be an entertainment show lead-in.

• The preliminary diagnosis on Disturbed's injuries are not good at all. While Disturbed said that he had lost some sensation as he got out of the ring, tests have confirmed that he will not be paralysed. There is no indication from watching back the match, or from Disturbed what was the part of the match that caused the damage. Obviously, this news has forced a reshuffle of the TV Title match at Summer Break, and expect an announcement about that by Wednesday. I understand that Disturbed will be gone for at least a year. As of right now, there is no heat on Connor Kelly for what has happened. Connor is, as you would expect, devastated at what has happened and is very down at the moment.
• There are increasing reports regarding the unhappiness of Kaitlin Simmons since her return from injury. There is also a number of reports that she was unhappy about not being involved in a Women's Championship picture for the second year in succession and was unhappy at likely being featured in a second women's match. The fact that her boyfriend will be the TWF World Champion going into Summer Break has also influenced her attitude backstage, and Simmons is flaunting herself for all she is worth. Beam and Simmons have been dating for the past eighteen months or so, but it only became official after Beam won the World Title again in May. Internally, this is being seen as vindication for those who were vocal about hiring those who were not wrestling fans into the company, although it should be pointed out that Tara Wilson has been the most successful Women's champion in a very long time. As far as Simmons goes, I think she is safe for the time being, and I expect her to do what all females who get angry at the company do ‐ start claiming that they are into acting, modelling and "other pursuits". Not like we've seen this before is it?
• I have to admit I was surprised that there was no announcement about the Olympic Stadium at Total Chaos but due to the announcement that British Athletics have reached a deal to use the stadium, and the work next year to reformat the stadium for it's new use, means the TWF will not be able to use it. Wembley will not be available in late August as it will be in "football mode", and the company has not talked about using Twickenham, so the original plan of holding the event at the TWF Arena seems most likely. This could change considering that the announcement of the venue is now not expected until Dangerously Serious. There is also some thought that the TWF will hold a pay‐per‐view at the Millennium Stadium next year, but split the stadium in half, so instead of constructing the stage used for the stadium shows, the company can use it's regular staging just scaled up slightly. The Millennium Stadium is also being talked about as hosting Summer Break if not next year, but the following year.
• With news that the TWF is expanding into more and more foreign markets in the next few months - including South Africa, Brazil and Argentina, there is talk that the TWF will spend almost all of 2015 away from the United Kingdom, instead participating in a World Tour the likes of which have never been seen. These ambitious plans are currently only being discussed, but they have the potential to either make the company a whole load of money… or cost a ridiculous amount. The company wants to supplant the increased money from TV rights with a higher percentage of money from live events, which is why the company is still looking at holding a house show of some kind on foreign tours.
• Surprisingly, the reaction to the news of Mr. BIG giving the induction speech of his dear friend Lover Boy has not been universally positive. BIG spoke in-depth with the family to finalise the details of the speech two weekends ago, finalise the induction process as well as figure out details of both a Memorial Show next February, as well as the Lover Boy Memorial Trophy that will be contested this autumn. BIG posted a tweet about being at Lover Boy's house for a barbecue in his memory a few weeks back with many former TWF stars. But, the news that BIG will give the induction has angered those who were "closer" to JB, despite the fact that the two were childhood friends. BIG has put it down to his mantra of never being able to please everybody, but there are a growing number of non-attendees to the Hall of Fame ceremony and part of this is, allegedly, in protest of BIG's induction speech. This was what Rick Majors was referring to during his promo at the Royal Albert Hall. There are no plans for BIG not to give the speech, as he has the backing of both their closest friends (the two most prominent names are exactly the two you would expect and if you need me to identify them, you're crazy), and the family of his friend.
• As of this weekend, the Hall of Fame ceremony line-up is as follows: Outgoing head of the Asylum, Wayne Morris will be inducted by outgoing head of PWC, Paul Bowen; the surprise builder induction will follow; Lover Boy will be inducted by Mr. BIG; Blade will be inducted by High Voltage and Team EV will be inducted by Marz. Team EV going on last is due to the fact that they are still held in high regard by many fans, although the ratings for the show are expected to be very good. The surprise inductee's name will be revealed in the next two weeks and his name has finally come up, but I'm still not going to release it as I understand that they have not been informed. Originally it was decided that each wrestling inductee would get a "Hall of Fame Series" Home Video release in the aftermath of the ceremony, but the company will instead spread out the releases to promote them individually rather than in bulk.
• I'm told that the plans to induct The AshTaker have been put on hold after falling out of touch with the company over the past few months. Some people within the company are said to be glad that AshTaker has held off on an entrance into the Hall as many feel he deserves a headlining slot all by himself. There is no doubt that AshTaker will enter the Hall at some point, but some agreement is expected to be made with 'Taker in the future. Currently the plan is for the Hall of Fame to take place every time that a major pay per view event is held at the Bridgend Dome, which is in keeping with the company's two year or so rotation of events at the venue. The only certainty is that Mastermind will definitely headline the next class as he will have passed his ineligibility period.
• Road to Glory looks set to top the first season with there already rumours of drama regarding the participants. The training team is led by Wayne Morris with TWF Hall of Famer Jean Claude Van Slam, legendary UK grappler "Squire" Dave Taylor and Mastermind adding their input. The cast is a real diverse mix, with some veterans and one participant who has never had a match. First season winner Tyler Jacobson is said to be thriving in PWC at present and will cameo in this season at some point. Jacobson is expected to form the nucleus of a new PWC when the new booking team gets full control in the next few months, with many optimistic that he will spend no longer than 18 months in the territory before working up to the main roster.
• Despite the fact that the TWF's relationship with Sky is said to be strong, there are loud rumours that BT will aggressively pursue the rights to the WWE in the UK when they are renegotiated later on this year. BT feels adding the WWE to it's growing portfolio of live sports rights will give Sky "a black eye". Personally, I see Sky keeping WWE, but if the WWE does leave, it will give the TWF a very strong hand to play when its TV contract is renegotiated in 18 months time. On a related note, there is a pitch going around TWF Towers that Sky want to have a TWF version of "Total Divas" air on Sky Living later this year. Behind the scenes documentaries are often considered by the company but the only ones that have aired have been produced in-house, like the documentary about the build up to last year's Summer Break that was on the Home Video and aired at Christmas.

• The company is undergoing several changes that amount to the biggest shake-up in the company since Paul Heyman was ousted in 2008. Several long time backstage talents, especially members of the creative team and long time road agents, are either leaving or retiring between now and Summer Break. Those leaving are already working with their replacements and it was noted by many wrestlers that there seemed to be more and more people backstage lately. Many of the road agents are those with experience in both the United States and UK independent scene and are known by many backstage, making their arrivals welcomed. The members of the creative team are a mix of non-fans, but who have good creative minds and some long-time (and very vocal) fans who are hoping to shape the company that way. The departing writers are staying on until Summer Break to see their story lines and ideas through, and there is already a good feeling among several of the younger members of the locker room as they have usually benefited from a sea change in TWF booking policy.
• Of the departures, some are names that smart fans will be very aware of. Head of PWC and former head of BCW, Paul Bowen, is retiring, as is the head of the Asylum, Wayne Morris, but more on him later. Bowen's replacement is apparently the subject of much internal politicking at the moment, with many names including Marz, Jean Claude Van Slam and former TWF 2000-era talent and current road agent M.D. Jones being tipped for the role. The Bandit, JT Money and Overnight Male, who were still on the TWF payroll as "writing consultants" (being asked once every couple of months how the company is doing and seeing if they had any ideas), are being replaced by new full-time writers, including two fans who were behind a small independent promotion in south Wales that was gaining some rave reviews. The Protégé, who was a "production consultant" is also being taken off payroll, as is Tom Rich, who is moving on to form his own independent production company. The new production staff is a mix of referrals, TWF scouting and advertising the posts in several prominent publications relating to the areas of expertise required. It is a safe bet that the TWF will look a little bit different on-screen come October, when Sky hope to tie in several of it's US acquisitions into a new advertising campaign with the TWF playing a key role.
• It looks like Sarah Thomas will let her contract expire and leave the company very soon. After returning in 2010 and forming Genesis, Sarah has been unfortunate to get lost in the shuffle, especially with Mike Haggar not playing as prominent a role in the eVo storyline as perhaps many would have liked. Given how unlikely her return in 2010 was, I would never say never to her possibly returning, but my understanding is that Sarah has saved up her money to buy a house and get married to her long-term boyfriend, who she has been dating for almost a decade.
• Mastermind returns from a two week vacation with his family today and filming on the second series of TWF Road to Glory will begin next week. The trainers have yet to be confirmed, with Jean Claude Van Slam the only guaranteed returnee from the first season playing a role. UK legends Rollerball Rocco and Robbie Brookside are being rumoured to play a role, as is former WWE head trainer, Dr. Tom Prichard. Road to Glory is officially the last assignment for the head of the Asylum, Wayne Morris, who has run the facility since it's inception. His replacement has not yet been confirmed, but it is expected to be his deputy, Dean Morgan, who has been in that role for a number of years and was expected to take over proceedings. As far as the show goes, internal documents show the cast list to be very diverse, both in terms of appearance, personality and experience. Filming is expected to wrap in mid-August, with Road to Glory expected to be a lead-in to Grit BasH on Wednesday nights this winter.
• There has been some backlash to the news in my last report that Marz is likely to give Team EV's induction speech at the Hall of Fame this summer, with many fans preferring that Stephen Jenkins give the speech instead. When this rumour reached Jenkins backstage, he stated that it would unlikely to have Team EV's blessing, as the two sides have not spoken to each other since the duo's departure from the company at Summer Break IX. Deadman, however, has apparently been asked by the twin brothers to give the speech as their friendship is a little more cordial, but my understanding is that Marz would be preferred by the TWF brass. Wayne Morris's retirement gift is expected to be a place in the Hall of Fame, with his induction likely to be provided by his long time colleague and fellow retiree, Paul Bowen. The second builder I mentioned in my last report is being kept close to the company's chest, but my only source on the matter says that this induction is well over due. High Voltage is said to be putting the finishing touches to Blade's induction speech. There has been a big push internally this week for Mr. BIG to give the induction speech for Lover Boy, as many fans have heard from almost everyone close to the legend except Biggie - who only gave two website updates about the matter. BIG would only do the speech with the co-operation of the family and those who were in JB's inner circle and BIG would not want to step on anyone's toes. Basically, don't count on it.
• Speaking of our glorious overlord, Biggie's name is being openly discussed as hosting ITV's replacement for Dancing on Ice that will air next year. BIG's dealings with ITV earlier this year - landing the TWF it's three Saturday night prime time specials - have put him back within the company's spotlight. There is no doubt that BIG could carry any format with absolutely no problems at all. I can reveal that ITV also contacted Biggie about hosting a Saturday night prime time show in 2011 shortly after leaving the company to promote When the Crowds are Gone, but negotiations broke down when BIG was told he would have no input on the show being pitched. A friend of mine who works at the network tells me that the production company BIG formed at the time to produce any show, has been investigating the availability of several formats ‐ former Saturday night staples You Bet! (which was a hit for the network) and Noel's House Party (a BBC favourite that is often rated highly in nostalgia polls); BIG's favourite game show The Crystal Maze and a format based on an Italian game show that BIG has apparently had his eye on doing in the UK for some time. This is just something to bear in mind at the moment as Dancing on Ice will have one more series in early-2014 and there is no indication that anything is being confirmed at this very early stage, but consider this a heads up.
• The first ever Lover Boy Invitational is being planned backstage and BIG has begun contacting some big name tag teams to appear in the event. The current idea is to hold the event in a Grand Prix format and to alternate the tournament with the King of the Ring tournament now taking place in even-numbered years and the Lover Boy Invitational taking place in odd-numbered years. I've already heard that some popular US tag teams have been contacted to work the tournament, as well as one or two former TWF tag teams to reunite and help establish some younger talent.
• The Assassin is looking to re-establish himself as a singles star now that his legendary tag team partner has retired. The Modern Day Messiah has been consulting with some talent and members of the backstage team about a possible image change and the results of which are likely to be seen soon. The mask will stay, but Assassin is looking to change up his attire and entrance, perhaps adding a new move or two into his repertoire. Assassin is tied into a long-term contract and has absolutely no plans to retire, by the way. Several other talents are looking at a possible entrance music change and are in discussions with the production and marketing departments to achieve this.
• Rocco Bellandini has been missing for a while and I have discovered that this is an injury layoff. Bellandini hurt his back in May and attempted to work through the pain, but only made the pain worse. Upon further examination, Bellandini discovered he had almost broken his back and was instead told to take a significant time away from the ring to recuperate. Bellandini is devastated to miss out on Summer Break, but is confident of returning to the ring sometime soon.
• I'm told to expect an announcement about Summer Break XV during the Total Chaos weekend, which leads me to believe that the TWF has reached a deal with the new owners of the Olympic Stadium to hold the event there next summer. This is based on the fact that Total Chaos will be held in the shadow of the venue and the timing seems more than just coincidental. However, I am told that the company is internally optimistic that a deal can be made to take the event to either Twickenham Stadium ‐ which has quietly gained some traction as a major event venue or Wembley Stadium. At the moment Twickenham is being preferred simply based on the fact that the TWF has tried Wembley Stadium to arrange a date at Wembley so many times (my understanding is that the company has tried every year since 2009 to get into the venue but has been unable to) that this is likely to be the last time the company tries it and if it doesn't come together now, the company will not try again. If all else fails, the TWF will likely fall back on the original plan of holding it at the TWF Arena, so if you hear nothing on Total Chaos weekend, expect the announcement to happen on Summer Break weekend.

• Mastermind's retirement speech was well received backstage. Mastermind has returned home and is taking some time away from the company, but he has been given what has been dubbed a "Mick Foley deal" by the TWF. Mastermind confirmed last week that he will be the host of the second season of TWF Road to Glory, which will begin on Sky One in October. Mastermind will also remain on the creative team and is already drawing up a list of talent he would like to spend some time with.
• Reaction to "The Final Battle" was more positive than many expected thanks to the way that it managed to tie up every loose end in the eVo storyline. Those backstage were ecstatic at the reveal of John Harper as being the TWF's insider in the group, and the reaction to both Mr. BIG's quickfire eliminations and Mastermind's slow walk back down to the ring. The storyline is likely to go down in TWF history as being one with so much potential that was ultimately not fore filled, but many are happy with the way it ended. In the mean time, the only feud from the faction that is likely to last into Summer Break is the Mr. BIG/Rick Majors animosity, which will set up the semi-Main Event of the program as things stand.
• Many fans have asked me to the identity of the former TWF talent who will be returning in the run up to Summer Break. If my source is correct, the TWF deserves some serious praise as this very useful worker has not had their name mentioned on any rumour website that I have seen. My source also tells me that as things stand, this talent will stick around after Summer Break after hearing the plans for them. Internally they are being pegged as taking the "workhorse" spot between the upper midcard and main event.
• The seeds of discontent between Disturbed and Zero are going to lead to a split of Technically Superior, but the TWF is unsure whether to pull the trigger on the move at Summer Break. The success of the tag team - arguably the greatest team in TWF history - has exceeded the wildest expectations of absolutely everyone. Internally Disturbed is being pegged as the babyface of the two, although this could change.
• A fan asked me on Twitter this week if any of the TWF bonus matches that have been promoted at PWC events lately will appear on the Summer Break card. Judging from what I see of the Summer Break card, there will be a couple of matches from the past few months that look to appear on the card, but one match that many internally had pegged as the closing match of Summer Break as recently as April was said to be a total clash of styles and required a complete change of plans.
• I can confirm that a very well placed source has informed me that Team EV have accepted the TWF's invite to be enshrined in the company's Hall of Fame. The duo were back in Bridgend last weekend and were seen with Marz in Bridgend on Saturday night and my source tells me that Marz will be responsible for their induction thanks to his role as their trainer, mentor and opponent. It is now expected that Team EV's induction close the Hall of Fame ceremony. A separate source has told me that the TWF will induct two "builders" with one name set in stone and a second name that is still being considered and they will be the first two inductions. The AshTaker's induction will follow and at the moment, the clubhouse leader for that speech is NJS, but both my sources tell me that NJS is holding off on making the speech, leaving many to believe that The Terminator will instead provide speech duties. Lover Boy's speech is expected to be delivered by Frekishi and or the Fox (The Fox delivered the eulogy at his funeral and Fox has said that it wouldn't be fair to deliver a second speech on the same theme) with some contributions from many of his close friends. The only thing that is absolutely confirmed about the ceremony is that Blade's induction speech will be delivered by High Voltage. More details about the Hall of Fame ceremony will be added in the next few weeks.
• Following on from my last report, the TWF is allowing talent to attend the BCW Old Timer's event. As far as I aware, I do not expect many - if any - talent to take them up on the offer and internally there is more buzz surrounding the PWC Invitational Tournament, which will begin on Friday night for the first time with a special non televised show, with some TWF talent being made available to appear.
• Read into this what you will, but apparently both thrash metal legends Testament and Welsh metal titans Skindred have curiously changed their tour dates lately so there is a gap on the final Sunday in August.

• There was a dispute this week over the status of Hawke. To confirm what I had reported in my previous dispatch, Hawke was contacted by the TWF to work a "Rock-type" deal where he would work a minimal amount of dates in July and August as well as Summer Break for quite good money. This upset much of the talent - many of whom thought that the deal would be self-serving and that in the end, the real losers would be the midcard, as one of their spots would be taken up by a part timer. Hawke was back in Bridgend this weekend and told those who saw him that he was just visiting friends, but one of my sources in TWF Towers tells me that Hawke was also back to confirm the fine print on his new deal. To many people's surprise, personnel were keeping the deal very quiet until Mr. BIG surprised the office by showing up on Bank Holiday Monday and caught wind of the situation. As the CEO, BIG signs off on all major hires and firings and this one was apparently being done without his consent. As a result, BIG suspended those in personnel involved and gave an incredible speech to the locker room prior to Grit BasH that brought smiles to many faces. My source in the room tells me "He said that he would never let someone who worked nowhere near the same amount of dates as the guys who form the backbone of the company come in and take one of their spots away". BIG has said that he is not against a part-timer working the TWF roster, but under they would do so knowing that their main role would be to help establish new talent.
• I should point out that this could be an example of the TWF's hypocrisy as I have received word that the company has just finished negotiations with a former main event talent who will return to work Summer Break and collect a rather nice cheque. I will however state that this talent will apparently return to the roster on a full time basis following Summer Break if they are happy with their work.
• On a related note, Hades will return to the TWF. But not as a competitor. Hades quit his body-building tour and has instead decided to open up his own gym. However, the TWF has asked him to join it's medical staff as a nutritionist, as Hades returned to college to gain his degree in the discipline in the last few years. He is not expected to work a full-time schedule and be at every show, but he will be contacted for advice by talent with regards to improving their diets. Whether Hades could be persuaded to work the "money match" that many people mention against the likes of Jackal, Riptide, Titan and especially Nytro remains to be seen. But I guess if Hades is on the payroll, there is more chance of it happening than if he was not.
• Bill Hansen's contract ends on August 31 and he is likely to be done at Summer Break. Reaction within the locker room to his departure (and his reasoning for it) is not as negative I imagined, with many happy for Hansen that he achieved one of his dreams (becoming TWF World Champion) and now he is moving onto hopefully achieving his next one. Quietly, there is some talk that Hansen could at the very least make the training squad of an NFL team within the next few years, but it might require a lucky break or two on his part to achieve that.
• Although this year's Summer Break card is nowhere near set in stone yet (a rarity for the TWF in this era), there is talk that the company is aggressively perusing Wembley Stadium for Summer Break XV or XVI. While the Olympic Stadium is a more attractive (and frankly, more likely) option, the company would love to finally hold an event in the stadium, that has long been a dream for fans and wrestlers alike.
• The company is keeping people guessing as to the final result of the main event match at Against All Odds. While many assume that the match is the intended blow off for the well thought out but ultimately flawed eVo storyline, the eVo talent have been seen working on a soundstage on a Bridgend Industrial Estate, apparently working on a commercial for their new programme. My understanding was that the talent were being used to help motion capture the new TWF video game, but I have since been told that the new TWF video game is nowhere near entering development as of yet.
• Former development territory BCW has scheduled an "Old Timer's Dinner" in the centre of Bridgend for the weekend of Total Chaos (and the PWC Invitational) that is being organised by some former TWF talent and to my surprise, there seems to be a good feeling about those attending. My thoughts were that given the nature of social media these days, a reunion type affair would be years away, especially for a company that only closed six years ago (and reopened two years ago). For those curious, the handful of BCW graduates left on the TWF roster will not be attending for the obvious reason that they have other engagements, but also due to a sense of divide between the later graduates (who were mainly signed by the TWF and sent to BCW to learn to work in a TWF-style ring) and the earlier graduates who helped "build" the company.

• Rick Majors getting an open microphone and no script on Friday night was the idea of the four wrestlers who currently reside on the booking committee: The Assassin, Mastermind and of course, Mr. BIG. The tone of Major's promo has taken many by surprise, but it has got everyone talking for the first time in a while. My understanding is that the promo has setup the rumoured BIG/Majors match at Summer Break, as well as the climax to the eVo angle, which is - to borrow a phrase - on the home straight.
• I have received confirmation in the past few days that the current status with Bill Hansen is that he has rejected the TWF's latest contract offer. After much speculation, it is now my understanding that Hansen will quit the company, but not for a rival or another pro wrestling organisation. Hansen will instead take time away to achieve his lifelong ambition of making it in the NFL. Hansen is buoyed by the recent signing of former Olympian Lawrence Okoye as a free agent and believes that he stands a better chance of making it due to having played the sport. Hansen wants to play full-time this season in a league of some format, possibly a college then make himself available for signing in 2014. Internally, there is some anger being directed towards Hansen, after the company gave him a big push and attempted to make him a big star out of the eVo angle. The company is also being very protective about this news as they fear the embarrassment of losing one of their biggest stars to a sport where there is no guarantee he will be a success. One mid card wrestler noted that the situation parallels that of Brock Lesnar's departure from the WWE in 2004, although if Hansen's NFL dream doesn't work out, he is unlikely to attempt an MMA career.
• Despite many people's perceptions, there is a feeling that the TWF needs more mainstream recognition and there have been ideas floated around by the marketing department on how to achieve this. There is talk that Hawke, who performed at the Oliver Awards this weekend and is gaining rave reviews for his recent performances in plays, be given a "Rock-type" deal to return and work Summer Break for big money. When this idea reached the locker room, one upper carder was not amused and asked what Hawke's major contribution to the TWF was so that he could earn morn than them for six weeks work. The other idea was that the TWF use it's new relationship with ITV to encourage fringe stars, and some former talent who perhaps could do with some exposure, to participate in one of their reality shows. However, ITV themselves admit that there is a very short list of talent they would consider for their flagship reality show "I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here" and none of those names have been able to do the show in the past.
• To the credit of the marketing department, they have been earning their dollars over the past few weeks. The company is finally close to negotiating deals that will see a large range of TWF products enter into stores over the coming months. A few of the comic book fans in the company have managed to persuade a publisher to take a small order of new pieces from a variety of artists. There is also a "multi-million-dollar" deal with a toy company that will see the first range of TWF action figures and other related merch finally be released.
• There will be no decisions on cast members for the second season of Road to Glory until at least mid-July, with the show to begin filming in early August. Those who attended the initial try‐outs this week prior to Grit BasH were told that there would likely be another round of try‐outs and encouraged trainees to leave tapes and demos of their work. Due to the nature of the try‐outs being invite only, only serious applicants were there which meant they were all very prepared for what the TWF's team threw at them. Several people who saw the try‐outs described them as light hearted and intense in equal measure, with everyone giving their all. In a related note, there is a rumour that the company will hold a series of open try‐outs at The Asylum for the first time in a number of years later on this year.
• A reader sent along a question asking what the establishment of a WWE Training Center in Orlando will do regarding The Asylum. My sources indicate that the TWF considers the WWE as playing catch-up as The Asylum facilities have existed for so long. There has recently been a round of gym refurbishments in the south Wales area that is largely being seen as an attempt to gain some wrestlers training away from The Asylum gyms. Prior to the big Asylum gym upgrade (not that the facilities, even then, were very old) a lot of gyms used the pull of a TWF wrestler or two being regulars as a way of enticing more memberships. The latest round of refurbishments is seen in some quarters as a way of enticing the TWF talent back. The Asylum is not due another upgrade for a number of years, but there was a reshuffle of the space there to allow a large section to be used by the growing population of talent who participate in the CrossFit training program.
• BT have been making overtures at the TWF regarding the company ditching Sky entirely and heading to the BT Sports channels when they launch later this year. Throughout the history of this column, the TWF's love-hate relationship with BSkyB has been very well documented, but the two companies are on the best standing that they have ever been on at the moment. One source told me "I expect the company to use BT as leverage when the negotiations for a new deal open, but they wouldn't leave Sky now only to be booted around BT's schedules".
• The first promos for Summer Break have been signed off and will air during The Gold Card. Internally, the company is optimistic that the return of Summer Break to the TWF's heartlands will mean a good first day's ticket sales. The company will also begin announcing the details of the Summer Break week of festivities around this time too. I anticipate that the Hall of Fame induction ceremony will air on a slight delay on Friday night in the Fury time slot, with a bigger emphasis on the pre-PPV Grit BasH instead.

• Road to Glory has finally been given the green light for a second series and the TWF is now considering the up-coming try‐outs on the European tour as auditions for a role on the show, as well as landing more experienced talent a chance to head to PWC. However, I have a very reliable source that tells me that Marz will not return to host, instead remaining with his architecture firm as it completes a series of big jobs. Mr. BIG is against hosting the show, considering himself to be over exposed TV-wise, so the company is looking at several ideas. Currently, The Assassin, The Shott and Jean Claude Van Slam are considered the favourites to host the show, with Mastermind and Rick Majors in another camp. The company is also considering not having a host and instead changing the format of the show to a more documentary based format. The plan is for the show to begin airing in October, with a 12 to 14 week run.
• The announcement that the company is sending big names to the PWC Invitational Tournament this year is not - as many think - a warning shot to local rivals. The TWF has quietly begun advertising one or two TWF superstars for PWC tapings and using them to encourage the PWC squad. There is another reason - the company is worried that some of the big matches that they have planned will fall flat if they début on pay‐per‐view, so the plan is to have the two advertised TWF superstars work a dark main event to test out any potential match ups. A source in PWC told me this week "There is one match in particular that we are anxious to see as we hear it could be the Summer Break main event - and it might end up a disaster".
• The TWF Web is expected to get a reformat in the next few months as part of the TWF's new social media strategy. There has been criticism of the web site lately that it is "outdated" and serves only as a source of information. As a result, traffic is not as high as it once was. Now the company is looking to add more website exclusives such as wrestler columns on anything from workouts to lifestyle, as well as opinions from fans and writers. The website will also receive it's first major redesign in almost five years and will be better adapted for mobile use, a massive bug bear with fans. The TWF is planning to hold a press conference about the changes in the next few weeks.
• The changes to the presentation of the TWF product itself have also not gone unnoticed. With the retirement of the two previous directors of TWF TV shows, the subtle changes like the "BottomLine"-like ticker and more emphasis on calling the matches instead of the stories are as a result and could be a more permanent feature. There is also considerable talk that the three-man announce team will remain even after the eVo angle has finished, but this remains to be seen, as some people are quietly hoping that Scott Hudson leaves the company and allows Mr. Smooth - who many rate as a lead announcer - to become the chief voice of the company.
• A tournament in the memory of Lover Boy will take place this year, possibly in October. Plans were floated in the big writers meeting a few weeks ago and the plan is to invite some tag teams in for a World Tag Team Grand Prix, a favourite of Japanese promotions and some American companies. The original plan was for the final match to be held on pay‐per‐view, but in recent days there has been support of making the tournament final a focus of the TWF's late-year ITV show. JB's family are supportive of the idea and the company hopes to have some kind of plan for the tournament in place for his anticipated Hall of Fame induction in August.
• The current rumour regarding the Bill Hansen situation is that is apparently being offered one of the most impressive deals in the history of Japanese wrestling. Hansen would work a "six weeks on, four weeks off" schedule for as much money as the TWF is paying him at the moment. Hansen didn't express much interest in the deal when it was initially offered, but when a sports agent told him the terms and conditions, Hansen seemed more interested. Whilst the TWF wants to avoid the embarrassment of losing it's World Champion to what it would deem a "lesser rival", some people on the writing team are already planning for life without him and figure that they could make a "bigger star with relative ease".

• At least two main event-level talent will be gone in the next few months, although their identities are not much of a secret backstage, but a third name has recently appeared which has come as a shock to many. While Rick Majors and Mastermind are anticipating retirement in the next few months and both being well received road agents, Bill Hansen's contract runs out after Summer Break and Hansen's negotiations have come to a stop in recent weeks. Hansen has not looked burnout from his schedule (instead, he actually says he enjoys the extra workload) and Hansen has no family commitments that we are aware of, leading many to ponder his direction.
• The plan to keep The Assassin and Mastermind off television since Eve of Destruction was a joint decision by both men to help the storyline along. The endgame for the storyline is in sight and it will all come to ahead, as planned, in the next few months. The duo's return and the way it was managed on the ITV special excited many of the wrestlers backstage, as it portrayed the returning duo as a big deal and feel that while the eVo storyline has had it's ups and downs, it will end on a high. Also, one of the writers who left the writing team at the tail end of last year posted on Twitter an interesting tidbit that said the original plan for the referee's strike at Collision Course last year was for it to lead to a full eVo referee contingent and ring announcer, but the plans were changed after Jack Beam went down injured.
• The success of the ITV special is rightly being given to Mr. BIG, who kept a close eye on proceedings at the Gorilla position. Fans, wrestlers and agents alike were very happy with the format of the show and the swerve at the end of the show. The deal calls for another two specials to be aired before the end of the year and the next special will air in the run up to Summer Break.
• I am told that there will be a big meeting after Easter HeAT to dictate the booking strategy towards Summer Break. There are some plans already being thrown around, which still sound familiar to those rumours I heard in time for my first dispatch of the year. While some agents and writers dread the long-term booking strategy meetings, comparisons to the current funk that the WWE is experiencing were made, with most agreeing that the TWF will try and prevent such a situation occurring.
• Kris Kage's citation as one of the underrated stars of the eVo contingent on a major wrestling blog this week has not gone unnoticed. Kage is considered one of the most dependable young wrestlers in the company at the moment and feel that the eVo storyline has helped make him into a big deal. There is some talk that Kage could surpass the one year mark as (uninterrupted) All-Action champion, putting him in very elite company.
• An interesting rumour crossed my desk this week about UK broadcaster, Jonathan Ross, being in training for a professional wrestling match and the TWF were linked. My sources have told me that the TWF has no interest in bringing in any celebrities from outside a combat arena (i.e. boxing, mixed martial arts) to wrestle a match. Ross was recently aired footage of him at an event in southern England over the winter on one of his shows, but Ross insists he is just a fan. Such is the absurdity of things at the moment, I had one person ask me if that they thought Ross could be revealed as the "higher power" behind eVo… 
• Team EV are still stumbling over a possible Hall of Fame induction. There plans afoot for each inductee to get a well-rounded career retrospective released on TWF Home Video post-Summer Break and the duo are uncertain of whether to return to the professional wrestling arena to accept their induction. The other reason is that there is uncertainty as to whether their rugby league schedules will allow them to attend or even participate in any Hall of Fame related activities. The original plan of inducting another pair of superstars should Team EV not accept has been changed and should the duo decline, the company is looking at adding one other name in their place.
• Invites have already been sent out to prospective TWF talent based on the continent for try outs prior to TWF TV tapings when the TWF hits the road in a couple of months time. The company is looking at a lot of talent from a lot of different countries, with a lot of people thinking at the moment that the TWF's future success depends on a more cosmopolitan roster. The plan is currently to conduct try outs on every other date on the tour, inviting talent to whichever TV taping is nearest them, with the cream of the crop being given the chance to head to the Asylum, then possibly onto PWC.

• Sky's Director of Entertainment Channels, Stuart Murphy, was asked on Twitter this week whether a second season of TWF Road to Glory was in production. The answer was not very specific, but it appears that the channel is considering the possibility. Whilst Sky were happy with the ratings, there were aspects of the format that they didn't like or wanted changed. Reportedly, if the program is recommissioned, it will feature at least two of the TWF's Holy Trinity in major roles.
• I can also confirm that it the possible TNA vs. TWF super show is being scheduled for next January in either London or Manchester. When Murphy was asked about this particular idea, he played coy with fans on the social network, but many within the TWF see is as a possibility. The issue within the TWF is which production team will handle the show, with TNA insisting their team produce the show, which would increase costs compared to a TWF-run show.
• Everyone backstage feels very happy about the first pay‐per‐view of the 10-a-year era, with the increased gap between the shows making for a bigger spectacle. I have heard from a source inside the TWF's marketing department that the company will change some pay‐per‐view titles in 2014. "The event names are not the draw, but some of the older names are difficult to promote, so they are looking at freshening up the line-up a little bit". I'm told at least two of the old "big five" are looking at being axed, but Summer Break and No Way Back are reportedly safe.
• Internationally, Deadly MindGames was the most successful pay‐per‐view in TWF history as the show aired on many new platforms and in new territories for the first time. Already word from Sky is that the DMG encores on the company's On Demand platform have been very successful. The TWF is looking to get more pay‐per‐views available on more platforms, but the holy grail of watching on a smart phone is being held off until the TWF's own app is deemed worthy enough of handling the demand.
• Speaking of On Demand, xWn subscribers should keep an eye on that particular tab of their EPG as it looks the channel will be added to the growing bouquet of channels available to catch-up in the next few weeks. The channel is currently in the process of clearing up several rights to allow the shows to be a part of the package. It is expected that the shows available will be the same available to subscribers on the xWn.tv package currently available to subscribers online.
• With the Brawl video game considered a success, the TWF is working on a mobile video game and is looking to be available in the next few months. The company also plans to keep up support for the Unleashed video game until this time next year. There is expected to be announcement regarding a long rumoured PC edition of Unleashed, possibly with a tie-in to Brawl, in the next few weeks.
• There was speculation this week that Mr. BIG had been checked into a rehab facility in the United States after a long period of no social media activity. However, BIG was instead concluding his rehab with some intense training in California and was spotted entering a gym several times a week. My source told me that BIG wanted to completely disconnect and get his fitness back on track, admitting that the past month or so has been very difficult and he was close to quitting wrestling all together in the aftermath of losing his close friend Lover Boy.
• Tayla Everett's heel turn has reportedly reinvigorated the women's division of the locker room, with each of the girls now seeing a clear pattern in the division. Everett's change in disposition was a suggestion of The Assassin and the trio of Nightshade, Tara Wilson and Tayla are said to be inspired by the movie Mean Girls. On a related note, expect some sort of interaction with Kaitlin Simmons upon her return from injury, which is said to be imminent.
• I understand that Stephen Jenkins's short stint in PWC to "get back to match fitness" was a success, but Jenkins is now waiting to determine when he wants to return to the roster. Jenkins told me he is aware of fans considering his most recent TWF run "a bust", but he hopes to put them wrong upon his return to action shortly.

• The turnout for Lover Boy's funeral was quite incredible, with almost everyone of his close friends attending. It was an emotional affair, but it was remarked that the attendance was among the greatest of any funeral in local history. The TWF offered JB's family whatever help they could, but the family opted for a more private service. His death hit several people very hard, especially his closest friends like The Fox, Frekishi, NJS, Aaron Hill, The Terminator, Joey Davies and Mr. BIG. Justin Polaris and Nytro, two current TWFers who began their careers with standout matches against JB, were also very emotional to learn of his passing. Many people were especially proud of the Tribute episode that aired over Christmas - I'm told part of which was filmed a few weeks back when news that his health had deteriorated reached TWF Towers and the company wanted to have something just in case. There is already a plan to commemorate Lover Boy's memory with a new memorial Tag Team tournament, to celebrate his long-running team The Double Js with Joey Davies. It is also all but confirmed that JB will also be inducted into the TWF Hall of Fame in August.
• As a result of the arrangements for the funeral and the regrettable gathering of many TWF superstars in such bad circumstances, I would not read into any rumours or sightings of former superstars at TWF Towers for the time being.
• Currently, the line-up for the 2013 Hall of Fame class is Blade, The AshTaker, Lover Boy and the first tag team induction of Team EV. The two singles inductees are likely to accept, but there is some concern that Team EV will continue to disassociate themselves with the company, such is their current stance. The company would like to induct it's first collective to the hall in this class, and if Team EV were to reject the invite, the Z-Pack and Metal Militia are being talked about, although Mr. BIG is said to be against such a move. There is currently whispers that the company is trying to find Big Sexy Badass and Silver and to reunite them to induct them instead. There is also a suggestion that the Hall of Fame inductions will take place at the TWF Arena and be shown on the pre-Summer Break episode of Fury.
• There has been a lot of discussion within both the locker room and creative team as to what approach to take for the ITV specials, which by the way, have been confirmed. It must be said that Mr. BIG deserves all of the credit for making this happen and there has been a zip in many people's step over the past few weeks. This is a historic move for the TWF, as the first special will be the first professional wrestling card from the UK broadcast by the network since the demise of World of Sport in 1988. As a result, the company is considering making the shows a total throwback to the World of Sport style that drew so many viewers years ago. There is also some discussion as to whether the shows should be a highlight-show affair, or to feature main event matches. Apparently the company will be running "secret shows" at the TWF Arena over the next few weekends to try out ideas for the first show, which will be taped in early March.
• Provisional Summer Break plans making their way around at the moment are a World Championship match between Bill Hansen and Tobias Granville, Justin Polaris facing John Harper and The Avenger facing The Assassin. The other two matches also being looked at are Disturbed vs. Zero, possibly for the Intercontinental Championship, and a match between Mr. BIG and Rick Majors that might serve as Majors' last match with the company (possibly a retirement match).
• BT Vision have been making overtures about having the TWF join it's sports portfolio later on in 2013 when their new sports channels launch. The speculation was floated in a well-respected media magazine which has sources that claim the TWF has an opt-out of it's Sky contract at the end of 2013 which would allow the company to leave for another platform with no penalty. The TWF, according to my sources, is ignoring the speculation and forging ahead with it's own multimedia plan for 2013, which includes adding xWn content to the significant viewing platforms in the United Kingdom, Sky and Virgin Media. There was also a job advert posted recently that indicates that the company's social media strategy is moving to the next level.
• However, Sky are looking to keep the TWF on in some form as there is currently a rumour going around that Sky are hoping to iron out a deal to get a TNA vs. TWF show in London next January. This would allow TNA to finally hold a pay‐per‐view in a market where people care about their product and allow both companies to get some extra pay‐per‐view revenue. Long-time TWF fans will remember the long-rumoured NWA vs. xWa Super show that was to be held in Florida in November 2004 but fell apart as the alliance was doing at the time.
• Tobias Granville is getting some traction once more and is being looked at finally becoming a World Champion before the year's end. Victor Ortega is also being praised backstage among higher-ups for his strong work ethic. I was told recently that had Mr. BIG not been injured, Ortega was being groomed to win the World Championship and go on a long reign. As things stand, current plans are actually fairly uncertain due to the past few weeks and there isn't a concrete card for Deadly MindGames, even at this stage.
• Marz has rejected an offer to write his autobiography. The constantly busy former TWF World Champion has pushed back his highly anticipated memoirs until he has more time to write it, and promises to include a fair amount of non-wrestling talk to help it appeal to a wider audience.