Professional vs. Hobbyist

    I got hooked on professional wrestling when I was a kid.  I'm not sure when exactly it was, but I remember I was watching Saturday Night World Championship Wrestling on WTBS, and I saw Tully Blanchard squash some preliminary guy, then walk over to David Crockett and Tony Schivone at ringside to talk shit about something.  I immediately wanted to see more. Somewhere along the line I decided that I wanted to be a professional wrestler.  Sure, I also wanted to play catcher for the Cincinnati Reds, or perhaps  get bit by a radioactive spider and gain superpowers.  Hey, I was a kid.

    I was fortunate that Cincinnati seemed to get a wider variety of wrestling programming than many places.  I was able to watch the Four Horsemen try to run Dusty Rhodes and Magnum TA out of town, Randy Savage destroy the throat of Ricky Steamboat, and Col. DeBeers piledrive Jimmy Snuka on the concrete.  I spent many a youthful Saturday flipping back and forth between the different wrestling shows, and the different baseball games on television.  Saturday morning was for watching superhero cartoons, but the afternoons were for watching sports.

    At some point I got away from wrestling; I just didn't follow it as much as I did when I was a kid.  It probably coincided with the different wrestling programs vanishing (as the territories went out of business), and the most accessible stuff being the World Wrestling Federation's product.  I was a big fan of guys like Arn Anderson, so I wasn't as keen about watching guys like Doink.

    When I got to college, I discovered the wondrous world of independent wrestling, due to a local Columbus promotion having some semblance of a television show on public access. It was bush-league, but entertaining enough, and it made me start watching wrestling regularly again - WCW Monday Nitro!  Monday Night Wars!  Then I discovered ECW, and it really reminded me a lot of what I used to watch when I was a kid.  So, once again I was hooked.

    Eventually I made my way down to the local Columbus promotion, the IWA, and after checking out a few shows live, I decided I really wanted to try it myself.  I hung out after a few shows and talked to some guys, and even ran into a couple guys on campus.  Before I knew it, I was in the ring - not knowing a damn thing about what the hell was going on - but working matches.  I was looking for training and an opportunity to work anytime I got the chance.  I wanted to be a wrestler, and here I was in college, where I am supposed to be preparing for what I want to do with the rest of my life.  Yet I am out busting my ass to be a professional wrestler.

    When I was breaking into the business, the prominent thought in my mind was not about getting paid.  Maybe I wanted to be a star, or a main event guy - who gets into wrestling and doesn't fantasize about headlining a Wrestlemania or Starrcade?  Who doesn't think about wrestling in the main event down at the building you used to watch your heroes wrestle?

    It might sound dumb, but when I was breaking into the business, there were three companies out there doing good business, just in the United States.  It was the midst of the wrestling boom, and all of the promotions were heavily going after new talent to fill out all the television time they had.  I never really had a strict desire to work for one particular company over another, because at that point I knew guys getting dark matches and tryouts with the big boys.  I just focused on learning my craft, and getting better, waiting for my time to come, and someone would give me a chance to prove myself.

    Many of those opportunities dried up when WCW and ECW went out of business, which left the WWE as the only game left in town.  I came to a realization at which a lot of other guys never would; The guys that used to have good paying jobs with the major promotions were going to turn up in the independent promotions, and swallow up all the good paydays.  This helped me set a clear goal for myself as a professional: Make a living from wrestling.

    I never wanted to treat the business as a hobby.  I left behind my friends and family and moved two states away to pursue wrestling, not to play wrestler.  I always realized that there is a limited amount of time to pursue any athletic endeavor, because everyone will get old and be betrayed by their body at some point.  I never wanted to grow old and regret not taking the shot at wrestling when I was young.  I made up my mind that I would work whatever jobs that paid the bills, while I would put all of my effort into making a living wrestling.  Wrestling came first - before family, friends, or money.

    Straight out of wrestling school, no wrestler is able to demand enough money to live off of.  At some point you have to "pay your dues".  Paying those dues means sacrifice.  I was always willing to make those sacrifices to be a professional wrestler, while others turned away and decided that rather than make a sacrifice, they would just do it for fun - a hobby.  I saw paying my dues as an investment of my time and youth into a future goal.

    I also figured out pretty quickly that there were hundreds and hundreds of talented wrestlers out there, and that every single one of them thought that they were going to be headlining Wrestlemania.  There were plenty of wrestlers out there now that could draw money or have great matches on television, but they are not what the WWE is looking for. Unfortunately, there are also not very many other places out there worth a damn to build an exciting and viable product to showcase these guys. So again, a lot of guys have to make a choice: work their ass off to become a very good wrestler, work their ass off to get signed by the WWE, or treat it like a hobby.  Or quit wrestling.

    Being a good wrestler, and being a WWE prospect are not necessarily the same thing.  The things that will get a wrestler booked on the independent circuit are not the same things that the WWE is looking for.  The WWE is looking for someone with a marketable look, with a raw skill set that they can develop.  A vast majority of the time, the WWE process is more of a casting call than it is signing the top wrestling talent.  For every Daniel Bryan there is a Miz.  For every CM Punk there is a Mason Ryan. There is no "amateur draft", where the top prospects and most highly skilled wrestlers are recruited into the WWE with a pile of money available after years of hard work honing your skills.  The WWE doesn't necessarily pick the best talent; they pick the individuals that they think they can market the best.  .

    From the start I tried to get as much ring time as possible, so that I could sharpen and polish my in-ring skills.  I tried to work on my skills as a wrestler and storyteller (and after some time, as a matchmaker and a  promoter as well). I knew that with my body type and skill set, if I ever wanted to support myself from wrestling, I had to make myself a commodity that promoters would be willing to pay top dollar for.

    Getting paid on the indy circuit is mostly about respect and covering expenses. In a lot of ways, the paydays that are being handed out at most promotions are not enough to change your status in life, at least not without having a lot more of those types of bookings.  A lot more.  When you first start out, there are tons of expenses that you have to just eat as an initial investment in your profession.  You have to just have to chalk it up to paying your dues while you learn the craft. You have to pay someone to train you, you have to buy ring gear, you have to have dependable transportation, money for traveling expenses, and more.  When you get out of wrestling school, no promoter is going to give you any money right off the bat, because you haven't earned it.  Wrestling isn't the NBA or the NFL where you get paid for your talent or potential - in wrestling you make money by proving that you are a draw.  Since no one is really a draw, you must turn yourself into a commodity that promoters  feel that they should pay good money to feature on their cards.  A commodity that ticket buying fans will pay to see.

    My goal was always to fill my schedule up and to find as many consistent bookings where I received a regular payoff, that way I could use those dates and payoffs as a negotiating point.  I tried to use my schedule as leverage against promoters.  When you start filling up your schedule and you have promoters wanting to book you, the bargaining position is better when it comes to negotiating a price.  When a promoter wanted to book me and my calender was full for two or three months out, I have leverage when it comes to my asking price, and for what the promoter wants to do with me.  It also allows me to go back to promoters I am already working with and negotiate for more money    .

    When you can get a promoter three hours away to pay you $50 a pop twice a month, the local guy that wants to give you $5 and a hotdog has to step his game up to keep you around. Once you have promoters contacting you to do business with them, you are able to negotiate paydays, to be treated with respect. When someone promises you $50, gives you $5 and says that if you don't like it you don't have to work there, that is disrespect for the time and effort you put in to your craft.  Let promoters treat the hobbyists like that.

    I made a lot of choices in my career, some good, others bad.  But they were all choices that were what I thought were best for me professionally, rather than as a hobbyist.  Sometimes I had to drive three hours to wrestle a match and break even on expenses, just to show the local promoter that is underpaying me that I had the ability to replace his bookings.  Sometimes this led to better paydays, sometimes this led to an eventual parting of the ways. But at no point in my career did I say "screw this, I am not wrestling for anyone that doesn't pay me like I am a star."  That would result in me losing the ability to practice my craft. A craft that I sacrificed family, friends, and money for.  Despite the fact that I was doing everything I could to make a living off of wrestling, why would I ever do that?

    And that is why the question about why I wrestled to begin with is important.  I didn't dream of drawing big houses and making good payoffs from promoters when I was a kid sitting on the couch watching Arn Anderson spinebuster fools.  Just like when I dreamed of being a baseball player, I never dreamed of being a ballplayer so that I could get a fat million dollar contract.  I wanted to grow up and play a game. When I got into wrestling, I realized that I was doing something that I had always dreamed of, and I wanted to do whatever I could to perpetuate that dream.  At some point though, you have to look at things as an adult and be able to walk the fine line between destroying your own body for pennies, and not doing what you have always dreamed of doing.  That is the difference between being a professional wrestler, and a hobbyist.

    They say that if you are good at something, that you should never do it for free.  This is true.  But unless you have evidence that you are good at something, why would anyone ever pay for you to do what you are good at? 

Ten Things That Every Promoter Should Know

"Show me a beautiful woman and I'll show you a man that is tired of fucking her".  -- from Perfect Strangers (2007)

Almost as far back as I can remember being in the professional wrestling business, I have been around people bitching about how a promotion is run.  It is a time honored tradition.  I am pretty sure that athletes at every level of sports sit around after a game and have a few beers and bitch about the shit that management and the coaches do.  Even outside of sports, happy hours all over the place are populated by people gathering around to complain about the things that their company does.  It is just human nature.

The wrestling business is a different animal though.  I am not going to write up a history of this business here, but the business had its origins in carnivals, and at its peak was run with the secrecy of La Cosa Nostra.  When the territories died, when the internet came, and when the Attitude Era arrived, it became easier to run wrestling shows, and suddenly there was independent wrestling everywhere - and it started killing the business.  

During my time in the business I was not only a wrestler and a trainer, but I also worked in promotions, had the book, and worked in lots of other facets of the business.  The following are the things that separate professional businessmen that promote professional wrestling from some guy that rents a ring and is putting on a show. 

1) It Takes Money To Make Money
     What is the quickest way to make a small fortune in wrestling?  Start with a large fortune! 
     Professional wrestling is a business.  Unless you are a wealthy person who can afford to piss away money with no repercussion, you are probably not interested in shelling out more money to hold a wrestling card than you are going to bring in at the gate.  No matter how passionate you may be about wrestling, you cannot pay bills with passion.
     Just like anything else you would invest in, there is a cost.  The cost of doing business can certainly vary, depending on what kind of show you are attempting to put on (more on that will follow).  There are minimal costs to doing any show, and those minimal costs need to be met to have a very basic event.
    First, you will need a venue.  Are you going to rent a hall of some sort?  Will the venue have seating?  Will the venue have concessions, or will you be in charge of that (And either way, how is that money split?)?  Is there an adequate lockerroom area? How many people will the venue hold?  Is there adequate parking?  Is the neighborhood safe?  Is the venue climate controlled?  What kind of insurance do you need for that venue, and can you obtain it?  Maybe you have long term plans; Are you looking to lease your own facility?  What is the monthly overhead for a venue like that? 
     You have some basic production to take care of too.  You need a ring - are you going to buy one, or do you have access to a reliable rental?  If you have your own ring, do you have a reliable way to transport it, such as a truck or a trailer (Not to mention maintaining and upkeep of both the ring and the transportation)? You need a sound system - buy or rent?  You need insurance, in case something happens to the venue.  Are you going to need things like curtains and railings?  What about lighting? 
    Hey, who is going to run all this stuff?  Do you have someone that can work the door and take tickets (Did you even get cash to make change?)? Do you have someone that can run the sound system, and some kind of ring announcer to introduce the wrestlers and make announcements?  Do you have security, to keep fans out of the lockerroom, and out of the ring?  Who is running the concession stand, or the merchandise table?  Who is setting up the ring, the lighting, the sound, the chairs, etc?
     The person running a wrestling event should never count on drawing a certain figure at the gate in order to cover these costs.  These types of things are the fixed costs of running a show.  These are all expenses that, in general, will provide you with no profitability, but are necessary to holding an event.  Paying for all of the above should be taken care of in-full as part of the budget of running a show.  None of the above will do anything to make your show more attractive, or bring more people to the event; however not doing these things will cause people to avoid the event.
     Sure, there is some wiggle room here-and-there, and some places to cut costs.  At the same time, increasing your investments in some of these areas may give your show a "bigger" feel.  However, there is a certain minimum of acceptability that needs to be adhered to, and you cannot dip below that.  You do not need to go hire a seasoned public address announcer to do your ring announcing; but you also cannot just use your cousin that works for free just because he watches wrestling every Monday night and "knows how to do that".  You cannot run a show in a building with no AC in July when it is 102 degrees outside.  You cannot have 500 people in a building without some kind of legitimate security.

2) The Talent Budget Is a Fixed Cost
     After all the stuff we just talked about as necessary to stage an event, you cannot have wrestling matches without wrestlers.  You need to have wrestlers.  People are often not realistic about the type of wrestlers they can/should book on their events, and often when the fixed costs run high, they try to cut corners with the talent.  Some promoters promise payoffs that they have good intentions of meeting, but they are not able to meet.  Or, some people think that booking a "name" will automatically draw fans.  Regardless of what you draw at the gate, you should have a fixed dollar amount for the talent budget.  A promoter must view the wrestlers the same way as the venue, the ring, or the chairs - it is a fixed cost. 
     How to spend that fixed talent budget is up to the promoter.  Maybe you have a $500 budget and you pay ten wrestlers $50 each.  Maybe you take that same budget and pay one wrestler $250, and the other nine get $27 a piece.  It really doesn't matter,  but you have to have that $500 figured into that budget, and the money has to be paid out to the wrestlers regardless of what the draw is.  That electronics store that you bought your sound system from isn't going to markdown the cost if you have a bad draw - neither should the wrestlers. 
    Often when promoters fall short of their obligations, the first place that they look to cut costs is from the payroll of that event.  It is never the fault of the talent for not drawing; it is the fault of the promoter for not drawing with that talent.  The quickest way to earn a bad reputation among the talent is to not deliver on a promised payday.  One of the quickest ways to earn respect is by delivering on a promised payoff on a bad draw. 
     Let's look at it from a different point of view: If you work on the assembly line at Ford, you are paid a regular wage to build those automobiles.  If the sales are slacking and the company is losing money, when you go to pick up your check on payday you expect to have the full amount of your wages on the check, correct?  Ford cannot pay you less because the cars you built didn't sell.  Maybe they can layoff/terminate you in the future to cut costs, but they cannot short you for pay you have already earned building cars.
     So don't do the same thing to a wrestler. 

3) It Is The Promoter's Job To Promote
     To avoid problems of meeting your payroll and expenses, you have to draw paying fans to your event.  You do this by advertising the event in a way that will generate interest and bring paying customers to the show.  The idea behind being a "promoter" is that there is some kind of event to "promote".  Often, promoters are underfunded, and since so much of their budget is devoted to fixed costs, they skimp on advertising.  This is a fatal flaw, as advertising is just as necessary as the fixed costs, if not more so. 
     No matter how much you spend on a venue or on talent, people have to be aware of the event, and interested in it.  There were more than a few times in my career when I was traveling to a new town and I stopped into a gas station and asked for directions to the "Wrestling show down at the Armory tonight", and people were clueless as to what I was even talking about.  Unacceptable.
     More than likely, the promoter is the person who is investing their money into the events as the operating capital.  Thus, the promoter is the person who loses out if people do not attend.   There are a variety of ways to advertise, but you have to find out what works, and then exploit that for your event.  This is where so many so-called "promoters" fail, because they have no business acumen, and have no understanding of sales or advertising.  Promoting is much more than putting up a few flyers or signs and expecting people to come.
     A promoter will understand that putting someone's name or face on a flyer doesn't mean anything if no one sees it, and if people do not know what it is when they do see it.  There isn't any one way to promote that is correct.  For some folks, television advertisements work, but others may draw well with flyers.  Some people work out agreements with sponsors and local businesses, while some promoters have success working hand-in-hand with community organizations and charities.  There is no formula that always works everywhere, every time.  If you are not the type of person that can do the type of work that generates interest in an event, then you should not be trying to promote. 

4) Hire People That Know What They Are Doing
     The alternative to not knowing how to promote is to hire someone that does know what they are doing.  Maybe you have a venue, a sound system, and the investment money to run shows, but you have no idea how to advertise and market the events?  If that is the case, look for a partner that has that ability, but maybe doesn't have the finances.  Maybe you will have to cut them in on a percentage of the profits, or maybe they will work for a fee - but without them, all you will do is lose money. 
     Over my career I was in many lockerrooms at events where the promoter was clueless on how to run a show.  Since he was the one putting his money into the promotion though, he was going to be the one running things.  So there were quite a few shows where there were over thirty wrestlers in a lockerroom booked for an event, and the show ended up having fourteen matches.  Or maybe the promoter booked a bunch of his half-trained buddies he used to backyard with, and the rest of the guys were all overpriced "names" that the promoter marked-out for. 
     If you do not have a grasp on how the in-ring side and the actual production of an event work, hire a booker to take care of these things.  I cannot stress this enough.  The talent is not going to respect you just because you are giving them a payday.  If a promoter has a vision for how they want their promotion to be, they need to hire a booker to produce those types of events.  Sure, there are some promoters out there that can successfully promote and book their events - but there are so many people out there that have no clue what they are doing.  A person shouldn't have to solicit on messageboards looking for workers.  If you do not know how to go about hiring fully trained professional wrestlers, hire a booker.  If you do not know how to hire a booker, email me here. 

5) You Are Not The Next "ECW"
     I broke into the business in the late 1990's, during the wrestling boom of the "Monday Night Wars".  I was actually a part of a wave of people that got into the business around that time, because with the help of the internet we were able to find out about wrestling schools and independent promotions.   It may sound odd to people that were not around at the time to witness it firsthand, but ECW was a glorified independent promotion that gained enough of a fanbase that it was able to compete (to an extent) with the two big corporate wrestling promotions.
     As more information about professional wrestling became available on the internet, more people decided that they had what it took to star their own independent promotion, and they could be the next promotion to gain a strong fan following and "take on the big boys", just like ECW..
     The cold hard truth of the matter is that ECW gained the following that it did because of a perfect storm of circumstances that will never be duplicated in the same manner.  ECW was based out of Philadelphia, which is where many of the "Apter Mags" were published at that time.  In addition, many of the "dirtsheets" or "newsletters" that covered independent wrestling were based out of the Northeast.  Many of these sheet writers were also active tape traders, and were prolific on Usenet groups.  A lot of you reading the last few sentences are probably clueless to what I am even talking about.  What it boils down to is this: ECW established a unique alternative product to the corporate wrestling product, but did it for an audience that was able to generate interest among other wrestling fans.  At that point in time, if you wanted to watch wrestling, your options were Raw on Mondays, or WCW on Saturday night.  The people involved with the sheets, Usenet, and tape trading were actively seeking out other types of wrestling, and ECW actually had a big enough budget and buzz to appeal to those people.  When the internet boomed for everyone in the mid-1990s, and people went to search for "wrestling" on the internet, they found out about ECW as the awesome alternative to WCW/WWF. 
     That scenario isn't happening again.  Right now WWE has a minimum of four hours of free wrestling on television each week, along with TNA's two hours, plus ROH's syndicated one-hour show.  Plus, many people get CMLL or AAA wrestling if their cable/dish package has Latino channels.  Plus, due to search engines and sites like Youtube and Dailymotion, you can find a ton of current and classic wrestling of every level on demand.  Not to mention all the torrents of PPVs and DVDs out there. 
     This doesn't stop every two-bit wrestling promoter from saying that their promotion can be the "Next ECW" if everyone just works together, puts the company first, and sacrifices for the cause.  This is all horse shit, even if they use another promotion like ROH or Chikara as the example instead of ECW.  It is even a bigger line of bullshit if they say they want to be the next OVW, FCW, or are close to being a "developmental" promotion.  This is a lot like every douchebag with a video camera thinking they are the next Scorcese.  

6) You Are In Competition With Everyone 
     Wrestlers, promoters, and fans often do not realize that everyone is in competition with each other.  Where people fail is in recognizing what they are in competition for.
     The fact of the matter is this: Anyone that is a "fan" of professional wrestling has some kind of limit for what they will invest in their wrestling activities.  Some people will only invest a couple hours on Monday Night to watch Raw, or perhaps will invest in a ticket to a WWE event when it comes to town.  On the other end of the spectrum, some people will watch as much wrestling as they can, go to as many events as they can, and will buy as much merchandise as they can.  This is not unique to wrestling, but to any leisure activity.  Think of a baseball fan who might watch a game here and there, but maybe only goes out to the ballpark for one game a year, while another guy has a closet full of jerseys, a billion baseball cards, and is in three different fantasy leagues. 
     What a promoter needs to do to be successful is to make the oath that they will make their product as appealing as possible to the people that might spend their money on wrestling, so that when they go to spend that entertainment dollar, they spend it on their product. 
     In this sense, a promoter is in competition with every other possible alternative to their product, be it high school football, movie theaters, amusement parks, and - of course, other wrestling promotions. In the strictest sense, this means that your promotion is in competition with groups like the WWE.  A lot of people misunderstand that, and automatically assume that that statement means that a promoter thinks that they can compete with the WWE on a monetary level.  This is not the case. 
    What that statement means is that if an individual has a budget - for example $50 a month - to spend on wrestling, then you want that money spend on your product.  For instance, on a regular Saturday night show, you average an attendance figure of 300 paying fans.  If the WWE comes to town on the same night as you are running a show, you want those 300 regular fans to chose to attend your show over WWE that night.  You are in competition for that $50.  Even if it is not the WWE, maybe it is another independent promoter - you are competing for that same wrestling fan's budget.  Maybe you are competing against a local hockey team's televised playoff game; Whatever may come between you and that fan's disposable income is competition.  The promoter's goal should be to get as big of a percentage of that budget from as many fans in the area as possible. 

7) They Are Not Marks, They Are Loyal Customers
     Because professional wrestling has its roots in the carnival, professional wrestling has long had the tradition of treating fans like crap.  It is not hard to find a story about some wrestler or promoter doing something "carny" in order to make a quick buck off of an easy target.  Many people still have the attitude that wrestling is about getting as much money as possible from a fan, without giving them anything in return. 
     Many people use the term "Dusty Finish" without truly knowing what it means.  The Dusty Finish was a booking strategy and promotional device that essentially gave the fans a happy ending, only to jerk it away and make them feel screwed.  It was a bad promotional tactic, because if a fan feels that they have been ripped-off, they are less likely to spend their money to see another event.  Carny promoters will cackle in joy at ripping off a fan, because they often have the mentality that "I already have your money".  Their ignorance misses the fact that their actions will prevent them from getting any more money.
    If a promoter wants to build a loyal fan base, they will avoid doing things that will make the fan feel as if they were ripped off.  Sure, the bad guy has to come out on top sometimes, but there is a difference between a fan wanting to come back to see the villain get his comeuppance, and feeling as if they were cheated out of their money. 
     If you go out to eat at a restaurant, you want to have good food, a short wait, prompt friendly service, and a reasonable charge for those services.  Have you ever gone to a restaurant and found out that the soft drinks did not include free refills, but only after your drank six cokes, and your waitress repeatedly asked if you wanted a refill (but never told you there was a charge)?  Feel ripped off?  Would you want to go back again, even knowing now how they worked you for money before, and being smart enough not to fall for it again?  Probably not.
     If someone no-shows your event, be upfront about it.  Do not advertise wrestlers who will not be there.  Do not advertise matches that you do not intend to have.  Do not think that putting "Card Subject To Change" at the bottom of a flyer or on a ticket absolves you of having to deliver what you advertise.  When something beyond your control happens and forces changes to an event, be upfront about why, and make an effort to "make good" on what was advertised. 

8) Do Not Do The Same Thing As Everyone Else
    One of the poorest kept secrets in wrestling is that wrestlers all have egos, and that they all think they are stars, or are going to be the next big thing.  The truth is that most wrestlers are dumb jocks that are just looking to be famous.  Sadly, a lot of people are in the business now that shouldn't be, because it is just too easy to get in. 
     What this leads to quite often is that in any given area you will have a local pool of talent that wants to be booked on every show in that area, and you are the asshole if you do not book them and pay them well.  Keep in mind, they expect you to pay them more than everyone else in the area, but they still expect to work for everyone else in the area for whatever payoffs they have been getting.  Guess what this leads to? 
     It leads to every show in that area looking exactly the same.  Two guys are a tag team on this promoter's event, but across town at a different event they are in a blood feud over a girl.  This makes everyone look foolish.  Do not use the same talent as everyone else. 
     Wrestlers are always quick to point out how it is "independent wrestling" and you cannot keep them from working anywhere else.  This is true.  However, you also do not have to book anyone that you do not want to.  If a wrestler works for everyone in the area, he isn't drawing anything for you.  Any hard work you put into promoting them and making a name for them benefits someone else, so do not do it.  If you are going to book them, do not make them a featured part of your promotion; use them to enhance the talent that you are going to build around. 
     While there are some business models built on using local talent, quite often it makes no sense to use more than a handful of local guys, along with guys from a multitude of other regions.  If you are running a show in Columbus, doesn't it make sense to use three or four guys from the area, along with a couple from Cincinnati, a couple from Pittsburgh, a couple from West Virginia, a couple from Cleveland, and a couple from Detroit?  Meanwhile, everyone else in the area is using the same ten to twelve guys from Columbus. 
 
9) What Kind of Product Do You Want To Present?
     There are almost as many different types of promotions as their are types of wrestling, or types of wrestlers.  If done correctly, almost any type can be successful.  The problem often stems from when the promotion has no real identity. 
     Many promotions branch out from a wrestling school.  If you are running a promotion in tandem with a training center, then the training center needs to be top notch, and the events need to fit the needs of the school.  If you only have three or four trainees, you are going to have to find other wrestlers to fill out the cards - do you want to use veterans and try to draw, or do you want to do low budget shows featuring young local talent? 
     Do you have access to a large venue once a month?  Do you think you can fill 1000 seats with all local trainees?  In a case like that, maybe you want to bring in a ton of veterans and "name" wrestlers to draw a large crowd?  Maybe you have a business model where you will make money from DVDs, so you want a venue that looks good on video, and wrestlers that know how to work towards a camera?
    Do you have a fanbase that likes a certain type of wrestling, like brawling, high flying, technical mat wrestling, etc?  Do you want to try to build that fanbase, or just book guys of a style that you like?  Maybe your fans love high flying guys, but you prefer to book bodybuilder types that work a basic style?  Do you want to serve your fanbase, or satisfy your own preferences? 
   It is important to know what group you are trying to market to, what your goals are as a business, and how to get where you want to go.  Like I said earlier, it is often hard to get there, so do not be afraid to hire/partner with people that can help you reach those goals. 

10) It Is A Business, Not A Hobby
     Wrestling is fun.  It is supposed to be fun, just like any sport.  However, bills do not get paid by fun.  You have to take it seriously. 
     I am not saying that there can't be practical jokes, or that good times cannot be had by all, but the things that go into a show must be taken seriously.  If you do not take advertising a show seriously, no one will show up.  No matter how fun a card might look on paper, it is always better when there is a crowd there.  If you forget to book a ring, or to book a wrestler, or whatever, it can lead to you losing money.  And after you lose a certain amount of money, you are going to have to fold up shop no matter how fun things might be. 
    At the same time, you are probably a fool if you get into professional wrestling thinking you are going to make a pile of money.  You should enjoy what you are doing.  The goal should always be to have another show, and for it to be bigger than the last one.  If you make money off of each show, that can happen.  The goal should be to keep the doors open as long as possible.  That goal can only be met by putting on quality shows with quality talent, and having a strong fanbase. 
    For a long time I worked for a promoter that figured out what the bare minimum was to keep his doors open, and he did only what he needed to get by.  While it gave me a place to practice my craft, in the long term it didn't benefit anyone because nothing ever grew from it.  Why risk more money on a big show that might draw a good crowd, when he could not do a damn thing and fifty people would show up?  Hey, as long as the budget was less than what the gate was, the promoter made money, right? 
    Every wrestler that spends any time in the business gets to a point where they try to figure out of what they are doing to their body is worth what they are making from it.  Promoters are the same way, but instead of the body taking the beating, it is the wallet.  If you treat it like a business, the wallet will take less of a pounding, and the doors can stay open longer. 
     You should always be looking for feedback from your fans.  The people that buy the tickets are customers, and you are servicing them.  Find out what they liked and did not like about the show.  Find out what wrestlers drew them to the show, and what else you can do to help bring them back. 
     However, you shouldn't live and die by what the fans say.  In all sorts of different walks of life, people will offer up their opinion, and advice.  Politics, sports, fashion, etc.  Everyone is a great backseat driver.  Look at how many people hop online after their local football team loses, and talks about all the things that would have done differently, and why the coach should be fired. 
     The important thing to look at is how people are spending their money.  If you are growing your fanbase and your revenues are going up, you are doing something right.  It is always good to get insight from your customers on what they think about the product, but you cannot live-and-die by what they say.  Maybe you will find out that the fans think the seats at your venue are uncomfortable, or that the shows seem to go on too long.  Those are things that are good to know, so you can address them.  But if a guy think syour shows blow because Wrestler A Should be champ and not Wrestler B, take it with a grain of salt - especially if he keeps coming back to every event. 
    Part of being a good promoter (and a good booker) is being able to read the pulse of your fans, and to find out what things really concern them, and which things do not.  A good promoter will take care of the actual wants and needs, and will leave the idle chatter where it belongs. 

Ten Things That Every Young Wrestler Should Know

I actually didn't get into the business by just going to a wrestling school and paying someone to train; I had a lot of people help me get my foot in the door the old school way, and take me under their wing and give me advice, help get me bookings, and help me learn to do things the right way.  During my time as a professional wrestler, I was always willing to help out other guys in the business, kind of a way to pay forward what people did for me.  

When I have a conversation with someone seeking my opinion or advice, one of the topics most often brought is what kind of tips or pointers do I have for a young guy just breaking into the business.  So, I have decided to list a few tips and pointers here that any independent wrestler can take as food for thought, reflection, and further discussion.  Some of these things I learned the hard way, some of these things I had passed on to me and I saw the truth behind them. Some things are just plain damn sense that people in this business just get caught up in and lose sight of. 

1) Social Media is a Loaded Gun. 
     If you have Facebook/Twitter/MySpace or some other kind of social networking account, you should know and understand the power of what you are using.  You should also understand how dangerous it can be.  How often do you hear about some celebrity, politician, or athlete posting something stupid/racist/sexist/controversial on Twitter, and then a media firestorm erupts over what they posted?  Sure, you may not have a million followers like Lady Gaga or Ashton Kutcher, but there are probably fans that attend wrestling events following you in some way.  There are probably also a few trolls and people "keeping an eye" on you; "Haters" if you will, just looking for you to screw up.  So, if you send out a status update that says "The promoter I work for is an asshole", there is a good chance that someone will screen-grab it, or re-tweet it before you can say "Eh, I was just playing around" and remove the tweet.  If you tweet something, someone will see it.
     If you use social media to promote yourself and to interact with fans, then do not use those same accounts for personal business.  If you want to post about a basketball game, or the weather, it doesn't really matter.  However, if you are supposed to be injured and unable to wrestle on the next show, you probably shouldn't be posting pics of you and your college buddies playing football in the mud. You shouldn't be using your Twitter account to ask why your ex-girlfriend won't take you back. 
    If you have a gimmick where you are a barbaric savage, wear a mask, you do not know English, or that you are an orphan, then do not use your Facebook to post pics of you at your day job in a suit, unmasked, not in a foreign language, or with your parents.  Make a separate account for personal use, or at the very least keep a degree of kayfabe on your social media.  It is okay to tell your friends where you will be wrestling, but it isn't okay to tell your fans where Uncle Wally's barbecue is at.  You have to view it the same way as if you were cheating on a spouse - you slip up just once you can get caught.
   If you wrestle as John Smith, then you shouldn't be plugging wrestling dates for "John Smith" on a Facebook profile for your real name.  99.9% of the people I come in contact with thru wrestling have no idea what name is on my birth certificate - and they shouldn't. 

2) The Wrestler Wrestles, The Promoter Promotes
     Without exception these days, the business defines the promoter as the person who rents a building and arranges for the ring to arrive.  Or, people think that the promoter is the person who "books" the show.  No, the person in charge of spreading the word, advertising, and building interest for an event is the promoter.  The word "promote" is right there in the title.   There could be fifty different people putting money into the event looking to seek a profit - those are the "investors".  The promoter is the person responsible for getting people into the building, and drawing enough fans for the costs of the show to be covered - including the cost of the talent.
     Now, should the wrestler take it upon themselves to spread the word about where they will be appearing and so forth?  Absolutely.  A wrestler should have their schedule of upcoming appearances listed on a website, and/or they should be plugging dates on social media.  The wrestler should do this to promote themselves, and not necessarily for the company.  If the fanbase of the wrestler attends an even because that particular worker is on the card, that means they are a draw.  Letting your fans know where you will be allows you to become a draw. Second, it allows people who might be interested in using you know when you are booked, and when you aren't.
   What you should not be doing is building websites, making posters, flyering cars, standing outside of Wal-mart handing out handbills, or sending out press releases to websites - unless you are getting paid to do it in some way.  That stuff is the job of the promoter. 

     Take wrestling out of the equation, and pretend you are a professional baseball player instead.  Do you think that there is a first baseman out there in MLB, AAA, AA or A baseball that is expected to bring all of their friends to an event in order to get paid to play in a game?  Do you think that these teams, even at the lowest levels, have management that is only responsible for finding a stadium, and scheduling games?  Wouldn't it be ridiculous if the best player on the team was benched because their backup brought all of their friends and family to the game, so they got to play?
    Even the smallest minor-league teams have promotions departments that are responsible for getting fans to come into a stadium and watch a bunch of nobodies play baseball.  Sure, the players are responsible for doing things like commercials, public appearances, and stuff like that - but they are arranged by the team's promotions department.
     If you are only getting booked because you do favors for a promoter, get out of the business.  That makes you no better than the rat that spreads her legs for the booker to get on the show.  A whore is a whore.  

3) Practice Your Craft...
     The point of being a professional welder is that you are attempting to make a living by being paid to weld things.  You don't weld things for people for free, because then your family doesn't eat.  The same is true with wrestling.
    If you are just starting out as a welder, you can make a name for yourself and build up a resume by perhaps working a low-paying job and mastering your craft, before moving on to a better position in a different shop, starting your own shop, or getting a promotion.  The same applies in wrestling. 
  If you are a young wrestler starting out, you should be looking for as many bookings as you can.  At that point, the biggest and most important thing is practicing your craft.  You need to make a schedule with as few holes as possible.  This is called paying your dues.  This is the time when you pack a cooler on the road full of PB&J because you are driving five hours to wrestle for $5 in front of twenty fans.  This is when four guys take turns driving an eight hour shot all night long because you didn't make enough to get a hotel room.  This is how you build up a resume, just like that welder.

4)...And Make People Pay For Your Services
    However, at some point you should have established yourself enough, and have enough of a schedule built up, where you make the choice to go for quality, and not quantity.  That is where money comes in.
    Never take a booking without knowing the pay situation up-front.  Period.  If a promoter says "I will give you $50, guaranteed" and he tries to give you $10, you either get your $50, or you call the cops, take it out of his ass, or leave with a part of his ring - but you get your $50.  If a promoter tells you "the pay depends on the house we draw", it is ok if you accept the booking, as long as you know that you might not get paid.  If a promoter says "I can give you $25 and if we have a good house, maybe more", then you make sure you get your $25... but if the draw was 1000 fans you better expect more.
    Think about it: Would that welder build something for someone without some kind of agreement on what he will be paid?  If he agrees to build something for $1000, is the person that hired him able to turn to him and say "Hey, my paycheck wasn't as big as I thought it would be, here is $300"?  Of course not.  Work out what you will be paid in advance, and then use the tools at your disposal to make sure you get paid.

5) Be Realistic About Money
     Just because you finished wrestling school and are ready to be on cards doesn't mean you are worth a damn to anyone.  No one should expect to be getting "fair" paydays right out of the gate.  Sometimes it actually does make sense for you to lose money on a booking for the exposure.  If you are fresh out of wrestling school and no one is willing to put you on a card, maybe wrestling for free in front of twenty people is worth it, so that you can get the chance to work in front of a real crowd, video footage, experience, etc.
     At some point though, you have to be realistic.  If you are only getting booked for these type of shitty shows, then you are doing something wrong.  Just because you keep working them does not make you deserve more money.  You deserve more money when you bring more people thru the door.  The type of payday you can get is basic supply & demand.  If people booking shows want to use you, they should be willing to pay for you.  The best way that you can insure this is by keeping your schedule full.  If you have a full schedule, then you are in short supply because you lack available dates.  This causes promoters to pay more for your services on the dates you have available.   
   When you have a full schedule, that is when you can talk realistically about money.  Think about it.  If you only work one place, and they only run once a month, then you are only worth whatever they pay you.  However, if you are booked every Saturday of the month, then if someone wants to book you they have to compete for your services.  Never forget that you are a commodity, but that you have to put in work to make yourself into a commodity. 


6) You Cannot Pay Dues Without Traveling
     A greenhorn learns how the business works in a car.  The business is learned by driving down the road and talking about experiences, sharing stories, and what to do/not do in the business.  Cars are where veterans teach rookies.  When I was a greenhorn, I drove a veteran around, I helped set-up rings, I carried bags, and I shut up and listened.  I asked dumb questions, got ribbed, and learned how the business worked.
     If you never go on the road, never sit in a car and talk about what happened on a show, never try to keep everyone awake until you hit the next town - then you are not paying dues.  Paying dues is not driving thirty minutes to a building in the town you live in.  Paying dues is driving eight hours to a building, then helping set-up a ring, put out chairs, and put on a show.  If you work in one place, in front of one crowd, with the same wrestlers, you will never get any better, because you will not learn the business.  You will always be a greenhorn.
     Guys that travel become a commodity, they become well-rounded workers, and they learn what is bullshit, and what works.  The guys that do not travel will shit all over the guys that do travel.  But while they work in front of the same crowd over and over again, they will be the same shitty wrestler every time - it is the nature of the business.  Experience is how you learn in wrestling, and you cannot get different experiences if you do not travel.  And you cannot pay dues if you do not have experiences.
    "Wrestling as many places as you can" also does not mean wrestling for every promotion in the same area (usually where you live).  This is the quickest way to being an eternal greenhorn.  If you live in Winchestertonville, and you wrestle every weekend within an hour drive of that town, all you are doing is overexposing yourself.  If the fans of the Wincestertonville area can see you on any show in the area on any given weekend, then you are not providing anything unique to a promoter, so you are not a commodity, and you are worthless.  You have to establish yourself in other areas, and on a regular basis. 

7) Be a Damn Professional
     Anyone who tells you that you don't need to do the following things has probably never done a damn thing in this business.
     Professional wrestling is about trusting your physical well-being to another person, in order to tell a story in the ring.  Shit happens and people get hurt, it is the nature of the sport.  Taking advantage of another person's body in order to intentionally do it harm is unprofessional.  Period.  "Shooting" on someone, or "stiffing" them because you do not like them is unprofessional, because it goes in direct contrast with what the business is built on - trust.  Never act like an unprofessional in the ring, and never work with people who are unprofessional.  If you cannot act professional towards someone, avoid them - period. 
     Being a professional also means acting like a professional outside of the ring.  Most college and pro athletes have a dress code for travel and game days.  When I was in high school, varsity athletes had to wear shirts and ties on gameday.  Dress like a professional. I am not saying that you need to wear a $5000 suit to a show, but you should not be dressed like the fans coming to see you perform.  At the very least, dress like you are going on a date.  If you are in a main event, you should probably be wearing a suit, or at the very least a shirt and tie.  Dress appropriate to gimmick, and keep kayfabe.  You should be well groomed and smell nice.  No one wants to work with a guy that stinks.  Make sure your your gear is washed.  Treat wrestling like it is a real job, because it is the wrestling business.
    Always be on time; And by "on time" I mean "early".   As soon as you walk into the building, find the person responsible for you being booked on the card, and shake their hand.  Shake the hand of everyone else too, and introduce yourself by the name you prefer to be called.  Ask the guys in charge if they need any help with things like putting up chairs, etc, and then help out.
    Obey local customs. 
    The weekend warrior type guy that says that it is OK to wear CM Punk shirts to the show, and to arrive after the first match has started is not steering you in the right direction.  He is probably the guy that only works one place, and half-asses everything because to him it is just a hobby. The guy half-assing it might keep another guy in the lockerroom from his big break. Respect the business.
    

8) Never Settle
     There have been numerous points in my career where I stagnated at a promotion, and if I wanted to keep working there, I would have to basically go back down the card and tread water.  However, I also had the option of packing up and going elsewhere.  If you want to make a name for yourself in this business, you have to constantly push yourself, and grow your business and name.  You cannot be afraid to relocate to another city, or to hop in a car and drive for hours to wrestle.  You just can't.
     You should never feel you owe something to a promoter just because they book you - aside from your best effort in the ring.  Any promoter who says "I booked you when no one else would" as a reason why you should work for them for free, or for less than what others are willing to pay, is working you.  If you want to help someone that gave you a break, or took a chance on you, that is awesome - but you should never feel pressure to work for someone because you used to work for them, or because you took advantage of their opportunities in the past.
     Quite often young guys break into the business working for one promotion, and then get scared to leave when other opportunities present themselves.  Sometimes money is an issue, or it is about exposure, or better matches.  It can be hard sometimes, because in a way it is like leaving the nest... but at some point it either has to be done, or you are letting someone break your will.
    To be more blunt, you do not have to do anything you do not want to do.  You always, ALWAYS have the option of declining a booking, or quitting.


9) Honor Your Bookings
     If you accepted a booking, honor it.  "Honor" doesn't necessarily mean "turn down a better opportunity", as much as it means to "do right by".  If you are booked two hours away for a $50 payday, and someone wants you on the same date an hour away for $75, then you need to take your reputation and the business into account - and a vast majority of the time you will find the concept of "honor your first commitment" will trump all.
    However, maybe the offer is for a tryout for a major promotion, or an overseas tour, or to curtain jerk a show with a guaranteed house of 1000 paid fans?  Usually if you go to the original promoter, explain the opportunity, and come up with a solution to them down the line, things can be worked out.
     Remember, there are a limited number of open dates to be booked, and there is only one of you.  If different promoters are all wanting you on the same dates, then you are a commodity that they need to pay for.  At the same time, you need to maintain the quality of your product (You!), so do not do things that sully your reputation.  If you become known as a guy that no-shows or holds promoters up for more money, you will find your demand goes down.  Do business as a professional.

10) Figure Out What Your Goals Are
    When I decided I wanted to be a wrestler, business was booming in the US, Japan, and Mexico.  There were three major US promotions with weekly television shows on cable television.  However, after about two years that all dried up.  Like most guys that get into wrestling, I did so because I loved wrestling, and I wanted to do it; I had a passion for it.  It got to a point though where I had to decide what I wanted to do as a professional wrestler. 
    Too often guys get into this business thinking "I want to wrestle at Wrestlemania".  While it is awesome that you may have that goal, you need to look at where you are, what you are, and what it takes to achieve your goal.  Nothing is impossible, but you can make it impossible with your attitude, and your choices. 
     If your goal in this business is to wrestle for the WWE, and nothing else matters, then the only logical thing to do is get basic training, and then move and train at a school that is well known as a WWE breeding-ground.
    If you want to hone your skills and be the best possible wrestler that you can be, then find a place that will develop your skills in that way.  If you want to become a lucha libre style flyer, it would be pointless to work in hardcore brawling promotions. 
    If your goal is to make a living at wrestling, then you need to make lifestyle adjustments and do the things necessary to make as much money as possible.
    Guys that want to work for the WWE but do not want to drive an hour for an independent booking are kidding themselves.  If you are signed by the WWE, they expect you to move your entire life to where they are doing their development work.  You will be on the road five or six days a week.  In Mexico guys sometimes wrestle ten matches a week.  Tours in Japan can last six weeks.
      Figure out what you want to do within the professional wrestling business, and then figure out what it takes to get there, and then work towards that goal.

The New Territories

I saw an article today on the blog Pro Wrestling Men In Tights, entitled "New-age Territories...".  I think that it is an interesting subject matter, but I actually disagree with the author on his take. 

I do not think the author, "the Rockshow" Ernie Ballz, is an idiot or anything like that, I just think that his idea has so many flaws that it would never work.  Rather than pick apart his concept, I decided to just put forth my own idea for ridicule and debate. 

Much like Ballz said in his column, the territories of yesteryear are never going to really make a comeback - at least in that form.  For something to work, you have to be realistic about the landscape of what you are dealing with.  That means that admitting that despite what they may be doing business-wise, to a vast majority of the people in this country, wrestling is the WWE.  You have to assume that a vast majority of the fans that attend live events, order PPV, or even just watch WWE programming are not going to bother with anything else, simply because it is not the WWE.  


When you look at the billions of dollars at the WWE's disposal, and the establishment of their brand as "wrestling", you should realize that it is impossible to compete with the WWE without a similar billion dollar backing.  However, the WWE has a gaping hole in their business model, which is that they are a touring company - a troupe.   It is impossible for the WWE to run everywhere consistently.  In fact, if you live in a large urban area, WWE probably only comes to town once or twice a year.  If you live in a mid-sized city, the WWE may never come to town.  


The opportunity for money to be made in the wrestling business comes from attempting to fill the void left by the WWE when they are not running in a particular area.  What defines the WWE so strongly are their stars.  What independent promotions fail at miserably is the ability to make stars.  


The term "independent" in relation to wrestling was originally based on the idea that the NWA was an regulatory body of sorts, and that some promoters were running outside of that organization, or "independent" of it.  When the NWA and all of their redtape went away (for all intents and purposes), "independent wrestling" was simply small wrestling shows, where the wrestlers were in fact independent contractors.  


What advantage does the WWE have over any other promotion?  They are able to pay wrestlers a wage where it can be a full-time job.  


In the "old days", the territories were actually formed around what was known as the "booking office".  Essentially, promoters were the people who ran live events at arenas, and bookers were the people who provided talent for those events.  The booking office was the key.  The booking office was essentially the promoter of the wrestlers - the talent.  Originally the talent would sign contract with the promoter to work through their office, and it was that office's job to provide the wrestler with enough dates in order to make a living.  It was also the office's job to provide the arena promoters with enough desirable talent to fill all of their seats.  


Over time and through consolidation, the bookers eventually took over the promotion of the events.  However, a business practice was established in the process - a venue that was in need of events would be run on a regular schedule.  This gave birth to such things as the weekly wrestling show.  However, a wrestler would not be able to make a living just by wrestling once a week, unless a massive gate was drawn every week. So, for a booking office to be viable, it had to be able to book wrestlers into a number of venues and towns, so that they could get enough work.  I still believe that this system can work, even though it cannot be on the same scale as the WWE.  It still works to an extent in Mexico, where the CMLL promotion is essentially a booking office that also owns (or holds leases to operate) venues across Mexico. 


What Ballz essentially stated in his piece was that promoters should group together to share talent.  He said that if you had promoters in OH, MI, PA, and IN, they could rotate weekends and share talent, without stepping on each other's toes.  Perhaps.  What if instead though, you had one booking office in Cleveland, and that booking office provided the talent for shows in the surrounding areas (Akron, Youngstown, Erie, Toledo, and all the small town in between).  And what if you had another office down in Cincinnati, which did the same thing (for Dayton, Chillicothe, Portsmouth, Maysville, NKy, Lima).  Pittsburgh could have an office too (Wheeling, Washington, Morgantown, Butler,)... see where I am going here?  


The problem with Independent wrestling is that promoters generally work on a shoe-string budget, and cannot afford to run shows very often.  In turn, wrestlers generally do not get paid much, so they do not want to travel to establish their name.  So, what you end up having is wrestlers working for every promoter in the same area, but not providing any continuity.  All I am suggesting is that someone take that next step, make that investment, and start putting wrestlers under contract, and then sub-contracting them out to event promoters.  


This is how boxing has worked for over a century, and this is how UFC works.  Wrestlers essentially would hire the booking office as an agent, and then the agent would book them out.  By having someone whose sole job is to promote the wrestlers and not necessarily events, the wrestlers can be made out to be bigger stars.  


Granted, there is more to it than just having a guy book talent out, but that is the first step.  

It is with great sadness that I, Nikita Allanov, must announce the termination of my relationship with the Fraternal Order of Professional Wrestlers (FOPW) effective immediately.  I had no part in the actions that were taken by members of the FOPW on Saturday night November 26th in Moundsville, WV, nor did I have any prior knowledge that those actions were going to take place.  Because of the actions of members of the group, I would like to distance myself from the group. 

The FOPW came about when a long time colleague of mine, Michael Smith, and myself had numerous long conversations about the state of the business of professional wrestling, and how the business practices of many of the promoters and wrestlers within it were severely harming the business that we both loved so dear. 

My idea was to create an organization to help educate professional wrestlers, and to organize my fellow wrestlers into a group that could actually have an influence.  I wanted to create a network between wrestlers and trainers, so that training information and techniques could be shared.  My ultimate goal was to create some kind of standard for training - such as the colored belt system used in karate and other martial arts. 

Others involved with the organization wanted to use the group as a "watchdog" organization, to keep tabs on the practices of promoters and athletic commissions; To see who was booking untrained wrestlers, what rules athletic commissions were actually enforcing, which promoters were reneging on pay agreements, etc.  I found many of these goals worthwhile myself, so I helped to shape the organization. 

Over a year ago the FOPW had their first controversy when a member of the group attnded a meeting of the Ohio Athletic Commission, and spoke with Commissioner Bernie Profato.  The basic point of the meeting was to introduce the concept of the organization to the OAC.  However, the FOPW name was quickly brought up when an Ohio promoter canceled a show, and word quickly (and falsely) spread that the FOPW was doing the grunt work of the OAC.  Since most wrestlers are uninformed an ignorant, the broad consensus among people aware of the organization was that the FOPW was a bunch of Pennsylvania wrestlers trying to ruin wrestling in Ohio. 

When this situation settled down, it became my suggestion that the group refocus on gathering information, and working to gain more wrestlers in the membership, so that the group was a better reflection on the membership's views and opinions, rather than a small number.  At the same time my availibility changed, and I was not able to contribute to the group as often, although I was generally kept abreast of the organization's activities.

Awhile back I was made aware of a wrestling fan in the Moundsville area that was attending wrestling shows and approaching various wrestlers about jumping ship to his promotion, that had never ran a show before.  About a month or so ago I was made aware that the promoter I work for in that area - Rikk Diamond - was planning an event for the night that this rival was expected to debut - November 26th. 

I am currently inured, and I have not appeared on any wrestling cards as a competitor since April.  I was not in Moundsville on the 26th.  When I woke up this morning I saw a video posted by the FOPW, and frankly, it disgusted me.   The video showed a number of wrestlers who had just worked at Diamonds event, walking into the show that was running opposition and disrupting the event in the name of the FOPW. 

In my mind the purpose of the FOPW is for the betterment of the sport of professional wrestling, and this incident did nothing but destroy any credibility that the FOPW may have had, embarrass Diamond, embarrass myself, and embarrass professional wrestling.  This does not seem like the betterment of the sport which I love so dear, and have dedicated over fourteen years of my life too. 

Over the last few months while I have been injured I have been developing my philosophy of professional wrestling, which I have dubbed "Live Strongstyle".  I am hoping to finish research and begin writing the book based on this philosophy soon.  A number of my colleagues, friends, and fans have said they look forward to my writing.  I am going to redirect my ideas and thoughts about professional wrestling into this book. 

Thank you. 

Do Not Whine About It, Just Walk Away

Recently a couple of notable independent wrestlers from the US started posting things on the internet, indicating their intentions to hang up the boots out of frustration with not being able to get signed by the WWE.  One of them posted a lengthy video in which he appeared to have a mental breakdown of sorts, where he cried, and said that it was "unfair" that he never got a break because of his size, and that he had dedicated years of his life to a dream that he will never realize.

Honestly, a few times I have posted things here and there about my frustrations with the wrestling business.  I have never really gone in-depth with it, because a lot of it is nobody's business but mine.

I got into wrestling back in 1998, so I am a thirteen year veteran of this business.  When I got into this business, WCW, ECW and WWF were all running and looking for new talent. The business was on fire.  It was the Monday Night Wars.  There were a ton of independent wrestling shows being run by legitimate promoters.  Guys I worked with and knew personally were getting looked at and working shows with the big companies. By 2001 when I was out of college and ready to devote myself "full-time" to pursuing my dream, WCW and ECW were out of business, and I knew that all those workers now out of jobs were going to be killing opportunities for me. In addition, there were so many indy wrestlers fresh into the business because they got in during the 1990's boom, there just weren't enough spots to go around. I had a dream of being a television wrestling star someday, and that dream quickly disappeared before I even got a real shot at it. 

So, I adjusted my dream - my goal was to make a living off of wrestling. The problem with this dream became that everyone and their brother thought they could open up the next promotion and become the next "ECW", and in a few years take on the WWF. I had opportunities with major companies that came and went, and I made a lot of sacrifices - but there was no way I could support myself on wrestling.

Here is a dirty little secret about wrestling: A lot of these guys wrestling on shows still live at home with their parents, or mooch off girlfriends, and have no means to support themselves. I was never afforded such a luxury.  My parents had to work hard to pay their own bills, they couldn't handle a freeloader.  If I wanted to eat and pay my bills, I had to have a real job. You would be surprised how many "wrestlers" who live at home with their parents and play X-box all day long actually have the audacity to criticize guys who have real jobs as "unprofessional" and "weekend warriors".

In 2007, with nine years in the business, going thru a divorce, in major debt, with a very ill and widowed mother, and with a sister going thru personal problems as well, I decided I was going to move back to my hometown of Cincinnati and continue to wrestle, but to finally just let the dream go. At that point, I discovered that the mortgage industry I had worked in for the past seven years was falling apart, and that my degree was about as useful as a parking ticket when it came to getting a good job. So, even with a great degree from a Big Ten school, I was another schmuck who was working a menial job to pay the bills - and wrestling a couple weekends a month.

Soon however, I made a solid name for myself in this area, and somehow I became in-demand from local promoters.  A different territory had different payoffs, and I was suddenly getting bigger paydays than previously, and I was picking up more bookings with much less travel.  Around that time I met a woman who, at the time, was very supportive of me and my dream, so I dove back into things head first, but with adjusted expectations.  I was going to have fun, and try to become as complete of a worker as I possibly could.  I wanted to draw big houses and have great matches - I didn't care about "making it".  So, I was going at it again full-steam.

When the girl I was in a relationship with lost her job, I wasn't able to support her and two kids with my day job and with wrestling on the weekends.  I ended up losing that woman to wrestling.   I was undeterred though, and I started having some of the best matches and drawing some awesome houses - I was motivated as hell. Everything else in my life was falling apart, but I was good at wrestling, and I was gonna keep doing it. With no one to feel obligated to, I started traveling more.  Back to Pittsburgh and West Virginia, and still keeping my dates for all over Ohio.  I must be crazy. 

These days, I am pretty much booked every weekend. I wrestle in front of crowds as few as 50-75 people, and I main event shows that sell out venues in front of 300-400 people. I realize that I am never going to really make a living wrestling. I get injured, I do not make any money, I travel way too much, I never have any real "down time", and I have waaaaaay too many miles on my car. I purchased a 2007 model-year car in 2006, and I have 75000 miles on it.   I cannot afford a big screen TV or the medical bills that I rack up.

But, I love what I do on the weekends, and I am happy. I wish I got paid a million dollars a year to do what I do, but I don't. I love it, so I do it for virtually nothing. Not enough people do the math on the money in independent wrestling.  300 people at $10 a ticket is a gate of $3000.  Subtract from that the cost of promotion, renting a building, security, licensing, promoting, sound and light equipment, rings, and then look at what you have left.  Then divide that up between 14-30 wrestlers that are on shows.  That is on a good night too, because 300 is a good house by indy standards. 

I struggle all week long working 40-50 hours at a physical job so I can pay my bills. I put in countless hours at the gym every night. I have lost many awesome women in my life that couldn't handle my schedule and commitments. But, that is my choice.

So fuck guys who have made way more money than me in this business posting about how they have been fucked by the business and their life is ruined. Grow the hell up and be a man. 

When people I know or work with outside of wrestling find out I wrestle, it kind of usually just gets blown off.  "Like Hulk Hogan" they often say, which pisses me off.  Many of them will end up Googling me, or will find a video on youtube or something, and find out that I'm legit, and not some douchebag yardtard.  This always leads to the inevitable question of "Why aren't you on WWE?", as if all I had to do was just go sign up or something and I was on tv the following week.

So, I usually try to relate things in layman's terms.  I will often use the analogy of "Well, it is like I am in a band, and we go all over the area and play gigs, but we never got a record deal".  That, makes sense to me, because there are a lot of good bands and musicians out there that aren't on the radio or on MTV.  Or, I will describe myself as a minor leaguer who never got called up to the big leagues.  People usually understand then, but often they will be a dumbass and ask "Well, then why do you do it then?"


Because I love it, and that is all I know. 

When I have personal problems or a mental breakdown over not being a success at what I chose to commit to doing, I do not go feeling sorry for myself in a youtube video, or on my twitter, or my blog.  I rely on my loved ones, my friends, and my family - my actual real life support system.  Hell, there have been many of my friends within the business that I have seen have breakdowns like in the video, but it was when I was having a heart-to-heart with them - not on the internet for everyone to see.  I dunno about you, but I have never seen a career minor league baseball player make a video crying about how it is unfair how he made all these sacrifices and bus rides and never made it to the big leagues. 

This is something that should be done in private, and not in front of a camera.  Doing it publicly, when you are a public figure with a persona you have groomed over time, is akin to throwing yourself a pity party.  Is Vince McMahon gonna see this guy crying about how bad he wants into the WWE and sign him?  What is a viewer of that supposed to do help the situation - demand that promoters pay him more and not make him travel so much?  He is complaining about travel and missing birthdays and funerals - does he not understand that guys in the WWE travel?  Those guys are on the road every week Friday thru Tuesday.  A friend of mine that works for New Japan has been overseas since mid-January, and he doesn't get back to Cincinnati until the end of February - I sure bet he misses his infant son and his family too. 

Hell, there have been times when I have pulled over my car at a rest area to sleep while on a road trip and it is five degrees outside and I am sleeping in the cold in my cramped backseat, alone, because I do not know anyone in the area to crash with, and I cannot afford to shell out for a hotel.  I have been in situations where I can only eat once a day because I cannot afford groceries and gas for my car to get to a booking.  I have lived in a home with no running water, and I had to shit in a bucket and shower at the gym, because I couldn't afford to turn the water on.  If you do not think I have ever had breakdowns and told myself I was walking away from the business, then you are crazy.  I often wake up in the middle of the night and cannot feel my arm because of the damage I have done to my body.  I do not whine about it. 

This is the life I chose.  This is the life that anyone who has ever stepped in a ring has chosen.  If this isn't what they want, then they shouldn't be in this business in the first place.  If it is too much, walk away and give your spot to another guy.  Or maybe wrestle somewhere local and pass your knowledge on to some younger guys and help give them some breaks you never got.  As often as it may seem like it, this business isn't the mafia - you can walk away from it. It is hard, but trust me, it can be done.