Gabe Sapolsky Removed As Booker Of Ring of Honor

[PUCKU]

source: PWInsider.com

Following last night's Ring of Honor event in Edison, New Jersey (Saturday, October 25, 2008), owner Cary Silkin removed Gabe Sapolsky from his head booker's position in the company. There was no major blow up as the company is simply going in a different direction.

Sapolsky had been with Ring of Honor since its inception in 2002. He is completely gone from the company.

ROH issued the following statement on the company website today:

Ring of Honor is announcing that Gabe Sapolsky will be leaving the company effective immediately. Everybody at ROH would like to thank him for his contributions and wish him well in all future endeavors.

Going forward Ring of Honor will be focusing on the stories and the talent in the ring. The company will have no further comments on this issue or a replacement for Mr. Sapolsky. We would like to thank all of the fans and media who have supported us over the years and look forward to bringing you more great wrestling excitement in the future.

[PUCKU]

source: WrestleZone.com

ROH is financed by Cary Silken. Several years ago the decision was made to begin PPVs. The hope was it would grow the company, add fans, and revenue. It has not.

It has been suggested ROH needs TV. They do not unless they are paid to provide their show and at least break even. ROH had TV briefly in Philadelphia on WGTW-TV, payiong for the time slot weekly, and canceled that deal after a few months. The TV was not helping them draw and was cutting nto DVD sales. They had been warned going in that they would lose money, but too many see TV as a holy grail. It usually is not. It's usually just another expense.

ROH house shows are down in attendance, and several planned shows in Florida were cancelled then rescheduled to next year.

Only NYC & Chicago have really been drawing the crowds ROH needs and expects.

After last month's Philadephia show Silkin was close to shutting down ROH altogether. Too much money was being spent, and too little was coming in.

Other ROH Management convinced Silkin to keep the company running, and to let Gabe Saposky go, and in the process make changes beyond the booking alone.

Card budgets need to be cut. Towns need to be booked to run at a profit regardless of draw even if it means reducing pay to some talent or reducing the number of wrestlers booked per show, particularly fly-ins.

Whether PPV's will continue is unknown. I'd recommend no. ROH needs to focus on events and DVDs, and story telling, alnost go back to the beginning in some ways. Their press release suggested that direction.

The current booking plan is to use a committee. Exactly who is on the committee has not been announced. For this group, whoever they turn out to be, to be successful, they first need to meet with Cary Silkin and find out exacting what he wants. It is his money after all. If they plan to repackage ROH, I'd focus on NE dates and run fewer shows, and go to the mid-west only once every two (2) or three (3) months. I'd cancel any new market unless indications are good for ticket sales, and regardless I'd underbook the cards. I'd try to sell ROH Shows to buildings for a guaranteed fee.

There will be no quick fix, but if the bleeding can be stopped, Cary Silkin & ROH can survive.