Hello to all the members of the TWF. I have decided to do this edition a bit different as you can see no traditional opening greeting and there will be no reviewing of the shows and also no putting guys or girls over because I want to go as the title says.... beyond the ropes! I want to talk to the people behind the characters one on one or in a nutshell you the members and I figured where better to start than right at the top with the man behind the TWF, Travis Wakeman.
Now for the record, I wanted to do this as close to a shoot as I could by asking the questions that needed to be asked and I outright asked Travis if there was anything off limits and he told me no and that he would answer whatever I asked so get up close to your computer screen and take a look at my 20 questions with Travis Wakeman.
1. When did you first begin watching wrestling and what got you hooked on it? I had seen wrestling off and on for years. I actually watched World Class Championship Wrestling in the 80's with the Freebirds and Von Erichs back when they used to air it on ESPN. But it wasn't until 1989 that I became a regular viewer. I actually had a pen pal in 4th grade that would write and tell me all about it. He told me to watch PrimeTime wrestling on the USA network. I saw Hulk Hogan wrestle Dino Bravo that night and became hooked. I was a Hulkamaniac from the get-go. And I watched PrimeTime, All American Wrestling and Wrestling Challenge every week.
2. Is there one specific match that you saw from childhood that just stuck with you to this day? Hogan vs. Warrior at WrestleMania 6. For the time, it was the biggest match ever.
3. Who was your favorite and least favorite wrestler growing up and why? Hogan was easily my favorite. I never bought into the "say your prayers and eat your vitamins" stuff, but I was just drawn to the guy. Least favorite growing up? Probably Earthquake for what he did to Hogan on the Brother Love Show. I HATED him for that.
4. At what point in your life did you decide you wanted to do what became the TWF? I was spending most of my time over at Jessica's parents house in like late 1999. I bought the game WrestleMania 2000 for N64. I don't know why, but I always had to do something extra besides just "play" my video games. In fact, with all my sports games, I actually used to write down stats for every season. People thought I was crazy but I enjoyed it. So I just started making my own cards and having my own shows.
5. What was the first TWF match you did? I'd have to go back and look at the records for that one, but for some reason a Jeff Jarrett match comes to mind.
6. At what point did you decide to go public with things and get others involved? Once Mike showed me the website he had created. At the time, I was about as computer illiterate as it comes, but I bought myself a Gateway computer just because I wanted to design my own website. I remembr the exact day. June 30, 2000. Mike came over to my apartment and we put it all together. I never thought much would come of it though.
7. Your first member was Kid Gundam. For those people that did not know him, what was he like as a member and a person? I never talked to him anywhere but IM and email. He was a cool guy and I was so elated to finally have a member.
8. Did it hurt the TWF when he passed away? I remember when I got the news. I was just numb. I don't know why, I just really started looking at life on a whole new level that day. At the time, we had the song "Echo" by Trapt on the main page of the site. I remember listening to that song like 3 straight times and just thinking.
9. What has been your most favorite thing you have ever done in the TWF? That's a good question but it's so hard to put my finger on just one thing. I would just say that being able to bring so many people across so many states and countries involved in this thing.
10. Has there ever been one thing you did story line wise and then looked back and asked yourself why you did that? No. I have liked pretty much everything I've ever done. Anyone who knows me knows that there is no subject that I will shy away from.
11. The wrestling world lost a lot of greats over the years. Has there been one that you ended up having to stop using that just made things difficult for you to come up with something new? Triple H. I haven't used him on one of my shows in years and it was because the guy just bores me for the most part.
12. What's the dumbest or worst thing a member ever did to cause you to give him or her the pink slip? I'm pretty sure most people know how the "Maddogg rule" was started. I got like 6 new members in a month or so and was so excited, until I found out he played all of them. It made me very skeptical any time I got a contract from a Hotmail address.
13. Do you think there are times when you show certain members favoritism and others you don't? No, not really. There are members who I seem to mesh with better than others, but I've always thought everyone has gotten a fair shake.
14. You have said over the years that you give opportunity to those that deserve it and that you hand out nothing for free, but at this point in time are there exceptions to that? Basically how do you determine who has to work for said opportunity and who you just let jump into it? You can tell within the first few conversations how good a member is going to be. The TWF has always been based on involvement and caring about it as a whole. The guys who do that are usually the ones who get the oppurtunities.
15. With or without mentioning any names, are there those members you point out to others and say you need to be like him or her and are there those you just wonder why you keep? The only way I have ever released a member was for lying to me. That's all I want is honesty. I also ask for patience and the case I point out to time and time again is of High Octane Damion West. He wanted it all right off the bat, but I told him to be patient and things would come his way. He's now a 3 time TWF World champion.
16. You make it a point in having relationships with all of us members, over the years have the older ones changed and if so is it for the better, worse or both? The only thing that has changed is the amount of time I am able to put forth. I remember when I could make myself available for this for like half the day. Now, I can't do that anymore, but I do my best to maintain relationships with all members.
17. Do you think you at times put too much on what the WWE or TNA does in determining what you do? Yeah, I kind of do. I like to have a roster similar to what WWE has. It's hard to do much with a guy unless you can see them perform and since WWE is all I watch, those are the guys I see. I have kept around a few of my favorites regardless, but like I said, I try to have most of the same guys. Storyline wise, no, I don't care what they do. I try to do my own thing there.
18. Out of all the TWF matches you have done is there one that is the most special to you? Hmm, I wouldn't be able to pinpoint just one. But the WrestleMania 6 match between Money Mike and Joe Corey ranks up there because that is to this day the best program the TWF ever had.
19. Is there one specific match you have not done that you just are itching to do? Well there are still several matches for the Travis Wakeman character, if we ever see him again. Wakeman vs. Rockwell might be the ultimate TWF dream match.
20. When you decide to walk away and close those TWF doors, how do you want people to remember not just the federation but Travis Wakeman the person behind it? I just hope people look back on it as a good time in their lives. I've always wanted to create a "life outsite the real world" with the TWF and I hope I've done that. As for me, I just want to be known as a guy who has a good handle on the pro wrestling/sports entertainment business and hopefully, most members can look back and say they made a great, lifelong friend in Travis Wakeman.
Well there you have it. An up close look at what makes Travis Wakeman tick from the inside out and as he ended it, I hope you all know you have and did make a great lifelong friend...... cause I know I did.
