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.

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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.

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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 Part 5 of Legends of the Cue, Kelly Fisher, MBE, opens up about some of the most defining — and deeply personal — chapters of her remarkable journey through the world of professional cue sports. From the thrill of championship glory to life-altering challenges off the table, this episode reveals the resilience, humor, and heart that have shaped one of the game’s great champions.

Kelly and her longtime friend and rival, Allison Fisher, revisit the drama of Kelly’s multiple Tournament of Champions victories and her unforgettable World Championship triumphs — including the 2011 10-Ball in the Philippines and the 2012 9-Ball in China, where she didn’t even realize she’d won until moments after the final ball dropped. The laughter continues as the two recall strange venues, lucky rolls, and sisterly banter from decades of shared competition.

But the conversation turns powerfully human when Kelly recounts her battle with health issues — from a congenital heart defect that led to open-heart surgery, to later preventive surgeries after testing positive for the BRCA2 gene. Through it all, her strength and optimism shine, inspiring others facing similar trials.

With her trademark candor and wit, Kelly shares how these experiences changed her outlook, both in life and at the table, and how she found new purpose through advocacy and awareness for women’s health.

This installment captures the very essence of Kelly Fisher — world champion, survivor, and ambassador for the sport she loves. Join us for another unforgettable chapter in this six-part series celebrating a true legend of the cue.

Listen, laugh, and be inspired by a story that proves greatness isn’t just about titles — it’s about heart.

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 this fourth installment of our Legends of the Cue conversation with Hall of Famer Kelly Fisher, MBE, we follow Kelly’s remarkable leap of faith—leaving behind the world of English snooker to chase a new dream across the Atlantic. With just £400 between her and partner Val, she arrived in America in 2004 armed with little more than determination and a borrowed cue. Within days, she was learning the rules of nine-ball on the fly—and astonishing everyone by finishing runner-up in her very first event.

Kelly recounts those early, lean years with her trademark humor and grit: playing for rent money, learning to break, bank, and jump from scratch, and adapting to a fast-moving, often unpredictable pool circuit. With guidance from several early mentors, she rose quickly through the WPBA ranks—culminating in her breakthrough 2005 West Coast Classic victory.

Listeners will also hear about Kelly’s emotional journey off the table: her friendship and fierce rivalry with Allison Fisher, the bittersweet memory of winning while her mother battled illness, and the powerful “red feather” moment that reminded her she was never alone.

As the conversation turns to the evolution of nine-ball, Kelly and Allison share fascinating insight into how technology, table conditions, and break formats have reshaped the modern game—from wooden racks and Sardo contraptions to today’s precision magic racks and power breaks.

With warmth, wit, and hard-won wisdom, Kelly reflects on how a young snooker champion from Yorkshire became one of the most respected and resilient champions in women’s pool.

🎙️ Legends of the Cue — celebrating the stories behind the greats who shaped 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.”

In this third installment of Legends of the Cue, hosts Mike Gonzalez, Allison Fisher and Mark Wilson continue their captivating conversation with Pool and Snooker Hall of Famer Kelly Fisher, MBE, diving into the fascinating — and often funny — years that bridged her snooker stardom and her bold leap into the world of professional pool.

Kelly reflects with trademark honesty and humor on her early dominance in women’s snooker — recounting her world titles, the quirky English billiards events that barely drew a handful of entrants, and her love of playing for beautiful trophies rather than prize money. The laughter flows as Kelly and Allison reminisce about their days on tour, friendly rivalries, and a few unforgettable (and at times unbelievable) stories from the road — including one infamous match Kelly literally can’t remember playing!

But beneath the laughter lies a deeper turning point. Kelly opens up about the challenges facing women’s snooker in the early 2000s — the collapse of tobacco sponsorships, the struggle for recognition, and the harsh reality of world titles that paid little more than rent money. Listeners will hear how the former world champion found herself working in a vegetable factory and a seatbelt assembly line, searching for her next chapter before making the life-changing decision to move to America with little more than determination, a few suitcases, and £400 to her name.

It’s a candid, inspiring, and often hilarious look at a champion’s resilience — how Kelly Fisher reinvented herself and set the stage for one of the most successful second acts in cue sports history.

🎙️ “Legends of the Cue” – celebrating the players, passion, and stories that shaped the 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.”

In Part 2 of our six-part Legends of the Cue conversation with Pool and Snooker Hall of Famer Kelly Fisher, MBE, we journey through her teenage years as one of England’s most gifted young cueists. With the same grit that would one day define her career, Kelly recalls her early training under coach Lionel Payne, the punishing drills that shaped her stroke, and the discipline that separated her from her peers. From the long blues and line-up routines to her relentless pursuit of perfection, listeners gain an inside look at what it takes to become world-class before adulthood.

Alongside fellow champion Allison Fisher, coach Mark Wilson, and Mike Gonzalez Kelly opens up about the sacrifices of youth — missing out on parties and friends while chasing mastery on the 12-foot snooker table. Yet, her passion never wavered. She shares stories of traveling to India as a teenager for her first World Championship appearance, finding confidence among older competitors, and embracing the camaraderie that came with representing the women’s game abroad.

With humor and humility, Kelly reflects on the lessons that still guide her: focus, repetition, and the belief that “you win your fights in the gym.” The episode also explores her early inspirations — Jimmy White, Steve Davis, and the era of Pot Black — as she carved her own path in a male-dominated sport.

From earning her first world title at just 19 to the drive that kept her at the table long after practice ended, this episode captures Kelly Fisher at the moment her destiny became clear — a young champion poised to take on the world.

🎱 “Legends of the Cue” — Celebrating the life and legacy of the game’s greatest players, one story at a time.

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 Part 1 of our six-part conversation with cue-sports legend Kelly Fisher, MBE, we trace the roots of one of the most accomplished and respected players in the history of women’s pool and snooker. Co-hosts Allison Fisher, MBE and Mark Wilson join Mike Gonzalez to uncover Kelly’s remarkable beginnings in South Elmsall, England — a working-class town where her parents ran a local pub with a snooker table in the back room that would unknowingly launch a Hall of Fame career.

Kelly shares how her lively upbringing — with a mother from a sprawling Irish family and a father who was both a boxer and professional wrestler — gave her equal parts warmth and mental toughness. From tap dancing and kung fu to kicking a football with the boys, she was always in motion. But once she picked up a cue at age 12, everything changed.

Listeners will be drawn into vivid stories of her early lessons with longtime coach Lionel Payne, sneaking into her parents’ pub to play, and competing as the lone girl in men’s club leagues — often facing both age and gender barriers just to take her turn at the table. Through humor and humility, Kelly recalls childhood tournaments, including her unforgettable first World Championship appearance — complete with stage fright, chalk mishaps, and an early glimpse of her fierce competitive spirit.

This opening chapter captures the spark of a future champion: a young girl with extraordinary drive, guided by a devoted father and a coach who saw her potential from the very first shot.

Join us for Legends of the Cue as we begin Kelly Fisher’s inspiring journey from Yorkshire pub tables to world stages — one frame at a time.

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.”