We saw the results of not having the ECW Arena this past Saturday, as Combat Zone Wrestling debuted at the Flyers Skate Zone in Voornees, NJ last night in the promotion’s return to New Jersey and its first show in the post-ECW Arena era.

A snowy and icy night didn’t help things with crowd size, which I suppose wasn’t bad given a new location and weather, but clearly wasn’t Arena sized. Then, with those who were at the show; a decent sized and vocal segment were not happy about a show that saw no blood and pretty limited violence, and pretty much crapped on the main event yelling nonsensical crap at the ring; more so for the show than anything Gulak or Vortekz did or didn’t do.

It didn’t help when Larry Legend did his traditional ring bit to get the crowd going, and talked about the ring being filled with blood.

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As most of you know, PWBTS.com, the flagship site of this column, focuses on coverage and promotion of independent wrestling. As someone who happily shills independent wrestling promotions whenever possible, one of the things that pisses me off is the way independent promotions seems to have no sense about the basic sorts of things that they need to do to promote their product. I’d like to offer some observations as to some of those things I think that promotions need to do to publicize their product online. I realize that some people may find some of the suggestions listed below to be painfully obvious, but trust me…they aren’t. All too many independent promoters don’t use some or all of these ideas. I’ve seen all too many cases where promoters don’t…well…promote… and crowds suffer accordingly. But that’s not all.

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So of course, there were a handful of remarks complaining about what was written last week, but far more that were supportive.

Photo by Scott Finkelstein

This week, some news on where CZW is going next after last week’s final show at the ECW Arena.

First, I have to get this off of my chest.

Last week pissed me off. Not because of the reason it apparently did for so many people; namely the angle at the end…because it was designed by Gabe Sapolsky to go forward with Sami Callihan’s character in EVOLVE. Like it or not, that’s how a promoter has to think….and apparently a lot didn’t. It would also be logical, denials from EVOLVE or not, to assume that there is some tie-in with the Extreme Reunion project, who will be running a show at the Northeast Pennsylvania National Guard Armory. If there isn’t, there should have been.

It pissed me off because January 14 saw 19 years of wrestling history being taken away by Stein and Silverman (the two center city lawyers who actually own it); and concert promoter Joanna Pang, all of whom appear to have little or no real interest in that history.

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On the day in the United States where we remember the birthday of civil-rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it’s worth reprinting this story aboiut a white wrestler who helped desegregate Memphis wrestling; no small feat in the 1950′s American South.

For those of you who haven’t ever heard of him, Rocco Monroe Brumbaugh, better known as Sputnik Monroe was a legendary character in the true oldtime Southern wrestling manner. If that was all Sputnik Monroe was…that would have been more than enough for a few good stories among old friends and students of wrestling.

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In 2011, PWBTS.com had 1,755,878 page views, with readers from 67 nations and territories including

United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Argentina, Australia, Venezuela, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, Israel , Ireland, Japan, Italy, Colombia, Russia, France, Peru, Belgium, Mexico ,Spain China, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Czech Republic, India, New Zealand, Brazil, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, Portugal, Romania, Philippines, South Korea, Panama, Burundi, Bermuda, Malaysia, Finland, Croatia, Bulgaria, Kuwait, Pakistan, Indonesia, Norway, Vietnam, Lithuania, Dominican Republic, Hong Kong, Egypt, Taiwan, Greece, Hungary Austria, Sweden,Yemen, Sri Lanka, Guyana, Georgia, Cyprus, Cayman Islands, El Salvador, Bolivia, Chile, Guatemala, Moldova, Thailand

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Happy New Year to all of you.

As 2011 ends and 2012 begins, it’s time for the 15th annual AS I SEE IT Year-End Review. As usual, I should note that my selections are based on what I’ve actually seen this year, either live, online, on TV, or via tape/DVD; which primarily means North American wrestling.

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It started out as a warehouse at the corner Swanson and Ritner Streets in South Philadelphia. Over 18 years it became most of the well-known wrestling venues on the planet.

For the short term at best, there will not be wrestling (or anything else) at the ECW Arena as of February 2012. The venue will be closed as of February 2 for “extensive renovations”. Promoters including CZW’s DJ Hyde have met with new leaseholder Joanna Pang this week. Pang has stated that she is not opposed to pro wrestling in the venue, but intends to close it for an unstated period of time to perform extensive renovations. The backstage area as it exists now to be removed for a permanent stage for a new permanent stage and backstage dressing rooms area. The Eagle’s Nest side of the building (next to Forman Mills), will be knocked down and the venue size expanded. In short, the structure of the venue as it stands now will no longer exist after February 2, 2012.

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It started out a warehouse at Swanson and Ritner Streets in South Philadelphia. Over 18 years it became most of the well-known wrestling venues on the planet.

While it’s future seems uncertain, let’s take a look at the building’s history. There’s a lot of it.

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We are now in middle of the Holidays…with Christmas, Hanukkah, and the New Year coming up soon.

As I ask each year, please e-mail any announcements about scheduled Holiday charitable-themed (fund-raisers for clothes, food pantries or Toys for Toys) wrestling or MMA events.

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