My First iPPV in Almost 10 Years
Last month, Stan Stylez announced that the Intergender Bonanza 9 was going to stream live on iPPV, courtesy of IWTV.live on August 21, 2021 at the H2O Wrestling Center in Williamstown, NJ. In a message later on in the weekend, he informed me that I will be doing the live commentary for the event.
It’s a moment I never thought I would be able to do again. Internet Pay-Per-View.
Granted, I’ve been doing commentary for the Stan Stylez Intergender Bonanza in a live and post-production environment for two years now. It’s been a blast. Being able to have creative freedom on commentary with blessings from both Stan and his editor Chondo has been refreshing. It’s something that I’ve enjoyed immensely.
Yet, I’ve felt like I haven’t been at my best. For some reason, my drive, for commentary especially, hasn’t been where it’s once been. And there is a reason for that.
June 16, 2012. Women Superstars Uncensored’s “Uncensored Rumble 2012”.
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I absolutely stunk that night.
Leading up to the event, I was in very, very small discussions with people trying to fund money for WSU. Sean “the MiC” McCaffrey was selling the company and leaving the wrestling business, and I was trying to raise enough capital to purchase the promotion that had grown near and dear to my heart.
Although ACE gave me my start and freedom to explore on commentary, WSU gave me the exposure to make the stars of the promotion look good on the mic. MiC really did me well as a promoter and I did my best to make him proud every time on the microphone.
Ultimately, I could not secure cash to even throw an offer out there, and WSU’s assets were sold to Drew Cordeiro in Beyond Wrestling. Although I would have been a part of the creative team initially (another story for another day), I was devastated. Professionally, I was happy for Drew, personally I was envious.
Also, my father was in the middle of his Stage 4 colorectal cancer battle. A month or two prior, he had a 13 hour surgery, practically getting gutted, and having two colostomy bags attached for the remainder of his days. He was at a rehab center, trying to get his strength back and moving around.
My fire was dim inside.
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By the time I started doing commentary that night, I was off. Cindy Rogers, who was my broadcast partner, picked me up and helped carry the booth. My sync was just off and I wasn’t feeling it. It’s one thing to grit out a performance when you aren’t on your A-Game, it’s quite another to not have your heart in it.
And then, I committed the cardinal sin.
Niya, a young and up-and-coming wrestler from Pennsylvania, recently had gotten “fired” from WSU; she was performing under a mask as Esavel Suena.
In the middle of her match, I called her Niya.
I knew right then and there I was finished. I was so mad and embarrassed at myself for it. I had blown the angle.
By the end of the night, I was just glad to get out of there. I really was flat-out annoyed with myself and the performance. Killing the Niya/Suena angle ate at me. It even really hit home when the MiC called me out on Twitter the next day, and it was well deserved.
My last ever performance on iPPV was a bomb. I started to hate commentary from that point on. Slowly, I scaled back completely everywhere I went. Even in ACE, I handed off my duties to Cheyenne Ortiz and just stayed behind the scenes.
I thought I’d never get back to iPPV ever again...until Stan surprised me with the news last month.
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In less than two weeks, I will return to iPPV for the first time in almost ten years as the “voice” of the Intergender Bonanza. All of the talent on this show inspires me to bring my A game. I’m nervous, excited, and anxious about this night. IWTV is a big deal, and the fact that I get to call one show live on there is a moment I’m ready for.
For some, this is just another wrestling show. For me, this is redemption.
I am just ready to have fun. No one holding me back, no family or internal drama to bog me down. It’s pro wrestling, a fun atmosphere, and me behind a microphone. I hope you join us and see a great product...and Marc Angel.
It’s go time.
Jon Harder
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