Speaking through his official Facebook page, former WWE & ECW superstar Big Vito Lo Grasso commented on the issues at the Hardcore Roadtrip event over the weekend.

HARDCORE ROADTRIP BY BIG VITO LO GRASSO

First off, I would like to thank the fans for getting all the people who worked the show back home safely, that was one of the best things I saw in wrestling in a long time. We are all people, we care about how you’re entertained and you care about us, I know all who were involved were thankful. Christian York and myself were taken to a couple’s home, we slept on their couch and they took us through the border. They were kind and cool people who helped out. No one is rich these days by no means, but when you open your home to strangers, you’ve got more going on in your lives than just trying to get by, you have values and a good heart.

Everyone can say what they want about Mark Livingston, the promoter of the event. He might have done this before, but he gave me no reason to mistrust him. People can say I told you so, but if a wife or husband cheats on you and they change their ways, you forgive them and move on. My dealings with the man were good, he booked me, he paid me on his last show, so I came across for the second one. He paid me my deposit, my airline ticket, my hotel, shuttle and more. I arrived to the hotel as the surprise for the show, only a few know I was going to be there. The contact with him was that I had not eaten, he got me some food by his runner in my hotel and then he told me that I was to be picked up at 7:30 to go to the building. I made my way in the back and saw some old friends. No one said anything until I asked where Rhino was and they told me he was sent home because they could not afford him on the second show, well he was being honest. We spoke about the night’s event, show goes on, all is going good, I go out and do my thing, then when I get to the back I hear that the promoter had to go to the hospital due to a heart attack, I knew what that meant. I looked out at the match going on and it was a death match, I told Stephen DeAngelis to tell them to go home and he told them to. I saw those guys giving their all and cutting themselves up, blood everywhere. I told them again to take it home and the match ended and they were told in the ring what happened.

They got on the mic and exposed the promoter. As they were speaking, Steve told me to go and say something. I spoke to the fans and told them it was true, but we needed help. I told them they might of felt betrayed, but the wrestlers were in another country and had no rides to get home or across the border to get home and asked them for their help. They were responsive and opened their hearts. Steve then got on the mic and organized rides and made sure that all of us made it home. Some things were left behind and were taken that belonged to the promoter, not a cool thing all the way around, you work, you get paid. I learned that some had not received deposits and were promised money for their travel. I’m not sure if guys got some money for the first show as it was not my business. As we all parted ways, it was a sour face on all. All points were looking good for the follow up show on May 31st, but no one expected this, you don’t leave people stranded in another country, let alone not pay them. Karma comes back to people who do awful things and this affected people’s lives and families. 24 years in and this never happened to me before, I got through it.

To clear things up, Stephen DeAngelis bleeds wrestling and he would not hurt no one. For people to say that he was in cohoots with the guy is insane as he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body and is not that type of guy. For the people who were sititng home and not booked on the show and crapping on all of us, if you were booked and got your deposit, would you have come, the answer is YES, so please stop your nonsense on I told you so, no reason not to go if you got your money. For the people who say ECW is dead, it might not be 1999, but the guys who were there might not be the same athletes, but they’re the guys who gave their all in a time when we were different. We were special. It is the people who are promoters who use the word EXTREME and mess things up. Can’t go back 14 years, I am lucky I can still go and more if it called for it, some can’t, but they try their best. When promoters don’t pay a deposit, ALARM and when you don’t ask for one, ALARM. You NEVER PAY FOR YOUR OWN FLIGHTS, promoters think its okay to cancel, some make a living at this, it is not, I could go on, but I won’t.

So for the past 2 weeks, EXTREME was abused. Our bad for letting it happen. To all the boys out there young and old, let this be a lesson. Don’t work for free or let promoters promise I will get you on the next one, you don’t need it and you don’t work for free, don’t w***e yourself out just to be on a show, learn from this. I don’t go nowhere unless I have money and or I trust you like I know you for 10 years or better, but even then, those promoters think it is okay to do it to you, it is not, GET YOUR DEPOSITS people, it’s not like the old days. I am sorry this happened, a lesson to be learned and I hope all got home safe. Thank you to the fans who helped out the boys to get home, have a great day and feel free to repost this anywhere you want.

Big Vito Lo Grasso