* It's common knowledge to most people that long time UWF wrestler Quinn Brown has parted ways with the company. UWF officials have refused to discuss specific reasons, simply stating in a press release that "Quinn Brown and the UWF have mutually agreed to part ways. We wish Brown the best in his future endeavors."
But a wrestler who spoke on the condition of anonymity said he was "not surprised" about the news. "Brown pretty much has his mind set on what direction he likes to see things go, and at times, that conflicted with what others wanted to do. Brown's a nice guy, but he was often difficult to work with. I think it is for the best that he decided to leave," the wrestler said. The wrestler refused to comment on what the backstage talk was about "booze, whores and blackjack" as it pertained to Brown's departure.
UWF officials also confirmed that T.D. Swagger has been given his release, and again, officials did not elaborate on reasons for his departure. Swagger's departure wasn't considered as significant because he was not involved in a major storyline, but Brown had been involved in an ongoing feud with Victor Frost that had received high billing. The bookers now must decide the next step to take regarding programs for Frost. No word on what programs might be put forth.
* Four matches have been revealed for the Rise to Power PPV: Kyle Lee vs. Edmond Winston IV in a ladder match for the World title, Alex Kidd vs. Derek Martin, Sabbath vs. Jamie Underwood and Donna Tetreault defending the Women's title against a challenger to be determined in an upcoming Saturday Night Rampage match between Sierra Browne and Stephanie Harper. Other matches are to be announced, including matches that will be part of the "shares of UWF on the line" series. There will be a few matches that will not be part of that series. One of the likely matches to be booked later, but one that may not necessarily be part of that series, is Alex Extreme vs. Michael Augustine.
* Insiders were a bit surprised to see Luke Kinsey show up in UWF, considering that Kinsey has always considered RCW to be his home and some insider talk was that Kinsey would concentrate his efforts there. As far as UWF newcomers go, Kinsey isn't the only widely-known wrestler that UWF has contracted with, though, as other known names, past and present, are set to make debuts in the coming weeks. Officials are remaining mum, but sources are saying that Mark Langseth, Kinsey's ally in RCW, won't be one of those debuts to come. "Which, of course, probably means he will show up," another source said.
* The UWF higher-ups are hoping to beef up the cruiserweight division following the Rise To Power PPV. The cruiser title, currently held by One-Winged Angel, has fallen to the wayside because of recent angles and officials want to put more heat back on the title and division. One problem, which seems to have surfaced several times as the UWF has tried pushing the division more, is that a number of cruiserweights have been competing regularly in the heavyweight division.
* The projected date for Gold Rush this year will likely be sometime in May or June. UWF staff is working to make sure a smoother schedule is planned in the upcoming months that will effectively build to Gold Rush and is reported to be discussing how show production can be better coordinated to help with that effort. The move may or may not result in new staff being hired to help with production.
* Officials are said to be happy with the direction of Meltdown in recent months. People point to the Meltdown title as helping to ignite new interest in the show, along with Marcus Nuit and his "Master of Meltdown" angle, plus some recent high-profile matches that were made part of the show, including the recent one-on-one encounter between Scott Daniels and Michael Augustine. Because of the increased interest in the show, reports indicate that officials are looking closely at how to improve production efforts for Meltdown.
* Every time the UWF approaches a PPV, rumors about possible roster cuts start up and it's no exception this time aroound. Officials have refused comment as to what roster changes could take place, but as always, there are wrestlers who are "on the edge" regarding what decisions UWF higher-ups could make in the coming weeks.
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