Below you will find both sides of the controversial HBE/AWA story. The first press release is from AWA support team member Christy Larson, and below that we have included the Heartbreak Express version of the story. You’re encouraged to draw your own conclusions.
Mr. Dykens –
As a respected journalist in our industry, I thought you might want to know that the details of what was reported by Dave Meltzer over the weekend regarding former AWA World Tag-Team Champion’s, the Heart Break Express – Sean and Phil Davis, were incorrect.
I’ve forwarded the e-mail sent by Sean Davis to AWA attorney Jody Peterman and President Dale Gagne on Friday, April 18th at 11:30 a.m., numerous hours after they should have already been on the road to make the trip to West Virginia that they were contractually responsible for.
Their financial compensation was also approved by each of them and would more than cover their expenses (including mileage). The AWA is one of the only organizations other than WWE and TNA to use a “talent performance agreement” outlining the details in writing of any agreement.
Once the decision was made to strip the titles from the Heart Break Express for violation of an agreement and for no-showing the event, Sean Davis went on the defensive and “claimed” he and his partner “resigned”
the titles. In his own words, you can see that this was not the case prior to the titles being stripped.
We couldn’t be more proud to have “Not Cocky” Chasyn Rance and Mister Saint Laurent as the new AWA World Tag-Team Champion’s who will both be defending the title at this years Cauliflower Alley Club Reunion on June 9, 2008 in Las Vegas.
=========================
=============================
==========================
From Sean Davis of the Heartbreak Express:
Just wanted to give you the full scoop on this story this going around everywhere concerning our situation
with the AWA Tag Team Titles..here’s the press releases that have been sent out so far from us and the AWA:
The Heartbreak Express Officially Resign from the AWA and Relinquish Tag Titles
The Heartbreak Express (Sean and Phil Davis) as of March 18, 2008 officially resign from being a part of AWA Worldwide and relinquish the AWA World Tag Team Titles.
Sean and Phil Davis have released this statement:
It is with regret that we on this 18th day of April officially resign from the AWA and relinquish the AWA World Tag Team Titles.
Since winning the AWA World Tag Team Titles there have been constant promises of high paying, big profile events that never seem to happen or we always seem to be left off of.
Things came to a head when we were expected to make a 26 hour round trip drive to defend the titles with not enough pay being given to cover a quarter of the cost. This is a business and we will not lose money for the sake of being able to walk around calling ourselves “champions”.
We wish Dale Gagne and the promoters of AWA Worldwide the best in their future endeavors and just leave other wrestlers with a warning to always take what you are promised in this business with a grain of salt.
The AWA’s Response Sent to Web Sites Everywhere Today
Sean & Phil Davis were fired and didn’t quit as tag champs. The AWA states that their financial compensation to drive to West Virginia from Florida for a match was approved and would have covered their expenses. They claim they stripped the titles from them for missing a title defense and that Chasyn Rance & Mister Saint Laurent are the new tag team champions who will defend at the Cauliflower Alley banquet on 6/9 in Las Vegas
The Heartbreak Express Responds to the AWA’s Press Release on the Tag Titles
From Sean and Phil Davis – The Heartbreak Express
In response to Dale Gagne’s claim that we were “fired” and did not quit the AWA I have at least one MAJOR AWA promoter and AWA Board Member who can vouge for me that we quit as he was privy to our decision before we announced it as we wanted to give that respect to him as he has always done us right. Out of respect to his privacy I will not name him but I easily could do so.
Also we sent out the press release that announced that we quit the company and were vacating the titles BEFORE they held their event in West Virginia where they “counted us out” and declared the AWA Tag Team Titles vacant. That alone is enough proof that it was our decision and not theirs for us to leave the company.
Also I ask everyone with a brain if $100 would be enough to cover a road trip from Florida to West Virginia
and back at $3.48 per gallon??? As that is what we were told we were going to paid to make that trip so that is not exactly giving us “enough to cover our expenses”.
We are not going to comment on this any further as we believe just about everyone in the business know what kind of a person Dale Gagne is. Remember this is a guy who legally changed his name in order to con people into believing that he was related to Verne and then changed the history of the AWA Title lineage to include
Hulk Hogan as a former AWA champion to try to get some sort of “rub” off of Hogan’s name. He also regularly advertises wrestlers such as ” Former WWE Superstar GOLGA” on his shows who was John Tenta and has since passed away.
We wish our very good friends Chasyn Rance and Mister Saint Laurent – Team Vision the absolute best of luck as the new AWA Tag Team Champions. They are two of the greatest guys in the business today and they deserve nothing but the best so I hope that Mr Gagne treats them better than he did us. These guys DESERVE respect and I pray that they get it.
Sean and Phil Davis
The Heartbreak Express