RE-POST: 1 Stop Wrestling 27th July 2003

By now the world and his wife would have heard the news. It's even causing some debate on the forums of this very web site. Nearly two weeks ago I resigned as web master and chief reporter for the World Association of Wrestling.

There are many people who want to know just why I left the company. Like vultures flying over a rotting corpse they are looking for any shred of information that may come their way, so they can try and work out just what happened.

The simple fact is that the reasons I left will probably never be known, will probably never be discussed on an open forum anywhere on the Internet. Within days of my departure I had heard some wild stories. No doubt some of you have heard some of these stories. All I can say is make of them what you will.

So do I regret my decision? It's too early to say. The dust has barely settled. I had some good times and some bad times in the wrestling business over the past eighteen months or so, and some of those experiences I will cherish for the rest of my life. I've met some genuine people and seen some great matches. But as the old saying goes, all things must come to an end.

During my time with WAW I've help promote a many of this country's best wrestlers, such as Ricky Knight, the Sweet Saraya, the Zebra Kid, Paul Tyrell, the U.K. Pitbulls, and a couple of stars from abroad as well, most notably Robin Knightwing. But there is one man I'd like to discuss, because I don't think he truly gets the credit he deserves.

A few months ago at the WAW Awards night, Kirk Innes, the wrestler known as Hot Stuff, was given a special award for ten years of loyal service to WAW. I had no idea this guy had been around the business for that long, and like everyone else in the room that night, was surprised by this.

When I first started work for WAW, Kirk was the British champion, the standard-bearer for the company. Even though he was more or less the company's number one guy, I didn't really rate him that highly, didn't pay much attention to his work. I always thought he was a bit arrogant, a bit full of himself, thinking so highly of himself because he was the champion.

I soon learned that this wasn't the case. It was a few months later while travelling to one of WAW's holiday camp shows that I began to talk to Kirk, and Kirk began to talk to me, and I found out that away from the ring he was a nice guy. Sitting in the back of the van on that warm summer day, Kirk asked me about me, about who I was, what I did, and what I wanted to do. He seemed genuinely interested in me as a person, rather than me as the web site man, the guy who could put him over on the Internet.

In the early spring and summer of 2002, Kirk put in some good performances in a WAW ring against the Zebra Kid, Bash, and Paul Tyrell. It was then I realised just how good this guy was, and how WAW had a fine champion.

But there was a few months last year when things went wrong for Kirk. My friendship with him prohibits me from going into too much detail about what happened. Kirk became ill, and because of his illness WAW had no choice but to strip him of the British title.

At the time I didn't know the exact details. All connected with the company were heartbroken that such a decision had to be made. I really felt for the guy. Having taken the time to get to know the man behind Hot Stuff, it saddened me that illness had taken this die-hard company man away from WAW.

So it was with a great deal of joy and delight that last January I found out that Kirk's problems were coming to an end. He was returning to full health, and would be making a comeback at WAW's Valentine's Day Massacre show in Norwich against Robin Knightwing, the first video I commentated on.

This bout would prove to be one of the best on the show. Kirk, with his wife Zoe, aka Crystal Clear, by his side, put in a great performance. It was obvious to every fan in the building that Hot Stuff was going over that night, and after he won his match, and as the crowd roared their heads off, Kirk, on his knees in the middle of the ring, broke down. Bowing his head so that his long hair covered his face, Kirk gathered his thoughts before taking the microphone, and in an emotional speech to the fans, thanked everyone for their support during his illness.

I remember saying on the video commentary just how much I had missed Hot Stuff. His words that evening struck a chord with me, and I must admit when I saw the final edit of the video I was angry that Kirk's words had been cut out. This wasn't the fault of the powers-that-be, more the fault of the people editing the video. It was as if they had taken a defining moment from someone's life, and just thrown it away. If it had been left in it would have made for compelling viewing.

After the show I remember congratulating Kirk on his match, and I told him exactly what I had said during the
commentary.

Kirk thanked me that night, and a few weeks later would thank me again for my kind words in one of my show reviews. His series of matches with the Sexy Monkey would go on to earn rave reviews from all who saw them. While Robin Knightwing should indeed take a great deal of credit for these encounters, Hot Stuff must also be given credit.

Kirk has been with WAW now for ten years. He has competed against some of the best in the business today. If you looked up the phrase "company man" in a thesaurus, you'd see Kirk's picture right next to it. He may not be the biggest, the best, or the most well-known wrestler in the company, but he is certainly one of the most dedicated. He loves wrestling that much.

As I look back on my time with WAW, I will always think of Kirk Innes, the wrestler known as Hot Stuff. Whether I keep in touch with the man is a matter of debate. I hope that I will. Kirk is as dedicated to wrestling as he is to his family, and if he reads this, I hope he likes what he sees. He may not get the same amount of publicity as a Zebra Kid or a Sweet Saraya, but he definitely gets the same amount of respect.

Thanks for the memories, Hot Stuff.