What Do You Guys Want To See At Ringside Fest!!!

I have been trying to think of a fresh take - or even a replacement - for the Q&A for a long time. It's a bit of 'comfort food' for us but it's starting to be more like 7-11 pizza than anything else. It's been clear to me that Q&A's are stale and would work best maybe once a year, but until I can come up with something better, it's what we have. For the record I also miss in-person Ringside Fest...it feels more natural, it's more fun and obviously Caroline's was a legendary setting, but unfortunately that's gone for now. Who knows what next year holds.

It is an absolute waste of time, more so than what we already have, to rifle off a list of 90% of the fan questions (when are we going to get Pedro Morales) because the answer is the same. I know some people want this just to feel affirmed regardless, even if it's a no, but I'm just not doing it like we used to.

I am also never, ever going to ask any distribution question or controversial dig or anything like that. It's not beneficial for anyone. I understand people's frustrations but that avenue is not the place for that question. Really it's better to pester Wal Mart.

So we're down to asking about tech updates, things like updates on the Nitro Stage (which we already know the answer to and also have heard previously) and a various Macho Man situation here and there.

What else can be done? I'm a professional with a lot of experience in a lot of different things but I'm admittedly stumped with this. I don't really know what else we could provide that isn't too far behind the curtain, doesn't upend obvious marketing strategy or necessary secrecy (many, many people forget the level of approvals toys go through right up to their final production run) other than give it a break and do it less often which has been my suggestion lately.

Also it's no secret it puts me in a tough spot just as a person with a job as a lot of you who know me know I absolutely hate to 'game show host' my way through things since actual wrestling began for me all those years ago but Ringside Fest requires it, perhaps more than anything else. So people can save their comments calling me 'cringey' because I get it and I do my best to avoid it.

I'm going to continue thinking on it and seeing what we things can be presented with a little more freshness but I hope many here will appreciate what they get at least in terms of reveals and semi-transparent discussions because it definitely doesn't happen with other toy lines like it does here. And that's just on the Ringside side. Keep in mind as was referenced in the end of the video, we are still 'beholden' to Mattel, and I mean that in the nicest and most polite way possible, and what they are able and unable to reveal, so there's a whole other side of what's ultimately going to be shown or discussed at ANY of the many reveal situations that no one has any control over other than the toy company itself.

That said, I understand disappointment with high hopes and expectations (I still want Hardcore and Crash Holly myself, I can relate) and hope things feel more substantial for some of you in the future. I'm open to suggestions and I'm always going to be as transparent as possible so feel free to meet me in the middle if there's something more direct you'd like to say that I can try to get done.