LOT of players i've never heard of.Brackets
Yalin WPA Men’s World 8-Ball Championship 2024 - Stage 1
Yalin WPA Men’s World 8-Ball Championship 2024 - Stage 1cuescore.com
2024 World 8 Ball Championship (2-8 Sep), New Zealand , Winner $75K
- Thread starter spartan
- Start date
Not sure if Gorst throwing shade at those players playing at W8B tomorrow is good thing. Right now, WPA/ACBS must be giggling liking it that there is split amongst the top players. 
Filler, Albin, Biado are all Predator sponsored https://www.predatorcues.com/int/pro-team.html
Yes it isn't good look for Filler, Albin since they signed the WPA boycott letter (Biado did not sign boycott letter and has said his ACBS ban starts after W8B so he can still play in W8B)
There are 4 upcoming sizable WPA events until end of this year (W8B, China Open, Ho Chi Minh Open this month and Qatar World Cup in Dec) . Total prizemoney about $750,000 and 1st prize from $35K to $75K. A lot of money to be won for many top 20, top50 players.
At last count, only handful of top players (Gorst,SVB, Kaci, FSR, Alcaide+Filler, Albin) signed the boycott letter. I doubt that is really enough to move an organized cartel like WPA/ACBS
If players are serious and want to have real critical mass impact, they should organize together petition of top50, top100 players send a team of reps (together with press media) to kick down WPA/ACBS HQ door , bang their tables get them to immediately lift the ban unconditionally.
Filler, Albin, Biado are all Predator sponsored https://www.predatorcues.com/int/pro-team.htmlYes it isn't good look for Filler, Albin since they signed the WPA boycott letter (Biado did not sign boycott letter and has said his ACBS ban starts after W8B so he can still play in W8B)
There are 4 upcoming sizable WPA events until end of this year (W8B, China Open, Ho Chi Minh Open this month and Qatar World Cup in Dec) . Total prizemoney about $750,000 and 1st prize from $35K to $75K. A lot of money to be won for many top 20, top50 players.
At last count, only handful of top players (Gorst,SVB, Kaci, FSR, Alcaide+Filler, Albin) signed the boycott letter. I doubt that is really enough to move an organized cartel like WPA/ACBS
If players are serious and want to have real critical mass impact, they should organize together petition of top50, top100 players send a team of reps (together with press media) to kick down WPA/ACBS HQ door , bang their tables get them to immediately lift the ban unconditionally.
Biado can still play as he said months ago that his ACBS ban starts after this eventmaybe there was room for an exception since biado is a predator player..
Badpenguin
Well-known member
What happened with the WPA’s invitation to the players to have a discussion?
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Filler ducked Shane for years saying only 9 ball, not 10 ball, and now this. He goes down a few pegs in my eyes, and he's about my favorite player.
Albin and Joshua obviously have contractual obligations with Predator test would require them to perform. Albin was right to apologize. He is in a hard spot legally and otherwise.
To further complicate matters, the New Zealand event is really a Predator event, not so much a WPA event.
Which raises the question? What is Predator’s position vis-à-vis the WPA ban? Are they using the WPA as a quiet means of trying to stop MR? Or are they more innocent and kind of caught in the middle?
whatever the case, it seems like the WPA would take it out of Predator’s hands by enforcing the ban. Surely predator would not be OK with that.
To further complicate matters, the New Zealand event is really a Predator event, not so much a WPA event.
Which raises the question? What is Predator’s position vis-à-vis the WPA ban? Are they using the WPA as a quiet means of trying to stop MR? Or are they more innocent and kind of caught in the middle?
whatever the case, it seems like the WPA would take it out of Predator’s hands by enforcing the ban. Surely predator would not be OK with that.
predator would have wanted all the stars there, obviously, not only the sponsored players. their business model is to get eyeballs on their predator tables and the other predator products on display. i bet they're pretty pissed with WPA banning half their field, but they themselves have contracts with WPA for 5 world championships (men, women, teams) so they can't do much about it.
i like predator. they've been a big sponsor for years, putting lots into pool. their events are nice too. it's not as good a show as MR, but compared to what we had 5 years ago, or to qatar open, china open etc, it's pretty effing good.
I’m assuming even Carlo’s ban being delayed until after the World 8-Ball Championships was Predator flexing their muscles for their event. It does make you wonder how supportive, permissive, or pressuring their stance is directly to the WPA. In my mind, they are meant to be an industry leader. Their silence publicly is not a great look.
Not sure if Gorst throwing shade at those players playing at W8B tomorrow is good thing. Right now, WPA/ACBS must be giggling liking it that there is split amongst the top players.
Yes it isn't good look for Filler, Albin since they signed the WPA boycott letter (Biado did not sign boycott letter and has said his ACBS ban starts after W8B so he can still play in W8B)
There are 4 upcoming sizable WPA events until end of this year (W8B, China Open, Ho Chi Minh Open this month and Qatar World Cup in Dec) . Total prizemoney about $750,000 and 1st prize from $35K to $75K. A lot of money to be won for many top 20, top50 players.
At last count, only handful of top players (Gorst,SVB, Kaci, FSR, Alcaide+Filler, Albin) signed the boycott letter. I doubt that is really enough to move an organized cartel like WPA/ACBS
If players are serious and want to have real critical mass impact, they should organize together petition of top50, top100 players send a team of reps (together with press media) to kick down WPA/ACBS HQ door , bang their tables get them to immediately lift the ban unconditionally.
How did Gorst throw shade at them? By expressing his opinion and stating the complexities that those players face. You’re reaching here Filler and Ouschan are the hypocrites.
It’s what I wonder about all the time. What is Predator’s position? What does it want, or not want, from Matchroom? From the WPA? What is its longterm goal?
I know Predator has worked extensively with MR and sponsored many events over the years. Do they still work with MR? It doesn’t look like it. Seems like the relationship deteriorated circa 2021-22.
It seems clear Predator has focused on 8- and 10-ball for the men and nine ball in the women’s game. Do they feel frozen out of men’s nineball? Do they want to change that?
So many questions - and no answers.
I recommend we all send messages to Predator. I just sent them this. I doubt I'll get a reply. But keep sending:
I have no problem with Gorst taking a stand. Nor do I have a problem with Filler and Ouschan. They have legal and pecuniary obligations with Predator that, as Albin admitted, he should have thought through. I don’t believe they are trying to be hypocrites. They clearly don’t support the bans.
Not going to judge just yet. I want to see how it all plays out.
I hear you but they folded like lawn chairs as soon as a little pressure was put on them by Predator. They had to know there would be ramifications when they said they were boycotting in the first place.
Maybe only heroes like you would boycott an event put on by your sponsor. Others do have brains.
Albin is right. They all signed a statement drafted by HRH Emily without thinking.
You call what he did herd mentality following HRH Emily directions.
Do we really know who drafted the statement? Someone should ask. I doubt it was Emily or her lawyers. She is too smart for that.
The driving force behind all of this is - surprise surprise - SVB. He planted the first few seeds by dissing the WPA and saying he would choose MR if the WPA insisted it was ‘us or them.’ He has said this several times now. He is not beholden to Predator either. He is the one who made the idea of rebellion possible.
Gorst has his own reasons to oppose bans, as we all know, and is now in the financial position to be a leader on the issue.
I highly doubt either player drafted the letter, though. Then who? Some other player’s lawyer?
What likely happened is someone circulated the statement among top players, and while there was unanimity, there was also peer pressure to sign. Clearly some of the players, maybe many, are politically naive. They did not think thru the full consequences. Or they thought the matter would be resolved by now.
I am not going to fault them for the time being. Easy to judge poorly paid pool players being used as pawns. What I do want to see, at the very least, is a willingness to publicly criticize the WPA.
The driving force behind all of this is - surprise surprise - SVB. He planted the first few seeds by dissing the WPA and saying he would choose MR if the WPA insisted it was ‘us or them.’ He has said this several times now. He is not beholden to Predator either. He is the one who made the idea of rebellion possible.
Gorst has his own reasons to oppose bans, as we all know, and is now in the financial position to be a leader on the issue.
I highly doubt either player drafted the letter, though. Then who? Some other player’s lawyer?
What likely happened is someone circulated the statement among top players, and while there was unanimity, there was also peer pressure to sign. Clearly some of the players, maybe many, are politically naive. They did not think thru the full consequences. Or they thought the matter would be resolved by now.
I am not going to fault them for the time being. Easy to judge poorly paid pool players being used as pawns. What I do want to see, at the very least, is a willingness to publicly criticize the WPA.