Post by Alicia "Atomic" Kitsune on Jan 9, 2010 9:18:33 GMT -5
Following days of speculation, a leaked copy of a letter sent to all active ACW roster members has appeared on an independent ACW fan forum. It is believed that similar letters have been sent to crew and non-wrestling staff, though no copy of these letters has yet emerged.
The ACW website is apparently “down for maintenance”; it is believed that a major relaunch of the federation brand is imminent.
Dear (Name obscured for privacy),
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Samuel H. Hawthorne; in all likelihood you have never heard of me, and such is only to be expected. I am not a celebrity; in fact up until this point I have made an effort to remain relatively anonymous in most circles. However, if you feel so inclined, you may find a few articles which have been published in the specialist economic press in which my name is mentioned. If these things are of interest to you, I suggest you seek them out in your own time.
Since I prefer not to waste time on frivolous chit-chat, I will cut straight to the chase. As of Friday 8th January, I have assumed control and financial responsibility over the assets and copyrights of Alpha Championship Wrestling (herein referred to as ACW). I was originally contacted with an offer to purchase the business in late 2009; it suffices to say that I requested that certain conditions be fulfilled before I would consider the offer, and the majority of these were undertaken by the former ACW Chairman, Mr. Jonathan Gingerdude.
I am aware that the present location of the former Chairman is unknown, and that many of you will wish to understand what previous dealings I have had with him. I will say only that I have known Jonathan for many years, but that until very recently I have had absolutely no dealings with him in regard to ACW. I also have not had any dealings or relationship with anyone contracted to ACW in the present or past. Like many of you, I hope that Jonathan’s location and his good health will be established; however, let me be clear in that the former Chairman had already completed his “exit” from the company before his disappearance. From this point on, all matters relating to ACW and its future will be dealt with by myself, and myself alone.
Several people have commented in public regarding the show which has just been completed. This show was held at my request, primarily so that I could witness the company in action at close quarters. I understand that there has been some dissent regarding the temporary role undertaken by Mr. London; this was specified by myself, as I considered that I could only expect to see a reasonably competent production helmed by an experienced hand. I would like to thank Mr. London for his assistance, and wish him well with his other current activities as I now prepare to take on the mantle of Chairman for myself. (This is a role which I, as owner, may later delegate, but all in good time.)
I will be quite frank; wrestling is a business which I have no previous experience with. However, I do have a considerable track record with regard to venture capital investments and the rescue of failing companies. I have not brought a large staff with me; instead, I expect you, the ACW roster, to work to restore the fortunes of your company. It is my considered opinion that you have been collectively blind to the forces which the former Chairman struggled against, and that possibly, despite outward appearances, he felt too personally connected to you all to sufficiently share the burden of operating a wrestling company in very taxing circumstances. So I intend to correct this; I will be actively seeking your input into various aspects of how this federation will operate. I am open to all suggestions as to how we can improve our product, increase our appeal to a wide variety of potential fans, and keep our operation lean and efficient.
You will all have noticed that several new names have joined our ranks, just as some established ones have left. I would like to make it absolutely clear that, while previous service to ACW is appreciated, this is now my company, and I intend to treat everyone as equals, at least until I have had some time to appraise your abilities. Included with this letter is a new deed of contract; for many of you, this will represent a step down from your previous pay levels. You are all welcome to either sign and accept this contract, or to decline further employment with ACW. I should like to re-iterate that all documents or other agreements previously authorised by Chairman Gingerdude are now null and void, and I am not prepared to negotiate on larger salaries or other perks until I have direct evidence of your current abilities to deliver value to ACW. However, in order that success may be rewarded in a timely fashion, I have instigated a clause in your new contracts which gives you an automatic 50% share of profits from any merchandise which features your image, logo or other properties. (Note that this does not backdate or apply to existing stocks of older products for established ACW roster members, and DVD, photo and TV rights are now all the sole property of ACW).
With the legal matters attended to, I would like to express my admiration for the qualities which many of you have already shown in the short time I have been monitoring the federation. I believe that this is a very exciting opportunity for us all; and realistically we now have a unique chance to re-shape our organisation for the next decade and beyond. I am currently involved with several companies and as such my location changes on a daily basis; however, I will be present for all shows, which will be taking place at a variety of locations in the next few weeks as we seek to re-engage with our fans, existing and those we are yet to encounter. Outside of these times, you will find a phone number and email address enclosed with this letter with which you may communicate with me. I also encourage you to work together to develop ideas; I will give consideration to everything put before me, and the more convincing and thorough your presentation, the more likely it is that I will give you a chance to enact these. I offer just one note of caution; I do not tolerate failure well. If your intention is to promote yourself at the cost of the federation as a whole, or you are unable to realise the benefits which you offer to the federation, you will quickly find yourself shown the door.
I would also note that I dislike the threat of physical violence or rudeness to myself, my property, or any other staff I may choose to employ for certain tasks. You are paid to wrestle, not to be thugs. Immediate disciplinary action will follow for anyone who is unable to control their baser instincts.
I would be grateful if you could complete the forms enclosed with this letter, and return them by post or fax to the address given.
I look forward to meeting with you in person at our next public show.
With Regards,
Mr. Samuel H. Hawthorne
Chairman, Alpha Championship Wrestling
Director, Polaris Incorporated
Source: www.ACWFanatics.net
The ACW website is apparently “down for maintenance”; it is believed that a major relaunch of the federation brand is imminent.
Dear (Name obscured for privacy),
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Samuel H. Hawthorne; in all likelihood you have never heard of me, and such is only to be expected. I am not a celebrity; in fact up until this point I have made an effort to remain relatively anonymous in most circles. However, if you feel so inclined, you may find a few articles which have been published in the specialist economic press in which my name is mentioned. If these things are of interest to you, I suggest you seek them out in your own time.
Since I prefer not to waste time on frivolous chit-chat, I will cut straight to the chase. As of Friday 8th January, I have assumed control and financial responsibility over the assets and copyrights of Alpha Championship Wrestling (herein referred to as ACW). I was originally contacted with an offer to purchase the business in late 2009; it suffices to say that I requested that certain conditions be fulfilled before I would consider the offer, and the majority of these were undertaken by the former ACW Chairman, Mr. Jonathan Gingerdude.
I am aware that the present location of the former Chairman is unknown, and that many of you will wish to understand what previous dealings I have had with him. I will say only that I have known Jonathan for many years, but that until very recently I have had absolutely no dealings with him in regard to ACW. I also have not had any dealings or relationship with anyone contracted to ACW in the present or past. Like many of you, I hope that Jonathan’s location and his good health will be established; however, let me be clear in that the former Chairman had already completed his “exit” from the company before his disappearance. From this point on, all matters relating to ACW and its future will be dealt with by myself, and myself alone.
Several people have commented in public regarding the show which has just been completed. This show was held at my request, primarily so that I could witness the company in action at close quarters. I understand that there has been some dissent regarding the temporary role undertaken by Mr. London; this was specified by myself, as I considered that I could only expect to see a reasonably competent production helmed by an experienced hand. I would like to thank Mr. London for his assistance, and wish him well with his other current activities as I now prepare to take on the mantle of Chairman for myself. (This is a role which I, as owner, may later delegate, but all in good time.)
I will be quite frank; wrestling is a business which I have no previous experience with. However, I do have a considerable track record with regard to venture capital investments and the rescue of failing companies. I have not brought a large staff with me; instead, I expect you, the ACW roster, to work to restore the fortunes of your company. It is my considered opinion that you have been collectively blind to the forces which the former Chairman struggled against, and that possibly, despite outward appearances, he felt too personally connected to you all to sufficiently share the burden of operating a wrestling company in very taxing circumstances. So I intend to correct this; I will be actively seeking your input into various aspects of how this federation will operate. I am open to all suggestions as to how we can improve our product, increase our appeal to a wide variety of potential fans, and keep our operation lean and efficient.
You will all have noticed that several new names have joined our ranks, just as some established ones have left. I would like to make it absolutely clear that, while previous service to ACW is appreciated, this is now my company, and I intend to treat everyone as equals, at least until I have had some time to appraise your abilities. Included with this letter is a new deed of contract; for many of you, this will represent a step down from your previous pay levels. You are all welcome to either sign and accept this contract, or to decline further employment with ACW. I should like to re-iterate that all documents or other agreements previously authorised by Chairman Gingerdude are now null and void, and I am not prepared to negotiate on larger salaries or other perks until I have direct evidence of your current abilities to deliver value to ACW. However, in order that success may be rewarded in a timely fashion, I have instigated a clause in your new contracts which gives you an automatic 50% share of profits from any merchandise which features your image, logo or other properties. (Note that this does not backdate or apply to existing stocks of older products for established ACW roster members, and DVD, photo and TV rights are now all the sole property of ACW).
With the legal matters attended to, I would like to express my admiration for the qualities which many of you have already shown in the short time I have been monitoring the federation. I believe that this is a very exciting opportunity for us all; and realistically we now have a unique chance to re-shape our organisation for the next decade and beyond. I am currently involved with several companies and as such my location changes on a daily basis; however, I will be present for all shows, which will be taking place at a variety of locations in the next few weeks as we seek to re-engage with our fans, existing and those we are yet to encounter. Outside of these times, you will find a phone number and email address enclosed with this letter with which you may communicate with me. I also encourage you to work together to develop ideas; I will give consideration to everything put before me, and the more convincing and thorough your presentation, the more likely it is that I will give you a chance to enact these. I offer just one note of caution; I do not tolerate failure well. If your intention is to promote yourself at the cost of the federation as a whole, or you are unable to realise the benefits which you offer to the federation, you will quickly find yourself shown the door.
I would also note that I dislike the threat of physical violence or rudeness to myself, my property, or any other staff I may choose to employ for certain tasks. You are paid to wrestle, not to be thugs. Immediate disciplinary action will follow for anyone who is unable to control their baser instincts.
I would be grateful if you could complete the forms enclosed with this letter, and return them by post or fax to the address given.
I look forward to meeting with you in person at our next public show.
With Regards,
Mr. Samuel H. Hawthorne
Chairman, Alpha Championship Wrestling
Director, Polaris Incorporated
Source: www.ACWFanatics.net
