When a true giant of the game speaks, the pool world listens. In this episode of Legends of the Cue, Hall of Fame icon Mike Sigel joins us to unveil the most ambitious billiards initiative in decades—the launch of America’s Billiard League (ABL), coming January 5, 2026. After more than 13 years of development, setbacks, reinvestment, and relentless belief, Sigel pulls back the curtain on a league poised to reshape both amateur and professional pool.

Sigel reveals how the ABL was engineered from the ground up to solve the problems that have long plagued competitive leagues—unfair handicaps, intimidation of casual players, inconsistent structures, and stagnant prize pools. What emerges is a revolutionary system built for inclusivity, integrity, and massive upside. From a handicap model that truly allows weaker players to beat stronger ones, to an app that automates scoring, scheduling, and financials, the ABL removes barriers and opens doors for millions of everyday players.

And the money? Sigel doesn’t hold back. Early sessions will feature prize funds dwarfing anything in the amateur space—$25,000 per session, six-figure grand finales, and long-term projections climbing into the tens of millions. His bold prediction: within seven years, the ABL will crown a $50 million champion. Yes—fifty million.

But this isn’t just an amateur dream. Sigel outlines plans to elevate the professional game as well, from guaranteed appearance fees to entertainment-driven televised events that could bring celebrities, influencers, and top pros together in never-before-seen formats.

This is pool’s next era, and Mike Sigel is building it—big, bold, and unapologetically disruptive. If you love cue sports, buckle up. The ABL is coming, and it might just change everything.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1

Music by Lyrium.

About

"Legends of the Cue" is a pool history podcast featuring interviews with Pool Hall of Fame members, winners of major championships and other people of influence in and around pocket billiards. We also plan to highlight memorable pool brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher, Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of pool's greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”

In this captivating first chapter of our multi-part conversation with Billiard Congress of America Hall of Famer “Captain Hook” Mike Sigel, we step into the origins of one of the greatest cue artists the sport has ever known. Named Billiards Digest’s Greatest Living Player of the 20th Century, Sigel joins Allison Fisher, Mark Wilson, and Mike Gonzalez to trace the earliest threads of a life that seemed destined for the game—even before he knew the game would define him.

Sigel takes us back to Rochester, New York, where a childhood built around tennis, schoolyard walls, and a hand-me-down pool table suddenly collided with fate. The moment he first picked up a cue—left-handed, inexplicably, despite living his life right-handed—everything changed. With eye-hand coordination sharpened by tennis and a natural, almost mystic feel for the cue, he surged ahead of his brothers within weeks and discovered the passion that would shape his future.

Listeners will hear vivid memories of the old Ridge Billiards poolroom—20 Brunswick Gold Crowns, no alcohol, no frills, just pure pool—and meet the mentors and characters who shaped him. Foremost among them is straight-pool great Irving “The Deacon” Crane, whose quiet brilliance and disciplined philosophy (“Make them earn it”) laid the foundation for Sigel’s dominance in straight pool and his later mastery of nine-ball strategy.

Sigel also recounts his early days on the road, the culture of gambling in the 1970s, and his unforgettable first encounter with a young Earl Strickland—complete with barns, insects, and high-stakes drama.

This opening episode offers an intimate portrait of a prodigy discovering his gift, his voice, and the competitive fire that would make him a legend. Join us as the story begins.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.

Support the show

Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:

Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1

Music by Lyrium.

About

"Legends of the Cue" is a pool history podcast featuring interviews with Pool Hall of Fame members, winners of major championships and other people of influence in and around pocket billiards. We also plan to highlight memorable pool brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher, Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of pool's greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”

In the inspiring finale of our six-part “Legends of the Cue” series with Kelly Fisher, MBE, we catch up with one of cue sports’ most decorated champions at the height of her enduring career. Still collecting titles more than three decades after first bursting onto the scene, Kelly reflects on what continues to drive her competitive fire — and when she might finally hang up the cue (spoiler: not anytime soon!).

Joined by fellow Hall of Famer Allison Fisher and hosts Mike Gonzalez and Mark Wilson, Kelly offers a candid look into her evolving role as both player and leader. She shares how her work on the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) Board and the British Pool Federation is shaping the sport’s future, including the dream of cue sports joining the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane. Kelly discusses the fast-rising global standard of play, the new generation of “young guns,” and her belief that the women’s game now stands strong enough to thrive entirely on its own.

Listeners will also hear personal insights into Kelly’s journey toward balance and well-being — from cutting back on alcohol and embracing “wall Pilates” to learning how to slow down amidst a whirlwind schedule. With warmth and humor, she answers fan questions, revisits career-defining shots she’d love to take again, and shares how she hopes to be remembered: as an honest, fair, and passionate ambassador for the game she loves.

This final chapter celebrates Kelly Fisher not only as a world champion but as a thoughtful leader and trailblazer ensuring the next generation inherits a stronger, more inclusive cue sport world.

“Legends of the Cue” — preserving the voices and stories that define our game.

Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text.

Support the show

Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on:

Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1

Music by Lyrium.

About

"Legends of the Cue" is a pool history podcast featuring interviews with Pool Hall of Fame members, winners of major championships and other people of influence in and around pocket billiards. We also plan to highlight memorable pool brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher, Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of pool's greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”