BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Looking at WSU World Champion Mercedes Martinez & WSU Spirit Champion Jessicka Havok
As we enter the holiday season and rapidly approach the year 2012, I want to wish every one reading this Happy Whatever-You-Celebrate & a Happy New Year. The year 2011 was the biggest year in WSU history yet, and I eagerly await to see what the WSU roster accomplishes in 2012.
WSU had a very busy 2011, as we continued to promote iPPV events and bring in the best talent from all over, as well as blend in huge stars such as Melina. I thought we produced and saw many fun, shocking and interesting moments, from Jazz stepping up at the Anniversary show, to the rise of Lexus being a major player to the creation of the Mid-West Militia.
Previously writing for the DOI website, personally this year, I decided to close the DOI to focus all my wrestling energies on WSU. There is only so much time in a day, and I wanted to throw all my work behind WSU. I am passionate about this company and want to continue to help grow quality womens wrestling. I still have the writing itch, but wanted to wait until there was a topic that really moved me to speak out, and the upcoming Mercedes Martinez vs Jessicka Havok match on 3/3, at the WSU 5th Anniversary Show, which will be live on iPPV, is it.
I have been extremely lucky and fortunate in my near 10 years of booking/promoting/putting on wrestling events. I originally started as booking WSU when the company created, and took over the promoting aspect three shows later. I never thought WSU would last nor become what it has been today. We are not a company turning millions in profits like the WWE or anything, but we have a solid fanbase, and I thank you all. Without your support, none of this is happening. Without you guys, people like Jessicka Havok & Mercedes Martinez do not get the recognition or places to hone & perfect their craft.
I have been around countless people in wrestling during my 10 years involved in this. From promoters, to top stars, to writers, to referees; to people with egos, to people who cared, to the people who didn’t, I have been around it all. However, at this point in time, I have never been around two people that WANT IT and are so dedicated than Mercedes Martinez & Jessicka Havok.
Being the promoter of WSU, I have dealt with hundreds of female wrestling talent over the last five years. I have been able to maintain excellent business relationships with these people. Some wrestlers you talk to more and get a feel for them personally, and get to know what makes them tick. If you are lucky, you become friends with some of these people. Alicia is someone like that for me, and that is why when she wanted to return to pro wrestling, she did it here.
When you start booking/promoting a wrestler more and more, you talk to them more and more, and you really get a chance to see what they think and what they are all about. I have been fortunate to have a relationship like that with both Mercedes Martinez & Jessicka Havok.
I have different relationships with both Martinez & Havok. Martinez to me, is someone that myself personally will forever be in debt to. She is the person that carried WSU. When things looked bad and it looked like we were going to have to shut down due to not making a profit, she said give me the chance. We gave Martinez the ball, and she ran it to distances that no one ever thought she would. The work, the blood, the sweat, the tears; everything Martinez has done for WSU and women wrestling fans should NEVER be forgotten. Just like you, I am a fan of womens wrestling, and I am still wowed and amazed with the matches Martinez puts on to this date.
I knew Martinez could carry this company, I just never knew to what extent. Her run as champion here, to me, is the best run as a world champion in any company today. She is a real fighting champion. In an era where world titles change every week on TV, she has put on excellent matches with top notch competition and has made history in the process. Two matches that went 70 minutes plus. Steel cage matches. Bullrope matches. Big money matches. Main events. Taking on former WWE & TNA women champions. She has done it all. And do you know why she’s so successful and wins – because she wants it. She does not take a day off. Even when you don’t see Martinez at a show, she is at home watching pro wrestling. She always continues to learn and work hard.
I am not trying to discredit anyone else, but someone like Mercedes Martinez is a rarity. You don’t get people like her every day. However, the same things that drive Martinez, the same things that motivate her, the same atttitude, the passion to BE THE BEST, I have not seen in another wrestler the way I see it in Mercedes Martinez, all changed when Jessicka Havok came around.
Jessicka started with this company in 2009 as a tag team wrestler. I thought the team of Havok & Hatred were awesome, but let’s face it, not many tag teams in the history of pro wrestling can main event and carry a company. When Hatred decided to leave WSU to explore other opportunities, we didn’t know what we were going to do with Jessicka Havok. We had this young girl driving from Ohio by herself, and while we try to do things big, we have to stay profitable to continue to put on shows. No other womens company runs as many shows as us, and I’ve done interviews for Diva-Dirt and other places asking all the time, “How do we run so many shows compared to everyone else?” The answer is simple – we are able to either break even or make a profit. This is a fact – every $ that goes into WSU goes right back into WSU. You saw it last show with new title belts, new ring, etc. While we are all fans, it is my responsibility as a promoter to make sure that there is enough money in the budget for the next event.
Why am I telling you this? Because unfortunately, we do not have WWE/TNA money to fly in everyone. I wish we did. Maybe one day. Hopefully we continue to grow where we have that luxury. You fans are smart, that is why I am being open about this rather than giving you some promoter bull. So when Hatred moved on and decided to focus on Japan, we had Jessicka Havok, who to us at the time, was going to be that girl from Ohio driving here by herself. We didn’t want to ask her to drive here solo from Ohio.
When we explained that to Jessicka in the fall of 2009 about our concerns, she said don’t worry about it, she will make every show, just give me the date and I will be here. We had no clue how committed she was not just to us here at WSU, but to professional wrestling.
If you talk to most major league wrestlers today, and definitely any wrestler from the territory days, they will all tell you about tales of driving insane distances for pro wrestling. Havok has that old school mentality. People like that I respect. Sure does it help my business and bottom line? Yes, I will not lie to you. But personally, I respect the fuck out of people like that. Havok isn’t the only one that does it, but this column is about her and Martinez which is why I bring it up.
Right away, I respected and liked the work ethic of Jessicka Havok. When she suggested we bring Sassy Stephanie into WSU, as at the time she needed a traveling partner, we took her word. I couldn’t be any more happier with the work we get out of Sassy Stephanie in WSU. Later on when Jessicka Havok asked if we could give Alisyn Kay a chance, as not only would it help these girls from the Mid-West split gas/toll costs to get here to us in NY/NJ, but that she was a great talent, we took her word again. I think it’s safe to say that Havok is 2-2 in talent suggestions for us.
The best things in pro wrestling are the real things. That is why the Mid-West Militia works. These three all do ride together and are best friends. These three make road trips, and really road trips leads to all types of bonding between pro wrestlers, and have taken that bond and put it into the ring together. They all drive each other to be better and that is why the Militia has been rolling ever since it launched.
Personally, before WSU, I knew Mercedes Martinez. I knew what to expect, I knew she was insane about pro wrestling and that no one worked harder than her. I didn’t know that about Jessicka Havok off the bat. I see it now and I think the fans see it as well.
It is rare, and really this paragraph is the purpose of this column, you never get two people on the same elite level, who want it so fucking bad, who want to be the best, who won’t accept anything less, in your company at the same time. Sure, we’ve had great main events, and main events I’m proud of, and if I leave wrestling tomorrow, will be my crowning achievement as a promoter, and really, again, I don’t want to discredit anyone else, but when WSU returns to iPPV on 3/3, this will be the first time we will have two people who not only have a professional rivalry, but have an intense personal rivalry in every aspect.
Professionally, WSU is promoting WSU World Champion Mercedes Martinez vs WSU Spirit Champion Jessicka Havok in a TITLE vs TITLE Winner-Takes-All match. The winner of this match will join Alicia as the only other triple crown champion in WSU history. However, words can only do so much. Their actions speak louder than TITLE VS TITLE. On 3/3, you will see the best womens wrestler today, Mercedes Martinez take on for the first time, someone who is as hungry and dedicated as her (again no discredit to anyone else) in Jessicka Havok.
Many fans have jumped on the Jessicka Havok bandwagon, and for good reason. While Havok has done some dastardy and evil acts in WSU, fans aren’t stupid. They see her hard work. They know what possesses her. Perhaps it’s cool to cheer “the bad guy”, but I think the fans clamoring for Havok to win this match are clamoring because they realize the determination to be the best in Jessicka Havok.
But for all the talk I’ve put out here about Martinez never facing someone like Jessicka Havok, I can tell you right now, Martinez is battle tested and Havok has never faced anyone like Martinez. From everyone I’ve ever talked to after their matches, from Alicia, Kong, Rain, Nikki Roxx, Serena, the list goes on and on, they all have told me that no one pushes them like Mercedes Martinez.
Some fans are talking about this match as the present vs future. I think that’s the wrong outlook. Martinez is still the future of womens wrestling. Jessicka Havok wants to be the future as well.
I have been lucky to have witnessed both of these careers unfold in front of my eyes. As a promoter, sometimes you have to do work and do stuff while the matches are going on in the ring. Despite being there live, I usually watch most WSU shows bell-to-bell like the majority of you – on DVD. However, I have never been so amped for a match, so excited, and have never anticipated a WSU match like this ever before. I can’t wait to see this match. This is a match where I will put everything on hold and going to find a chair in the crowd to sit down and watch this match like everyone else.
I can’t predict the outcome of this match. Both women are so strong. They are both on top of their games. No one has ever fucked with Martinez the way Havok has, but if history is any indication, Martinez always gets her revenge. But then again, she has never faced someone like Havok.
During Martinez’s reign as WSU champion, she’s won countless awards and accolades. PWI Magazine awards, Diva-Dirt awards, LethalWow awards, basically anyone that covered womens wrestling has awarded Martinez with something. Now, I see Havok getting alot of these same awards and accolades. You don’t think Martinez takes notice of that? There has never been a bigger threat to Martinez’s title. This riles up Martinez even more and she will use this as motivation.
While this column may come off as “selling a match”, that is not my intent here. I don’t think I have to. I think everyone knows how important this match is. Either Martinez’s 3 year reign, the longest reign in wrestling today, as champion will be snapped or Jessicka Havok’s single undefeated streak will be broken. Right now, women wrestling fans are seeing the two very best in womens wrestling today, I do not care who else is out there, these two are the best. These two are on top of their games. These are the hardest working people out there. Something will have to give. Someone MUST win this match. There will be a winner.
The story after this match, aside from the outcome, will be where do the careers of Martinez & Havok go after this? Will Martinez continue to carry on her legacy as WSU World Champion, while Havok will have to try to rebound? Or will Havok usher in a new era into WSU and the question then will be, where does Martinez go without the WSU World Championship around her waist?
There are many special moments in professional wrestling. This is shaping up to the biggest in WSU history. Five years of doing shows, and we have an unprecedented main event between the two very best today. Expect an all out war for supremacy. We will find out who the best is in the world on 3/3. Martinez says she isn’t done yet but Havok says its her time. One of these two will be right, one of these two will be wrong. It is rare when you see a main event between two people who command and demand nothing but to be the very best and perfection out of themselves. We have this on 3/3.
Martinez vs Havok, Title vs Title, I’ll be sitting along right next to every one reading this, watching every move. March 3rd, 2012 can’t come fast enough.
While I have you here, I would like to plug a few things, I promise to make this quick:
– Make sure to check out WSUWrestling.com for our 2011 YEAR END AWARDS. These awards will be decided by online fan voting. It only takes a few seconds to vote. Not only do the fans pick the winners of these awards, it also allows us here at WSU to see what you guys want and liked.
– Also make sure to check out WSUWRESTLING.com for the new DEAL OF THE WEEK section. Every week, I personally will put up a sale on WSU merchandise at rock bottom prices. I said it here in this column, and I’ll say it again, WSU does not exist without fan support. If you support us, please pick up the DVDs. It is how we are able to put on these events. We are hoping by offering discounted prices, we are able to give a break back to our fans.
– Line-ups for 1/21 and 3/3 will be done over this holiday weekend. We just had to finalize a few more things. We had talent injuries and added some faces, so we wanted to put out the best possible line-ups before rushing everything.
– WSU’s first ever national DVD is now on sale at WSUVideo.com. We hope every WSU fan purchases this. We have been asked countless times on our twitter page about when will WSU be on TV? It starts here. If our national DVD numbers are good, it is evidence that we can use to push to people that fans want WSU. Please check the DVD out at WSUvideo.com or any retailer where DVDs are sold.
– Tickets for 3/3 are now on sale at WSUVideo.com as well. Front row is rapidly approaching the sell-out mark. We will have walk-up GA tix for sale the day of the show, but due to fan demand, for the first time ever you can guarantee your front row ticket. As an incentive, when you order your ticket in advance, you save $5 than if you bought the ticket at the door.
– I want to thank everyone that makes this company work, the wrestlers, the refs, ACE, NYWC, the production people, etc. I’d also like to thank all the websites/magazines that cover us. As someone who ran a website for 9 years, I know all the work that goes into it. Sites like Divadirt, Lethalwow, Ringbelles, HitTheRopes, etc, who really dedicate themselves to womens wrestling, thank you. But most importantly, I’d like to thank the fans for making this place work. Without you guys, we wouldn’t all be anticipating Havok vs Martinez.
– Don’t forget to follow our social network sites. We have live news and videos posted all the time, and it’s the best way to interact with us. Also, join the WSU message board to converse with fellow WSU fans.
– Safe holidays everyone and see you in 2012. It will only get better.
Sean McCaffrey
Promoter of WSU
For more on WSU, visit the following sites:
http://www.WSUWrestling.com home of WSU online
