When it comes to wrestling, most fans just know what happens in the ring. They don't fully understand what it takes to put on the show, or what the promoter has to be accountable for when it relates to actually getting the show put together. Even more fans are probably unaware that several states throughout the country are regulated by an athletic commission.
What a lot of fans don't know is that in order for a show to even be advertised in Arkansas (or any state that is governed by an athetic commission), the promoter is required to send in an event application and fee. These applications and fees must be received and processed no earlier than 30 days before a show can happen.
It has come to light recently that one or more promoters that run weekly events have failed to abide by these regulations and as a result, the Arkansas State Athletic Commission was left with no alternative but to drop the hammer on every promoter in the state. John Mattingly, who is the secretary for the commision, had this to say:
We're not shutting the state down when it comes to wrestling. Our job is to regulate the promotions and ensure that they follow the rules we've laid out for them. What we're asking, is that they make sure to send in their application and $50 event fee for the event they want to run. After they do that, they have to wait 30 days before running that event. The problem is not everybody has been doing that. We tried to show leniency, but now we have to crack down on everybody.
Failure to follow regulations set by the commission can result in heavy fines, and possible suspension or revoking a promoter's license. Mattingly also noted that there will be a quarterly meeting held on February 9 in Little Rock, to address this and a number of other issues relating to professional wrestling. That meeting will be open to the public.
In addition, Mattingly stated that as of now there have been no applications received for shows to be held in the next 30 days. So basically, there would be no indy shows within the state of Arkansas before January 31. He went onto say that there are two applications that are currently in the office that are exempt from this ruling, one of them belonging to World Wrestling Entertainment.
This regulation also includes shows that are considered "non-profit" or charity/benifit events. The proceedings from the event can be disbursed however the promotion wishes, but the application and event fee must still be filed with the commision at least 30 days before the event.
Mattingly said details regarding the meeting on February 9 will be available soon on the Arkansas State Athletic Commission website, which you can view HERE. Mattingly said the information, including time and location, should be available within the next couple of weeks.
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