Post by Joshua Bishop on Jul 5, 2014 15:00:51 GMT -5
- Following months of inactivity, iPW Founder Joshua Bishop finally shed some light on why the young, promising promotion had suddenly went dormant.
"I had the most to do with why Iconic Pro suddenly stalled out. Running a promotion is entirely different from competing in them. Because I had been working so much for WEDF as more than just a talent, I really lost interest in any of my side projects. Even then, I rushed the opening of the promotion. We literally had no plan for the future and we had no idea where we were going. Then my workload started to pick up again for WEDF and I never touched anything involving Iconic Pro. It was a bummer, too, because it affected my contributions to the CAW Pro Championship Series. Looking back, I realize a lot of the situations I was put in around then weren't handled properly. I made a lot of poor decisions and wasted more time than I should have. I was selfish and careless. I wanted out of everything I was in just because I had burned out from trying to balance my work out on all ends, to a point where I just went into stasis and didn't really do much for the two projects I had really put more of an interest in compared to WEDF. My mindset at the time was that I needed, and wanted, to help WEDF more because it was a bigger promotion that required a lot more of my time, but I put myself in a Catch-22 doing that. I wasn't moving at the pace that Frankie (Payne) had wanted me to move in terms of backstage contributions and I hadn't said much to the owner of the PCS when he had been waiting to get my next piece of commentary. My big problem is that as soon as the stress starts to stack up, I go into stasis and don't really say much to anyone, which sucks because I've really had a lot to do with two promotions possibly folding when they could still be around had I just said to myself 'Look, you need to get it together and take care of yourself before you burn out - again.' But I'm my father's son after all - I'm hard headed and don't like to tell myself I can't do something.
It really started to make progress when I stopped talking to Frankie. As soon as people heard that I hadn't been helping WEDF as much behind the scenes due to Frankie wanting to go a different way, many of my close friends and several other promoters just stepped in and made me do a lot of soul searching. I suddenly found myself with a lot of free time and I felt like the weight of the world had come off my shoulders. Dwall (DCA Founder) was really influential in my decision to get Iconic Pro back on track, because he just set it straight and said 'Take advantage of this opportunity, it may be the only chance you get to get yourself back on your feet' and that's exactly what I did."
- Iconic Pro released a match - a 10-man over the top rope battle royal - earlier this year in April, which was highlighted by the return and performance of Tony Vegas, who would eliminate six competitors and ultimately win the match - his first in over three years. When asked about Vegas, Bishop confirmed that Vegas was immediately signed to a long-term contract following his victory. Vegas's next match is scheduled to take place at Iconic Pro's second event, where he will challenge either Dante Styles or Evan O'Shea for the Legendary Championship.
- Aside from an alteration to the main event (more below), no major changes have been made to the card for Iconic Pro's first event, Iconic Revolution. Importantly, we have clarity from Bishop concerning a timetable for the event's long awaited arrival. Bishop claims that Iconic Revolution will finally air "either late July or early August, depending on how well production moves" on the ZODIAC Network and on iPW's main channel. It will air from the Mobile Civic Center in Mobile, Alabama - Bishop's hometown.
- When asked about the ZODIAC Network, Bishop claims he was one of the first asked to agree to become affiliates with the Grayson-owned organization.
"Gage Grayson came to me about the partnership offer upfront and explained the upside to it with cross promotions and working agreements and all that fancy stuff, and I was definitely interested in it, especially since we both feel like iPW can be the forerunner for that group despite it mainly being instituted by OLYMPUS. He also mentioned the other promotions, like BATTLE PRO, that had joined in with them and it just made sense for me to make the deal. I got together with the President, we both approached Gage & his father, had a nice conversation, shook hands, put the pens to paper, and the rest is history."
Bishop has stated that he would "ideally" like to explain more on his stance for joining the ZODIAC Network and what he plans to do through a formal introduction on the network, but he is more concerned with "establishing Iconic Pro's reputation above anything else," outside of his own commitments as a competitor and any commentary work that may pop up for him.
- Bishop has said the match he is the most excited to see and call at Iconic Revolution is the Global Heavyweight Championship main event between Marcus King and Steven Santos.
"I'm ready to get this show on the road and call every match, but if I had to pick one that'll keep me thinking at night, it's definitely the main event. These two guys have been fighting their whole lives for one chance to be known as the best at what they do, and it's definitely an honor to get to call that. There's no doubt in my mind that this match is going to change their lives forever. It's also a big plus when I just found out from the President himself that they both requested to just settle it like they did in the old days and just have a straight-up fight. No disqualifications, no countouts, no rules, no holds barred. Just two men willing to do anything it takes to be the winner in what I expect to be a total war. I saw how well that worked for Santos when he had a match like that against Louden Styles on the first night of The Long Walk, and it definitely worked out because I saw a different fire from both guys that night. It also really lights up the President - he's about as old school as it gets and he loves watching tough guys just duke it out and hold nothing back. It's gonna be exciting to see up close and personal, and I know all of those fans in the Mobile Civic Center are gonna eat it up like hotcakes when it comes around."
- Finally, when asked about the roster, Bishop did note that there were changes made, but the core of the roster has remained intact. Notably added was the aforementioned Tony Vegas. Bishop went on to mention that Gage Grayson had signed a deal to join the promotion along with a few other talents that Bishop would not name and that Chris Corre had been released a long time ago due to creative differences. Bishop also answered rumours about James Blazer. Bishop said that there were talks and some intrigue, but any offers were immediately off the table when Bishop caught word of Blazer's "ignorant, careless, and frustrating" opinion of the state of the industry through John Blackrose.
"I trust John Blackrose's judgment. He's the guy who helped me sign a lot of these guys you see in Iconic Pro today, so I know what he's saying isn't out of line or just wild fantasy. If James Blazer really feels that way about the industry to a point where he wants to work in iPW but thinks there are no other promotions, which is basically outright saying that the spirit and the heart of what we do is dead and gone, why would we ever want him to work here?"