On one hand, Extreme Associates' Rob Black has this to say about Robert Black who's up for Best New Star in the Gay industry: "Yeah your CES issue had a picture of him with his cock sticking out - I was like, aggggh!. He's my gay counterpart."
On the other hand, Black says he just finalized a deal Tuesday with American One Television, a feed out of Texas. According to Black, besides pending deals with the WB Network and KCAL, American One, which feeds out of Texas, will be broadcasting the XPW wrestling shows to a potential viewership of 4 million in California at 11 pm. The airings will begin April 8.
"With that deal, we'll reach 23 million people nationally," Black said. "Not everybody gets them [American One]. These are called low power television stations. But the big plus is that they get it in Rochester, N.Y. so my parents will be able to watch the show. Then the deal with KCAL and WB will allow everybody in LA to get us. If the deal gets finalized on KCAL, we'll also be on Saturday night at 2 am besides. Besides California, Black says the American One deal will also air XPW shows in Atlanta, Chicago and Akron.
Black also says starting in May, XPW will expand its venue to the San Jose Arena starting May 13, and the San Diego Arena starting May 2. "And we'll be in Bakersfield on March 24," he adds. "We feel real confident with the new prtoduct. Shane Douglas will be at the next show, but he's still unoffically with us because he's still in litigation with WCW. But he'll be at the next show so you can draw your conclusions from that. However, I feel very confident the deal will be made, though Shane's arm isn't healed a 100%. [Douglas has a torn biceps.]
Black also reports that XPW champion Chris Candido, who was supposed to get an offer from WCW, will come back to the table and see which is the better offer, WCW's or XPW's. "We're still waiting on that one," Black says.
G. Ross: "He's got your championship belt."
Black: "He's still committed with us until May, no matter what. If he goes to WCW they're not going to do anything with him for a couple of months until they build him up. So we'll see what happens."
According to Black, Musicland just put in a 1600 piece reorder for the first XPW video, Hardcore Conception. "They intially took 500 pieces then faxed us saying they might have a hit on their hands, send another 1600," Black says. "Our DVD also comes out at the end of the month for our Death Match Tournament, Baptized in Blood featuring the debut of Shane Douglas." Black says Douglas' surprise appearance at the last LA show is getting a lot of play on the Internet.
Black: "There's this one 'Net compamy called Wrestle Line owned by CBS Sports. When it all happened they put a big picture of Shane on there, and they're putting us on their headlines. The minute our satellite-thing goes off, we'll have a link on their site as a 'major'.
