Reports included on this page… 

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THE INSIDE SCOOP with The Insider
Reported on: August 25, 2014

• The ending of Summer Break had been planned since at least the tale end of 2013 once the decision was made for Zero to win The Gold Card. Reaction to the way the show went off the air backstage was said to be positive, with the sudden sharp intake of air after Zero got the three-count being the exact reaction the company was looking for. Zero's antics in the already legendary Presentation Ceremony have already proven naysayers wrong.
• That being said, many were disappointed by the Six-Man Tag, especially Disturbed's performance in his first match back after injury. The match was the big debate going into Summer Break, as Mr. BIG apparently wanted to hold off on Disturbed's in-ring return until next year against Zero in the grudge match, with Mr. BIG wanting to paint Disturbed as a Sting circa 1997 figure, only appearing to attack JEJ Enterprises and eventually the story would be how to get Disturbed back in the ring. BIG insists that a modern twist on the story is still the best build up, especially for a storyline with a year to run.
• Tobias Granville is expected to take some time off to not only sell the effects of the brawl and beat down at the end of the World Championship match, but also to rest up. Granville is not expected back until the beginning of 2015 and I'm told that a rematch against Zero is pencilled in for Easter HeAT 2015. Zero's first big program is expected to be against Nytro, playing off some tension between the former Entourage members about how the faction went their separate ways. An idea for a main event of Disturbed and Nytro versus Justin Polaris and Zero of an upcoming pay‐per‐view has been discussed and got a lot of people excited when it was talked about.
• Internally, Mr. BIG versus Jack Beam got the vote for match of the night, with absolutely everybody praising the story telling in the match, as well as the fierce action that took place. The spot of the near fall after the third BluRay Driver and JR's loud "Not this way damn it" was indeed a reference to the way Brock Lesnar defeated The Undertaker at WrestleMania. The Assassin-Justin Polaris bout also drew high praise as did the Square Ladder Match. It was openly being discussed that Mr. BIG versus The Assassin is looking likely for Wembley Stadium next year in some kind of retirement match, but, BIG is considering facing off against a younger opponent to not tread on the toes of the potential main event.
• Despite only just leaving the company, Matt Aish has apparently experienced a change of heart and could return at some point in the future. Aish was expected to leave and move to Glasgow with his new wife, but, the two have apparently decided to stay in south Wales. Aish will take time off although I did hear from a well placed source that Aish is being pencilled in to work the first All Wales Wrestling card in mid-September and is expected to take up some independent dates in the next few months.



THE INSIDE SCOOP with The Insider
Reported on: August 4, 2014

• Mr. BIG's announcement at Total Chaos was originally going to be that he would be leaving the company after Summer Break to work on both TV projects, and as I stated earlier this year, work on the TWF's international offices. There were louder and louder whispers that BIG was going to retire, but the series of incredibly supportive articles in his name over the past few weeks have changed his mind. Beam laying out Shay was planned and the three worked on the particulars of the announcement earlier on that day.
• Many have said that the BIG's announcement segment of Total Chaos saved the show and many are not expecting the buy rate to be all that much. That the TWF has had such a problem in booking a pay‐per‐view between June and August in recent years is one of the reasons why Total Chaos will be moved next year. My understanding is that it will either replace Deadly MindGames or Dangerously Serious.
• That there is no announcement on the TWF's TV future as of yet is of no concern to anyone right now as the company is confident that a deal will be made. As per the terms of the deal that was agreed back at the tail end of 2011, BSkyB have the a period of exclusivity with which to renegotiate. The pressure is now on BSkyB to come up with a good offer for the TWF as many TV experts believe that the TWF could move to Virgin Media - or most likely - BT Sport and move all of the pay‐per‐views to the xWn. There is also a rumour that the new owners of Channel 5, Discovery Networks, are looking to possibly get Grit BasH on 5 and to also bring back the TWF's "B-Shows" (Meltdown and Overload) to the network. The TWF's final option is to return to the 2005 model and for everything except Meltdown and Overload to air on the xWn. This option - which almost killed the company in 2005 - is more feasible now than it was back then, but is still unlikely.
• I was informed this week through a well placed source in the Talent Relations department that a former TWF World Champion is looking to return to the company in the near future. The details are rather sparse, but the person in question is already being lined up to be a featured player this winter.
• It was confirmed this week that Kevin Poole will leave the TWF after Summer Break XV and Sophie Matravers will indeed succeed him as the Chief TWF Official. This was one of the most overwhelmingly popular decisions in TWF history. Karli Andrews and Kaysie Anderson will also leave the week after Summer Break this year and my understanding is that their PWC equivalents of Shae Sanders and Abigail Bishop respectively, will indeed be promoted.
• The TWF will reintroduce a two week summer break after the event next year as a way of ending the "season".



THE INSIDE SCOOP with The Insider
Reported on: July 19, 2014

• The contents of Mr. BIG's major announcement are being such a well-kept secret that apparently not even his girlfriend, Shay (who will be present with him when he makes the announcement), is aware of what it is. The secretive nature of the announcement has led to a series of rumours flying around, the chief of which is that BIG will announce that Summer Break XV will be his final match and that his announcement will be an open challenge to NJS to face him. Other rumours I have heard are that BIG will announce that the TWF will go up for sale, with him retaining a significant share; that BIG will announce that the TWF is going public and heavily pushing the fact that fans will be able to buy into the promotion; or that BIG will be taking a significant break to work on some TV projects, the chief of which will apparently be a prime-time Saturday night game show on ITV in the highly-coveted pre-X Factor slot.
• I did some digging this week and found that despite my previous reports, there is something to the rumour that the TWF has a hand in the new All Wales Wrestling promotion that is advertising shows in north Wales. The current plan is for the promotion to focus on big towns in North Wales and then eventually head into Liverpool and Manchester in venues that seat just under 1,000 and work in the vain of an old school territory that the TWF will send talent in to work, either to complement PWC or instead of PWC. The plan is for PWC to still be the primary development area, especially with the renewed investment in the buildings in Waterton (of which there is said to be more money becoming available).
• The Total Chaos card was not finalised until the beginning of this week, which is extremely unusual for the TWF. From next year, given that the company has had problems drawing in-between June and August, especially when it starts to focus on Summer Break, I would not expect a show in-between Against All Odds and Summer Break. I'd anticipate that the Total Chaos name is retained, although where it would fit into things, I don't quite know.
• Listings for Summer Break weekend have come out and show that there will be a 90-minute pre-show in the TWF Arena hosted by Michael King with studio guests to build up to Summer Break, as well as advertising an after-show where "the TWF World Champion will be presented to the press after their match". Apparently the pre-show ideas and concepts have been worked on for a little while and I'm already told that it sounds great, with a very sports-like presentation, with King anchoring from a studio and featuring interviews with talent as they arrive to the building, interviews with the announce team and other things too. There is expected to be one match on the pre-show.
• I'm hearing that the TWF has bought a large office and set of land across the way from the Asylum and is looking to turn it into a large distribution warehouse for TWF merchandise, moving it out of it's current space in the Brackla Industrial Estate which it has outgrown. The TWF has also bought the land surrounding the TWF video games building and is working with planners to expand it's footprint to allow the team a larger space to work in.



THE INSIDE SCOOP with The Insider
Reported on: June 2, 2014

• With there being no plans for him between now and his contract expiring, Rain has left the TWF and returned to California. Sadly, Rain left just in time to see his aunt, who was a close family member of his, before she passed away from cancer a few weeks ago. Veronica Rodriguez has joined him back in the United States. With how he was mis-used, especially after his incredible match at No Way BacK, I'd be very surprised if Eric Herrera accepts any offer to return to the TWF, given how I think the TWF wasted a man of his considerable talents on his most recent run.
• The Avenger is said to be recovering from surgery on his back, which he has put off for several months and he is not expected to return until later on this year. Part of the reason for his contract negotiations at the tail end of last year falling apart was due to him wanting a little more time off to recover from smaller injuries. When Avenger won the TWF World Championship, the accumulation of the smaller injuries made his back worse to such a point that he was close to requiring more serious surgery if he had continued.
• The Assassin is set for a heel turn post-Summer Break and is now the favourite to face Mr. BIG at Summer Break XVI at Wembley Stadium. The Assassin has long had ambitions to turn heel once more before his career ends, and he has been working on an idea with BIG himself that will see Assassin be the focus of a great storyline that will promote some new blood into the main event scene in the process. I also understand that this storyline is being constructed so that if the planned main event story lines fail, these two will pick up the slack.
• Marz and NJS were indeed approached about facing Mr. BIG. However, Marz commented on a few stories on Twitter over the past few weeks, especially about BIG's relationship with his girlfriend Shay, as well as his former girlfriend Sophie, have deeply upset BIG and while the two remain best of friends, BIG was hurt by Marz's jibes. Marz may not care at the moment, but with some serious money on the table (I'm told that whoever faces BIG at Summer Break next year will get the largest pay cheque outside of a World Championship bout and there are at least seven zeroes on the cheque for one contest), it could be an expensive mistake. Both men were hurt however when Lucy Rose attacked the duo on Facebook over the past weekend regarding an unspecified incident at a wedding that saw many former TWF stars present. Apparently BIG was trying to get a group photo organised of childhood friends and Lucy could not be found for the picture, then before the picture was taken, NJS left to use the restroom. The photo was taken without either, and despite BIG asking for a retake, it did not happen, and the blame has been squarely at BIG and Marz for the incident.
• Kevin Poole has announced that after nearly 12 years with the company, he will be leaving after Summer Break. Poole joined the TWF in mid-2002 as a BCW official, but was quickly added to the main roster after expertly handling a match featuring High Voltage and Mr. BIG where he impressed both. Poole actually considered leaving the company to go work for PCW instead, but as the favoured referee of Voltage and BIG, Poole stuck around. Poole's talent not only as a safe and secure official, as well as his expert leadership of the ring crew, have made him one of the most influential members of the TWF staff and while Poole is sad to be leaving, largely to take some time off, there is talk that he will be offered a contract either by Sky, to work on a TWF-related show, or most likely, to work on the expanded xWn offering that is being planned for later this year.
‐ Current Senior Official Sophie Matravers is expected to become the new Chief Official, although I understand that Sophie is in the midst of a contract discussion and she too may quit to start a family. I'd expect the TWF to offer Sophie a deal to stay on in the short-term, before then deciding on who the next Chief and Senior Officials will be. Former XWF Chief Official, Cliff Switzer, is staying in Chicago and will not return to the TWF, despite several road agents believing he is the only man for the role. Leandro Pires and Sebastian Richter are the two most senior officials after Matravers and will be the first consulted on a promotion and the new ring crew. I understand that now she has finished her college degree, the TWF is reaching out to Carley Rae about possibly rejoining the company should Sophie leave as an additional female official.
• I've been asked as to what the "new" xWn will look like and from what I can gather so far, there will be a lot more original content being aired. The current plan is to move the live non-wrestling events (such as sports and the occasional concert) to xWn2 (the former NCW Network) and for the xWn to be a wrestling destination. I'm informed that the TWF will attempt to produce it's own Saturday morning children's television show to begin airing in September, whilst Time-Out will eventually return, but in shorter segments, with the Saturday Sound Off pencilled in for tea time, whilst the interactive portion, featuring online discussions from the forums and social media, will air on Sunday lunchtime. A documentary (not a reality show) based around the TWF Women's division is also being considered, as is a series of shorts introducing viewers to members of the TWF production team that will air in-between programs, showing how the TWF rolls on a day-to-day basis. A third series of Road to Glory is also in the pipeline, with Mastermind already contacted to play host.
• Speaking of Road to Glory, expect Tyler Jacobson to be called up to the main roster very shortly. The kid has got all of the positives of each of his trainers (Dave Finlay's brawling, Marz's technique, the speed of Jean Claude Van Slam and the charisma of Diamond Dallas Page) with none of the negatives and if he is handled correctly, could be one of the biggest stars in the history of the business.
• Aquarius is also set to début after Summer Break and already rumours have circulated that the TWF is looking to bring in Libra for a long awaited sister versus sister match. A lot of people are speculating that match appearing at Wembley, but, I'm told that those in favour of the match would rather it be on No Way BacK or Easter HeAT instead.
• The negotiations between the TWF and David Haye, I have learned, are non-existent and was a well-constructed ruse by members of the TWF board to find out who has been leaking information to outsiders. The company was never interested in bringing a non-wrestling celebrity for Summer Break to pop a buy rate, as many feel that if the company was desperate to get extra sales, they could advertise the return of one of the many of the company's legends. Accordingly, a few sources of mine have now been changed.



THE INSIDE SCOOP with The Insider
Reported on: May 20, 2014

• The original reason behind Zero winning the Gold Card tournament is that he will exchange his Gold Card after the Summer Break main event and win the TWF World Championship at the end of the show, with J.E.J. Enterprises assistance to accomplish this feat and in the process make him the biggest heel in the company, leading to the Disturbed-Zero match headlining next year's Summer Break at Wembley Stadium for the World Championship. This plan is not very popular amongst the writing crew at present as it would require Zero to be booked strong for a year and for Disturbed's chase to be booked just as well. There is also some doubt that despite the Easter HeAT buy rate numbers being incredible (the highest for a non-4 hour PPV in the company's history), that two people not on the company's "Mount Rushmore" (Mr. BIG, Marz, NJS, The Assassin) will be able to headline and sell out the building. Zero, barring any unforeseen circumstances, is expected to get the TWF World Championship at some point.
• With Jack Beam-Mr. BIG now penned in for Summer Break XV, the talk of an opponent for Mr. BIG at Summer Break XVI has heated up once more. NJS was backstage at The Gold Card pay‐per‐view but only turned up for the show and did not, as I was previously informed, have talks about a possible return. Instead, I am now told that the smart money on BIG's match for Summer Break is against Marz. BIG's workout buddy has expressed an interest in coming out of retirement to face Mr. BIG at Summer Break in what some people are considering to be BIG's retirement match if it goes ahead. If Marz does come into play, BIG is said to be interested as the two have never faced each other at Summer Break (Marz was scheduled for the Six Pack at 2002, but the injury angle and TECW stopped that idea and was set to main event Summer Break V before the plan to reunite the Z-Pack was made).
• Kaitlin Simmons has worked her last match in the TWF. Her contract is expiring shortly and it is not expected to be renewed. Simmons was not the same after returning from her shoulder injury, although the surgery and her recovery went well, she was apprehensive about working certain moves and matches and wasn't able to adapt her style accordingly. Simmons has apparently agreed to make one or two appearances in the upcoming Jack Beam-Mr. BIG program, in the support of her boyfriend, which will be acknowledged on-screen in the process. The Women's locker room is said to be happy to see Simmons leave, as she frequently argued with her fellow females over details small and large. Since being off TWF TV, Simmons has been busy filming for a short TV series in Los Angeles and was also in Vancouver working on a movie, and she has already circulated her modelling portfolio out to several places who are very keen, meaning that she could be one of the few ladies who leaves the company for "acting and modelling purposes" who could actually get something out of it.
‐ For those curious, after her great series of matches with Nightshade, Ruby Cortez is expected to get some of the limelight in the Women's division. Valentina Pini, the former PWC Women's Champion now on the TWF roster, has some high expectations at the moment, but there is a very strong rumour that Aquarius, the younger sister of former TWF Women's Champion Libra (and cousin to the Edwards family) is expected to get a PWC contract and could be fast-tracked to the main roster, especially as many people (including this Insider) feel her run in PCW has been the only good thing in that company in the last few years.
• Kaysie Anderson has decided against a new TWF contract and she will leave after Summer Break. After nearly a decade in Wales, Anderson has expressed a desire to return to her native Connecticut to be closer to her family. Karli Andrews's last night is apparently going to be the week after Summer Break as she has signed a new contract, but will instead work at TWF Towers on a daily basis for the xWn, presenting and producing shows for the network as well as the TWF's YouTube channel. Abigail Bishop, the stunning blonde ring announcer in PWC, has been tipped off about the possibility of her joining the "A"-Team. Shae Sanders is said to be considering joining the TWF, but is having doubts about the schedule and the extra work load, as whoever replaces Anderson will not only be a "backstage interviewer", but also produce content for the TWF Web and the TWF's YouTube channel in the same way Kaysie has done since she first started. Sanders has no journalism background (she is a trained actress) and is hoping to negotiate dropping the journalistic requirements of Kaysie's role if she joins the big leagues.
• The TWF had reached out to Eminem about a possible performance at Summer Break, but it is apparently off the table as Eminem will be performing a date on his The Monster tour with Rihanna at Comerica Park in Detroit the night before Summer Break. My source in the TWF marketing department tells me that the TWF has been cleared to use "The Monster" as a theme song for Summer Break and will unveil it's music video after Against All Odds. I have not been given a hint as to what song will get the "Countdown" commercial this year yet, but in years past I'm told that decision is usually not made until early-July.
• There is still no news on the David Haye deal and time is running out on his side as to whether he will appear or not. There will be an announcement this week surrounding the ticket details for "Ringside: An Evening with Jim Ross" at the Bridgend Hotel and I'm told that the current plan is to make use of the people coming into Bridgend by holding a matinee show followed by a show later in the evening on the Thursday. It will be announced on Wednesday that Jim Ross will call all of Summer Break alongside Jonathan Cullen and Bryan Daniels, as I reported in March.
• My source in marketing tells me that the "next-generation" TWF video game will be demoed at the TWF FanFest and will be available on the X-Box One and PlayStation 4, with a PC version to follow afterwards. I'm told that the game looks incredibly impressive, and the reason for the slight delay is that there was a breakthrough made in how to model the arenas to make them more interactive. Like TWF Unleashed, there will be two main modes - the Career mode will again allow players to create a wrestler and climb them through the ranks of PWC to the Summer Break main event. The improvements in that mode are a more accurate depiction of The Asylum and that the full PWC presentation will be included. The Story mode will again give players the opportunity to work through seven unique stories created by a team including Marz, Mr. BIG, NJS, The Bandit and Paul Heyman, with more stories being added through free DLC. All of the active TWF roster will be featured at the game's release, and there will be paid for expansion packs for TECW, XCW and RWF affiliated wrestlers, arenas, costumes and music.
• There has been some further gossip this week about possible TWF Hall of Fame 2015 inductions. Besides the obvious one (The Assassin will induct Mastermind), Ottobomb has been floated around as a potential inductee. Although he has not been anywhere near the company since his memorable run as xWa Champion nearly a decade ago, he is still held in high esteem by many backstage and would be a welcome addition to the Hall of Fame. Another name mentioned this week is The Terminator, largely at the suggestion of Marz as it appears that The AshTaker has rebuffed an offer from the TWF once more. Paul Heyman has also been asked about a possible induction but I'm told that he is unlikely to accept anything non-WWE related at this time.



THE INSIDE SCOOP with The Insider
Reported on: April 29, 2014

• The reunion of the TWF's Founding Fathers on the April 11 edition of Fury was unexpected in the sense that NJS wasn't going to stop by the show, but meet-up with Marz and Mr. BIG for dinner on the Saturday night. NJS arrived earlier than expected and the decision was made as the show went on air to keep the reunion as an after-show special for the live crowd. The reaction was incredible, as you might expect. NJS has been invited backstage to The Gold Card, being as it's nearer his current home, although he has expressed that he would like to return to Bridgend in the near future. Naturally, the speculation about the BIG-NJS has gone into overdrive and I can reveal that NJS's appearances are not a coincidence and an offer is on the table. It is not the financials that concern NJS, but with the TWF's schedule expanding internationally next year, NJS's concern is the number of dates and what contributions he would have to the build-up. NJS is said to want to have at least one warm-up match, with him given Carte blanche on any opponents.
• Mr. BIG will take a leave of absence after Summer Break to help the TWF set-up it's new international offices in Paris, New York and Los Angeles. There is now talk that if Mr. BIG versus NJS is on the table for Wembley Stadium, Mr. BIG will lose at Summer Break this year, then lose to NJS in a retirement match at Wembley Stadium. The reason for the change of heart is supposedly Mr. BIG's relationship with his girlfriend and his willingness to start a family with her.
• Matt Aish has already given notice that he will leave the company after Summer Break, ending his deal early. Aish has grown increasingly unsatisfied with his role, especially considering the push he was getting a few years ago. While publicly he will not say otherwise, Aish still harbours some resentment towards Blade for how he changed his mind at the 11th hour towards beating him at Summer Break a few years back. Despite his best efforts, Aish has become a victim of the unprecedented hype he got when entering the company and wants to cut his losses now. Aish's long-term girlfriend works in Scotland and Aish would like to join her there.
• Aish's departure means that the planned Summer Break card will undergo a slight reshuffle, as the long-awaited Connor Kelly-Matt Aish one-on-one match will take place at Summer Break, although the plan is still to have a Disturbed versus Zero contest form part of the Wembley Stadium card.
• There is still uncertainty as to how the TWF will handle the contracts of Byron Pryce and Joseph Helms expiring tomorrow at midnight. As of right now, there is no idea as to how to solve the problem of both men working without a contract, especially seeing as Helms is one half of the tag team champions. A further complication has arisen in that Helms has now been given a big money deal to show up to a new promotion with the TWF World Tag Team Championship, leaving the company scratching their heads as to how to resolve the situation amicably.
• The All Wales Wrestling promotion that has begun promoting in north Wales using a lot of "PCW" talent is not a splinter company but a brand new organisation setup to bring wrestling back to that area, which the TWF has shamefully neglected. The PCW influx is a result of the company's current financial situation, which according to my well-placed sources is "very dire". The company's overspend on former TWF talents, the success of PWC's format of attractively priced tickets, great production and regular well-run events has hurt them, as well as losing it's television deal as a result of S4C's budget cuts has practically killed the company and there are absolutely no buyers on the horizon. The TWF's long held insistence that it would not pick up the company is looking incredibly likely and the organisation is trying to pull together one final Super Clash card before closing for good. I keep getting asked whether the TWF would look to the video library, especially for a Mr. BIG career retrospective home video in the future, but there is no value to the library outside one or two matches (you all know which matches I mean here… ) and those events have been covered well in the past using photographs and other materials from Mr. BIG's personal library.



THE INSIDE SCOOP with The Insider
Reported on: April 12, 2014

• The TWF has already filled up it's calendar towards Summer Break XVI next year and there are some significant changes to the calendar for the first time. The TWF usually books venues almost eight-to-nine months in advance, but the company wanted to commit to a plan on how to promote the biggest show in it's history early on, as well as give out international dates to it's media partners. There will be three weeks of taped TV over Christmas and the company will kick off 2015 on the Pacific Coast of the US, working up to Canada. There will be four shows in Wales (including Easter HeAT at the Bridgend Dome, as the Hall of Fame ceremony will be live-to-tape) before heading out to Europe. The European dates are significant as there is a long stretch going through France and Spain, where the TWF's TV deals expire before the end of 2014 and the company is using the attraction of a substantial tour to help increase the size of any deals. The major UK cities will each get a show in the run-up to Summer Break, where the TWF is optimistic about smashing it's all-time attendance record.
• The significant changes to the calendar are the reduction of pay‐per‐views (as they are listed on the calendar that I have seen) from ten to eight, with Deadly MindGames, Halloween Hell and Dangerously Serious being discontinued, with a new event taking place in December. In the gaps of over seven weeks between PPVs, there will be a TWF on ITV Special that will act as a yardstick for people to look forward to, although it will not be treated like a super card from what I understand. The names for pay‐per‐view #10 (as it's being listed on the calendar) are being speculated from a list that is circulating featuring former pay‐per‐views like Reckless Abandon, Collision Course, Nowhere to Run, Hard Times, No Mercy, Zero Tolerance and Reality Check, to the names of events that the TWF was linked with getting the trademarks to several years back, such as 1NE, Altered Reality, The Struggle Within, Violent Conduct and Unforgiven.
• A rumoured Summer Break card that leaked this week featuring The Assassin vs. Justin Polaris and Mr. BIG vs. Jack Beam in the semi-main events is legitimate according to my source. There is talk of adding a Retirement stipulation to either or both matches. Several sources have told me that Mr. BIG, Marz and The Assassin met for dinner a few weeks back and when the subject of retirement matches was brought up, Assassin is alleged to have said he feels he has two good years left, whilst BIG feels this would be his last year as a full-time wrestler, returning in the future as a special attraction. BIG's reaction to the volume of tweets he received after WrestleMania XXX (he tweeted after the result of the Brock Lesnar-Undertaker match, "Well, no pressure for me this year then… ") was widely reported and this is expected to be worked into the program now that BIG's streak is now legitimately the longest in wrestling.
‐ Regarding Mr. BIG's Summer Break winning streak, I was told several years ago that Mr. BIG wrote in a sealed envelope, which is kept in a locked drawer in TWF Towers (which he has no access to), the list of people he would consider beating him at his creation. BIG's winning record, internally, only became a BIG deal after his victory over The Assassin and whilst it was reported before then, the feeling was in a perfect circumstance, BIG would consider a loss. Whilst BIG himself has said he was more than prepared to lose to NJS in 2009, an interesting story circulated this week that at one point, his punishment for the mass exodus of 2011 was the loss of his streak, but, while this was considered, it failed to come to pass.
• David Haye is still being considered for a role at Summer Break. Whilst his name and involvement was leaked, likely as a swerve of the real announcement and the coup of Wembley, Haye is interested in working a match at Summer Break, although his opponent is undetermined at this time. Haye would likely come in as a heel and the TWF is looking to create a great wrestling match, as well as a spectacle, so the company is thinking long and hard about an opponent. I heard that Eric Johnson was being considered for the match due to his MMA past, although Nytro (who is not planned to be involved in one of the "big" matches at Summer Break this year), could perhaps face Haye.
• Byron Pryce and Joseph Helms's contracts expire at midnight on May 1 and there is still no clear indication of what the TWF is planning to do with the Tag Team Championship match at Easter HeAT. There was a long conversation last weekend about changing up the Tag Team Championship match to make it a three way, or even a four way ‐ adding Synyster Youth and TitanWave to the match and putting the belts on either of those teams ‐ but many of the people on the creative team feel the fans want a resolution to the feud between the two teams and there are TV shows in between to do a title change if necessary. Neither man is currently signed to another organisation beyond May 1, but this is a dynamic situation and could go down to the April 30 edition of Grit BasH in Birmingham.
• Disturbed will feature in The Gold Card tournament and has been cleared for in-ring action, which is great news. Mike Haggar is still working on the final touches to his new look, which I'm told will be inspired by the video game character from which he took his name and should return shortly, although quite when I don't know.
• The Gold Card will be an eight-man tournament this year and the names I'm hearing linked with the tournament are all non-finalists from the past, leading me to speculate the the grand plan of having the Gold Card winner exchange their card after the Summer Break main event might be held off for the time being. This also means that my report from March 8 still stands and that the King of the Ring tournament will return this year to a sixteen-person tournament, with the Lover Boy Memorial Trophy alternating with the tournament in years to come.
• With the next class of Hall of Fame inductees scheduled to be enshrined in April 2015, speculation for the class has already begun. The only nailed on certainty is that The Assassin will induct Mastermind. I understand that Karl Davies has been asked about being inducted, as has Holly. Sumo Samurai is another name being debated, as are the names who were not included in the previous class, such as Big Sexy Badass and Silver.
• The Millennium Stadium is the leading candidate to host Summer Break XVII. Swansea's Liberty Stadium was long anticipated to host Summer Break XVI or XVII, but with it looking increasingly likely that it will undergo renovations to expand the stadium, the company is holding off on hosting the event in Wales's second city until after the renovations come to pass. I'm expecting the Bridgend Dome to host Summer Break XVIII, leaving the next Summer Break venue up for discussion to be XIX, a sentence I never imagined I would have ever typed out.



THE INSIDE SCOOP with The Insider
Reported on: March 22, 2014

• The TWF's reasoning behind announcing the Summer Break XVI venue in London last week was simply to end speculation early on. Internally, there was much debate about whether to hold off on the announcement until Easter HeAT or Summer Break this year, but Mr. BIG ultimately felt that announcing the long-time dream of the Wembley Stadium date would give fans something extra to look forward to. The company isn't sure at the moment whether to hold the FanFest at Wembley Arena itself, as it is nearer to the stadium but is unsuitable to the exhibition style setup for the event, or to hold it at the ExCel Centre across London, which while being better suited to host the event, is a significant distance away from Wembley and might take away from some of the festivities.
• All bets are off regarding who Mr. BIG will face at Wembley Stadium. The plan in a writers meeting this week was for Mr. BIG to face Mike Haggar at Summer Break this year, and he has apparently told some people that he would like his Summer Break XVI opponent confirmed on the post-SB Grit BasH this year. I think most people would love to see a Mr. BIG/NJS match now that Wembley is no longer a fantasy but a reality, but NJS has insisted that the match would ultimately be a let-down as he feels past his prime.
• Expect Rain to stick around a lot longer after the incredible World Championship match at No Way BacK. Herrera was delighted with the match and the storyline and he received a promise from Mr. BIG straight after the match that he believes he is one of the top guys in the company.
• It is being whispered in very quiet tones around TWF Towers, but, the TWF believes that not only will Easter HeAT outdraw WrestleMania this year, there is a feeling that with the Assassin/Justin Polaris, reunited Synyster Youth/TitanWave and BIG/Connor Kelly matches alongside the Avenger/Granville rematch, that this could be the pay‐per‐view to outdraw Summer Break VIII. The TWF has been aggressively promoting the show locally, with a national campaign kicking off next week to promote the show. The show is a sell-out, but the company still wants to drum up publicity as a way of preparing for Summer Break XVI.



THE INSIDE SCOOP with The Insider
Reported on: March 8, 2014

• There is a huge announcement regarding Summer Break next week being planned for central London, but I am not aware of the plans just yet. Two independent sources have told me that the announcement is expected to be that the TWF has agreed a deal for former WBA Heavyweight Champion, David Haye, to appear at Summer Break. There is no idea yet as to how this will be accomplished ‐ the Mike Tyson or Floyd Mayweather routes. I'm been told to lean on the former and that Haye would appear before Summer Break in a series of vignettes then seconding someone to the ring at the event.
• Marz's frequent appearances at TWF Towers in the past few weeks are relating to his architecture firm being behind the refurbishment of the TWF Hall of Fame building, as well as designing some of the improvements to the TWF Arena. Marz insists that his in-ring career is far into his past and he has little to no interest in writing an autobiography at this stage, considering his current ventures of utmost importance, as well as stating that the TWF Hall of Fame series DVD produced in 2010 to be the best and fairest overview of his wrestling career to date.
• The Shott was recently asked by a fan on Twitter whether he would be interested in a return to the company and echoed the sentiments of his long-time best friend. Shott's family issues that forced him to leave the company (and leave them high and dry, it must be said) have worked out and he would be against a return to the ring. A fan also asked if there was any tension between himself and NJS, since many people within the company blame The Shott's departure and the way it was handled for being the tipping point for NJS's departure. Shott replied that he has no issues that he knows of, unless the fans knew differently.
• I understand that the man known as Rain, better known to long-time TWF fans as Eric Herrera, is reportedly close to quitting the company after his program with The Avenger is done. Despite the work with Avenger already being dubbed among the best of his career (high praise considering the incredible match Herrera had with Mr. BIG at PayBack 2010, which many quietly consider BIG's greatest match), Herrera is unhappy at the way he has been presented since having a five-star match with Justin Polaris at Summer Break. Herrera feels that he is a locker room veteran and doesn't feel like he is being treated as one, and he turned down a significant payday in a new promotion to return to where he was comfortable last year. His attitude has also apparently rubbed up Brandon Villa the wrong way, which many sources in the locker room have told me does not help matters.
• There was a meeting last week between the TWF and Jim Ross in New York about the possibility of the Hall of Famer working Summer Break this year. JR would "kick off" Summer Break week with his "Ringside" talk at The Bridgend Hotel. Ross would be asked to announce the event alongside Jonathan Cullen and Bryan Daniels. Cullen and Daniels seem excited by the idea, and Cullen dreamed of working with Jim Ross. Part of the reason for asking Ross to work the show is so he can give some tutelage to Cullen. This is not because Cullen is seen as lacking in areas, rather everyone feels that if you get to learn from the very best, it can only help him.
• On a related note, I am told that in future PWC tapings, expect to see Mastermind appear at the announce desk. The future Hall of Famer has expressed an interest in transitioning to the announce table and wants to give it a try. He has private try‐outs at TWF Towers commentating on some footage and the initial reviews are good, so if he can work away at his craft, there is a chance he could join the "B"-Team, then perhaps the "A"-Team.
• I'm being told that the preliminary ideas for this year's Gold Card tournament is for it to be an 8-Man Tournament this year and for the King of the Ring tournament to return to being a 16-Man Tournament later on this year.
• Disturbed is very near a return and my source inside creative tells me that he is being ear-marked for a deep run in The Gold Card tournament, providing all goes well.
• Finally, a former TWF writer was able to release details to me this week about the eVo storyline that were teased and never acted upon. At some point after the initial foundation of the company, eVo were to attack TWF roster and staff members, seemingly at random, targeting anyone and everyone, with everyone fearing for their safety. The TWF would strike against eVo, with replacements called up from PWC and veterans from the TWF's past to fill in. This would leave to the Eve of Destruction match (which was originally planned to be a WarGames match) where eVo would gain the right to it's own announcer, referee and distinct look, instead of "replacing" the TWF. At one point, the TWF was going to let eVo recognise it's own World Champion and then at the "Grand Finale" pay‐per‐view, the World Championships would be merged once more. The storyline was always structured to be a two-year deal, with the reveal of the stable's leader intentionally planned for the venue where the renegades first burst onto the scene. Jack Beam was always going to act as a front to the group's leader, which at various points was planned as being Mr. Smooth, The AshTaker, Mr. Edwards or… Shane McMahon. Ultimately, when Rick Majors returned from injury, many thought the timing would be perfect, and the immortal line "He is Me" was uttered. I'm told that the writer has a significant number of booking sheets and plans that they plan to release as the statute of limitations on the documents has expired and they have nothing to gain, and the TWF has nothing to lose, with their intention simply being to silence many of the rumours and speculation that flew around during the period.



THE INSIDE SCOOP with The Insider
Reported on: February 25, 2014

• The original planned main event for No Way BacK was The Avenger defending against John Harper, but Avenger arrived at Deadly MindGames with a feud with Rain all planned out and formatted. By Grit BasH, plans were changed to the Avenger's liking and the current program is the result of those two men working together. While some are angry at Avenger, calling him "selfish", more people are impressed that he had the balls to come up with an idea that worked.
• Harper is now expected to be worked into the Eddie McBrain/Titan program, which was due to culminate with a singles match, but I'm now told will see the reformation of both the Synyster Youth and TitanWave.
• Joseph Helms and Byron Pryce have both come to agreements with the TWF on ending their deals and both will be gone within a few months. Obviously, Sebastian Gross and Sin Nombre are said to be angry at the move as the two teams were expected to feud over the World Tag Team Championships over the summer, but I'm told that The Assassin and Mastermind are working with Gross and Nombre on plans that will make people forget the existence of both teams.
• I've been told by one of my most trusted sources that Justin Polaris will return the week after No Way BacK and will have a featured match at Easter HeAT. The details of Polaris's new deal have only just come to light and he is now the third highest paid performer on the current roster (behind The Assassin [who is the highest earner] and Mr. BIG [who earns more overall, but less on wrestling due to him working fewer shows]). Polaris has also been given creative control, which largely allows him to contribute ideas without the need for anyone on creative, instead of the creative control many associate with that phrase. I've also been told that Polaris is working with one major name on a series of matches over the next 18 months that will be total show stealers.
• The launch of the WWE Network today has coincided with talk that xWn is looking at re-branding the network before the year's out. While the network is still a success, the name is now a misnomer as the xWa itself is long gone (although the video library remains an established part of the brand) and the network is known for high-quality sports coverage, as well as wrestling. The option of renaming the stations to the TWF Network is a possibility, as is adopting a Sky Sports name instead. Expect the xWn to also play a prominent part when the TWF TV deals are up for negotiation at the end of the year, as I hear the TWF wants all of it's international partners to take some form of the network from 2015.



THE INSIDE SCOOP with The Insider
Reported on: February 10, 2014

• Now that Easter HeAT is officially a sell-out (the first time the TWF has ever sold out the Millennium Stadium), expect the hype for the event to go into overdrive. The set has been finalised and from what those who have seen the designs have told me, looks to employ a similar setup to the Summer Break IX set. Already there is talk that Avenger vs. Granville, the rematch, will headline the event, with a match involving Mr. BIG and/or The Assassin to go on before it. If this year's Easter HeAT draws well, it would confirm what I have long held to be the case that it should be the company's second biggest show of the year.
• Zero's "sudden" love of the holy dollar with J.E.J. Enterprises is, as you can all probably deduce, a plot to mean that he will face his long time tag team partner Disturbed when he returns from injury. The big question is whether the TWF will hold off on a Disturbed-Zero match until 2015. Plans as of last weekend were that both the Connor Kelly-Matt Aish and Disturbed-Zero matches happen at Summer Break this year, although I understand this weekend that plans have changed and the company will instead have a slow build up for those matches, possibly making them the double main event of Summer Break XVI.
• Contract negotiations between the TWF and prominent members of the mid card are under way and they do not sound promising. Already it appears that Byron Pryce and Joseph Helms will leave the company in the coming months, which has angered their tag team partners as the two teams were set to engage in a feud over the summer months.
• Rachael quietly left the TWF at the conclusion of 2013 and the news was only confirmed this weekend. There was no drama involved. Rachael's contract simply came to a close and she decided not to renew and to exit the wrestling business. Rachael is only expected to return when she becomes a member of the TWF Hall of Fame, which is thoroughly deserved based on her long tenure and the great respect she has gained amongst all parts of the roster.
‐ Rachael's departure means that for the first time in the company's history, there is no Welsh female wrestler on the roster, a situation that has disappointed those in the company who still want a strong Women's division. There was another argument late last year about ditching the Women's division completely, but Mr. BIG put the kibosh on that immediately. BIG remains the biggest champion of the Women's division backstage and is determined to maintain the ladies wrestling, with ratings showing that viewers do not turn off in droves (which many backstage say happens all the time and is one of the reasons why the company should abandon the division), instead at times when the Women's division has a compelling story (like the Mean Girls storyline), it creates new viewers.
• Mike Haggar is off TV at present as he is working on plans for a new look to début soon. Haggar has been totally lost in the shuffle since the demise of Genesis and he feels that given a change in look, he could hit the potential many feel he had when he had great matches in early 2011.
• There was a rumour this week that the TWF had submitted a planning application to build a "small" 10,000-seat arena on the Bridgend Dome property, but this is not the case ‐ the planning application is for the reconfiguration of the Hall of Fame building. The building will be closed for three weeks in April to allow for work to take place inside. Someone asked me a while back whether the Dome is another TWF folly, but, in actual fact, the building has been booked solid for almost two years now with either concerts or conventions and has made money every year since it opened, despite not having a major tenant inside. The Dome will be getting a facelift in the next two years or so however. A new bus station is being planned for the parking lot entrance, where a new complex of fast food restaurants and small shops are being planned. A second hotel is also in the midst of being planned, on a slightly bigger scale than the Bridgend Hotel. A source I have inside TWF Live Events tells me that this is all being developed with the idea that the company's next event at the Dome will be Easter HeAT 2015, where the first major event inside the second hotel will be the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. This is all just "plans" mind you.
• With advertising in West Wales commencing for a huge outdoor edition of Grit BasH to take place at Ffos Las racecourse, there is speculation that the TWF is looking to hold one or two events per summer at either horse racing tracks, or motor racing tracks. The idea of a show at the racecourse was first mooted in June 2010, but the owners of the racecourse decided against holding an event weeks after it had opened. The reason Ffos Las is getting a look in is largely due to the fact that the TWF's former CFO, Alistair Edwards has a long standing business relationship with the owners of the racecourse and the feeling is that a TWF event at the venue would be mutually beneficial. Ffos Las will be shown off as not just a racecourse, but a quality venue, and the TWF can dip it's toe into a larger outdoor venue. As I understand it, the company wants to run The National Bowl in Milton Keynes, possibly as a Summer Break venue, in years to come and wants to be prepared for whatever an outdoor show can throw at them.



THE INSIDE SCOOP with The Insider
Reported on: January 12, 2014

• Overnight ratings show that the TWF came a respectable second on Saturday night, just behind The Voice season première on BBC One. The 90-minute special was a good performer, out rating the shows that have occupied the slot in recent history, and the TWF considered the show a success, although reaction from ITV has been muted by comparison, with some within the network unhappy the TWF didn't just win the night, but hammer the opposition.
• Reaction to the main event was very positive and the company plans on building around The Avenger as the champion for the foreseeable future, although a rematch with Tobias Granville is in the pipeline. The rumour is a rematch between the two is the main event for Easter HeAT, which internally, is being seen as almost bigger than Summer Break this year due to the venue.
• The decision for Mr. BIG not to wrestle on the show has apparently also angered the network, who booked the special on the promise that BIG would appear. Whilst BIG did appear, furthering a possible program with the new Power, Money and Beauty trio, BIG admits that he is not in the shape he would like to be in to consider himself ring worthy, and is a fortnight away from being so.
• There is already a decision taking place for a plan involving the winner of The Gold Card exchanging their title shot at the very close of Summer Break this year. Although no names have been tossed around for a possible winner, the company is looking to book that feud between the new champion and the person who gets "screwed over" as a year-long deal.
• Justin Polaris is expected to return after No Way BacK in March. Disturbed is not expected to return until April, although my source understands that his return date could be pushed back to mid-May as the company does not want to rush him too back so soon after a major injury, especially one that many still fear is career altering.
• Jonathan Cullen and Bryan Daniels's initial work together has gone over well, with many praising how effortless their chemistry was. I can reveal that the decision to promote Roberts was only made after consultation with Daniels, who requested to work a PWC taping in October to test the waters. The two are of similar age and like-mind and Daniels respects that Roberts worked his way through PWC and wasn't simply handed the position. On a related note, Mr. Smooth is said to still be in an undisclosed location under going rehabilitation for his vices, no word as of yet as to a possible return for him.
• Roberts might not be the last member of the PWC broadcast team being promoted in the near future, as I understand that when Kaysie Anderson and Karli Andrews's contracts expire, the two will not renew their deals. PWC's regular backstage interviewer, Shae Sanders, and the newly introduced ring announcer, Abigail Bishop, are already being considered for the roles. I understand that part of the reason that Jessica Mancini is among the new co-hosts of Overload is to less Kaysie's workload, as she remains one of the TWF's Social Media gurus and that role is taking up a majority of her time at present.
• A very interesting wild card has appeared in the discussions over the TWF's future. The TWF's three-year deal with BSkyB expires on December 31, 2014 and the two companies can begin renegotiation over a deal in the near future. BT Sport are also interested in acquiring rights to the TWF, but in recent weeks, the TWF has begun discussing a change in direction. With the success of the xWn (and to an extent, Netflix/Lovefilm etc.), the company is now looking to abandon pay‐per‐views all together and instead, as I speculated in a report in November, create an xWn "Main Event" Channel as part of the subscription and air the "pay‐per‐views" on there instead. The feeling is that instead of relying on varying buy rates and the inconsistency of the market, the company will succeed by eliminating the variable revenue stream and pushing for a consistent one instead. In a recent survey of xWn subscribers, the response to a question about buying pay‐per‐views despite owning a subscription was "overwhelming and very interesting". When the xWn was launched back in 2003, the company wanted to offer those with a subscription a serious discount on ordering pay‐per‐views, but the nature of the agreement with Sky meant this was not the case.
• The actual wild card itself will shock you but might make sense. The TWF is apparently gearing up to bid for Channel 5. Yes, I know. Channel 5's current owners, Northern & Shell, are interested in selling the channel and it's two digital spin-offs. The TWF is looking to sever it's partnership with Sky, move all of the première programming to the main channel, be aggressive in landing live sport to the channel and make it a serious broadcasting powerhouse. The TWF is apparently considering eliminating the middle man in Sky/BT/Virgin and airing it's own output on it's own network. The xWn will still exist in the form of the "Main Event" channel I have previously described.