Fans, Lenny Zefring back again for another One on One and certainly this edition's interview was quite a surprise to me as "One on One"'s parent site, Just the Facts 3001, has had some tenuous relations with the man I interviewed. For those who aren't aware, Todd Michaelson was one of EMWC's premier talents in its early days and then the federation's lead color announcer for the rest of the E's run. After the end of EMWC, Mr. Michaelson opened up his own federation, a Southern California operation named "Pro Wrestling Revolution" that specialized in developing young talents in Michaelson's M-DOJO. However, in January of this year, Mr. Michaelson abruptly closed the federation amid great reviews, a stock of highly rated talents, and a bright future. I hope you enjoy the interview.
LZ: Todd Michaelson.. I must say, I never thought I'd be here with you today. First off, of course, I have to thank you for the opportunity to... clear the air, I suppose is a good way to put it. There have been tensions between yourself and Just The Facts for quite some time... so we're grateful for the chance to try to improve that.
TM: Not a problem.
LZ: I'm... well, to be honest, I'm not quite sure where to start. You contacted us earlier this week requested the chance to do this interview, right?
TM: I did. That's true.
LZ: Well... I guess the obvious question is why? There's been a lot of rumors circling about you, about PWR... even about the EMWC. Is this to address some of those rumors?
TM: In part, Lenny. I wanted the chance to let my thoughts be known on a lot of subjects facing the business right now... some of which involve me personally. And to be honest, Just The Facts seemed to be the best place to address some stuff.
LZ: Sounds good. Let's start with-
TM: If you don't mind, I'd like to start with PWR.
LZ: Okay. You closed Pro Wrestling Revolution a couple months ago now. And quite frankly, you gave absolutely no reason for it. There was no closing press release... there was no announcement by you personally. You left everyone hanging high and dry... no offense.
TM: You don't pull any punches, do you? But you're right. And that's part of the reason I'm here with you today. I do feel bad about how things with PWR ended... and I wanted to reach out to all the people who supported myself and PWR for nearly a year to try and make amends.
LZ: Well then... let's start with a softball. Why did you close PWR?
TM: Heh... if only that was an easy one to answer. I know there were a lot of rumors about disagreements between myself and some of the management of PWR. A lot of talk of television deals and expansion. I hate to admit it... but JTF was pretty on target with all that. There were a lot of people in PWR that wanted us to take that next step. There was some very strong interest from a television network for a monthly show. But I didn't feel we were ready. I believed that the roster was... too fluid... to support a regular show. We couldn't keep a consistent flow going. And when you start dealing with networks... you start dealing with contracts... and when you start dealing with contracts, you start dealing with money.. a lot of it.
LZ: There's been a lot of speculation that you had the money you needed... in fact, with the J*STAR money coming in, many thought you could make the jump to television in no time.
TM: J*STAR. Unfortunately, Lenny... J*STAR might have been the ultimate undoing for Pro Wrestling Revolution. When PWR first started, the crowds would improve with every show... the DVD sales would rise with every release. But J*STAR put a screeching halt to everything. I didn't have the time to focus on PWR solely... I let things get out of control and quite frankly, I don't think we ever recovered in the eyes of our fans. We had some great events .. but just couldn't pull it together.
LZ: What about the money?
TM: You remember the main event of J*STAR? The Killing Box?
LZ: Of course.
TM: Well, let's just say that that match didn't work out exactly as planned... and as a result, there were a lot of unexpected expenses. A lot of legal troubles that still haven't been settled so I can't discuss it too much. But the money we thought would be there? Just wasn't.
LZ: So, PWR closed because of a lack of funds?
TM: That's one very strong reason why. Another was that PWR no longer was serving the purpose I had set out for it. I created Pro Wrestling Revolution as a way of getting my students time in front of an audience... as a way of doing something different. But in the end, we were just like all the other indies. Big names being flown in to main event. Students buried at the bottom of the card if they even got on them at all. We were doing the same shit everyone else does and I didn't want to see that happen.
LZ: Even though PWR was getting rave reviews from fans and critics alike?
TM: Even with that. If I wanted to run a company solely to get praised, I'd have reopened the E.
LZ: Speaking of which...
TM: Ah, yeah. The big rumor. You don't know how quickly these things get going, Lenny. It was 6 AM when my phone rang... scared the hell out of me and Lori. It was Jon Stegglet, my best friend... and he wanted to know if it was true. "Just The Facts is saying the E is coming back and you're involved!" If I had a dollar for every time someone has asked me in the past couple weeks about the E, I.... well, I'd be living my old gimmick.
LZ: You're avoiding the question. Is the EMWC coming back?
TM: Honestly, Lenny... you'd need to ask the Boss that one.
LZ: He won't return JTF's calls yet.
TM: Smart guy. Well, Lenny... I'll tell you this much. If the EMWC was coming back... if the greatest promotion to ever exist was returning... you wouldn't have to guess about it. We know how much the Boss loves the spotlight, right?
LZ: That's for sure.
TM: He wouldn't be hiding in the shadows plotting things. He would be shouting it from the rooftops, letting the world know that we were about to make a very big splash in the wrestling pond.
LZ: We?
TM: Hehe... well, it wouldn't be the E without Todd Michaelson, would it?
LZ: I suppose not. So, as far as you know, the EMWC is not returning?
TM: I haven't heard a word about it. And really... to tell you the truth... I'd be surprised if Blue has the money to do it after J*STAR. I wasn't the only one hurt by that show's mixed results.
LZ: No PWR. No EMWC. So what will Todd Michaelson do to stay busy?
TM: You never know, Lenny. I get offers to wrestle... announce... book... you name it... all over the world on a daily basis. For now, I'm going to take some time off and consider my options. But wrestling fans haven't seen the last of Todd Michaelson, I'm sure of that.
LZ: Well... how about some word association to close things out?
TM: Sounds good.
LZ: PWR.
TM: Could have been something very special. A year of my life that I'll never regret. Those kids that came out of there are the future of our business, Lenny.
LZ: UWF.
TM: You've gotta give them credit. As much crap as I've talked about the UWF in the past eleven years, you've gotta be impressed by their staying power. They've hit a lot of bumps in the road over time but they keep on going.
LZ: RCW.
TM: Hrmm. I'm very happy for my friends to still have jobs.
LZ: That sounds like a very... political... answer.
TM: I have nothing personal against RCW... I really don't. But there's always been something a bit... off... about them to me. I can't put my finger on it but something's just not quite right in St. Louis.
LZ: Here's a guy who had some very personal things to say about you on JTF. Shane Destiny.
TM: Ahhh... I'm not really sure what Destiny's problem is with me. There was never anyone in the E who supported him more off-camera than I did. When you look back on the waning months of the E, I don't think there's any doubt that Destiny was one of the highlights. Hell, he won the Triple Crown on the final show.
LZ: He has issues with your part in the November match.
TM: Whatever. He had already ducked November, refusing to make it a title match... and then he wanted to screw the fans out of a finish too? Neither of them got up to break the ten count and as important of an event as Redemption was to the E, I wasn't going to let a non-finish spoil that great matchup.
LZ: But then you... not even the appointed referee... stopped the match.
TM: I did... and I'd do it right now. If you watch the tape of that match, Destiny's body had gone limp. His eyes rolled back in his head. He was done, Lenny.... done. I wouldn't have stopped that match on a whim. I stopped that match because Shane Destiny's career and life were in danger. Period.
LZ: You know what he called you, right?
TM: Remind me.
LZ: The exact quote was... a "never-was piece of shit that didn't do anything in his career and lived vicariously through the people he could manipulate".
TM: ...
LZ: Todd?
TM: Whatever. My reputation in this business speaks for itself. My history speaks for itself.
LZ: That's it?
TM: Nah, one more thing. That little interview he did with you also had him spewing some venom towards PWR and my students... yet you notice it was one of _his_ students who came to me for a job. He's got a problem with me? I've got a problem with him. And if he wants to settle it, he knows where I am.
LZ: Oooookay. Back on topic. What about Chris Courtade?
TM: Chris is a good friend of mine. I was proud to see him be the final man to hold the World Title. He went out on top.
LZ: Actually, he went to RCW and lost to Luke Kinsey before retiring.
TM: Remember the old saying, Lenny?
LZ: Hrm?
TM: If it didn't happen in the E, it just didn't happen.
LZ: A lot of the former EMWC competitors are still active in the game. Men like Mark Langseth and Alex Martinez. Does it sting you to watch them work elsewhere?
TM: Not as much as it did in the past. I resented it much more when the EMWC was still open and I saw them moonlighting elsewhere. Now, the E is gone... and people have to put food on their tables. You do what you have to do to get by, Lenny.
LZ: I guess it's about time to wrap this up, Todd. Any last comments?
TM: I just want to apologize to and thank the Pro Wrestling Revolution fans, workers, and staff one last time for all of their support in making PWR a success for almost a year. And I want to send the Boss a message. If the E is back... so am I. Never forget.
LZ: Thanks for your time, Todd.
TM: Thanks, Lenny. Kinda nice not to hate JTF anymore.
- Lenny Zefring is the lead announcer for Championship Fighting Federation and head interviewer for Just The Facts! 3001. If you wish to setup an interview with Mr. Zefring, please e-mail us at [email protected] with the details