Mickey is correct. Turns out I was using an incompletes source for players. I didn't have Mickey originally. After checking again, I found six players in total in this select group.
WNT, WPA and 2026
- Thread starter jbart65
- Start date
No invite to the WPC.
I agree. And I love pool for over 40 years now. And I respect and watch pro players. And I’m ok with any sport or hobby being played anywhere yet I usually have little to no interest in watching or reading about anything that happens in another country. I’m not even sure why I feel that way but I don’t see me changing that feeling.
Absolutely correct.
Oh, I have. I have. I didn't do all my research and ignore Karim. I scoured for everything he has said publicly the last five years.
Frankly, I haven't found him or Frazer very forthcoming.
To be clear, I don't think Predator is trying to put the WNT out of business. Not at all. Doesn't hurt Predator at all when its top players play and do well in WNT events, as you note.
But I also don't think Predator cares much what happens to the WNT. The company is doing what is in its own best interests.
Even if Karim says he doesn't think Predator is a competitor to the WNT, of course it is. Whenever they have clashing big events, they are competing for viewers and sponsors. Predator and WNT have clashes this year with the PLP, Florida Open and partially the Mosconi.
When the PLP was on, for instance, I mostly watched it instead of the Las Vegas event. Other fans watched the Las Vegas event.
Predator also appears to have boxed out or squeezed Matchroom in Vietnam. It scheduled an event in Bali that conflicted with the WNT Hanoi Open last year, and it would happen again this year if WNT held another in Hanoi. Once Predator realized what a jewel Vietnam was - thanks to MR - it rushed right in.
If both sides keep expanding, they will inevitably have more scheduling clashes. Predator has avoided putting events on around the time of the WPC and US Opens, but it's encroached on the Mosconi the past two years. I find that ... very curious.
Both entities are drawing money from the same narrow pool of sponsors, by and large. None of them have really deep pockets like advertisers for traditional sports. So I consider the money pool available to pro billiards as a partial zero-sum game. What one side gets is not available to others.
If the two sides cooperated more, there is definitely room for both. But the more they clash, the more something has to give, or change.
Wait, you have to be invited to the World Pool Championship???!!
Was Chua one of them?
The other guesses would be Regalario or Roda.
Edit: I realize these picks are wrong because you said the last pick is European.
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Based on the hint, I'd go with either Kledio Kaci or Jonas Souto, but I really have no idea.
This might help.
alfredo de oro?
Revisiting Window’s Open, Mike Molina, Emily Frazer, and Mike Panozzo, beginning with Window's Open and Mike Molina.
Mike Molina, I think Window’s Open may be the best pool podcast on the net, bar none. And that’s saying something, because there are plenty out there today. Mike Molina has devoted a huge part of his life to the game, traveling the globe, living out of a suitcase, and bringing the behind-the-scenes grit, and sometimes smut, to virtual railbirds and players of every level. He’s a true asset to the pool world, and he has a keen sense of players’ capabilities.
He’s also an excellent moderator. Speaking as someone who transcribes a wide range of proceedings, I recognize that skill immediately. Not everybody has it. Molina knows when to be quiet and let the other participant speak, and he knows when to jump in. CJ Wiley is another who his this skill. If you've ever listened to his YouTube channel, he's excellent.
I do agree with Molina on one point. Emily Frazer can come across as aloof and/or flippant, if that’s the right word, toward the American press and podcasts like his. Molina’s mission is simple. Find the news and share it. If I want to know who won, who’s out, or what’s happening in real time, I know I can count on Window’s Open.
I am sure Molina has made a huge sacrifice in his lifestyle to keep Window's Open being the best that it can be, and for that I'm appreciative. Do I agree with everything he says? Not always, but I listen and learn. He's a valuable source to me since I can't keep up with pool the way I used to.
Mike Molina, I think Window’s Open may be the best pool podcast on the net, bar none. And that’s saying something, because there are plenty out there today. Mike Molina has devoted a huge part of his life to the game, traveling the globe, living out of a suitcase, and bringing the behind-the-scenes grit, and sometimes smut, to virtual railbirds and players of every level. He’s a true asset to the pool world, and he has a keen sense of players’ capabilities.
He’s also an excellent moderator. Speaking as someone who transcribes a wide range of proceedings, I recognize that skill immediately. Not everybody has it. Molina knows when to be quiet and let the other participant speak, and he knows when to jump in. CJ Wiley is another who his this skill. If you've ever listened to his YouTube channel, he's excellent.
I do agree with Molina on one point. Emily Frazer can come across as aloof and/or flippant, if that’s the right word, toward the American press and podcasts like his. Molina’s mission is simple. Find the news and share it. If I want to know who won, who’s out, or what’s happening in real time, I know I can count on Window’s Open.
I am sure Molina has made a huge sacrifice in his lifestyle to keep Window's Open being the best that it can be, and for that I'm appreciative. Do I agree with everything he says? Not always, but I listen and learn. He's a valuable source to me since I can't keep up with pool the way I used to.
Revisiting Window’s Open, Mike Molina, Emily Frazer, and Mike Panozzo. Thoughts about Emily Frazer.
Speaking as a woman, I do feel that women are still discriminated against in the pool world by some, though certainly not all. Emily Frazer is a clear example of how complicated that dynamic can be. She’s accomplished, capable, and yes, strikingly attractive, but that combination shouldn’t invite criticism the way it sometimes does.
For some, a successful woman, especially one with both presence and authority, becomes an easy target. Whether it’s subtle or overt, that bias still lingers in parts of our sport. It’s unfortunate, because the focus should be on contributions and results, not on personal attributes that have nothing to do with performance.
There’s no question she’s helped move the game forward. It would be nice to see the conversation around women in pool evolve just as much.
Speaking as a woman, I do feel that women are still discriminated against in the pool world by some, though certainly not all. Emily Frazer is a clear example of how complicated that dynamic can be. She’s accomplished, capable, and yes, strikingly attractive, but that combination shouldn’t invite criticism the way it sometimes does.
For some, a successful woman, especially one with both presence and authority, becomes an easy target. Whether it’s subtle or overt, that bias still lingers in parts of our sport. It’s unfortunate, because the focus should be on contributions and results, not on personal attributes that have nothing to do with performance.
There’s no question she’s helped move the game forward. It would be nice to see the conversation around women in pool evolve just as much.
Revisiting Window’s Open, Mike Molina, Emily Frazer, and Mike Panozzo. Thoughts about Mike Panozzo and pool as a whole.
As for Mike Panozzo, I’ve said it before. He may be the most interesting man in pool. His depth of knowledge with players, history, stories is remarkable. He’s everywhere, attending events around the world, and his contributions to the sport are too many to list. When Panozzo speaks, I listen and learn every time. Just when I think I’ve got a handle on a pool-related matter, he drops another nugget of insight, and I hang on every word. What I really admire about him is how he takes time to speak to everyone, not just the top-tier pros, but the juniors, railbirds, and social shooters alike. That says a lot about the man and about his genuine love for the game. Do I agree with every opinion he shares? Not always, but when I don't, I sometimes learn why my opinion may be faulty. He has a way of changing my mind through sheer logic.
Pool is different from other sports. It’s a small, tight-knit community. We know the personalities, interact with them on social media, and sometimes even bump into them at events and grab a photo. You’d never see that kind of access in something like Major League Baseball. In that sense, we’re lucky. But if pool ever takes off the way snooker and darts have under Barry Hearn, that intimacy may disappear. The game would grow, but the closeness might not survive.
Maybe that’s the trade-off. Enjoy it while we have it.
As for Mike Panozzo, I’ve said it before. He may be the most interesting man in pool. His depth of knowledge with players, history, stories is remarkable. He’s everywhere, attending events around the world, and his contributions to the sport are too many to list. When Panozzo speaks, I listen and learn every time. Just when I think I’ve got a handle on a pool-related matter, he drops another nugget of insight, and I hang on every word. What I really admire about him is how he takes time to speak to everyone, not just the top-tier pros, but the juniors, railbirds, and social shooters alike. That says a lot about the man and about his genuine love for the game. Do I agree with every opinion he shares? Not always, but when I don't, I sometimes learn why my opinion may be faulty. He has a way of changing my mind through sheer logic.
Pool is different from other sports. It’s a small, tight-knit community. We know the personalities, interact with them on social media, and sometimes even bump into them at events and grab a photo. You’d never see that kind of access in something like Major League Baseball. In that sense, we’re lucky. But if pool ever takes off the way snooker and darts have under Barry Hearn, that intimacy may disappear. The game would grow, but the closeness might not survive.
Maybe that’s the trade-off. Enjoy it while we have it.
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I was going to write about this, but my posts were long enough. Besides, this is the only Predator event held in tandem with a huge amateur event, and it mostly encompasses the U.S., not the entire pool world. Still, a great thing for Predator.
I know I am a relative newbie to the game, but I am less of a fan of the fast and loose heritage of 9 ball.
I've watched tons of old matches. They are entertaining. Yet I think the older version of the game is too easy for today's pros. They are more precise shooters, imo, and have adapted surprisingly quickly to 4-inch pockets. So I prefer the WNT approach by and large. I think there is more strategy involved and more chances for players to turn the tide.
I know this subject has been debated endlessly and I am not trying to reopen a can of worms. It's really a matter of opinion or preference, but I personally find 9-ball matches between top WNT pros quite riveting. The margin for error is exceedingly thin.
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How can you prove that Predator is responsible for clashing the dates for the Mosconi? Matchroom cannot say that the Mosconi will be in November and expect Predator to wait for the actual dates to be announced before scheduling events in November ... Karim alluded to this by saying that companies have been blocking out weeks on the calendar for an event. Obviously there needs to be better communications and willingness to avoid clashes by all parties.
However, I don't think clashes for the Mosconi is a big deal also. One has a PPV audience and the other free YouTube. The one to be hurt is Predator because 10 top players will not be able to play in its event because they will obviously choose Mosconi over the Predator event.
It is comical to say that Matchroom discovered Vietnam. Not sure what kind of research you are doing. From the inception, the WPA warned Matchroom that it does not want it in Vietnam because the Vietnamese Federation spent a lot of money and resources developing pool in Vietnam and the Federation did not want Matchroom to walk in an reap the benefits.
This scheduling clash was entirely on Matchroom. Las Vegas Open dates are always announced at least a year in advance. The PLP without Filler, Gorst, SVB and Shaw was a consequence of poor schedule planning by Matchroom.
The game has too much tactical play today. Nobody is suggesting that we go back to the looser pockets that were in vogue until about a decade ago, but 9ball on 4 1//4" pockets is, in my opinion, a better game to watch than what we are getting in WNT play. Rest assured, the game's not too easy for the pros on 4 1/4" pockets. With the tough breaking rules and 4" pockets now in use in WNT majors, we rarely see more than a three pack. In fact, many players go an entire WNT season without producing even one three pack. The WNT break rule, with the narrow break box and the nine on the spot are what have made the game so difficult.
Pool fans are like snooker fans. They appreciate good tactical play, but thirst for breathtaking offense. Slow play, already a big issue in WNT events, has been an even bigger problem since the break rules and pocket sizes were made more stringent.
Not saying you shouldn't enjoy the current product. It's what you like and that's great. My opinion is that WNT has misjudged the taste of far too many pool fans in making the game more tactical and, ultimately, more difficult.
Some watch the game for pure entertainment while others prefer to see tactical display of professional talents. I prefer a more difficult game where someone can run a 3 pack over one where they run a 6 pack on buckets. The same reason why I prefer 10 ball over 9 ball. However, I am not getting into the arguments (anymore) as to which is better.
Everyone has their own preference, which is fine with me. Some people like to watch games where the commentators speak more to the people in the chat rather than discussing the game ... for me that's time to reach for the mute button.
Speaking of preferences, I do not like practicing 8 ball by myself, watching it on TV/Streams, but I love playing it against an opponent. I am actually glad to see Predator bringing back 8 ball tournaments for the players, but I don't spend much time watching them.