The Ego Trip of Tiny Tiswell and How He Became a Non-person to Me

DSPW (Dirty South Pro Wrestling) has, for a couple of years now since its founding, been one of my favorite promotions. From its beginnings in the National Guard Armory in Brewton, Al, I have been privileged to witness awesome matches by great local indy performers such as Aeon Flexx, Jerry Reiner, Jester McCain, who is now Carlos DeAngelo, Kornbred, Maze, Cruz and others drawn from the pool of amazing wrestlers who call the Gulf Coast their home. My vantage point came from either behind my table or behind the lens of my camera, or just hanging out watching terrific youngsters explore the depths of their wrestling prowess.

My table, I should explain, to that rare reader from elsewhere other than the panhandle of Florida, who stumbles across this blog, sits on the floor of an "arena," meaning the school, National Guard Armory, Community Center or open field at a Shrine Temple, on which is displayed for sale, inexpensive items possibly of interest to someone who visits it. I earn a little money, some of which goes to a charity of my choosing, and some of which goes to support http://www.gulfcoastwrestling.com/, a web site devoted to wrestling in our area.

The owner of DSPW, Mickey, is my friend, as are most of the owner/promoters in my area. I have, in the past enjoyed a standing invitation to set up a table at his/their shows. As a gesture in return, I post their advertisements on the web site, maintain their message boards, and use my computer skills to make the job of promoting easier. It is a symbiosis that has worked well for most of the last ten years.

Now, along comes "Tiny Tiswell" the "New Owner" of DSPW (like a 3 year old couldn't figure out that's a work). This guy, a former Pensacola taxi driver, hung around Former WWF Legend, Sika The Wild Samoan, in the last and declining days of XW-2000, and even at one point organized a couple of sparsely attended ( less than 25 people) shows under that name, killing the XW-2000 brand forever.

As noted, Tiswell has latched onto Mickey, and assumed the helm (so it is stated) of DSPW. With that "authoritah" (apologies to South Park) he has pretty much train wrecked the promotion by presuming to place himself in virtually ever match and even setting himself up in many of the individual main events.

The guy is smaller than the 11 year-old down the street. If he weighs a hundred pounds I would be surprised. It's like watching "Our Gang's" Alfalfa in "Let's have a show." Except for a few bright spots like The Redneck Mafia, and Omega with Vain, and Reiner and Cruz, who are self sufficient at wrestling, the whole organization and execution of DSPW events is pretty much amateur hour.

One glaring example of "backyardism" is the rookie wrestler who calls himself "Drop Dead Gorgeous," who appears for his matches in go-to-school blue jeans and no shirt covering the top of an adolescent body that looks as if it has never seen the inside of a gym. Do wrestling fans really want to see "the kid down the street" play wrestling as he stumbles through missed spot after missed spot?

Tiswell has stated that I am a mark (wrestling fan oblivious to the truth of the "sport". Not true. I am a "Smark" (fan who is fully aware of the ins and outs of Indy pro wrestling). Tiswell says that he "is not a mark" or presumably a "smark" either, for that matter. Therein lies the problem.

Whereas Short Bandit, Tiswell's only opponent is a true "little person," with wrestling skills and therefore a draw, Tiswell is a "wrestler wannabe" with five moves or so with nothing to offer paying customers but annoyance and a profound wish that he would get the hell out of the ring so real wrestling could take place. Simply stated, as a "non-mark," Tiswell has no feel for the ebb and flow of the show that pleases the fans enough to return to the next one. His matches are boring and that boredom drags down Short Bandit.

In my opinion, overexposure to fan dissatisfaction with Tiswell matches will undo Short Bandit's hard work in wrestling.

The whole thing is a cluster #### and as long as Tiswell is "in charge" I will never attend another DSPW event, nor will I do any work to support this promotion. Tiswell makes promises he does not keep, he tries to work experienced wrestlers without paying them, and when that fails, uses guys so green that they can barely lock up, never mind have a gimmick or project a story line, or work a mike.

I will always be friends with Mickey, until he decides otherwise. But Tiswell is a non-person to me.

Wrestlers, I suggest you get your pay in advance while Tiswell is in charge. You owe it to yourself to be reimbursed for your skills and your travel.