NEW FLORIDA PROMOTION STARTING UP
credit: pwinsider.com
19th July 2010
A new upstart wrestling promotion, said to have major financial backing behind it, has been quietly putting together a business plan in Florida and signing talents. A number of wrestlers have been signed to contracts or asked to sign letters of intent they will work for the promotion, along with confidentiality agreements.
The promotion is still putting together it's business plan - I don't even know if there is even an official name for the promotion yet - and it's believed they wouldn't start actively doing anything until the Fall, with the idea of then focusing on 2011 for a full fledged launch. There's no word of taping dates or television clearances or anything of the like so far. They are literally in the early days of the project and putting together their business plan, but with wrestlers being offered (and signing) deals, it's certainly newsworthy.
The backing for the group is said to come from a businessman named Peter Karoftis, who has worked for a number of years with Sterling Equities, a New York-based investment firm that owns The New York Mets organization, the SNY cable network, and several real estate and investment companies. Karoftis and Sean Davis, a long-time independent wrestler in Florida best known as one half of the Heartbreak Express tag team, are pretty much the core of the company at this time.
Kevin Kleinrock (Viva La Lucha, Wrestling Society X, etc.), Cody Michaels (WSX, XPW, etc.) and Mister Saint Laurent (longtime Florida promoter and personality who also did commentary for Ring of Honor) are also signed to work on the project, I have confirmed. Kleinrock will be working production. Laurent (who I believe is working on the talent and creative end) has promoted the "I Believe in Wrestling" indy in Florida. I believe there will be a crossover with that promotion's talent and the school connected to it as well.
I like.
