More About Me

Since the, "About Me" section of this blog is limited to a specific amount of characters, I decided to write a post that discusses more about what I have done in the pro-wrestling industry, beginning with when I first started in it and leading up to now.

Technically, I started back in the 1990s, contributing to, "Pro Wrestling Illustrated" and then, "Pro Wrestling Torch". In 1997, I contributed to The Official Website of the NWO. That same year, I briefly published my own newsletter, "The Wrestling Express".

In 1998, I taught myself how to design websites, and served as a consultant for various independent promotions. That next year, I worked as a website designer/maintainer for Dylan Summers (Necro Butcher) who was running the Texas-based Power Pro Wrestling Federation, and later was involved with Texas Outlaw Promotions.

During the period of 2000-2002, I was involved in many different projects at once. I was working as a website designer/publicist for talent, contributing to WCW.com, writing columns for independent promotions and the website of former WCW star The Stro, and writing for a variety of pro-wrestling media sites (including WrestlingObserver.com and PWTorch.com). In 2003, I began running my own website, World Wrestling Optimum, which consisted of news, articles, and interviews.

In 2004, I started working for the Michigan-based Ultimate Championship Wrestling as a publicist/columnist. They were an affiliate of American Wrestling Association Superstars Of Wrestling, and I soon became the publicist/columnist of the main governing body of AWA as well. During my time working for UCW, I played a major role in bringing in new talent, due to over the years my having had come into contact with many talents being underused and going unnoticed in the industry. Also, attendance increased by a significant amount.

In 2005, I started doing a column for 3PW. With DVDs sold nationwide, they had the potential to become much bigger than they already were at the time, and were very open to my ideas. I pushed for many changes behind-the-scenes. I had encouraged management to improve the production quality of their DVDs, which led to them dealing with a different production company. 3PW management had planned on waiting for its fan base to increase before getting TV for 3PW. I explained how getting TV for 3PW is what would increase its fan base, and I was then given the green light to find networks that were interested. Two networks were very interested, and I encouraged 3PW management to meet with them as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the owner of the company instead opted to shut 3PW down, due to losing interest. Working for 3PW put me in connection with the UK-based 1PW, who I worked as a columnist for.

After 3PW shut down, I began working as a publicist for independent promotions, including CHIKARA. I also worked as a columnist for CZW. Interestingly though, it was 2006 at this point yet I was still most recognized for the work that I had done for 3PW and AWA/UCW.

In 2007 I started working as a columnist for XCW, a promotion that was seen nationally on MAVTV, had a national DVD deal, and also had PPV events. Working for a promotion of national status was my biggest achievement at that point, and two years later I reached a bigger achievement- Big Japan Pro-Wrestling. Along with working for them as a columnist and an Administrator for their Facebook page, I helped bring Big Japan Pro-Wrestling together with Combat Zone Wrestling to form a working relationship after a previous working relationship between the two promotions had fallen apart. This new working relationship led to Big Japan Pro-Wrestling having its first event in the United States.

In October 2009 I assisted publicity & promotions company MGM Management with the HULKAMANIA- Let the Battle Begin tour by distributing their press release to pro-wrestling news sites that are popular with Australian fans, and conducting an interview with Solofa Fatu Jr. (better known as, "Rikishi"). Also, in 2012 I wrote a number of columns for Women Superstars United.

In May 2018 I did social media for Great North Wrestling.

In April and May 2021, I did blogging and social media for Kyushu Pro Wrestling. During that time, the promotion gained 220 new subscribers and 52,746 new views on its official YouTube channel. During that time, the promotion gained 220 new subscribers and 52,746 new views on its official YouTube channel.

Recently, I have done blogging and social media for Yanagase Pro Wrestling. Since the time I began writing for them, Yanagase Pro Wrestling announced an event at a 600-seat venue. All previous Yanagase Pro Wrestling events took place at a 50-seat venue.

I have also recently written for the China-based Middle Kingdom Wrestling in a Publicist capacity. My work is an essential piece in the multilingual activation, with it being adapted to traditional Chinese for readers in China. I am the first native English writer who has written for a Chinese wrestling organization in history.

In 2019 I began writing for Michinoku Pro Wrestling, in charge of international wrestling. Since the time that I began writing for them, Michinoku Pro stopped choosing Shin-Kiba 1st Ring for its Tokyo events and began focusing on the much larger Korakuen Hall for its Tokyo appearances. The Korakuen Hall is known as a place where many historical moments in the Japanese pro-wrestling scene have occurred. It's to Japan what Madison Square Garden is to the pro-wrestling scene in the United States. Michinoku Pro had a sellout, standing-room-only event on December 13, 2019 at the Korakuen Hall. The event had an attendance of 1,890. That was the highest reported attendance at the Korakuen Hall to date for a pro-wrestling event since April 2015.

I am available for more writing work. I create, edit, and rewrite promotional content on websites and social media platforms for companies, as well as design, develop, and direct their web presence and brand identity. I can be contacted via info@harold-williams.com

This blog is now included in Google News, which has over 11 million visits every day, giving your product the opportunity to be promoted in front of millions.

Samples of my work: http://dld.bz/jeRzq

I graduated from university with a major in Business and a minor in Computer Applications, which makes me an asset not only as a writer but in a business and technological capacity as well.

Archive Interview: Annie Social

(originally published 10/26/05)

Currently working for Women's Extreme Wrestling, JAPW, and many other promotions, Annie Social speaks her mind and does what she wants. Don't like it? Annie Social couldn't care less!

Q: How long have you been involved in the business?

A: I've been involved for about three years.

Q: Why did you enter the pro-wrestling industry?

A: It looked like fun. I've always been a fan of violent sports.

Q: Where did you receive your training to become a pro-wrestler?

A: I am currently training with Trent Acid and Johnny Kashmere at the PWU Animal House in Philly.

Q: What do you like the most about being in the business?

A: It's an outlet for me, like extreme anger management.

Q: One of the promotions that you currently work for is Women's Extreme Wrestling, which presents itself as an alternative form of pro-wrestling, and has a target audience of 21 and older. Do you prefer working for this style of promotion, or do you prefer working for family-oriented promotions?

A: I'll work wherever the industry will have me. I love being in the ring, especially on the mic.

Q: Which persona appeals to you the most: Face, Heel, or Tweener?

A: I like working as a heel. It's a lot more true to life for me. I'm a pretty mean girl when you piss me off.

Q: What is your gimmick?

A: I'm Annie Social. I'm an outcast. I have no friends because I don't want any. I only fight for one side and that's my side. I believe society as a whole are a bunch of assholes and I don't care to have any part in it.

Q: Which do you feel has been your best match so far?

A: Me vs. Mick Foley back in '97, awesome hell in a cell match.....nah just kiddin.....I had a great time working against the Sandman with the Backseat Boyz.....that wasn't exactly my match but it was still awesome. Honestly, I think the best is yet to come.

Q: Whom would you like to wrestle, that you have not yet done so?

A: I'd like to work with Mercedes Martinez or Sumie Sakai. They're both great wrestlers so it would be an honor to work with either of them.

Q: What do you do in your spare time?

A: I don't really have any spare time. I'm usually be either at work or at the gym. But if I had spare time I'd probably acquire some kind of odd skill like professional lumberjacking and axe throwing.

Q: What is your long-term goal in the business?

A: World Champion of everything bitch!!! Nah, I'll take this business as far as it will take me. I love it and I plan on being around for a long time.

I hope you enjoyed this interview with Annie Social. In 2003, I began running my own website, World Wrestling Optimum, which consisted of news, articles, and interviews, including this one.

Angel Orsini: Still Going Strong After 27 Years

Angel Orsini is a veteran wrestler who has been in the business for 27 years. Making her debut in 1996, Orsini has since then wrestled in many notable promotions around the world, including ECW, AJW, ASW, National Wrestling Alliance United Kingdom Hammerlock, and WEW, where she held the WEW World Championship and WEW World Tag Team Championship.

In 2005, I interviewed Angel Orsini for World Wrestling Optimum, a website that I was running at the time. At that point, she was wrestling in many independent promotions in the United States (as Riptide). She told me that she wanted to be in the business for at least five more years before she retired or became a trainer.

Fast forward to 2023, and Angel Orsini is still going strong in the ring. Since the interview, she has wrestled for many more promotions, including JCW, AWA W1, and WSU, where she held the WSU World Championship. Today, Orsini continues to wrestle in independent promotions nationwide, as well as continues to be a championship contender. On October 15, she will be wrestling in California for Native Ways Ent (NWE), where she will face NWE Women's Champion Jade Deville. A dominating competitor in the ring, Deville, will be defending her championship against one of her toughest challenges when she wrestles Orsini.

On October 21, Angel Orsini will be competing in the New York-based New Evolution Wrestling (NEW), where she will go against NEW Women's Champion Vanity in another attempt to claim the championship. They previously faced each other in a match this past June for the then-vacant championship. Vanity was the winner, but in this rematch, Orsini believes the result will be different. "I'm looking to continue to slay all day." she has confidently stated.

I recently reached out to Angel Orsini to get an update on her career. Orsini said that she's currently working with Gary Wolfe, who tag teamed as Pitbull #1 in ECW with Pitbull #2 Anthony Durante. Together, they became ECW World Tag Team Champions. "I'm a Pitbull one of the most iconic ECW Teams," Orsini said. "and we're not just a tag team but we're a trio we have Chris Annino with us and we are growing. I'm excited to see where our Team can go." One of Annino's trainers was Susan Green, who appeared in Jim Crockett Promotions in the 1970s, and WWE in the 1980s.

When asked about her thoughts on the current state of women's wrestling, Angel Orsini's response was very positive. "It's great to see so many talented women wrestling and that women are main eventing pay per views! I hope it stays that way and women get more opportunities to main event and produce and be CEO of sports entertainment companies."

Regarding her advice to aspiring wrestlers, Angel Orsini says, "My advice is to go to a good wrestling school where people have been on TV for wrestling and do what they tell you. Be quiet and listen, absorb as much as possible and practice every opportunity you can. Take care of your body. Stay away from drugs including steroids, spend time meditating and learn yoga because being flexible will protect you from injury."

It's clear that streaming will play a big role in the future of wrestling, and Angel Orsini will be joining the streaming world when she launches a streaming TV channel, which Orsini will be announcing via press release soon. Also, on September 30, she will be co-hosting the New England Hall of Fame Inductions with Chris Annino and Broadway Joe. "Chris & I co-founded the HOF so it's exciting to see such a big turnout for the event."

Speaking/Listening to English, and the Japanese Student

During a class or lesson, the student(s) should talk 70% of the time, with the teacher encouraging the student by praising their efforts, and asking them questions that require the student to give longer answers. As a student becomes more familiar and comfortable with the English language, it often will become easy it will be to motivate them to speak, especially if the topic is something personal to them, such as their interests, their job, or the city that they live in.

Listening is a different story- this is the most difficult skill for a student to develop. One of the most effective ways for a student to improve their listening skills is to listen to English for one hour every day, and it should be something that is related to their interests so that they stay motivated. Sometimes during the one hour, the student should practice shadowing, choosing a part that is about 20 seconds long, listening to the part repeatedly until they are comfortable, and then repeating that part while they hear it. As for what they will be listening to, you can provide students with transcripts of audio or video recordings, or you can record yourself reading aloud and then have students listen and repeat.

It is very common for a student who is very new to the English language to make claims such as, “There is something wrong with your voice/accent”, “You talk too fast”, and even confusing ones such as, “Your voice is too clear”. So, don’t be surprised if you hear these statements, this is merely a display of their difficulty with listening comprehension. As the student becomes more used to hearing English being spoken, their listening comprehension will slowly improve. In the meantime, if the student’s English level is very low, sometimes it would be best to speak to the student in short sentences using simple English.

How to Get Started in Independent Wrestling

Some aspiring pro-wrestlers don’t have their sights focused on a major promotion. They don’t care about making as much money as possible- they simply want to wrestle. If that's you, independent wrestling is a great way to start your career as a professional wrestler. It offers the opportunity to train and perform in front of live audiences while developing your skills, to network with promoters/other wrestlers, and to build a relationship with fans.

If you are interested in getting started in independent wrestling, the first thing you need to do is find a wrestling school. If you are serious about being a pro-wrestler, you need guidance and training from a reputable wrestling school. There are people all over the world who claim to be a qualified trainer that can help you reach your goal. However, most of them are trainers whose biggest success in the business has been representing their own promotion (which draws 25 people per show) as champion. Even worse, the closest some trainers have been to a pro-wrestling ring has been when they played the newest pro-wrestling video game.

A useful tip is to look at a school’s rate of success. People enroll in training programs because they want to succeed in their chosen career. If a school doesn’t have former students who have worked in either a major promotion or wrestled internationally (or if the trainer themselves has not), then its training may be of poor quality..

Wrestling training is rigorous and demanding, but it is essential if you want to be a successful professional wrestler. Wrestling training will teach you the fundamentals of wrestling, such as how to bump, and how to take & perform wrestling moves. After your training is completed, it will be time to seriously decide what your gimmick will be. It should be something that will help set you apart from the other wrestlers and make you memorable to fans.

The next step will be getting booked on shows. Most likely the school that you trained at will play a role in you getting your first match(es), either on a show of a promotion that is connected to the school or elsewhere. Most promoters don't use new wrestlers unless a veteran wrestler vouches for them. After you have been booked on some shows, you will be able to get bookings on your own. Contact promotions, and let them you what promotion(s) you have wrestled in, and show them pictures of yourself and video of you wrestling, and including a video of you doing a promo wouldn't hurt.

Once your wrestling career is well underway, promoting yourself on social media and/or via a website is very important if you want promotions to contact you first to book you, and once you get fans, if you want them to know where they can see you wrestle so they will buy tickets for the show.

Be patient during your career, because it takes times to become known on the independent wrestling scene. If you experience dry spells, don't get discouraged. The wrestling industry is very competitive and there are many more wrestlers than there are shows to get booked on. So, even if a promotion books you for a show, there is no guarantee that they will book you on a regular basis. This will affect you financially and perhaps even emotionally, making it hard to stay motivated and and to keep believing in yourself when you're not getting booked on shows. It's important to remember that dry spells are a normal part of the industry and that you should keep promoting yourself.

Also, always be professional. Show up to training on time, and continue to be punctual when your career begins, being reliable and always showing up on time for events. And be respectful to both your fans and fellow wrestlers. Have a positive attitude and be willing to learn from people in the industry who have more experience than you.

Getting started in independent wrestling is not easy, but it is a rewarding experience. If you are willing to put in the hard work and dedication, you can achieve your dream of becoming a professional wrestler. And even if the independent scene is currently as far as you are interested in going in the industry, independent wrestling is a great way to learn and ropes and qualify you for a potential career in a major promotion in the future.

How to Teach Vocabulary to Japanese Students

When teaching vocabulary, start with words that are used often in English, as these will be the most useful for the student. And when possible, use visuals. For example, pictures, flashcards, or videos. As they learn new vocabulary words, give the student many opportunities to practice using them.

Encourage the student to use newly learned words in sentences that are about something they know. For example, if they want to remember the word “tall”, they could write a sentence like, “One of the teachers I know is tall.”

Suggest that the student make a vocabulary journal/notebook. They could use it to write new words and their definitions, and perhaps add a picture as well. The student could also write sentences or short stories involving the new words.

Also, research has proven that online games can be used as an effective English learning tool. A 2014 study reported that low-level English learners in Iran who learned new words from an online game performed better on a test than the study participants who did not have access to the online game.

I wrote blog posts about good vocabulary games that your students may enjoy:

https://www.harold-williams.com/2011/06/online-games-for-studying-english-and.html

https://www.harold-williams.com/2023/01/more-online-games-for-studying-english.html

https://www.harold-williams.com/2023/08/paraphrasing-games.html

Common vocabulary mistakes that Japanese students make include getting confused between similar words, pronouncing words incorrectly, and using them incorrectly.

Pronunciation is one of the most important parts of the English language because no matter how many vocabulary words someone knows, they are useless if the speaker is not understood. When teaching a student how to pronounce a word, it’s very helpful to write out how the word sounds, so that they can get an image of the sound in their mind, which will make it easier for them to pronounce the word. For example, if the student is having difficulty pronouncing “rural”, write this:

Rural = RUR + UHL

And then help the student pronounce each part separately. When they can, then combine both parts into one word, with them repeating after you.

“First part ‘RUR’, second part, ‘UHL’…RUR UHL…RURUHL!”

The History of BJW: Japan's Longest-Running Hardcore / Deathmatch Wrestling Promotion

BJW (Big Japan Pro-Wrestling) was founded in 1995 by former NWA Americas Heavyweight Champion Great Kojika and former AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Kendo Nagasaki. There were many promotions created in Japan during that decade, but BJW stood out from the traditional style of Japanese promotions, as it featured a hardcore (better known in Japan as deathmatch)-style product.

In BJW's early years, not every card featured hardcore action, and the ones that did would feature only one hardcore match. That changed in July 1998, when the company began having more than one hardcore match on a card, and the BJW Death Match Heavyweight Championship was established that next month. For three years, the talent on BJW events had been showing that they were very skilled wrestlers, displaying psychology from the opening bell to the end of the match, ring presence and quick-thinking being included in matches, with every move being executed for a reason. So when the focus on hardcore wrestling increased, it blended together with technical wrestling, adding to the action and creating a unique and exciting style of wrestling.

As BJW continued to focus on the hardcore style into the 2000s, wrestlers including Ryuji Ito, Abdullah Kobayashi, and Jaki Numazawa began to be recognized on the hardcore / deathmatch scene for their exceptional proficiency as wrestlers of that style. They were amongst the top draws on the BJW roster and helped increase the company's popularity. It was in 2009 when, with the company able to draw 1,256 fans to the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo (Japan's Madison Square Garden) and having a television show on Fighting Samurai TV in Japan as well as a strong reputation as a deathmatch company, BJW was ready to branch out to the international market.

The BJW English website made its debut in the early part of 2009, making BJW one of the first Japanese wrestling companies to make a website to attract the English market outside of Japan. One of its features was Big Japan Shop, which had many BJW products available for purchase, including DVDs. Knowing that I could help the company connect with the English market, I reached out to BJW, and began writing a column for the website, as well as became an Administrator for their Facebook page.

As BJW's popularity continued to increase, American networks were interested in the BJW product, and it caught the attention of the American wrestling scene as well. In 2011, CZW reached out to me expressing interest in working with BJW. In the early-2000s, BJW and CZW had a working relationship that ultimately fell apart. But the CZW of 2011 was under new management, and a working relationship with CZW would be a good opportunity for BJW to include American hardcore wrestlers in its events in Japan as well as potentially increase its footprint in the United States. I helped bring BJW together with CZW to form a new working relationship, which led to BJW having its first event in the United States.

By 2012, BJW slowly began to focus on its Japan audience again. Its English website was no longer being updated (although I continued doing the Bout Review column and other BJW-related writing on my blog), and it went back to its roots, reminding fans in Japan that although BJW is excellent at presenting hardcore wrestling, that isn't the only style of wrestling that its great at. BJW introduced the BJW World Strong Heavyweight Championship, created to spotlight the type of wrestler who does not focus on the hardcore style of wrestling, and giving the wrestlers of its strong style division (Strong BJ) a championship of its own. With the BJW World Strong Heavyweight Championship a part of BJW's main event scene along with the BJW Death Match Heavyweight Championship, the company can claim that it has some of the best world-class wrestlers, of both the strong style and hardcore styles.

Today, Daisuke Sekimoto, Yuji Okabayashi, Takuya Nomura, Daichi Hashimoto, Yasufumi Nakanoue, and Yuya Aoki are amongst the main eventers of the Strong BJ division. Ryuji Ito, Abdullah Kobayashi, and Jaki Numazawa continue to the represent the Death Match divison well, and have been joined by others including Kankuro Hoshino, Masaya Takahashi, and Yuki Ishikawa. Some wrestlers have managed to make an impression in both divisions, such as Hideyoshi Kamitani.

With both divisions being equally impressive, it's fair to say that the Strong BJ division is more popular, due to it being more mainstream. There would be more American networks willing to air that division's style of matches. However, the hardcore matches of BJW's Death Match division are no less exciting. Some of its most popular match types are, "Weapon Bringing Death", "Fluorescent Lighttubes Death", and "Barbed Wire Board Death".

Strong BJ and Death Match are not the only divisions that BJW features. With wrestlers from both divisions, the BJW Tag Team division is considered by many fans to be one of the top tag team divisions in Japan. Kazuki Hashimoto, Kaji Tomato, Kota Sekifuda, and Tatsuhiko Yoshino are some of the wrestlers who are a part of the BJW Junior Heavyweight division, which many fans feel is competitive with the Strong BJ division. There is also a six man tag team division, where the BJW Yokohama Shopping Street Six Man Tag Team Championship is defended.

BJW is a unique and important promotion that has had a significant impact on the world of pro-wrestling. The company's focus on hardcore wrestling has helped to popularize the style around the world and is a popular destination for fans of it. Also, many wrestlers who are very familiar to North American wrestling fans have passed through BJW's doors, such as WALTER (currently wrestling for WWE as Gunther), Zack Sabre Jr., Adam Cole, Chris Hero, former WCW Light Heavyweight Champion Jushin Thunder Liger, Tomohiro Ishii, and Tommy End (currently wrestling for AEW as Malakai Black).

In recent years, BJW has resumed branching out to the international market, providing information in English, exporting DVDs overseas, and now also has a streaming service, as it attempts to grow its large fanbase even more as BJW likely will continue to provide wrestling fans with exciting action for many years to come.