OTW Closing Doors, Changing Direction
The company’s final event in its home venue takes place this weekend.
This weekend marks the end of an era in South Jersey.
Jim Molineaux has announced that his Williamstown-based promotion Old Time Wrestling (OTW) will no longer run weekly live events or accept any new students. After six years of owning the company and dealing with the hassle of leasing space at the Monroe Business Center, the former ECW referee has decided to scale back operations, with Sole Survivor being the final event to take place in the venue.
“It was like running two households,” Molineaux says. “It’s my signature on the lease, so I’m the one always worried about making rent every month, dealing with the insurance, having the fire inspector come through. Instead of all the bills involved in running a building every month, I’d rather go somewhere and ask for x amount of money to put a show on. All my worries would be taken care of.”
The OTWFan Nation was understandably upset with the news, tweeting their favorite memories and thanking Molineaux for giving years of entertainment and numerous hopefuls an opportunity.
This is heart breaking.. Sending positive vibes..
— D.A.W.G. (@DAWGWrestling) May 2, 2018
I feel very privileged to have worked for @OTWupdates and @jimmolineaux. The weekly shows are some of the most fun I’ve had in my entire wrestling career.
— Matt Sells (@AllSellsFinal) May 2, 2018
Crushed to hear this. OTW changed my life. Met some of the best friends I have through there and made some of my favorite memories in that and the old building. Literally met my wife through friends made here. Now there’s 1 less school teaching the right way.
— Craig Nash (@BigCraigNash) May 2, 2018
OTW was VERY good to me when I was starting out. I am forever grateful for the fine folks I’ve met there. Jim was always a pleasure to work for and talk to. Sad to hear this. More importantly, well wishes and best of health to my man Jim. Much love to all the OTW family. 🤙🏾
— Vlad (@TheVladJoseph) May 2, 2018
For a decade plus Jim gave so much of his own time and resources to make sure guys had a safe place to be broken in the right way, trained properly,+ get hours of ring time
To say I wouldn’t be me w/o that is beyond understatement
Bittersweet and a hell of a run Jim. Bravo. https://t.co/tCqvmBsSIa
— Mik Drake (@MikDrake) May 2, 2018
OTW started as an extension of The Monster Factory, and was run by trainer Ed Atlas. After ECW closed its doors in 2001, Molineaux joined the company and OTW eventually split off as its own entity. Molineaux and Atlas kept the name, building and ring; a few years later, Atlas decided to move back home to Canada and Molineaux became solely in charge of the day-to-day operations.
Between running a weekly promotion, leading a training school and hosting children’s birthday parties, the OTW co-owner was wearing himself out. Eventually, his body couldn’t take any more. Last year, he suffered a heart attack right before Sole Survivor weekend.
“My wife got laid off that day, so we decided to clear our minds and get something to eat,” Molineaux recalls. “We went to our local watering hole, which we haven’t been back to, and I ordered a burger with pulled pork and bacon on it. That night it felt like it wasn’t digesting properly. It didn’t feel what you thought a heart attack would feel like; it just felt like it was stuck in my wind pipe. By 3 o’clock in the morning, we called an ambulance.”
A combination of mounting pressure and poor genetics caught up with him, as his mother’s side of the family has a history of heart disease. Although he says he’s feeling better, his weight is still an issue. “I think I’m the only guy who has had a heart attack and gained 20 pounds,” Molineaux says. “I want to get back to the gym harder. I need to concentrate on myself, too.”
For the first time in 28 years, Molineaux will be taking the summer off. He’ll have time to recharge his batteries and start booking different venues for OTW’s new schedule. Instead of operating out of a permanent base, the promotion will now be running spot shows in different buildings around the South Jersey area. For example, OTW will be returning to Stockton University for an event in October.
“Because we’re no longer doing a weekly show, we’re going to have to change the direction of the company a bit,” Molineaux says. “We’ll be doing more specialty matches as opposed to trying to tell a weekly story. Maybe a Loser Wears a Baby Bonnet, something like that to draw people in who remember stuff like that when they were kids. We’ll still do a bull rope match or a ladder match, but we won’t do things that will embarrass you for bringing your son or daughter or wife. I want everyone to be able to come because I’ll make more money as a promoter.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9SLAtM95WY
Although admission to the OTW training academy has been permanently suspended, Molineaux says the most rewarding part of running the promotion has been the success the students have gone on to achieve. At least five graduates regularly appear on ROH’s Future of Honor shows, including Brian Johnson, Justin Pusser and Miss Jasmine of One Mean Team. Plus, there are grads like Adam Chandler the Great and Mike Orlando who have developed quite the following on the indie scene.
“Nobody signed has with WWE yet, but that’s fine with me,” Molineaux says.
Perhaps somebody will break out at this year’s Sole Survivor, the final event held in OTW’s home venue. The annual two-night tournament features eight competitors randomly selected to face off. Names are picked out of a hat by fans to form the first-round bouts, and the finals take place the following night.
In addition, there will be several title fights including OTW Heavyweight Champion “Evil” Eddie Hawkins defending against Adam Chandler the Great, Dave Davis challenging OTW Classic Champion Andd Bivians and One Mean Team battling Energy Express in a ladder match for the vacant OTW Tag Team Championship.
“Before every show, I tell them to give the crowd a good time, have a great match, tell your story and be professional,” Molineaux says. “I can rely on my guys to go out there and do business. There’s not a single cancer in that locker room.”
After this weekend, Molineaux will begin semi-retirement, a combination of scouting venues, redesigning the promotion’s website, renting out the ring and taking care of his health. “I always said when it’s not fun, it ain’t for me. That’s why I’ve never worked for WWE,” he says. “I’m more than happy to keep doing it on a limited basis. But if we don’t have a show, then I worry about keeping the pool clean in the backyard.”
Sole Survivor takes place at the Monroe Business Center, Building C Suite 1, in Williamstown, New Jersey, on May 18 and 19.
For tickets and more information, visit www.oldtimewrestling.net.
Follow OTW on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.
About Author
