"Halloween Horror '99" was supposed to be two events -- one at the 2,000-seat San Jose Civic Auditorium, and another the following night at the Cactus Club, a San Jose nightclub. But with all the chaos, word didn't get out very well. Fewer than 200 people showed up for the first night. The second was canceled after his original venue fell through at the last minute. Which was probably just as well, since the ring Collins rented from White barely fit in the club anyway.
"I gave him half the money back [on the ring]," White says. "I bent over backward trying to give him suggestions. He lost his ass on his own."
Paul Harmon
Trainees at All Pro Wrestling's Boot Camp (instructor Vinny Massaro at right).
Anthony Pidgeon
Trainees at All Pro Wrestling's Boot Camp (instructor Vinny Massaro at right).
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Collins also managed to antagonize Alexander. "Yeah, I was upset that he didn't use my boys," Alexander says, although he believes Collins knows better now.
The new promoter has indeed learned a few lessons. Next time he'll rent a ring from out of town, Collins says, and use more out-of-town wrestlers, too. And if he has to use local talent, he'll go with APW alone and avoid getting in the middle of a turf war.
But the whole ugly experience has left him with a distaste for the business. "I'd kind of been under the impression that these promoters will do anything to stop you from getting any kind of publicity for your event," Collins says. "I think in many ways I injured the pride of both Kirk and Roland for using their competitor's respective wrestlers. I think the wounds between them are so deep, it was a bad idea to try to make a show work using wrestlers from two separate promotions. Big mistake."
True to form, Roland Alexander dismisses Collins' event in his patented style. "The wrestlers were not professional," he says. "This is a guy who knows nothing about wrestling other than what he's learned on the Internet."
But in a strange way he may also sympathize with Collins' new attitude toward the profession. "The industry can be one that you love, because it's been in your blood, but it's also a business of love-hate, because of the politics," Alexander says. "People say, "There's politics everywhere. There was politics when you were an accountant.' Sure there were politics when I was an accountant. But not like this stuff."
All Pro Wrestling's "Halloween Hell Tour" begins Saturday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m. at the San Francisco State University gym, 1600 Holloway Ave. Tickets are $7-20; call 478-BASS, or go to www.basstickets.com.
