Rollerwar Ends First Season With Death-Defying Performance

Industry News:

Rollerwars Ends First Season With Death-Defying Performance

Ghost Revives Himself for Win; Promoter Promises Second Season

By Robert "Just the Factoids" Burnson

Ghost has won the first-ever Rollerwars World Championships in Birmingham, England.

Not impressed?

Consider this:

He's DEAD! ... Yes, DEAD and has been that way, apparently, for some time now.

In fact, according to the official Rollerwars web site, "the only time he comes to life is when a game starts."

"Then, anyone going up against this GIANT DEAD MAN had better start saying their PRAYERS because Ghost is only too happy to CRUSH them and bring them over to the land of the DEAD!"

Ghost and his team narrowly edged "glam king" Danny Diamond to win the championships.

Diamond is Rollerwars' answer to Kiss' Gene Simmons.

"The women love him," the Rollerwars site says, "The men love him. But no one loves Danny like Danny loves himself!"

Rollerwars is an arena sport that is played on inline skates. It blends elements of basketball, rugby, football and professional wrestling.

Teams score points by throwing a ball through a hoop or by throwing opposing team members onto an inflated pad around the six-sided ring.

It is the creation of Birmingham screenwriter Tony Clarke, who bills it as "the fastest and most exciting new TV entertainment sport ... ever!"

Clarke and his crew taped the first set of Rollerwars games last August at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena, former home of Gladiators (the UK spinoff of the American Gladiators series).

About 2500 spectators reportedly turned up for each taping.

Clarke edited the games into a series of eight, half-hour programs, which he is trying to market internationally.

"We have interest in many territories abroad," he says. "But at this moment, we are not pushing it in the UK."

The reason for this, he says, is that "all (UK producers) seem to want is celebrity, celebrity, celebrity ... or reality shows."

Clarke is planning to tape a second series of Rollerwars either later this year or next spring.

As for Ghost, he has disappeared, according to the Rollerwars rumors page.

My guess is he's hanging out with Vera Vamp, leader of the women's team, the Vamptations.

They sound like a great match.

Vera has "vampire" white skin and bloodied lips, which she loves to flaunt, the web site tells us, "in a cool 'come near me and I'll drain you of your blood' kinda way."

(Posted on Nov. 3, 2005)