There's a hell of a lot of people scared to speak out on this subject I'm going to talk about here, because they fear it will affect their bookings and their career options, but I'm damned if I care anymore - you love me or you don't, and you'll book me or you won't. And I'm doing fine for bookings, so screw the people I'm about to talk about.

I'm going full out on the one subject they always claim is untouchable, the subject they claim there's nothing wrong with and all is fine - the British Wrestling scene.

I'm known for being the guy who got Steven Gauntley, promoter and owner of 1PW, started in this business. Myself and Steven have quite a past, including quite a falling out, but this has been moved on from and whilst we get along pretty well now and he's doing well for himself and doesn't need me one bit anymore; absolutely nothing I'm actually saying has been endorsed by him to the extent that he will read this column at the same time as everyone else will and it could well even annoy HIM!

It's no secret I truly detest message boards and forums, the "UKFF" being the worst. It's full of gossip, innuendo, and the worst of all are the smart marks who use it to either kiss up to the promoter of the month or what ever promotion is fashionable at that moment. On there right now, is a sickening amount of hate towards 1PW and Steven and his family personally. Steven and I, shared a lot of things in common, one being the fact we're just down to earth regular guys who kept their love of wrestling from an early age and just wanted to make it somehow in this business. Now, you'd think that would be good enough for people, but there's a horrible clique of promoters in UK wrestling who try to keep you down. Let's delve into names at this point....

Daniel Edler. Rich boy, poker playing, arrogant and thinks he's special. Has covered every possible extent of the online wrestling media so as to make IPW-UK (and some of us speculate that the I and P stand for Intolerable and Pretentious, and the W is for W*nker) look as important as he wishes it to. Has also made sure all UK wrestling message boards and forums are filled with his sheep and people who wish they could be in the wrestling business, so in case anyone ever doubts the quality of the company's product or him as a person he has a lot of people to shout that lone voice down in number. Oh, and thinks it's clever to make comments about my daughter and to then deny it as often as possible.

Sanjay Bagga. Edler's 'friend'. Possibly a lot more if you know where this is going, but we're left to speculate there! Another of these rich young types who consider themselves better than you because they have money. This one likes to involve himself with charity events to make himself look good, but is more than happy to ring up venues and attempt to get shows cancelled all because he doesn't like the promoter. Yes, I just outed you Bagga. Everyone who's anyone knows what you tried to do to 1PW's upcoming "1st Anniversary Show", by attempting to sabotage the main event citing security and danger etc. But you only did it because Steven Gauntley isn't like you and Daniel Edler, he's not one of the 'rich boy clique'. Just like I'm not, and never will be. I'd rather quit a business I literally live and breathe 24-7-365 than be like these two.

You both like to act like you're all business, young, rich, gifted and oh so special. All you are, is rich (thanks to mummy and daddy), and obsessed with BUSINESS. I strongly doubt your love of actual professional wrestling itself, and always will.

Another blinding example of knowing how to fudge the wrestling media's view of you, and using a situation to hide the damage you do the UK scene, is the upcoming British Under 23's championship held the SAME DAY as the next 1PW show in November; and run by IPW-UK seemingly. Looking like they're doing a good deed for the youth of the wrestling business (and as usual, not giving a damn for anyone over the age of 30), they set this up, but only to look after their friends who promote and to look after their own.

Watching these vultures, and others who I haven't named but there are a good little collection of, attempt to pick apart and destroy 1PW out of nothing more than sheer bitter minded jealousy, I made an anology about recently. It's not a very good taste one in my view, but it's how I truly feel, and that is that it's like walking down the road and watching an ex girlfriend being beaten and attempted raped in front of your eyes and not being expected to say nothing. I can not stand to watch the exact same people I helped Steven get 1PW started up to fight AGAINST, try and take down a product that I still believe in even though I have not worked with 1PW since very late September last year.

UK wrestling isn't just about 1PW though, and it's not just about the middle sized promotions. There's a lot of promotions who don't make much profit if any, but are involved for the love of doing it and for living the dream. I work for ones like that, because I like making a difference to lives, to genuine and real people who had a dream of being involved in this business and never thought they could make it in. I know I've been blessed, and I like to share that. But from middle sized promotions and downwards, the above named and more have positioned themselves to that these promotions are either forced to work in some kind of connection and conjunction WITH them, or be totally against them. If Edler, Bagga, etc, are so nice and for the best for UK wrestling, why is it like this?

Are you an American looking to come over for a few dates? Well, don't look on the message boards and forums guys, because xenophobia has kicked in here in the UK thanks to promoters like the ones mentioned above. Unless you fall into the category of wrestlers that they mark for the chance of meeting, you won't get that chance, because apparently British Wrestling is of a higher level than the US scene. And that is just not true.

I don't care WHAT I get called for this, I have some amazingly talented and very close friends in the business in England, but nearly all of them are honest enough to admit they're not at the same level as a lot of the American wrestlers are. Just like I know I'm not as good as certain US indy level managers. All the likes of Edler and Bagga do, is attempt (yet again) to curry favour by getting all patriotic and saying that the UK scene doesnt need imports. English football has improved for bringing in top quality foreign players, and we showed in the World Cup that we lack that certain something that can only be gained by the experience of playing with world class footballers on a regular basis; and UK wrestling is exactly the same.

I know I'm going to get torn apart on that forum I mentioned, the UKFF (who I refuse to give anything more than a name check to, I will NOT promote the website via a link because it is nothing more than a vicious rumour mongering hole that deserves to be shut down), but I do not care one bit. So fire away, little smarks and kids with no life, because my arms are wide and I'm waiting....

I am an open, honest, straightforward and to the point person, a family man with two children and aged in my early thirties, a bit loud and a bit daft (I admit it!), my life is an open book; and what I do in professional wrestling is the same and I do it for the love of being involved and being with my friends and sharing that love of what we do with them. If you want to ridicule me for that, and tell me I'm not 'business' enough, then go ahead. If you want to take cheap shots at me, give it your best shot. I'll be found at the smaller shows, and keeping it real, being a heel but still signing autographs for the kids afterwards who can't quite work out why I'm such a nasty loudmouth inside the ring with a microphone, but so sweet outside of it!

So visit my website, www.peterstaniforth.co.uk, because I am the most controversial manager in UK wrestling - I call it DAMN straight, and this isn't a gimmick - I am The 'Internet Icon' Petey Staniforth, and I'm better than you because I'm from Luton.

The "Internet Icon"
Petey Staniforth
www.peterstaniforth.co.uk

Peter is a UK professional wrestling manager, and is currently working for ACW (www.acwrestling.co.uk), EAW (www.eawrestling.co.uk), and BRAWL (www.brawl.tk); and also available for other independent bookings - please contact at this email address for more details.

Peter is also a sports, computer games, and music journalist, currently writing on the following websites - www.pwbts.com, www.wrestlingclothesline.com, www.prowrestlingdaily.com, http://www.warned.net/, www.jimmyvan.com, www.twnpnews.com, www.mikels.cjb.net, is the exclusive WWE writer for www.ukevents.net, and also writes for UK newsletter "Piledriver".

Peter is a very proud member of The Wrestling Clothesline.com's Independent Wrestling Hall Of Fame Selection Committee, which can be found at www.wrestlingclothesline.com.

Peter is available for talent relations work and more, any enquiries are welcome via email.

Peter has written for Bill Apter's "Total Wrestling" magazine, the well respected US based newsletter "Wrestling Then and Now", www.kayfabememories.com, and has also written press releases for the UK's WWE Euro Shop merchandise company. He was also mentioned on the credits of the cult wrestling simulation game by Adam Ryland - EWR 4.2.

When using any of this information give proper credit to Cactusb and the Wrestling Clothesline at http://www.wrestlingclothesline.com

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