Black Label Pro (BLP) held their “Jar of Flies” event this past weekend in Crown Point, Indiana. As an emerging force on the indie wrestling scene, BLP has attempted to establish an identity slightly outside of the Chicago market with unique shows featuring top indie talent and throwback names in wild matches.
It was a constant battle to just get this last show to bell time.
“I literally thought about changing the name of the show to ‘Snakebit,’” BLP promoter Mikey Blanton told CagesideSeats.com. “I was talking to my graphics guy and everything. I wanted to call it ‘Snakebit’ because anything that could have gone wrong did. It was pretty chaotic.”
Of course, chaos is the standard state of the pro wrestling world.
But Blanton was not being hyperbolic. The card went through change after change before becoming a battle with the venue and having to recruit a writer (this writer) into the role of ringside cameraman for the Powerbomb.tv live stream.
The changes to the card started early in the process.
“I had the card set with Tom Lawlor vs. Nick Gage in the main event and Tom gets hurt, which is like, I like Tom on a personal level, too,” Blanton said. “It really sucked he got hurt. I just wanted the best for him. So I had to change things up, I had to go with a different match. I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll give Gary Jay a shot. I’m going to have Gary Jay vs. Nick Gage in the main event.’ I wouldn’t have to change anything else on the card, really.
“I asked Gary Jay and he pulled out of the show because he was going to do CZW. I hold nothing against him, but I need a main event. So, I have to change the Space Monkey match with Teddy Hart to Teddy Hart vs. Nick Gage and Space Monkey vs. Everett Connors.”
But wait, there’s more.
“Then Everett Connors pulls out,” Blanton said. “Alright, that’s fine. I had taken Connors out of a three way match with Stevie Fierce and Shane Sabre. So, then Facade got hurt in the UK and he had to pull out of the lucha match. I added Pat Monix to that match.
“I had Stevie Fierce moved to face Leva Bates as a surprise. Then, Stevie got hurt the night before the show at Freelance and couldn’t come. So, I added Leva to what was originally the three way match, but the only original guy from the match who was left was Shane Sabre. So, I made that Sabre vs. Leva vs. Space Monkey vs. Mark Wheeler, who I added because everyone else was either hurt or pulling out.”
Chelsea Green was also set to appear on the show, having a featured role in the promotion of the show and on the graphics for the event.
If you’ve yet to catch on to the running story of the event, she also did not appear.
Due to another business obligation by both @ImChelseaGreen and Laurel Van Ness, they will not be in attendance this Saturday night at #BLP5. We are very sorry for this unavoidable turn of events.
— Black Label Pro (@BLabelPro) March 7, 2018
“She had other commitments,” Blanton said. “I can’t go into details of what those commitments are. But she was not able to make the show. I found that out a few days before the show and fans were very upset with me, saying I was trying to hide it, but I announced it everywhere I could numerous times and you can’t change a poster that’s out there three days before a show. That’s almost impossible.”
Still, after a series of huge changes to the card, things were set to go down at the On The Square Sports Academy at 7:30 p.m.
...until they weren’t.
All because of an early February snowstorm.
“Here’s the best part,” Blanton said. “The day of the show, the building had triple booked itself. It booked two birthday parties and us. They thought because we cancelled in February, maybe we were going out of business or something. But they wanted us to cancel in February because of the weather. They didn’t want their staff there then and the weather was awful.
“We had to cut a deal with the second birthday party, which started at 6:30 and was 10-year-old boys, to let them come to the show for free. Which, that’s great, they’re new fans and I’m okay with that.”
ATTENTION FANS AND WRESTLERS:
— Black Label Pro (@BLabelPro) March 10, 2018
TONIGHT DOORS OPEN AT 7:45! ONE HOUR LATER! SHOW STARTS AT 8:30!
Our building double booked itself and we can't get in until 6:30.
Wrestlers do not show up until 6:30! Please RT!
“So we weren’t able to get into the building until 6:30 p.m,” Blanton said. “We got everything set up in an hour and a half. The ring, the lights, Powerbomb.tv, everything in an hour and a half. But a couple hours before we went to the building, I found out Swerve video, who is our video crew, was not coming. That’s when I was able to get your help to run the floor cam.”
Despite all the setbacks, and the near last-minute cancellation due to the venue, the show got off the ground and ran smoothly, barring a small power issue early in the show that temporarily knocked out the live stream.
Fans were surprised in the main event, however, when Mance Warner came to the ring prior to the match to issue a challenge to Hart and Gage, saying he wanted a shot at Gage’s GCW championship despite having wrestled earlier in the night.
Something seemed off at the time, and the initial sense fans may have gotten that Hart had pulled one of his trademark “unprofessional moves” was on the money.
“(Hart) asked me to not disclose this stuff, but I’m going to because that’s not being a professional,” Blanton said. “To me, I owe the fans the best show I can give them and they deserved a singles main event since that was the plan. Teddy said he had already put over Nick twice before and he shit talked GCW and said that he did not like Brett Lauderdale, the promoter and that he shouldn’t have to do this, so let’s just do a double disqualification.
“I told him it’s the main event of the show, I’m not going to do a double disqualification. No one wants a double DQ or double countout in a Nick Gage match for the GCW Championship. That sucks! No, that sucks!”
That led to Warner saving a day that very much needed saving.
“So I talked to Mance Warner, who is incredible two years in,” Blanton said. “Not only is he a great wrestler, he’s a great person. Other promoters need to use Mance Warner as much as they can. Please print that. He’s a professional. So I asked him if he could please do the main event with these guys and Mance Warner is all business. Nick Gage is all business. Teddy Hart is not business. He’s not a professional, and that’s why I said he’s not a professional. I was just telling the truth. “
Despite the setbacks, Blanton was out looking at venues for BLP’s next event, which is set to feature the rescheduled showdown between Gage and Lawlor.
“The next show is April 21,” Blanton said. “Venue to be determined.”
And card, of course, subject to change.