We are not invincible...

A little over a week ago, I went down to Coshocton, OH to train at the Big Guns Academy, which is Ohio Championship Wrestling's official training center.  I have just been trying to stay in the ring a little more frequently, so that I can keep the rust off.  Well, when I was down there, I really did not do much at all.  But for some reason, I have had a pain in the right side of my neck for over a week now.  The pain is so bad at this point that it is starting to shoot into my right shoulder as well.  Pretty sure that it is just a pinched nerve or something, because I have done that before and the pain USUALLY goes away within a few days.  This pain is hanging around for some reason and really starting to nag at me.

In 2009, I broke my left ankle in a match in Detroit, which forced me to have surgery.  I now have a plate and 2 pins in my left ankle and it still bothers me every now and then to this day.  The days that I spent in the hospital from that surgery were probably the worst moments of my life.  I never want to have to go through that ever again.

Anyways, my point here is that none of us are invincible.  None of us have thousands of dollars to pay medical bills, because most indy wrestlers do not have health insurance, for whatever reason.  Most guys out there who wrestle think that it is just normal to get injured, get fixed, and get back into the ring.  Well, that may be okay with some, but definitely not me.  If I get hurt one more time, I am done with the actual wrestling part of things.  I will probably stick around as a manager, commentator, referee, or something like that, but I will NEVER wrestle again.

I guess what I am trying to get at is, if you are going to wrestle, then get insurance, somehow.  Whether that means getting a "real" job where you can have insurance, or paying for it yourself somehow.  It is worth it in the long-run.  It has almost been 3 years since I broke my ankle and I did not have insurance at that time.  I am still paying off the bills from that to this day.

Don't be stupid.  There is no use in getting yourself dropped on your head or falling from the top rope to the floor.  The WWE is not looking for people that can do that crap anymore.  Hardcore is dead.  It's about being a smart competitor now with a personality and keeping yourself in shape and fresh.  Work smart, not stupid.

Break out of your bubble...

I will be the first to admit that I am not your normal "indy wrestler."  Currently, I work for about 2-3 places on a regular basis and kind of just stay inside of "my bubble."  I am comfortable with the places that I work, and the people that work there.  The days of driving 4 hours away for $10 and a hot dog are over for me; I have been there and done that.  Outside of wrestling, I have a pretty good job that pays me well.  I have a girlfriend, a dog, and a house to take care of.  I have friends, family, and other things to keep me occupied for the most part.

I have worked for the WWE and it was not my cup of tea.  Too much walking around on egg shells and hoping that you don't step out of line and direspect someone.  I'm really just proud that I can say that I am satisfied for once in my life, after stressing and worrying about things in wrestling for so long.  I am comfortable with what I have done and where I am at in wrestling, and constatly look for other ways that I can contribute to the business as a whole. (like this blog)

In my opinion, it takes a certain kind of person to be successful in wrestling.  Relationships, family, friends, a "real" job; those all take a backseat to wrestling.  It's all about working as many shows as possible to make as much money as possible and get your name out there so that you can go to "bigger and better" places.

When getting into the business and first starting to try to get onto shows, I feel it is important to surround yourself with the right people.  Find the people that you know are good, are in the main events of the shows you want to be on, and have been doing it for years.  Pick these guys brains, offer to drive them to shows, basically, do whatever you need to do to learn from these guys.  They are the ones at the top on your level, so they are the ones that you should be talking to.  Be respectful, shut your mouth, and learn.

Once you do start getting bookings, work as many of them as you possibly can.  If you are single, then why the hell are you not on shows all weekend long?  Get your ass out there and work man.  And when it comes to actually getting bookings, it's all about staying on the promoter's ass about bringing you in and having "something" to offer once they do.  Some guys look like a million bucks but have no personality, some are fat as shit but are entertaining as hell.  It's just about having "something" that makes you that much different than someone else.

Work any show that you can get onto for your first 2 years in the business just to get experience.  Once year 3 rolls around, you should be getting booked by better places anyways, but, either way you can pick and choose a little bit.  There are people out there like Colt Cabana and Sami Callihan that are known for being on a show here, then being on a show hundreds of miles away the next night.  That's what getting your name out there is all about.  It's about creating a buzz behind yourself somehow.

I guess my point here is to tell everyone to break out of "your bubble" more if you REALLY want to do this.  The easiest way to get into the WWE now is to save the fucking money up and go to FCW, plain and simple.  If you want to get to that level THAT BAD, then why are you not moving to Tampa?  I will tell you what it is....EGO!!!  People's egos get in the way and they something like, "fuck that, I have been in the business for 5 years, I'm not paying to go train again."  Ok....well then I guess you don't want to work for WWE that bad then.  You can't just sit around and wait for Kristen from WWE to call you to be an extra for the rest of your life and hope that William Regal likes your tryout match.  That is literally like a 1 in a million shot.  If you take your ass to Florida an pay for the school, you already have one foot in the door then.  You have to get you ass out there and do what you have to do to get where you want to go.  That's not just a lesson for wrestling, that's life.

Let's start a revolution...

Ever since about Christmas time, I have become addicted with Colt Cabana's "Art of Wrestling" podcast.  If you have not checked it out yet, then head over to www.WeLoveColt.com and check it out.  Colt is one of the guys out there that is really trying to help the business and take it to new levels.

Anyways, on one of his podcasts, Colt interviews Kenny Omega.  I was not familiar with Kenny Omega beforehand, but after listening to the podcast I went online and checked out some of his stuff.  Not too shabby.  During the podcast, Colt asks Kenny what his goals are in the wrestling business.  Kenny answered by saying that he is really out to reinvent wrestling and make it "cool again." (which we have also heard from C.M. Punk as well)

The answer really made me start to think about things a lot.  It was one of those things that just changes the way you think about things overall and opens the floodgates to all of these new ideas.  Omega is right, because there is no flowchart for wrestling at all.  Some people may think there is, but there really is not.  It's all about giving the fans what they want, period.  Giving each and every person that comes and pays money to watch the show an entertaining experience.

I really do feel that the business has changes, which many people would probably agree with me on.  What people probably won't agree with me on is the fact that many of the "old school" ways are outdated and waste of time stressing over anymore.  Things that worked in the 70's and 80's are not going to work today, just because the world is completely different, which I feel is due mostly to technology.

Things like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and all other websites and whatnot has revolutionized the way that people see the wrestling business.  The fans have a closer look to who each of us is personally.  They have nearly unlimited access to videos of matches and promos.  Social media has changed the way that many shows are promoted.

My point to all of this is that everyone is linked together nowadays.  We should not be doing things "the way they always have been done" just because it is "the right way."  We should be doing whatever the hell works, because that is the way to make money in this business and take things to a whole other level.  Making money is "the right way," no matter what year it is.

Use all of these tools that we have nowadays to do something different.  It's not necessarily about putting on a 5 star wrestling show anymore, it's about giving the fans "an experience."  It's about making them walk out of that building, go home and tweet or post about the show on Facebook  so that all of their friends find out about what is going on.

The problem with all of this is that people in general are just lazy and feel that one person cannot make a difference.  EVERYONE, both fan and wrestler, can make a difference and take this business to a whole new level.  Be proud of being a wrestling fan.  Wrestlers, come up with something cutting-edge and relevant that the fans can get into.  Promoters, pay the the extra money to use good talent and treat them well.  It's all about little things that add up in the long-run.

My challenge to everyone who reads this is to step back, look at yourself and the business as a whole.  What skills do you have that can make wrestling better?  Take those skills and use them to help out.  One person at a time, we will get the word out there.  One person at a time, we will start a revolution.  #LetsChangeWrestling

Be something different...

Well, after my TNA/Impact Wrestling rant and calling out all of the people who hate my blog, but still read it for some reason, I needed to get onto a new subject.  I have said it before, but the goal of this blog is to help the business of pro wrestling, not to sit here and piss and moan about shit 24/7.  If you want to listen to pissing and moaning, go over to the Indy Board and read some of that garbage.  But sometimes, in order to get the point across I need to go on a rant like that.  I try not to as much as possible, but it does happen sometimes.

So lets get to the topic that I want to talk about today.  I want to talk about being different in wrestling, from both a wrestler and promotional standpoint.  There are so many personalities and promotions that have come and gone over the years.  Some of these people and places made money and did good things for the business, and well, some did not.  I don't really want to get into who did and who did not, I want to talk more about people and promotions trying their hardest to do something new and different.

I think it is pretty apparent that many things have already been done in this business.  Whether that be moves, personalities, or a way that a promotion does things, pretty much everything has been done in some capacity.  The goal in today's pro wrestling industry is to find a way to take something and put your own spin on it somehow.  Believe me, I have seen a few original ideas pop up here and there as well, so they are still out there. 

Let me first start with individual wrestlers.  Who wants to see something that has already been done, but done by another person and not as good as the original?  No one does.  So try to be original.  Mix ideas together and try to do something different that is going to make you stand out somehow.  For example, I come out to the ring wearing some of the goofiest gear on the planet, strutting like a jackass, I have a good time in the ring, but I get pissed off and serious when I need to.  I try to be as innovative as I can be, while still being functional at the same time.  If a promoter does not like the way that I wrestle, fine, then don't book me.  I will find promotions that do like what I do and go there instead.  It's all about finding what works for you and finding the right places to work that pay well, plain and simple.

Now promotions are different.  It seems to me like a lot of promoters just have no idea what they are doing and half of them just fly by the seat of their pants.  You HAVE to have some sort of direction or idea behind who you are, what you are trying do, and why you are doing it.    I have talked about branding before, and that is what this whole business is all about.

First of all, get an identity to your promotion.  Spend the money to get a professional logo done, or shit, find a wrestler that does graphics work and get it for free.  This is a starting point.  Second, GET YOUR OWN BELTS MADE!!!!  This is SOOOOOOO important.  If you are going to spend $250 - $300 to buy a WWE replica belt, then pay for paint, stickers, and whatever else to decorate it, you might as well just spend the extra money to get a custom belt made.  There are plenty of great belt makers out there, just get online and contact them.  It's better to spend the money up front to look legit, rather than trying to fool the fans the whole time.  Third, just make everything look good overall.  The ring, aprons, entrance, music, talent, EVERYTHING.  It's when these promoters try to skip on certain things that make their promotions look like shit.

Don't be the second-coming of someone, be something new, be something different.  That's how you get noticed.  Think outside the box and come up with new concepts, or at least a new spin on something.

Is it TNA or Impact Wrestling?...I'm confused...

With all of the good feedback that I have been getting, I have also been getting I guess what you would call negative feedback as well.  I have a few people saying that they have never heard of me and that I have no right to sit here on "my soapbox" and say how the business should be ran.  Well, to those people I say "STOP READING!!!"  This has always been my opinion, and no one is making you read this.  I would like to say that even though you obviously do not agree with me, I do appreciate your support!

You may not know who I am, and that is fine.  But I am more than qualified to give my opinion on whatever the hell I want to.  Not only have I been in the wrestling business for 10 years, but I also hold an Associates Degree in Business and Web Design, am currently working as a Business Development Manager with 8 years of experience in sales, and I am also going back to school to finish a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science with a Business emphasis.  I think when it comes to business in general, I am a little more qualified than you at least.

So, enough with the haters and onto an actual topic.  One of the topics that I have had come through from a few people is for me to give my honest opinion on TNA/Impact Wrestling.  First off, I just want to say that I do not even know what the name of the fucking company is right now.  Are they TNA, are they Impact Wrestling, are they both?  It's pretty confusing to me.

In my opinion, I find it hard to brand a company/product when you keep changing everything about it.  What if Mountain Dew had just come out in 2002, and they are not getting the sales that they think they should, so they keep the name but change the taste of it.  Well, a few years go by and they are still not getting the sales they want, so now they change the name of it to just MD.  Purpose of all of this is that the product will not sell if you keep changing what it is all of the time.  Find something, stick with it, and figure out how to sell it.  That is TNA/Impact Wrestling's problem.

I have already gone on record saying that 2 of the things that killed any momentum that TNA had going for them was the fact that they got rid of the 6-sided ring and that they completely killed the X-Division.  These were the 2 things that put this company on the map to begin with, and just because Hulk Hogan cannot get enough Rent-A-Center commercials to pay the bills, they have to change everything about their company.  Unbelievable.

TNA/Impact Wrestling will NEVER be competition to the WWE, UNLESS, they get their shit together and start selling SOMETHING.  Find a direction, and stick with it.  Hogan cannot sell fucking TV's and couches for Rent-A-Center, or midget wrestling on TV, so what makes you think that he is going to sell anything at all?  Sting is a joke that has to steal people's stuff from the indies to get himself over at all anymore.  You have random people that pop up every now and then that I had no idea was even with the company.  The women just yell at each other instead of actually wrestling.  It's ridiculous, and there is no continuity at all.  So what exactly is there to sell?

Pick a roster and make sure it is not that big.  TNA has like 50 people on their roster or something crazy like that.  Like I said, people pop up here and there, but don't really have anything going on.  For example, I watched the entire episode last week (I know, it was rough), and I saw Robbie E on TV with the Television Title for the first time in like 6 weeks.  A.)  I had no idea that Robbie E was still with the company.  B.)  I had no idea that the TV Title was still around.  So let me get this straight, one of you champions has not been on TV for 6 weeks?  How do you get people to buy a PPV where this champion may, or may not, be defending his title against someone, when the guy is never on TV?  Don't get me wrong, all of this is no bash on the actual talent, it is a bash on the people running the damn company.  Robbie E had a great match with AJ in my opinion.  It's just weird to me that a champion would not be on TV, in some capacity, every week.

I have always called TNA "A.D.D. Wrestling," mainly because there is so much shit all going on at one time, that you cannot pay attention to one thing.  Seems to me like the logical direction is to streamline things a little more.  It is a 2 hour show, once a week, with a PPV every now and then.  Like I said, cut the roster down a little and focus on certain people, rather than throwing shit against the wall to see what will stick.  I think that every promotion, no matter what size, can use this advice.  There are so many promoters out there that want to use everybody and their brother on every show.  Well at the end of the night, you have 40 people on the show, 13 matches, and no money in your pocket.  If you cut down your overhead cost, then you have more room to make money in the long run.

I am not a fan of the "legends" that much either.  Ask any of my friends what I think about "legends."  "Legends" are pieces of shit that stick around WAYYYYY past their prime to suck stupid promoters dry, plain and simple.  Half of them pull some carny bullshit to get their money and not have to wrestle also, which pisses me off.  For example, I was on a show with a "legend" and he showed up with a leg brace on, TWICE, still got paid and did nothing.  FUCK THAT!!!  Tell that old piece of shit to stay at home and give his spot to someone who still cares about the business.  These assholes only care about lining their own pockets.  The only ones that care about the actual business are agents for WWE right now.  Everyone else is jsut out for a paycheck, or to cling onto the slim glow of spotlight that they still have.

The point of that little rant on "legends" is that TNA should get rid of those people and start showcasing the ACTUAL TALENT!!!  These "legends" are not going to be around 5 years from now to help your company, the Bobby Roodes, Alex Shelleys, and AJ Styles will be though.  So put your faith into the people that can actually help you make money.  Not a bunch of washed up sacks of shit that you are trying to get something out of their "name."

So I think the thing with TNA/Impact Wrestling is that they need to find their identity and market that.  They need to let the younger guys, who are the future of the company stand up, take the ball, and run with it.  I see them do 1 thing right, but then 5 things wrong.  Ask yourself, what is going to sell?  What do the fans want to see?  That's where the money is.

New-age territories...

Hope everyone is ready, because I am about to drop another nugget of wrestling knowledge onto each and every one of you.  This is a topic that I have put quite a bit of thought into, and I feel that it is actually the future of independent wrestling as a whole.  So definitely give it a good read and let me hear some of your feedback on it, as I really am interested in hearing it.  As always, you can reach me at these lovely online locations:

Facebook - www.facebook.com/TheRockshowErnieBallz

Twitter - www.twitter.com/ErnieBallz

Email - ernieballz@hotmail.com

So this idea for a new-age solution to somewhat bring back territories has evolved over the years from listening to both the ideas of promoters, as well as wrestlers.  Territories are completely dead, and do not let anyone tell you differently.  There are some people out there really trying to pull them back together, but they will never be as strong as they were back in the day.  The solution is not to build actual "territories," but to build working relationships between promotions.

Most people are probably saying "that is what a territory is you dumb ass!"  Well, I think of it a little differently I guess.  See, the idea is to get 4 promotions to work together, use much of the same talent, and book one weekend a month each.  This does somewhat build a tiny territory I guess, but it is between 4 completely different places, in 4 completely different areas.  Each promoter can have their champs and do whatever the hell they want to.  The idea is to make sure that no one is essentially running the same days as another person.  Each promoter chooses one Saturday of the month and runs their show accordingly.

This working arrangement would work out great for everyone involved.  The promoters are not running against each other, so they have their choice of talent, and the fans can go to all of the promotions rather than choosing between a few that are running the same day.  The wrestlers are now booked for 4 shows, and really don't need to worry about finding work each month, unless they want to pick up a Friday or Sunday show.  This whole thing will also build continuity between the promotions, and eventually help spread the word about independent wrestling as a whole throughout a given area.

I will give you an example.  Let's say that there is a place running in a centralized part of Ohio.  This promotion may run however many towns on their own, but only does one show a month.  Well this promoter strikes up a working agreement with other promotions in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Michigan.  Now, these 4 promoters can pull wrestlers from the same talent pool, and each promoter will run a designated day of the month, so that no dates interfere with each other.

They key to all of this, as I have said before, is getting the word out there.  Use the Internet for things like promoting on the actual promotion's website, social media, forums or message boards, youtube, and whatever else you can find.  Shit, contact popular websites and see how much it is to purchase ad space on their.  Basically any website that you feel wrestling fans would visit in your area or something.  Hit the pavement an get yourself some sponsors to help cut down intial costs, and put up fliers wherever you can.  It's all about the prep work people.  The more planning and promoting you do, the better return on investment you are going to have.

So I guess my challenge here is to find a few other promoters that you can work with, and start implementing this system for 6-12 months to see if it makes a difference.  I personally feel that this is the future of indpendent wrestling, and is the best way to get the word out about independent wrestling as a whole.  We all need to remeber that "normal people" have no fucking clue what independent wrestling is.  It is our job to let them know that there are alternatives out there to the crap that is currently on TV.  #LetsChangeWrestling

What's the point?...

There are a lot of times in this business that I say "what's the point?"  Times when I have a shitty match and hate the business...what's the point?  Times when a promoter stiffs me on pay and I end up spending $50 in gas...what's the point?  Times when I cannot hang out with my girlfriend or my friends because I have a wrestling show...what's the point?

The point is, we are all addicted.  We don't need alcohol, we don't need drugs, all we need is that feeling that you get when you walk through that curtain.  That shot of adrenaline that courses through your entire body  as soon as you hear that crowd reaction.  That sound of hundreds of people cheering for you, or hating your guts.  It's the only addiction that we need.

Lately since I have been helping out more behind the scenes, that question of "what's the point?" has taken on a whole new meaning.  Now, it is more like, what's the point...in us putting on this show?  Or what's the point in us doing this, or doing that?  The question makes a lot of sense when you think about it though.

If you put on a show and pay 30 guys $50 a piece, then that is $1550 that you are spending.  Then you add in the $300-$500 that you paid for the building, the $100-$200 you paid for food for the concession stand, and whatever misc expenses you have.  The average cost to run a GOOD wrestling show is probably about $4,000.

Now, lets say that you have done all of this and only 100 people show up at $10 a ticket.  That is only $1,000.  That's not enough to even pay the talent, let alone all re-cover all of the other expenses that you had.  Or, you could get 500 people at $10 a ticket and have $500 left over to put into your pocket, or put towards the next show.

My whole point here is that whether you run a good show or a shitty show, the question still remains, "what is the point?"  Are you trying to make money somehow?  Are you trying to get a TV deal?  Are you just booking shows so that your shitty guys can get some work because no one else will book them?  What is the point?

You can run all of the wrestling shows that you want, but there needs to be some sort of goal or light at the end of the tunnel to make it all worth something.  If you are not making money, then why do you run?  It makes no sense to me.  I guess it is that addiction that I talked about earlier or something like that.  But just ask yourself that question....what's the point?

My favorite is when Promoter A is pissed because Promoter B is running in "his territory."  Well, territories do not exist anymore, sorry.  And if neither one of you is making any money, then who gives a shit?!!?

The whole point to all of this is that you should run shows for a purpose, not just to run them.  Run the shows to better the business and work towards a goal, rather than just for shits and giggles.