2024 World 8 Ball Championship (2-8 Sep), New Zealand , Winner $75K

[jax_joe]

GRABE vs APPLETON ▸ 2024 Yalin WPA Men's World 8-Ball Championship

🎱 2024 Yalin WPA Men's World 8-Ball Championship 📆 2-8th September👤64 Players, 8-Ball💰$250,000 Prize Fund ($75,000 for the champion)Event info: https://p...

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FILLER vs HOHMANN ▸ 2024 Yalin WPA Men's World 8-Ball Championship

🎱 2024 Yalin WPA Men's World 8-Ball Championship 📆 2-8th September👤64 Players, 8-Ball💰$250,000 Prize Fund ($75,000 for the champion)Event info: https://p...

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[nicksaint26]

You call what he did herd mentality following HRH Emily directions.

I see he didn’t want to do it but his friends made him. I don’t know about you but I haven’t used peer pressure as an excuse since I was a kid.

 

[VVP]

I see he didn’t want to do it but his friends made him. I don’t know about you but I haven’t used peer pressure as an excuse since I was a kid.

Well his words couldn't be clearer:

I’ve made a mistake. I should have NOT posted the statement without thinking about what the consequences are or could be.

Maybe it was not peer pressure, but pressure from HRH herself . Ever noticed all the social media posts from the "wnt pros" sucking up to HRH ... talk about integrity.

 

[jbart65]

Albin is right. They all signed a statement drafted by HRH Emily without thinking.

I know you are a MR skeptic, but this is just idle speculation. It would have been an unforced error of the worst sort to have direct involvement.

 

[jbart65]

I see he didn’t want to do it but his friends made him. I don’t know about you but I haven’t used peer pressure as an excuse since I was a kid.

He did not blame peer pressure, and you may not have used it as an excuse since you were a kid, but only a fool would think peer pressure is not real and common, even among adults.

I belong to a union and we just went through acrimonious negotiations. The peer pressure was quite real as the union ramped up its (justified) hardball tactics, as it often is in the real world. Not everyone is immune to it as you.

 

[VVP]

I know you are a MR skeptic, but this is just idle speculation. It would have been an unforced error of the worst sort to have direct involvement.

Just curious why you think so per the bold? WPA/Asian Federation and Matchroom are competitors, aren't they?

 

[MattPoland]

Filler’s statement:

Here’s the real story:

The evening before the last 64 at the European Open in Fulda we had a meeting with the tone that the happening of Hanoi Open is in jeopardy because the WPA wouldn’t treat it as a sanctioned event like US Open or European Open for example and therefore they could implement bans on players.

Seems pretty unfair why this event wouldn’t be treated as sanctioned as this was the biggest crowd there’s ever been at an open 9ball event with over 2k spectators which is a real treat in many ways for every player and it’s for the growth of the game we all love!
Why wouldn’t the WPA sanction it as well to help us all grow?

Anyways, we decided to post the statements next morning.
In all honesty I never really liked doing it as:
1.) I spent thousand of dollars for planned travels already
2.) It’s a childhood goal to win a World 8Ball Championship
3.) I was planned going everywhere together with Pia and canceling all of it would mean we don’t see each other for 3 months

but just agreed in this moment as I wanted my mind focused on winning the European open as I was trying to qualify for Reyes and Mosconi Cup!

Of course, now, I know I’ve made a mistake in just going ahead and doing this statement!

Now, everyone says I was threatened by my sponsor to come and play here. ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE !!!!

When the WPA wanted to implement the bans for the first time I ALREADY MADE A DECISION TO GO WITH MATCHROOM & not WPA Events!
That’s still the case and guess what, I’m not in breach of any contracts!
I AM A FREE MAN WITH A FREE WILL!!!

I am also going to play the fantastic Hanoi Open this year and if the WPA bans me afterwards, ok, that’s what it is then.
Pretty easy decision to go with Matchroom then but if I have the choice to still play both sides at the moment, that’s what I want to do!

Predator announced Events for Puerto Rico yesterday and anyone who’s read the press release knows it’s not sanctioned by WPA!

Predator been by my side from the very beginning and always supported me, no matter what! They’ve never threatened me for anything and wouldn’t ever do! WITHOUT THEM I WOULDN’T BE THE CHAMP I AM TODAY!
It’s been my very own decision to go and play in New Zealand.

Before judging and bashing, show me any other Cue Company who works relentlessly and puts millions of dollars in there to put on such events for the players!

No matter what I say, people believe what they want to believe and they judge the way they want to.

I’m glad everyone out there knows better about my decisions, thoughts and contracts than myself!

Cheers!

 

[jbart65]

Just curious why you think so per the bold? WPA/Asian Federation and Matchroom are competitors, aren't they?

I’ve worked in Washington a long time and know how politics are done at the highest levels. What you suggest would be highly amateurish.

MR and Emily would stand to lose a great deal of goodwill, not to mention face legal liability, if it became known they were organizing a boycott of a business rival.

Not only that, but they would lose a great deal of trust they’ve built up among the players by pressuring them to do something that hurt their own self-interests. What would Filler and Ouschan think now if they did something at her behest and it backfired on them royally? At the very least it would give them good reason to distrust her and MR. Other players too.

MR has actually done the opposite. They’ve let the WPA do all the threatening of the players and have done none themselves, making the players mad at the WPA and grateful for MR. Just look at SVB’s view of the WPA these days. Very dismissive, even mocking.

In any case, the players stand to lose the most from the WPA actions. All MR has done is give them another option and a means to finally fight back.

Could MR be involved indirectly? Maybe. Perhaps Karl Boyes is whispering to them.

But I would be shocked if the players themselves were not the ones behind it. The simple and logical answer is usually the right one. Not shadowy conspiracy theories.

 

[jbart65]

Filler’s statement:

Proves my point.

 

[MattPoland]

Am I reading that right??

He posted the boycott statement because the Hanoi Open wouldn’t be treated as sanctioned? (Self-serving purpose)

He did not realize the statement was meant to be in solidarity with the Asian players that have already been banned? (Altruistic-purpose)

 

[jbart65]

Am I reading that right??

He posted the boycott statement because the Hanoi Open wouldn’t be treated as sanctioned? (Self-serving purpose)

He did not realize the statement was meant to be in solidarity with the Asian players that have already been banned? (Altruistic-purpose)

These guys aren’t politicians. They just want to play pool!

I remember when Mickey Krause was asked about the WPA ban after he won the Euro Open. He said he didn’t want to comment because … he didnt really know anything about it!

Got to say, Predator comes across pretty good in Filler’s version of events.

 

[kling&allen]

Am I reading that right??

He posted the boycott statement because the Hanoi Open wouldn’t be treated as sanctioned? (Self-serving purpose)

He did not realize the statement was meant to be in solidarity with the Asian players that have already been banned? (Altruistic-purpose)

Yeah, basically he likes money and his odds are better this tournament with many of the top players boycotting (and his joining the boycott and then remaining silent about his true plans only further those odds).

 

[jax_joe]

These guys aren’t politicians. They just want to play pool!

I remember when Mickey Krause was asked about the WPA ban after he won the Euro Open. He said he didn’t want to comment because … he didnt really know anything about it!

Got to say, Predator comes across pretty good in Filler’s version of events.

How would Predator EVER come across otherwise in any of this? LMAO.

 

[VVP]

I’ve worked in Washington a long time and know how politics are done at the highest levels. What you suggest would be highly amateurish.

MR and Emily would stand to lose a great deal of goodwill, not to mention face legal liability, if it became known they were organizing a boycott of a business rival.

Not only that, but they would lose a great deal of trust they’ve built up among the players by pressuring them to do something that hurt their own self-interests. What would Filler and Ouschan think now if they did something at her behest and it backfired on them royally? At the very least it would give them good reason to distrust her and MR. Other players too.

MR has actually done the opposite. They’ve let the WPA do all the threatening of the players and have done none themselves, making the players mad at the WPA and grateful for MR. Just look at SVB’s view of the WPA these days. Very dismissive, even mocking.

In any case, the players stand to lose the most from the WPA actions. All MR has done is give them another option and a means to finally fight back.

Could MR be involved indirectly? Maybe. Perhaps Karl Boyes is whispering to them.

But I would be shocked if the players themselves were not the ones behind it. The simple and logical answer is usually the right one. Not shadowy conspiracy theories.

I get what you are saying. I work at a high level for a regulatory agency so I know all about politics, threats, back-stabbing etc.

Obviously misinformation was flowing about per Filler's post:

The evening before the last 64 at the European Open in Fulda we had a meeting with the tone that the happening of Hanoi Open is in jeopardy...

I suggest you check out Emily's last interview on Doggin' It. Hanoi Open is in no jeopardy; it's going to happen WPA or not. That said, I believe the ACBS threat is asinine (I actually went out and read their blanket statement on non-sanctioned events) and only hope it's threat does not come to fruition. I also believe the boycott of the World 8 ball by some player is just as asinine ... wasn't the US Open WPA sanctioned so WTF??

 

[MattPoland]

These guys aren’t politicians. They just want to play pool!

I remember when Mickey Krause was asked about the WPA ban after he won the Euro Open. He said he didn’t want to comment because … he didnt really know anything about it!

Got to say, Predator comes across pretty good in Filler’s version of events.

Predator comes out better and Josh comes out much worse. Everyone else posted their statements in solidarity of how unfair this is:

https://vietnamnet.vn/en/vietnam-billiards-faces-six-month-international-ban-officials-speak-out-2307407.html#:~:text=Vietnam's%20billiards%20and%20snooker%20teams,controversy%20within%20the%20sports%20community.

Josh basically said, I don’t know anything about that. I just thought the Hanoi Open was in jeopardy and I wanted to play in it. Like he didn’t even read the statement he posted or what it was supposed to be in reference to.

 

[skogstokig]

Predator comes out better and Josh comes out much worse. Everyone else posted their statements in solidarity of how unfair this is:

https://vietnamnet.vn/en/vietnam-billiards-faces-six-month-international-ban-officials-speak-out-2307407.html#:~:text=Vietnam's%20billiards%20and%20snooker%20teams,controversy%20within%20the%20sports%20community.

Josh basically said, I don’t know anything about that. I just thought the Hanoi Open was in jeopardy and I wanted to play in it. Like he didn’t even read the statement he posted or what it was supposed to be in reference to.

albin too came out better. josh looks like a complete fool, BUT i prefer those non-filtered "speak your mind" posts to the PR trained players.

i think filler would do well in not checking his social media at all for this tournament. advantage wojciech, mario, who already have better breaks..

 

[jbart65]

Yeah, basically he likes money and his odds are better this tournament with many of the top players boycotting (and his joining the boycott and then remaining silent about his true plans only further those odds).

Devious Filler now? The cynicism always runnereth over on AZ

 

[jbart65]

I get what you are saying. I work at a high level for a regulatory agency so I know all about politics, threats, back-stabbing etc.

Obviously misinformation was flowing about per Filler's post:

The evening before the last 64 at the European Open in Fulda we had a meeting with the tone that the happening of Hanoi Open is in jeopardy...

I suggest you check out Emily's last interview on Doggin' It. Hanoi Open is in no jeopardy; it's going to happen WPA or not. That said, I believe the ACBS threat is asinine (I actually went out and read their blanket statement on non-sanctioned events) and only hope it's threat does not come to fruition. I also believe the boycott of the World 8 ball by some player is just as asinine ... wasn't the US Open WPA sanctioned so WTF??

I listened to it last week, but she always keeps WPA stuff close to the vest.

 

[jbart65]

How would Predator EVER come across otherwise in any of this? LMAO.

Filler has always seemed truthful, even when it did not make him look good. As his statement showed. No reason for me to think he lied about Predator.

That said, Albin seemed to imply something different. Who knows what is really going on …

 

[Cord]

Jeez, some of y'all are harsh. Just because a dude has an 800 Fargo means he's not allowed to fuck up? Ever??