official statement from the WPA: "Mike Sigel is not a World 9-ball Champion"

[sputnik]

Go Pro!

Of course you are right, as I mentioned earlier, I really don't know the politics of all this, but one thing is for sure. Greed and money dominate behavior in areas much less lucrative than this one. I think we can forget the idea of money hungry people giving up on low life attitudes and actions when an opportunity to make money is before them.

p.s. Being ignorant to all the politics that seem to be involved with these struggles for self proclimation, I'd still like to know why the pro's like Sigel would even play in this upcoming 14.1 event after that statement I read that slapped them in the face. It doesn't make sense.

Not a rhetorical question btw, again, I'd love someone to shed more light on this please.

There you go... GREED AND MONEY! Politics is merely an instrument to the goal. HOW MUCH DOES WPA MAKE FOR WPA-SANCTIONED TOURNAMENTS?

Listen guys... read the pro-WPA articles. Read WPA's last two statements. These guys have been globally ripping off the pool world big time. It's all MONEY.

What do we get in return? We are all suppliers of WPA in one way or another, and since they make money on our beloved players and our patronized events, they should at least treat us with importance - fans, players, managers, and organizers included! This megalomanic system of WPA accreditations and sanctions has bred nothing but arrogance among its ranks.

However the struggle of the Filipino pro players sounded internationally, it was a fight, and it is still being fought wisely. We all are in the same boat. Unfortunately, due to the incapacity of WPA to iron out and streamline its policies to discipline the abusive, a lot of bickering is required in the process of fighting to correct things. All the posts in Philippine pool "politics" are here for everybody to learn from.

Almost all the tournaments are professional in nature (prize money), so why not GO PRO! Get your own professional leagues going with team franchise owners. This is the best way to be of service to the players as they will have a steady income in salaries and endorsements! At the same time, when there will be invitationals and world championships, the players will be in their best form to entertain the fans and to promote the sport at its best.

Would the USA basketball team be in this form without the NBA? Would the USA soccer players be this good without the MLS?

Business is bad worldwide and a lot of investors are in a wait-and-see mode. This is a good time to bring in something new. Billiards will be a very cheap medium for media exposure as compared to the other sports, but we can get there as a high-maintenance sport.

In the Philippines, we now have a new professional group (BMPAP) to supply a few franchises in a first of a kind pro league. The National Billiards League (NBL) has signed a deal with a leading sports TV station to air two-hour team matches three times a week. Forty-eight professionals will have regular high-paying jobs: Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, Alex Pagulayan, Ronnie Alcano, Dennis Orcullo, Roberto Gomez, Lee Van Corteza, Rodolfo Luat, Warren Kiamco, Ramil Gallego, to name a few. Who knows, maybe in the future, there will be imports!

Go Pro! It's the best way to help ourselves!

 

[Terry Ardeno]

Ok, the statement doesn't say exactly that Mike Sigel is not a World 9-ball Champion, but they say that players who has not won a wpa-sanctioned World Championships are not considered to be World Champions.

I tend to agree with WPA about this subject,



Roy,
Say for example that American style football (the NFL) started in the USA and the Super Bowel (world championship) has been played exclusively here in America.
Then say that in about 50-100 years from now, American style football has grown to be wildly popular all over the world. Then, in about 50-100 yrs from now, a new football sanctioning body with its genesis in Europe or Asia starts a new football federation and proclaims that all previous Super Bowel winners are not legit because this new organization did not sanction them. That, in a nutshell, is what is going on here with the WPA.

For them to even remotely or vaguely imply that such storied champions such as Ralph Greenleaf, Frank Taberski, Jimmy Caras, Willie Mosconi, Joe Balsis, Mike Sigel, Allen Hopkins, Earl Strickland & company have not earned their World Champion titles is an arrogant and totally disrespectful view to hold. How, pray tell, will they ever gain credibility and fan backing with such preposterous thinking?

If the powers that be at the WPA were really lovers and fans of our great sport, they would have a much higher regard for the sport's rich history and the great champions of the past.

 

[Terry Ardeno]

IIRC, the World Championships in 1993 included most of the players that competed in World Team Billiards -which was sponsored by Bob Meucci and spearheaded by Don Mackey.

The World Championships were open to all players that earned points on the pro tour. Somebody correct me if I am wrong, but the top 32 were granted entry - the top 16 were seeded accordingly - I am not sure how the last 32 players were determined.

What I do remember, was that the pro tour was open to all players. All they had to do was show up. There was no exclusion, and that is evident by the participation of Jose Parica and Efren Reyes in the 1980's.

In 1990, the World Championships were held in Germany. (Earl Won)

In 1991,the World Championships were held in Las Vegas. (Earl won against Nick Varner)

In 1992, the World Championships were held in Taipei. (Johnny Archer won over Bob Hunter)

In 1993, the World Championship was held in Las Vegas (Johnny Archer defeated Efren Reyes in the final).

The tournaments may not be recognized by the WPA, nor the champions - but to those of us who know better - the tournaments and men that won them are legendary - and no matter what some silly-ass alphabet soup organization says about it, they earned the title of "WORLD CHAMPION".

David,
You're 100% right.

For example, the 1993 PBTA World 9 Ball Championship that was held in the Riviera Hotel's Monte Carlo Tower had 111 players playing race to 13, double elimination. When there were only 4 players left, it was changed to race to 11. It was open to any player in the world. Johnny Archer defeated Efren Reyes 11-7. Archer won $17,000 and Efren got $10,000 for 2nd place.

Among the other foreign players in that tournament were Francisco Bustamonte, Jose Parica, Rudolpho Luat, Luc Salvas and Junichi Koshigi (who ousted Nick Varner).

This was one of the earliest times that Diamond tables were used in a World Championship.

As a side note, the World Team Billiards finals as well as the Target Pool finals were held right after the tournament. Team Philippines beat team Puerto Rico, with Ireland being in 3rd place and team Germany in 4th place.

 

[Roy Steffensen]

Ok, the statement doesn't say exactly that Mike Sigel is not a World 9-ball Champion, but they say that players who has not won a wpa-sanctioned World Championships are not considered to be World Champions.

I tend to agree with WPA about this subject,



Roy,
Say for example that American style football (the NFL) started in the USA and the Super Bowel (world championship) has been played exclusively here in America.
Then say that in about 50-100 years from now, American style football has grown to be wildly popular all over the world. Then, in about 50-100 yrs from now, a new football sanctioning body with its genesis in Europe or Asia starts a new football federation and proclaims that all previous Super Bowel winners are not legit because this new organization did not sanction them. That, in a nutshell, is what is going on here with the WPA.

For them to even remotely or vaguely imply that such storied champions such as Ralph Greenleaf, Frank Taberski, Jimmy Caras, Willie Mosconi, Joe Balsis, Mike Sigel, Allen Hopkins, Earl Strickland & company have not earned their World Champion titles is an arrogant and totally disrespectful view to hold. How, pray tell, will they ever gain credibility and fan backing with such preposterous thinking?

If the powers that be at the WPA were really lovers and fans of our great sport, they would have a much higher regard for the sport's rich history and the great champions of the past.

Terry,

As I have said in another post too, I don't say that Mike Sigel, Bobby Hunter etc are not World Champions, because of tournament they won before WPA organized such tournaments.

I am thinking of the IPT World Championship, which Efren won, or the up and coming World 14-1 Championship that Grady says he will organize.

As long as there excist World Championships sanctioned by WPA they should be called World Championships. If another promoter organize such a tournament and calls it a World Championship, it is not, imo.

So again, I am not saying that Mike Sigel etc are not World Championships, since they played these WC before WPA started to host them.

But I am still very interested in information about those tournaments, who participated, why, etc..

 

[Terry Ardeno]

For example, when Bobby Hunter became World Straight Pool Champion in 1990, did Europeans like Oliver Ortmann play?

I am just interested in how the events were organised. How many players? Where did they come from? How did they earn their spots in the field?

Once again, I agree that Bobby Hunter is a World 14-1 Champion. But if for example Grady now puts up another 14-1 tournament and calls it the World 14-1 Championships, as he has said he will do, will people look at it as a World Championship? If so, why?

Roy,
When Bobby Hunter won the 1990 MPBA World Open 14.1 Championship, Oliver Ortmann finished tied for 9th place, coincidently, with Grady Mathews.
Mizerak, Rempe, Allen Hopkins, Dick Lane, Claude Bernatchez and Mike Zuglan were some of the other participants.
It was held in Cleveland, Ohio.
The finals were Bobby Hunter beating Ray Martin 200-93. Hunter won $6,500 and Martin won $4,200.

 

[Roy Steffensen]

Roy,
When Bobby Hunter won the 1990 MPBA World Open 14.1 Championship, Oliver Ortmann finished tied for 9th place, coincidently, with Grady Mathews.
Mizerak, Rempe, Allen Hopkins, Dick Lane, Claude Bernatchez and Mike Zuglan were some of the other participants.
It was held in Cleveland, Ohio.
The finals were Bobby Hunter beating Ray Martin 200-93. Hunter won $6,500 and Martin won $4,200.

Thanks Terry! Please share more information from tournaments from that period. I am very interested...

Nice payouts too, considering it was 20 years ago...

 

[Blackjack]

David,
You're 100% right.

For example, the 1993 PBTA World 9 Ball Championship that was held in the Riviera Hotel's Monte Carlo Tower had 111 players playing race to 13, double elimination. When there were only 4 players left, it was changed to race to 11. It was open to any player in the world. Johnny Archer defeated Efren Reyes 11-7. Archer won $17,000 and Efren got $10,000 for 2nd place.

Among the other foreign players in that tournament were Francisco Bustamonte, Jose Parica, Rudolpho Luat, Luc Salvas and Junichi Koshigi (who ousted Nick Varner).

This was one of the earliest times that Diamond tables were used in a World Championship.

As a side note, the World Team Billiards finals as well as the Target Pool finals were held right after the tournament. Team Philippines beat team Puerto Rico, with Ireland being in 3rd place and team Germany in 4th place.

Thanks Terry!

If you get a chance, update this thread on the participation of European and Asian players for the 1990 World Championships that were held in Germany.

As far as 1993 - thanks for validating my other posts on the subject - you did leave out one bit of information.... the finals of the Target Pool Competition was Leonardo Andam against Kim Davenport - Leonardo was able to beat Kim at his own game.

As far as the World Team Billiards event - Team USA never made it past the preliminary rounds. They were beaten by Team Puerto Rico in Baltimore, Maryland.

Members of Team Germany, Team Puerto Rico, Team Ireland, Team Sweden, Team Philippines, etc etc competed in the 1993 PBT World 9 Ball Championships at the Riviera.

The year before the event was held in Taipei - and it was international event - as was the 1990 event in Bergheim, Germany where Earl defeated Jeff Carter in the final - and defended his title the next year in Las Vegas against Nick Varner in the final.

In 1989, Nick Varner defeated Grady Mathews in the finals to win the World Championship.

Tough fields and tough players from all around the world competed in these events, and the champions that won them deserve more respect from the morons at the WPA - who BTW wouldn't have their position if it were not for people such as Grady Mathews busting his ass and dedicating his entire life to promoting the game.

 

[Terry Ardeno]

Thanks Terry!

If you get a chance, update this thread on the participation of European and Asian players for the 1990 World Championships that were held in Germany.
QUOTE]


Blackjack,
The field for the first WPA World 9 Ball Championship included 10 American players, 13 European players and 9 Asian players.
Here's the payouts....
1. Earl Strickland ($17,500)
2. Jeff Carter
3. Nick Varner
4. Kim Davenport
5-8 Mike LeBron, Allen Hopkins, Johnny Archer, Steve Mizerak
9-16 Mike Sigel, Jim Mataya, Ralf Souquet, Takashi Toda, Kazuo Fujima, Oliver Ortmann, Thomas Engert, Vegar Kristiansen

Some of the other players were Takashi Okumura, Nickolas Bergendorf, Thomas Storm, Chang Chi Yao, Werner Duregger, Chen Chin Hsiung and Huang Chung Chien.

This event was held in Bergheim, West Germany.