PRIMETIME September 25, 1998 ...

BT: Howie, Have have you been?
Howie Sandberg: I've been great as a matter of fact. Although today I've been rather annoyed. Marc Londo sent out a mass email trying to make it look like I sent Johnny B. some "hate mail" from "my hotmail or yahoo" account. I don't even have another account besides my aol account. Secondly, I don't write a bunch of mindless drivel with overused cliches like "proof is in the pudding." To anyone who received that email, I'm sorry this obsessed boy has wasted your time. His attempt at disparaing my name, and the IWF name for that matter, has failed. I don't have time for "scams" and childish beavior so we'll let hotmail and yahoo take care of Mr. Londo. Enough said on that.

BT: Has the IWF grown over since you created it?
Howie Sandberg: I'm very happy and esctatic to say the IWF has grown considerably over the last year. We started out small and basically had to rely on word of mouth. Gradually, the game became bigger and better. Angles started to form within leagues and before you know it, the bulletins were getting huge! We now have 6 leagues (ya have to start somewhere) and they are of high quality. Each league has a customized Promotional Report done by yours truly, summarizing the angles in the league, and hyping up the feuds. Our prices remain the same as they always have, with match deals like 18 matches for $8, and 4 matches for $1 thereafter. And I am extremly jacked about the ad that we will be getting soon in a major wrestling publication.

BT: What do you fill about IWA?
Howie Sandberg: A lot of people ask me this question. I have no problem with the IWA. I'm not going to sit here and bad mouth the IWA. I'd like to think the IWF is above the fret in that regard. There are some things I'd change if I were working for the IWA, but that's not my place to say. What's in the past is in the past, and contrary to what a lot of people may think, I have no problem with Mr. Bruening. The man is a crafty businessman and orchestrated one heck of a successful company. The IWF is here as an alternative and we've never tried to emulate the IWA. There are a lot of things we have at the IWF that are unique such as yearly manager rankings, stable rankings, tag and 6 man team names, a distinct wrestler ranking system that rewards success as much as "money spending," and promotion reports, for example. The IWA offers other things. And if someone likes the IWA, that's great. Really, it is. I have never told anyone to quit the IWA. I created the IWF for managers that wanted something different and I vowed from day one to give them quality customer service with a personalized feel.

BT: When you first joined the IWA did you thing it was fun?
Howie Sandberg: Definitely. I loved my tenure in the IWA. The thing I liked most was the friendships I made in ACE and the "team" feeling the group had. In play-by- mail wrestling, if you're in a stable, it's actually like being on a team. All for one and one for all. And for a lot of us, we can live vicariously through it because we'll never get to be on an organized team at a high level. Personally, I love play-by-mail wrestling. It lets you be anything you want to be and your imagination can go wild. I just wish I wasn't censored so much, and it was a little more consistent in that regard. :o)

BT: What made you boycott the IWA?
Howie Sandberg: I believe what you're referring to is the cycle when 6 teams had an unbreakable point flow tie going for World 6 Man. 5 teams were from ACE and 1 team was from HB. When the IWA Report came out, it only listed the 1 HB team as the World 6 Man Champs. At the time, it seemed too coincidental for my liking, so I boycotted until it was corrected. It may have been an honest mistake, but the fact that 5 of the teams were ACE and got shafted for one HB team, just left me with a funny feeling. Oh well, it's all in the past now.

BT: How many matches do you process over a cycle?
Howie Sandberg: It's hard to say because with the increase in volume each month, it changes. Can I just say a lot and leave it at that? :o)

BT: Is anything new coming to the IWF?
Howie Sandberg: Yes, as a matter of fact. We just ended our first year of existence and awarded 50 free matches to the wrestler and manager of the year. Well, in year two, the manager of the year is going to receive a $300 gold plated belt like you see on TV! We are also awarding large plaques for winning certain major titles. Stable rankings have been put into effect and we will be having a huge StableWars type competition in the not so distant future. We're also going to be opening up some new leagues soon, as Mexican Luchador Wrestling is now opening.

BT: What our your feelings to people who hate you for starting IWF?
Howie Sanberg: Well, if you dislike the IWF, that's fine. But you really can't judge something until you see it. If someone supposedly dislikes the IWF, it's because they won't give it a try actually, because of personal dislike of me. And that's too bad. Our managers love the game. If a manager hates me for starting the IWF, he simply does not have to play, but I can't imagine why anybody would not want an alternative. Not everyone likes pepsi, that's is why there is Coke, and so on. But in closing, I will say that I hope everyone can understand the difference between Howie Sandberg, the manager (which is now dead), and Howie Sandberg, the person. Thanks for your time, Bruce. It's been my pleasure.