Rob Feinstein
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Robert Feinstein is the owner and operator of RF Video, a professional wrestling video tape & DVD distribution company.
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[edit] RF Video
RF Video was started by Rob Feinstein, along with his friends Doug Gentry and Gabe Sapolsky, in the early 90s and began as an outlet for hand recorded "fan cam" videos of wrestling events from smaller companies throughout the United States. They would tour with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), setting up their own booth at events to sell their videos and other memorabilia and give out "updates" listing other pieces for sale through their mail order business. Eventually RF Video became large enough to open full time kiosks in shopping malls stocked with some of the more popular videos and the option to order from the catalogue through the kiosk instead of mail, phone, or internet.
[edit] Performer
While touring with ECW, Rob began appearing on ECW TV with the Blue World Order as a parody of Syxx of the new World order. As part of the parody he carried a hand held camcorder everywhere (as Syxx had begun doing) and began calling himself by different "number" names, first going with several variations of pi before settling on 7-Eleven.[1]
[edit] Promoter
RF Video opened up their own wrestling promotion, Ring of Honor (ROH), in 2002. ROH had the bulk of their original promotion and publicity through RF selling tapes and eventually grew into a respected "indy fed".
In March of 2004, following his legal problems, Feinstein publicly sold his share of Ring of Honor to partner Cary Silkin. In June, a controversy arose when it became known that Rob was still actively involved in the operations of ROH there was a "formal split" between ROH and RF Video.
The revelation also resulted in the cancellation of an upcoming show in Maryland less than a week before the scheduled date. When Dick Caricofe, the Maryland promoter who was allowing ROH to use his Wrestling License, heard Feinstein was still involved he pulled out of the show forcing it to be moved to Philadelphia and ROH has not returned to Maryland since. There was also temporarily heat between Ring of Honor and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) which resulted in some of ROH's top talents leaving TNA until 2005 when things cooled off.
RF Video's own Doug Gentry was the head booker for Pro Wrestling Unplugged. Contrary to rumors, RF Video did not purchase the company in 2005.[citation needed]
[edit] Legal problems
In March of 2004, Rob Feinstein was caught in an internet sting designed to catch sexual predators. Feinstein, who believed he was talking to a 14 year old boy, claimed he was a wrestler with Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and eventually asked the boy if he could meet him at his home later, having implied in the chat that he was considering the boy's offer for sex.[2] When Feinstein arrived at the home, he was met by a news crew. Although no formal charges were ever brought against him by police, the incident proved to be disastrous publicity for both Ring of Honor and Feinstein. It caused a temporary split with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, cancellation of an upcoming show in Glen Burnie, Maryland, and eventually resulted in Feinstein selling his share of Ring of Honor.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Wrestleview - Stevie Richards FAQ. Retrieved on 2006-12-22.
- ^ RFWrestling at Perverted-Justice. Retrieved on 2006-12-22.