"Mega Man" Speaks Out!

Since several folks have expressed interest in reading this and someone sent me a link I'm gonna post Rodney's post from a wrestling message board here for everyone to read, now by posting this it is in no way saying I agree with everything that he said nor is it saying I condone his butchering of grammar and spelling. I just think a lot of people like me who worked for him for a long time will be interested in reading it, so here it is in it's entirety. The former CWA Champion has a lot to say and a lot of people aren't happy about it.


WHAT A PERSON WILL DO TO FORFULL THERE DREAM/ GOAL .

Posted by RODNEY GRIMES on 9/24/2005, 4:51 am
User logged in as: Rodney | Edit Message

HELLO MY IS RODNEY GRIMES. I HAVE WRESTLED AND PROMOTED CWA CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW. I USELY DON'T COME ON HERE AND TALK ABOUT THINGS. I HAVE SEEN AND LEARNED ABOUT THE WRESTLING BUSINESS.BUT I THINK THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE TO EVERYONE. THAT WOULD HAVE A DIFFERANT OUTLOOK ON WRESTLING (PROMOTING/WRESTLING)ON A WRESTLING EVENT.ALOT OF WRESTLING FANS AND WORKERS(WRESTLERS) THINK THAT IT IS EASY TO PROMOTE A WRESTLING EVENT.THEY ALSO THINK THAT IF THEY SEE A BIG CROWD THAT THE PROMOTER HAS MADE ALOT OF MONEY THAT NIGHT.THAT IS NOT ALWAYS TRUE.ALMOST 75% OF THE TIME A PROMOTER IS DOING GOOD TO BREAK EVEN.WHICH IS VERY HARD TO DO THIS DAY AND TIME FOR INDY PROMOTIONS.WHICH SOME INDY PROMOTERS DON'T ADVERTISE THERE WRESTLING EVENTS.WHICH IS A DIFFERANT STORY.BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T ADVERTISE THEN MOST OF TIME YOU DON'T HAVE A CHANCE TO DRAW A CROWD.IF WRESTLING FANS DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE WRESTLING EVENT THEN THEY WOULDN'T KNOW TO COME. SO, THE COST PROMOTING A WRESTLING EVENT IS VERY HIGH.A PROMOTER HAS BUILDING RENT,ADVERTISING, RING RENT(IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE),STATE ATHELTIC COMMISSION(IF THERE IS ONE IN THE STATE YOU ARE RUNNING), MOST PLACES INSURANCE, AND YOUR TALENT.SO, IT IS HARD TO MAKE MONEY IN THE WRESTLING BUSINESS NOW DAYS. EVERY SINCE I WAS I LITTLE KID AND CAN REMEMBER WATCHING WRESTLING OUT OF MEMPHIS , TN. THAT WAS ALWAYS MY DREAM OR GOAL WAS TO BECOME A WRESTLER. I ALWAYS ENJOYED WATCHING JERRY LAWLER, BILL DUNDEE, HANDSOME JIMMY VALIANT, DON BASS,EDDIE GILBERT, AUSTIN IDOL,JIMMY HART,JOE LEDUC,JACKIE FARGO,TOMMY GILBERT,AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.WRESTLING WAS SO DIFFERANT THEN. THEN IT IS NOW.BECAUSE OF VARIOUS REASONS.EVERYTIME I PROMOTE WRESTLING EVENT I ALWAYS TRY TO PROMOTE AND RUN MY EVENTS LIKE THE OLE MEMPHIS DAYS THAT I GROW UP WATCHING.I ALWAYS ASKED MYSELF "IF I PAID FOR A TICKET FOR THIS EVENT DID I FEEL LIKE I GOT MY MONEY WORTH?" SO I ALWAYS GIVE MY BEST ON ALL OF MY WRESTLING EVENTS TO GIVE THE FANS WHO BOUGHT A TICKET TO GIVE THEM THERE MONEYS WORTH.(TO MAKE THE FANS WANT TO COME BACK) AND I FEEL LIKE MOST OF THE TIMES I DID. WHEN I GOT OUT OF SCHOOL , I WENT TO THE USWA WRESTLING SCHOOL IN NASHVILLE,TN. WHICH JEFF JARETTEE RAN . THERE WERE SERVERAL GUYS THERE AT THE WRESTLING SCHOOL AT THAT TIME. GUYS LIKE CHARLIE LAIRD,JIM DOTSON(AKA WRESTLED AS JIM HARRIS ),LEON DOWNS, AND A FEW MORE WERE AT THE USWA WRESTLING SCHOOL AT THAT TIME.I DROVE ABOUT 3 HOURS EVERY SUNDAY TO NASHVILLE TO THIS WRESTLING SCHOOL.SO , FINALLY AFTER ABOUT THE 5TH OR 6TH WORKOUT JEFF JARETTEE TOLD ME PLANNLY THAT I NEEDED TO GET INTO THE GYM AND WORKOUT AND GAIN SOMEMORE WEIGHT.AT THAT TIME I ONLY WEIGHTED LIKE ABOUT 118 LBS.SO I TOOK HIS ADVICE AND DID THIS . I STARTED WORKING OUT AND STARTED GAINING WEIGHT .GAINED ABOUT 60 LBS . SO THERE WAS A INDY PROMOTION THAT RAN IN MY HOMETOWN OF CORINTH, MS. THAT LEE AND BILLY RAY HICKERSON PROMOTED AT THE TIME.SO I HAD A CLOSE FRIEND (TOMMY SANDERS WHO ALSO WRESTLED FOR THEM)THAT INTRODUCED ME TO LEE AND BILLY HICKERSON AT ONE OF THERE WRESTLING EVENTS.I TOLD BILLY RAY THAT I HAD BEEN WORKING OUT WITH JEFF JARETTEE IN NASHVILLE, TN.SO, HE TOLD ME SHOW UP THRUSDAY NIGHT TO WORKOUT. SO THE NEXT THRUSDAY NIGHT I GOT INTO THE RING WITH BILLY RAY HICKERSON AND WE WORKOUT.HE SEEN THAT I HAD BEEN WORK WITH AND THAT I HAD THE HEART AND WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME A PRO WRESTLER FOR MY SIZE. THE FOLLOWING THRUSDAY NIGHT BILLY RAY AND LEE RAN A SHOW IN FINGER,TN. WITH USWA WRESTLING OUT OF MEMPHIS, TN. SO , I WENT TO SHOW TO HELP WITH SHOW HAD NO IDEAL THAT WAS GOING TO WRESTLE THAT NIGHT. SO I ENDED UP WRESTLING MY FIRST MATCH IN A MOONDOG BATTLE WITH BILL DUNDEE, MOONDOGS, SCOTT STUD(AKA SCOTTY WREN), AND SEVERAL OTHERS WHICH WAS GREAT. I ALWAYS SAID WHEN I WAS GROWING UP IN HIGH SCHOOL THAT I WAS GOING TO BECOME A WRESTLER AND FINALLY I WRESTLED MY FIRST MATCH.AND THIS STARTED THIS ROLLER COASTER OF RIDE THAT I HAVE BEEN TAKING AND STILL RIDING FROM TIME TO TME. SO, I WRESTLED FOR THIS PROMOTION AND HELPED CO PROMOTE FOR A WHILE.BECAME GOOD FRIENDS WITH LEE AND BILLY RAY HICKERSON . LEE HICKERSON (AND HIS WIFE (KIDS) MOM , DAD) EVEN MOVED INTO MY HOUSE THAT I HAD FOR RENT AT THAT TIME.EVERYTHING WAS GOING GOOD. UNTIL I THE TIME THAT I HAD TO ASKED THEM TO MOVE BECAUSE I WAS FIXING GET MARRIED AND NEEDED MY HOUSE TO LIVE IN.I THINK UNTIL THIS DAY THEY STILL HOLD THAT AGAINST ME. SO THEY MOVED AND STOPPED RUNNING CORINTH AND SERVERAL WEEKS LATER . I STARTED CWA CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING IN CORINTH EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT.I PROMOTED EVERY FRIDAY IN CORINTH, MS. FOR ABOUT 5 YEARS STRAIGHT.I WAS PROMOTING ON FRIDAY NIGHTS WHEN NO ELSE WAS AT THE TIME.AND WAS DRAWING GOOD ON THE SAME NIGHT AS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYED.WHICH WAS VERY GOOD.IT WAS AMAZING SOME NIGHTS TO SEE WHO WOULD SHOW UP WANTING WRESTLE. AND ALMOST ALL OF TIME I WOULD USE THEM. EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT IN CORINTH, MS MAN I MISS THOSE DAYS SOMETIMES.A LOT OF THE INDY WRESTLERS GOT THERE START RIGHT THERE IN CORINTH, MS.INDY WRESTLERS LIKE LANCE JADE,BIG HOSS WILLIAMS, THE SOULTAKER,DERRICK KING,DANNY B. GOOD, CHRIS ROCKER,DUSTIN STAR, JETT LOGAN,ALEX KRASIS,BLADE,JOHNNY DOTSON,KEVIN WHITE,"HOLLWOOD"JIMMY BLAYLOCK,NEIL TAYLOR,AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.EVEN KURT ANGLE AND ARRON O'GRADY )AKA CRASH HOLLY HAS EVEN WRESTLED FOR ME WHEN THEY WAS IN POWER PRO WRESTLING.OFTEN SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE SOME OF THESE WRESTLERS FORGET WERE THEY CAME FROM AND WERE THEY COULD COME AND LEARNED THERE TRADE AT . WHEN THERE WAS NO WHERE ELSE TO GO ON FRIDAY NIGHTS. MOST OF TIME WRESTLERS HAVE THERE OWN CLICK .EIRTHER YOUR IN OR YOUR NOT. MOST YOUNG INDY WRESTLERS TODAY DON'T TAKE THERE TRADE SERIOUS.AND SOME DOES.WHICH REALLY HURTS THE WRESTLING BUSINESS.ALSO WANT HURTS THE WRESTLING BUSINESS IS TO SHOW UP FOR YOUR BOOKINGS.IF YOU ARE BOOK ON A SHOW SHOW UP THAT NOT ONLY HURTS THE PROMOTION BUT IT ALSO HURTS YOUR NAME YOUR TRYING TO BUILDED UP. BUT WHAT I WANT TO REALLY TALK ABOUT IS THE THINGS A PERSON WILL GO THROUGH TO DO WHAT HE LOVES SO MUCH TO DO.SOMETIMES I ASKED MYSELF IS IT REALLY WORTH IT? THERE ARE SOME REALLY GOOD PEOPLE IN THE WRESTLING BUSINESS AND THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE NOT.THERE SOME THAT ARE GREEDY AND SOME THAT ARE NOT.SOME THAT ARE REAL GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO AND SOME THAT ARE NOT WORTH A DAM . BUT THEY THINK THEY ARE MADE OF GOLD AND KNOW EVERYTHING.THESE ARE THINGS THAT YOU LEARN AND SEE IN THE WORLD OF WRESTLING. I HAVE HAD SO MANY TELL ME HOW TO RUN A PROMOTION AND THINGS TO DO TO MAKE MONEY IN WRESTLING BUSINESS. BUT I STOP AND ASKED MYSELF IF IT WAS THAT EASY TO MAKE MONEY THEN WHY DON'T THEY DO IT THERE SELFS.I AM NOT AS STUPID AS SOME PEOPLE THINK I AM. "WILDFIRE'TOMMY RICH WRESTLED FOR ME FEW TIMES.I GREW UP WATCHING HIM WRESTLE MANY TIMES.MOST TIMES TOMMY WOULD SHOW UP MESSED UP.ONE TIME TOMMY RICH SHOWED UP NOT BOOKED ON THE CARD, SO MESSED THAT DOUG GILBERT HAD TO DRIVE HIM TO HIS HOUSE.I DON'T SEE HOW HE MADE IT FROM ATLANTA TO CORINTH.ONE THING I WILL NEVER FORGET ABOUT TOMMY RICH IS WHEN MY MOTHER GOT BAD SICK AND I HAD TO CANCEL A SHOW .WHEN I CALLED TO TELL HIM THE SHOW WAS CANCEL . HE TOLD ME THAT IF I DON'T SEND HIM HIS MONEY FOR THE SHOW, HE WOULD COME TO CORINTH ,MS AND KICK MY ASS.I FELT LIKE THIS WAS VERY UNPROFESSIONALLY OF A PRO WORKER TO DO THIS.WHEN THE PROMOTER HAS A FAMILY SICKNESS.HE SURE DIDN'T GET HIS MONEY HE WANTED.THIS IS JUST ONE OF MANY THINGS I WOULD LOVE TO SHARE YOU. A FEW YEARS AGO, I HAD DAVE MULLIGAN MAKE ME CWA HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE FOR THE PROMOTION TO HAVE.DAVE DID REALLY GOOD JOB ON THIS BELT.THIS WAS THE FIRST BELT THE PROMOTION HAD.THEN ALL OF SUDDEN MY BELT CAME UP MESSING. I LET BRICKHOUSE BROWN USE IT MAKE SOME PICTURES WITH IT AND NEVER SEEN IT SINCE. I ASKED BRICK ABOUT IT AND HE TOLD ME THAT JOHNNY DOTSON HAD IT.SO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT I HAVE NEVER SEEN IT SINCE.IT WAS MY MISTAKE FOR LETTING IT LEAVE THE BUILDING.YOU LIVE AND LEARN . SOMETIMES THE HARD WAY. TALKING ABOUT YOUNG INDY WORKERS NOT REMEMBERING WERE THEY GOT ONE OF THERE STARTS FROM.ONE THAT COMES TO MIND OFF THE TOP MY HEAD IS KEVIN WHITE.KEVIN WHITE GOT ONE HIS STARTS IN CORINTH, MS. FOR CWA CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.KEVEN WHITE AND BRAIN MANESS SHOWED UP ONE NIGHT TO START WRESTLING FOR ME.THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD BEEN WORKING SOME IN COOKVILLE ,TN.AND THAT PHIL HICKERSON HAD BEEN WORKING WITH THEM.WELL I PUT THEM IN THE RING AND GAVE THEM A GOOD PUSH. THEY WAS OVER WELL WITH THE FANS.THEN ONE NIGHT KEVIN WHITE GOT MAD BECAUSE A WORKER NAMED WAR MACHINE THAT WEIGHTED ABOUT 400 LBS. WOULD NOT BUMP FOR HIM.WELL I GUY THIS BIG IS GOING TO DO MUST BUMPING.SO, HE GOT MAD AND LEFT.WELL COUPLE NIGHTS LATER BRAIN MANESS CALLED ME AND TOLD HE AND KEVIN WHITE HAS NOT BEEN WORKING WITH PHIL HICKERSON.THAT IT WAS ALL A LIE TO GET TO WORK.SO, THE NEXT I KNOW HE IS TRAINED MY BILL DUNDEE .AND IS ON MEMPHIS WRESTLING WHICH IS FINE.BUT I FEEL THE ONLY REASON HE IS ON MEMPHIS WRESTLING BECAUSE OF HIS DADDY GARY WHITE. BECAUSE GARY WHITE OWNS THE RINGS THEY USE SO THEY USE KEVIN .WHICH IF MY SON WANTED TO WRESTLE I WOULD HELP HIM OUT ANY WAY I CAN.I GUESS THATS THE BRAKES YOU WHEN YOU HAVE THAT PULL. I REALLY LOVE WORKING WITH JERRY LAWLER,DON BASS, DUTCH MANTEL, HANDSOME JIMMY VALIANT,TOMMY GILBERT,AND GUYS LIKE THIS . THIS GUYS HAVE BEEN AROUND . AND THEY ARE REAL PROS. NOW, THAT WRESTLING IS DEAD IN CORINTH THANKS TO BOBBY AND HIS DAD WADE BUTLER. WHEN I HAD TO CLOSE CORINTH FOR A WHILE TO TAKE OF MY MOTHER THAT WAS BAD SICK.BRICKHOUSE BROWN GOT WITH THESE MARKS.AND STARTED RUNNING CORINTH. WHILE THEY ENDED UP MESSING OVER BRICKHOUSE THEN DOUG GILBERT. THEN KILLED THE TOWN BY USING JUST ANY ANYBODY, FIGHTING BETWEEN THERE SELFS (I THINK THE WHOLE FAMILY WAS REALLY FIGHTING AT ONE TIME), AND THEY RAN THE GREAT WRESTLING FANS OFF BY BEING RUDE TO THEM.SO CORINTH IS DEAD AND WOULD BE HARD TO RUN AGAIN.

PART 2:
VOID. I DON'T KNOW YOU.I DO KNOW YOU HAVE NEVER WORK FOR ME .SO HOW DO YOU KNOW JACK CRAP ABOUT ME OR WHAT I DO OR HAVE DONE.YOU DON'T .ALL YOU KNOW IS HEAR SAY.I DO KNOW THAT YOU WRESTLE FOR THE BULTERS DURING THE TIME THEY KILL CORINTH.NOT SAYING YOU WAS THE ONE KILL IT YOURSELF.THE ONES THAT WERE RUNNING THE PROMOTION KILLED THE TOWN.I HAVE QUESTIONS FOR YOU VIOD. WHAT HAVE YOU EVERY DONE IN THE WRESTLING BUSINESS?WHERE HAVE YOU GONE ? WHAT IS YOUR CLAIM TO FAME IN WERSTLING? LETS FACE IT YOU ARE LIKE SOME OF THE REST YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING.BUT GIVE YOU CREDIT YOU TRY YOUR BEST.AND THATS GOOD.
YOU TALKIKG ABOUT ME WEIGHTING 180 LBS. AND PUTTING THE CWA HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE ON MYSELF.WELL IT'S LIKE THIS IT'S NOT HOW YOU DO IT , IT'S THE WAY YOU DO IT.AND IF THE WRESTLING FANS LIKE IT AND COME BACK FROM WEEK TO WEEK THEN YOU MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT.AND I MUST HAVE BEEN DOING SOMETHINGS RIGHT BECAUSE THE AMERICAN LEGION BUILDING WAS PACKED EVERY FRIDAY.YOU KNOW THEY HAS BEEN MORE WRESTLING FANS COME TO THE AMERICAN LEGION BUILDING AND WATCH ME AMD WRESTLING PROMOTION THEN ANY PROMOTION THAT HAS EVRY RAN IN CORINTH .AND I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT 30 AND 40 FANS EACH WEEK.AND IT COULD BE ALOT OF JEALOUSLY ALSO THAT THE BELT WAS ON ME.
A WRESTLER (WORKER) HAS EQUAL TIME TO GET HIS OR HER SELF OVER NO MATTER WHAT THE MATCH IS.IF YOUR GOOD ENOUGH YOU CAN DO THAT.SOME HAVE IT AND SOME DON'T.SIZE DON'T MATTER. NOW DAYS ANYBODY CAN GET INTO RING AND CALL THEM SELF A PRO WRESTLER.IT'S THAT EASY.
FOR AN EXAMPLE , THERE WERE 3 GUYS THAT WANTED ME TO TRAIN THEM . THEY CAME AND WORKOUT FOR 1 NIGHT AND THEN QUIT.THEY CAME TO MY WRESTLING THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS. AND THEN THEY WENT UP TO THE ATHELTIC COMMISSIONER AND WANTED TO BUY THERE WRESTLING LIC.AND THE COMMISSIONER SOLD THEM THERE WRESTLING LIC. WITH NO QUESTIONS ASKED.I WENT AND ASKED THE COMMISSIONER WHY DID HE SELL THEM THERE WRESLING LIC. WHEN THEY WERE NEVER TRAINED YET?AND HE TOLD ME THAT HE DIDN'T CARE AS LONG AS HE GOT HIS MONEY FOR LIC. .SO, THEY NEXT THING I KNOW THEY WORKING DOWN SOUTH MS. FOR LORD HUGO CALLING THEMSELFS DAMION RAGE, GARY WOOLRIDGE,AND NATHAN LEE.SO YOU SEE ANY BODY CAN GET INTO THE RING AND CALL THEMSELFS A WRESTLER.AND THIS ALSO KILLS THE WRESTLING BUSINESS AND HAS KILL WRESTLING AROUND NORTH MS. AS A WHOLE.
SOMETIMES ON FRIDAY NIGHTS I THOUGHT I WAS RUNNING A BABYSITTING SERVICE INSTEAD OF PROMOTIING WRESTLING.AND IT WASN'T THE YOUNG TALENT THAT I MIGHT HAVE TROUBLE WITH FROM TIME TO TIME.SOME OF THE VETERANS AS WELL WERE ACTING CHILDISH AT TIMES.
MY POINT IS THAT I HAVE LIVED MY DREAM AND I HAVE DID WHAT I WANTED TO DO.I HAVE WRESTLE AND I HAVE PROMOTED.AND STILL DO IT FROM TIME TO TIME. AND THESE ARE JUST A DROP IN THE BUCKET OF SOME OF THINGS THAT I HAVE INCOUNTERED IN THE WORLD OF WRESTLING.
SO, I ASK MYSELF IF IT'S WORTH IT? YES, I GUESS IT IS . SEEMS LIKE WRESTLING IS LIKE A DRUG WHEN YOU DO IT AND HAVE DONE IT.IT'S HARD TO WALK AWAY FROM IT.SO, EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE YOU HAVE TO HAVE A FIX AND DO IT AGAIN.