Rob Milliron Roundtable Pro Wrestling interview on booking and 3-2-1

Rob Milliron Roundtable Pro Wrestling interview with BJ Darden covered the booking partnership behind the Vancouver promotion, Milliron’s regret over how he responded to allegations involving Steve West and 3-2-1 Battle!, and why he believes Aziz Sims deserves more credit for building the Seattle promotion. Milliron also traced his route through Northwest wrestling and explained what Selena brings to the Roundtable team.

How did Rob Milliron get from 3-2-1 Battle! to Roundtable Pro Wrestling?

Rob Milliron began with 3-2-1 Battle! in Seattle, then worked with SCW in Bremerton and promotions in Yakima before joining Roundtable Pro Wrestling in Vancouver. Along the way, he helped book large wrestling-and-music shows, worked with Tony DeBurne and ran a single Rainier Pro event.

From Seattle to Bremerton

Milliron met Darden through 3-2-1 Battle! and later went to Bremerton to work for Ron Von Hess in SCW. He also helped book the Backyard Barbecue and Rockin’ Wrestling Rager. He described those shows as spectacles combining music and wrestling, and said Kevin Sullivan was there.

Darden brought up Rainier Pro, a promotion Milliron had not included in his initial account. Milliron said it ran one show, in the same venue as 3-2-1 Battle!, to make a point to his former promotion. He said one event was enough for that purpose.

Yakima and Vancouver

After Bremerton, Milliron moved to Yakima and worked for Aaron Fowler with Big League Wrestling and Lucha Libre. Tony DeBurne produced for him there, and they also put on a rager. Milliron’s next stop was Vancouver and his work with Darden at Roundtable Pro Wrestling.

What did Rob Milliron say about Steve West and the end of 3-2-1 Battle!?

Rob Milliron said he was wrong to call for Steve West’s banishment after allegations affected 3-2-1 Battle!. He said he acted without knowing the whole story and now takes responsibility for his own part in the promotion’s rapid collapse. His account is his assessment of disputed events, not a finding about the allegations.

Milliron attributed the end of 3-2-1 Battle! to the reaction surrounding allegations against West. He said supporting women whose voices are not heard remains important, while also arguing that people must reassess accusations when new information emerges. He was direct about his own response. Milliron put his conclusion this way:

I got it wrong on Steve West.

He said he and Andrew had intended to make a documentary that showed more than one side of the story. Milliron also referred to later events at SOS and said accountability was needed on several sides. Looking back, he described that period as distant past and said his focus now is doing more positive work in wrestling.

How does Rob Milliron approach Roundtable Pro Wrestling booking with BJ Darden?

Rob Milliron said Roundtable Pro Wrestling works because he and BJ Darden can challenge each other, adjust plans and help the roster improve from show to show. He praised Darden’s ability to rewrite cards under pressure at Comic Con and said the promotion’s support for its people differs from what he has experienced elsewhere.

Working through Comic Con

Milliron said Comic Con presented a difficult booking situation. While Darden wrote cards on the fly, Milliron discussed possible changes with Selena. When he brought those ideas to Darden, he found that Darden had already written down the same approach. To Milliron, that showed how closely the group could work when a plan changed.

The two do not always agree. Milliron said they sometimes butt heads but can steer each other back when one goes too far in a direction. He credited that balance, along with Tony and others, for giving Roundtable a different kind of support. He said the aim is to get better every show and to grow alongside wrestlers who still have room to develop.

Working with other Northwest promotions

Milliron said Roundtable has worked with DOA and others to build more continuity and unity around the Northwest and Portland area. He criticized booking he considers racist or sexist and said he and Darden want to be positive influences after earlier years he viewed more negatively. That goal, he said, depends on improving the work rather than treating any one show as finished business.

How did Rob Milliron move from promoting music to booking wrestling?

Rob Milliron said promoting rap shows prepared him for wrestling because both fields involve performers with strong characters and bravado. Wrestler and rapper Billy the Fridge connected him with 3-2-1 Battle! and vouched for his ability as a promoter and booker, giving Milliron an opening with the promotion.

Milliron saw a practical overlap between the two jobs: putting on shows meant dealing with performers as well as promoting an event. He said that background made his move into professional wrestling feel natural, even though he was entering a different business.

Acceptance at 3-2-1 Battle! was not identical across the group. Milliron said Draven Lawless accepted him immediately, while Chongo took a couple of meetings to warm up to him. He said he became part of the promotion’s creative group fairly quickly.

What did Rob Milliron say about Selena’s role at Roundtable Pro Wrestling?

Rob Milliron described Selena as a steadying presence for the Roundtable Pro Wrestling group and praised how thoroughly she learns a subject before weighing in. Though she came from outside wrestling, he said she has become someone the team can rely on when her knowledge is needed.

Milliron said Selena wants to understand as much as possible about an issue so she can contribute meaningfully. She does not always interject, he said, but she will set the group straight when necessary. Darden described her taking responsibility for commission-related matters while he concentrated on other work.

That willingness to learn matters to Milliron’s view of the locker room. Later, discussing wrestlers at different skill levels, he said Roundtable should help a weaker performer improve rather than push that person out. He credited Selena with teaching him to focus on making people better and on controlling his own reactions.

Why does Rob Milliron credit Aziz Sims with building 3-2-1 Battle!?

Rob Milliron said Aziz Sims is too often left out of accounts of how 3-2-1 Battle! was established. He credited Sims with finding its venue, helping turn it into a sustainable wrestling space, pushing for more frequent shows and personally promoting the events around Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Finding the venue and growing the schedule

Milliron said Sims found the gym owner and persuaded her to put in a bar. According to Milliron, revenue from wrestling shows eventually let her run the venue without relying as much on teaching classes. Sims also joined Milliron in pushing the promotion from one show a month to two.

That work extended beyond the building. Milliron described Sims promoting on the street, in neighborhoods and in bars to build an audience. He said Sims, known as Aziz No Warranty in 3-2-1 Battle!, is overlooked when others receive credit for the promotion’s creation.

Aziz Sims, CJ Edwards and Rip Rex

The conversation then turned to the current roster. Darden recalled a match between Sims and CJ Edwards and said they had a rematch scheduled for October 18. Milliron said both wrestlers were closing in on Rip Rex, whom he praised as dangerous against anyone on the roster.

Milliron tied that assessment to Roundtable’s broader approach to talent. He said careful booking and pairing can help wrestlers at any skill level have a good match. If someone needs work, his preference is to elevate that person rather than beat them down or remove them from the locker room.