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MIKE JOHNSON AND AARON WEISS DISCUSS PRO WRESTLING SUPERSTARS ON PPV, BREAKING INTO THE UNITED STATES MARKET, DOCUMENTARY PLANS AND MORE

A wrestling event featuring the likes of Andre the Giant, Eddie Guerrero, Jerry Lynn, Shane Douglas and Chris Candido under one roof is the stuff of fantasy....unless you order Pro Wrestling Superstars: Past, Present and Future under one roof. The compilation PPV, currently in the midst of its debut run in the United States on In Demand PPV features a collection of bouts from several different areas, providing a very unique alternative to WWE, at an affordable $9.95 per two hour broadcast. Mike Johnson and PWS producer Aaron Weiss discuss the concept that's new to the United States, but has been going strong for several years up in Canada:

MIKE JOHNSON: For the initiated, can you explain the Pro Wrestling Superstars concept and how it came together?

AARON WEISS: PWS is the only PPV company to highlight multiple organizations combining the past, present and future in one show. Moreover, we offer different styles such as technical, high flying, hardcore and strong style. In 2000, I decided to once again focus my energies on the sport and initially invested two years on research and development.

JOHNSON: How do you go about acquiring the footage you use in the course of the PWS PPV events?

WEISS: I viewed dozens of tapes from multiple organizations with the objective of finding content which was multi-camera and broadcast quality. Once I became interested in a company I would contact them and then supply them with background information on my production and distribution companies in the hope of separating PWS from the rest of the clutter some of which is solely a scam.

JOHNSON: What type of research goes into taking care of likeness and copyright rights for the footage you use?

WEISS: Three lawyers and contracts that clearly state that the organization owns the footage and if a conflict arises they must resolve the situation and are libel.

JOHNSON: How did you track down the older Canadian footage featuring the likes of Andre the Giant and Ox Baker? How much footage from that era do you have to choose from?

WEISS: That specific match came from the WWA. PWS has also acquired the complete libraries of International Wrestling and Atlantic Grand Prix which serve to fill the past portion of the program In total, we have 100 matches from the past which include Nick Bockwinkel, The Road Warriors, Jimmy and Ronnie Garvin, Abdullah The Butcher, Lanny Poffo, Rick Martel, Dino Bravo and many more athletes from wrestling yesteryear.

JOHNSON: What led to you purchasing footage from Border City Wrestling and USA Pro?

WEISS: Scott D'Amore is one of the most professional and honest men operating in the industry and it amounted to good business to align myself with someone of his character. USA Pro puts on excellent matches and they were the source for much of the contemporary action in the series.

JOHNSON: There were recently several DVDs released on the Canadian market; should we be looking forward to the DVDs being released Stateside as well?

WEISS: The DVDs will be available in Music Land across the US starting July 1, 2005. Matches include Homicide vs. Low Ki, Hardcastle and Cage who went on to become Edge and Christian, D'Lo Brown, and AJ Styles.

JOHNSON: What led to expanding into the United States via In Demand PPV? What was the process to sign a deal with the carrier?

WEISS: It was an extremely pain staking process which was incredibly expensive in terms of legal and insurance cost. The United States is the most important market in the world and we needed to be there. It only took two years. (Laughs)

JOHNSON: What would be a successful debut in your opinion? What are your goals going into the first show?

WEISS: Good response from the viewers and numbers which ppv will be content with PWS achieving.

JOHNSON: It was interesting to see that you actually issued an apology for the PPV using Chris Candido footage (against Sandman) on the PPV after his passing. What led to you making that decision when obviously the show had been put together prior to his death?

WEISS: I felt terrible. We did everything to avoid promoting Chris with the goal of lessening the pain to the Candido Family which may have been caused as a bi-product of the match airing. I wish I could have changed it but It was too late.

JOHNSON: What promotions would you like to add to the PWS library?

WEISS: Warrior1Wrestling, Jersey All Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Unplugged are very exciting and reputable companies.

JOHNSON: What would be the holy grail in terms of historical footage you'd want to add to the PWS shows?

WEISS: Anything with Ric Flair.

JOHNSON: Why should fans dedicate their time and money to the PWS PPV?

WEISS: Great question. This show was partially programmed by the fans as a result of their feedback. It's bell to bell action featuring matches that all have a very unique history behind them. Only for $9.95. It's the only place to see Andre The Giant, Eddie Guerrero, Bam Bam Bigelow, AJ Styles and Petey Williams in one program.

JOHNSON: What's the next PWS project shaping up to look like?

WEISS: A documentary which illustrates how real wrestling is in terms of injuries, family loss and health problems in a sport with no off season and benefits. We also plan on launching an on-line Video On Demand type of network.

For more information on Pro Wrestling Superstars, visit www.prowrestlingsuperstars.com.

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