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I can't see another entity filling WNT's spot, at least not in the West. Its failure would be a warning sign to anyone else. Predator would have to pick up the slack, perhaps joined by Cuetec or other major billiard brands. Maybe a financially strong Asian entity could get involved. Nine ball...

That's the crux of the matter. Can Matchroom make the WNT a successful, moneymaking tour given the recent path of events? A few years ago, the goal was to bring all the best players in the world into a single tour. It worked, but only briefly. Now the WNT faces stiffer competition from an...

I covered business as a journalist for a long time. Rare the media company that sells products, too. The business models are just far too different. Disney is the only one I can think of.

Concerned, no. My life will be fine with or without pro pool. Why bother? Why not? The subject obviously interests me, and, well, this is a forum to talk pool. My kids are grown up, and evidently I have a lot of time on my hands. Besides, if we only talked about things we could actually...

I have mixed views on Emily Frazer's leadership. She's dedicated. She has a ton of energy. She's obsessed with making the tour a success. Yet she is trying to popularize the sport and make the WNT succeed by sheer force of her personality. It won’t work. It doesn’t work in any sport. If...

The business models are very different, too. Matchroom sells tickets to its events. It runs a paid subscription viewing service. And it has scattered deals with TV stations around the world. It's trying to make money, or at least generate more money. Predator generally doesn't sell tickets -...

The two businesses are too different. A maker of cue and cue products and a media broadcast company. Matchroom would never get into the product-making business. The revenue and margins are too small. If Matchroom did decide to exit the pool business some day, it conceivably could sell the...

True enough, but SVB is going to age out of the sport in the next three to five years. The American pool scene was going to move on anyway. Either young new stars will emerge. Or they won't.

In the long run, I've begun to question whether the WNT survives. All the new events being put on by Matchroom and Predator are great for the players, but I am not sure the stingy economics of pool can support both entities as things now stand. TV revenue is pitiful. Dittos for subscription...

I don’t listen to DogginIt much anymore because Molina rubs me wrong. Spends too much time bashing Matchroom, especially the person he tends to refer to as “she.” Embarrassing, really. The industry needs a better independent podcast, but then, is there really any demand for it? Probably not. I...

Oops. I meant to say he was 35 in 1989, not 1999, when he was 45 as you note. The first match of decent video quality I saw of him was from 1988. I suppose my view of his skill in rotation games was colored by watching videos of him when he was on the downswing.

I thought that's basically what I said. Or at least what I meant. I have seen a ton of Reyes matches the past few years. I started with the earliest ones I could find, and then worked from there, to see if I could detect any evolution in his game. I am not sure I can. Most of the better vids...

Who knew? A thread about the 10 best players in the world becomes a thread about the best player ever! I never saw any of the past greats play live. I didn’t start watching pool live until 2020. I’ve watched a lot of past matches involving Reyes, Sigel, Strickland and so on. Yet I'm not...

The Viking extension sucks. For that reason alone, Cuetec.

I watched Capito's loss to Neuhausen in the European Open to see how he lost. Checked a few other matches, too. I couldn't find much to fault on his runout patterns. Where he faltered vs Moritz was on pushout decisions - either how he chose to push out himself or whether he chose to play a...

The 2025 WPC took place in the last week of July. The 2024 WPC took place in early June. Looking at the WPA calendar, July 21 to July 26, seems the most likely. The first two weeks of June would also work. Hard to see this conflict remaining on the front-burner for three more months, but who...

I have an Avid cue and used to have a Vikore shaft. Both are very good, but I prefer the Avid.

Last year the Ko brothers played in a bunch of big WPA/WNT events. If they stick to all the major Duya Chinese 9-ball tour events this year, however, the US Open appears to be the only major 9- or 10-ball event that is free and clear of any conflict. The Ko's could skip the WPC, even with its...

Some interesting names on this list. Atencio and Szolnoki being as high as they are. Not surprised to see Souto so low. He broke out in 2025, but was clearly not top tier before that.

I accidentally left big Ko off my list! He’s No. 8. Everyone else shifts down and Zielinski gets dropped. I think Wiktor has more pure talent than Maciol, but Maciol is mentally stronger and a better decision maker. Such a smooth player. Both of them should be winning more big majors, though...