Post by Chris Lionheart on May 21, 2012 4:51:35 GMT
I:Wrestling.com:
We finally managed to pull you away from your busy paperwork to conduct an interview. The ever-elusive Owner of I:W, Chris Lionheart. The first thing we have to ask about is, of course, the recent Genesis call-outs. What is the deal there?
Chris Lionheart:
Recent? Refresh my memory which ones they were again? Oh, you mean the ones specifically after he stopped calling me out for a 'fight', and changed gears to ripping on the company and it's other roster.
Let me make it clear that to my knowledge there are no problems between Genesis and I outside of the ring. He may be a little butthurt that I didn't really respond to his call-outs earlier in the year for a 'fight' very much, but sometimes things just happen that way. Most of the time I was busy with either personal things, or business things for the company. I didn't have time to answer Genesis' "challenge for power #809283402" - no matter how much I would have liked to meet him half-way by matching the amount of promo time which was directed my way back towards him.
The other problem I had back then was that the entire thing seemed to stall right out of the gate. What I mean by that is that I have always given him - or anyone else - the opportunity to go out to the ring and speak their mind. He could, and did, and does, talk about how he's the best thing going today, how he's the way forward, how he is better than everyone else, how he could do a better job than I at leading the company. But the simple fact of the matter, as I told him at the time, is that it's all words. And that's why I wasn't exactly sure what to say to him on the occasions when I seldo did meet him in the ring to talk. He wanted to be given the opportunity to prove he could lead the company into the future and lead it better than I, but as soon as things didn't go smoothly - meaning when I didn't meet him in the ring for a chat every time - he left. And now he makes his sporadic appearances as a non-contracted wrestler, preaching about how he's the greatest and he's ashamed of the company etc.
I:Wrestling.com:
The viewership numbers don't lie, though. Do you think he has a point?
Chris Lionheart:
Being loud isn't having a point. Having a point is having a point. You know, I acknowledge that we are having a slow period right now, depending on what area of the company you are focusing on. It doesn't help that some audio/video equipment blew up and there are some lingering issues there. It doesn't help that Brent Starr had a snafu with his citizenship and was confined to Canada, unable to show-up in the US until it was all sorted-out. Things are never, ever perfect, afterall. I can't speak for anyone else on the roster or on the staff, but I think there's a few reasons why Genesis largely stands in the ring and talks, and most of the time no one answers. People know that no matter what you say to him, it won't mean anything to him. He'll have an insult ready, or he'll act as though the comment rolls off his back, no matter weather what you said to him was an insult, a hurtfull truth, an attempt at intimidation or even aknowledging his good qualities. So nothing ever phases the 'King of Controversy'. Well if nothing ever changes for him, then nobody sees anything change about him. If Genesis is supposed to be invincible, what's the point?
I:Wrestling.com:
Yeah, but, viewership...
Chris Lionheart:
"but viewership!"
People watch the TV when he's on, anticipating someone coming out to knock him off his perch. But that doesn't happen. And how could it happen? Verbally he doesn't let it happen, as described before about insults not phasing him. And physically it doesn't happen because he is retired and won't be goaded into a wrestling match. So everything becomes about him, and I think that people who have been around that, are tired of it, and don't have a lot more to say about the same situation they've been in before.
Now... If Genesis truely does want to help, or even lead the company as he said earlier in the year, don't you think there are better ways to do it than grabbing a microphone and verbally masturbating himself on national television? If he really wanted to lead the way forward, wouldn't you think he would take up some kind of manager's position to help someone else along in their career? Doesn't have to be a manager in front of the camera, he could dispense advice as a road agent behind the scenes instead. There are plenty of young guys who could use a helping hand in the character development department, instead of going to the ring and saying "Me Want Match. We fight", and then the next week going to the ring and saying "You Beat Me. Now We Have Ladder Match." He 'could' work with someone properly to help them, instead of what he's doing. He did it last year for Joker, after all. He could even train some wrestler and then present them to the company, saying 'Hey, this is Damien Ortiz - or whomever it is - let's see if he sinks or swims on his own at I:W'. That way Genesis isn't getting back into the ring, and if it's not his cup of tea to manage or be a road agent, he can still constructively contribute. I'm not sure what his current stuff does which is constructive for anyone, other than boost his own ego. It doens't boost whomever comes to the ring to challenge him, like Graves did, because as we saw he brushed Graves off. Even the ultimate end-goal of that scenario: Double S forcibly shutting his mouth and retiring him, didn't work. Because even after that happening Genesis is right back to where he is most comfortable with the self promotion.
I:Wrestling.com:
What is the end-goal of all of this?
Chris Lionheart:
I don't know, you would have to ask Genesis. Does he want to return to the ring and slay whichever dragons he hasn't had a chance to, his 'missed feuds', if you will? Does he want to lead the company into the future? To right the wrongs he has done in the past? Or does he just want to continue to blow smoke up his own ass for anyone that will listen? I don't know. But I do think that whatever he is trying to acheive, that he is probably going about it the wrong way. I'll say it again, got no problems with the guy. He'll always be welcome here. I just don't understand how it benefits anyone other than himself, and I never have understood it in the past either. Sometimes I just wish there was something more to what he has to say, and does, other than the self promotion.
We finally managed to pull you away from your busy paperwork to conduct an interview. The ever-elusive Owner of I:W, Chris Lionheart. The first thing we have to ask about is, of course, the recent Genesis call-outs. What is the deal there?
Chris Lionheart:
Recent? Refresh my memory which ones they were again? Oh, you mean the ones specifically after he stopped calling me out for a 'fight', and changed gears to ripping on the company and it's other roster.
Let me make it clear that to my knowledge there are no problems between Genesis and I outside of the ring. He may be a little butthurt that I didn't really respond to his call-outs earlier in the year for a 'fight' very much, but sometimes things just happen that way. Most of the time I was busy with either personal things, or business things for the company. I didn't have time to answer Genesis' "challenge for power #809283402" - no matter how much I would have liked to meet him half-way by matching the amount of promo time which was directed my way back towards him.
The other problem I had back then was that the entire thing seemed to stall right out of the gate. What I mean by that is that I have always given him - or anyone else - the opportunity to go out to the ring and speak their mind. He could, and did, and does, talk about how he's the best thing going today, how he's the way forward, how he is better than everyone else, how he could do a better job than I at leading the company. But the simple fact of the matter, as I told him at the time, is that it's all words. And that's why I wasn't exactly sure what to say to him on the occasions when I seldo did meet him in the ring to talk. He wanted to be given the opportunity to prove he could lead the company into the future and lead it better than I, but as soon as things didn't go smoothly - meaning when I didn't meet him in the ring for a chat every time - he left. And now he makes his sporadic appearances as a non-contracted wrestler, preaching about how he's the greatest and he's ashamed of the company etc.
I:Wrestling.com:
The viewership numbers don't lie, though. Do you think he has a point?
Chris Lionheart:
Being loud isn't having a point. Having a point is having a point. You know, I acknowledge that we are having a slow period right now, depending on what area of the company you are focusing on. It doesn't help that some audio/video equipment blew up and there are some lingering issues there. It doesn't help that Brent Starr had a snafu with his citizenship and was confined to Canada, unable to show-up in the US until it was all sorted-out. Things are never, ever perfect, afterall. I can't speak for anyone else on the roster or on the staff, but I think there's a few reasons why Genesis largely stands in the ring and talks, and most of the time no one answers. People know that no matter what you say to him, it won't mean anything to him. He'll have an insult ready, or he'll act as though the comment rolls off his back, no matter weather what you said to him was an insult, a hurtfull truth, an attempt at intimidation or even aknowledging his good qualities. So nothing ever phases the 'King of Controversy'. Well if nothing ever changes for him, then nobody sees anything change about him. If Genesis is supposed to be invincible, what's the point?
I:Wrestling.com:
Yeah, but, viewership...
Chris Lionheart:
"but viewership!"
People watch the TV when he's on, anticipating someone coming out to knock him off his perch. But that doesn't happen. And how could it happen? Verbally he doesn't let it happen, as described before about insults not phasing him. And physically it doesn't happen because he is retired and won't be goaded into a wrestling match. So everything becomes about him, and I think that people who have been around that, are tired of it, and don't have a lot more to say about the same situation they've been in before.
Now... If Genesis truely does want to help, or even lead the company as he said earlier in the year, don't you think there are better ways to do it than grabbing a microphone and verbally masturbating himself on national television? If he really wanted to lead the way forward, wouldn't you think he would take up some kind of manager's position to help someone else along in their career? Doesn't have to be a manager in front of the camera, he could dispense advice as a road agent behind the scenes instead. There are plenty of young guys who could use a helping hand in the character development department, instead of going to the ring and saying "Me Want Match. We fight", and then the next week going to the ring and saying "You Beat Me. Now We Have Ladder Match." He 'could' work with someone properly to help them, instead of what he's doing. He did it last year for Joker, after all. He could even train some wrestler and then present them to the company, saying 'Hey, this is Damien Ortiz - or whomever it is - let's see if he sinks or swims on his own at I:W'. That way Genesis isn't getting back into the ring, and if it's not his cup of tea to manage or be a road agent, he can still constructively contribute. I'm not sure what his current stuff does which is constructive for anyone, other than boost his own ego. It doens't boost whomever comes to the ring to challenge him, like Graves did, because as we saw he brushed Graves off. Even the ultimate end-goal of that scenario: Double S forcibly shutting his mouth and retiring him, didn't work. Because even after that happening Genesis is right back to where he is most comfortable with the self promotion.
I:Wrestling.com:
What is the end-goal of all of this?
Chris Lionheart:
I don't know, you would have to ask Genesis. Does he want to return to the ring and slay whichever dragons he hasn't had a chance to, his 'missed feuds', if you will? Does he want to lead the company into the future? To right the wrongs he has done in the past? Or does he just want to continue to blow smoke up his own ass for anyone that will listen? I don't know. But I do think that whatever he is trying to acheive, that he is probably going about it the wrong way. I'll say it again, got no problems with the guy. He'll always be welcome here. I just don't understand how it benefits anyone other than himself, and I never have understood it in the past either. Sometimes I just wish there was something more to what he has to say, and does, other than the self promotion.
