Lance Storm Commentary

[Scroby 0]

Breaking Into The Business:

So you want to be a wrestler.

Originally Posted Jan. 29, 2000

 

I was really hard pressed to come up with a topic for this week. I was throwing around a few ideas but couldn’t come up with anything really good. I decided to answer some email in hopes that something would strike me, something did. Probably the thing I get written to most for is my advice/opinion on how to become a pro-wrestler. Up until this point I’ve been answering these requests individually, so to save myself the time of ever doing this again, I will do this one last time in depth here.

 

A lot of people when trying to get into wrestling really don’t have a clue what they are getting into. For some reason many fans figure that because wrestling is “fake”, a word I despise the use of, anyone can do it. Nothing is farther from the truth. This is a very demanding business. You need to have physical skills, size, and intelligence. Even with all three this may not be enough. Getting noticed and finding work in the huge sea of talent out there is hard. There are only really 3 places on the continent where you can make a living, WWF, WCW, and ECW. The road to all of these companies is long and hard and short on paychecks. You need to take a really hard honest look at yourself, be sure you have something strong to offer and to get you noticed.

 

Let’s look just at size for a moment. Wrestling has traditionally been a big mans sport. In recent years some smaller guys have made it, but for the most part size is still very important. In my honest opinion if you aren’t at least 5’ 10” and 200 lbs you don’t have much of a chance, and at that size you better be damn good. Guys who are, 6’ 2” and taller, 245 lbs and heavier, stand the best chance of making it. When I say making it, I mean actually supporting yourself and making a living from wrestling. There are a ton of guys who you see in wrestling magazines, and even on TV who aren’t making a living. Spike Dudley and Rey Misterio jr. are exception not the rule. Rey would never have been given a chance had he been an American. He got his experience in Mexico, where they have smaller guys. From there he became the best flier anyone had ever seen, so he got noticed. If you are 5’ 8 “ 160 lbs or smaller, you better be able to fly better than Rey, or be able to take a better beating than Spike Dudley. Now that’s no easy task.

 

Now assuming you meet the size requirements you still need some skill. In wrestling the skill required is inversely proportional to the amount of size you have. If you are over 7’ tall or in excess of 400 lbs you can skip this section, everyone else pay attention. Regardless of the nature of this business it is still a sport. If you have never been a part of competitive sports, you need to seriously rethink your choice of career. In wrestling you may not have to compete for wins, but believe me you do have to compete for your job. There are a lot more wrestlers than there are spots, for workers, so you need to stay ahead of the pack. Staying ahead of the pack requires, a lot of determination, hard work, and the ability to work through injuries. If you’ve never had to deal with this kind of competition before, you will get eaten up very quickly. The three years I was involved with the Hart Camp, 1 as a student, 2 as an instructor, I saw about 40 guys go through only 3 are successful today. That’s 37 guys, who spent a lot of time and money who didn’t make it. I don’t want to sound like it’s an impossible journey I just want people who get into this business to do it with their eye’s open.

 

Now if you’ve managed to take an objective look at yourself and still feel you have a chance, this is how I would go about it, knowing what I do now. Find a wrestling school near you. Breaking in will cost enough money without adding moving expenses. There are a ton of bad schools out there. A lot of guys want to take your money, show you as little as possible and send you on your way. A school that has produced a couple wrestlers you’ve heard of is a good start. A wrestling school or instructor that has a connection with an actual wrestling company is a huge plus. Getting that first match can be tough this could open your first door for you. Show up at camp in the best shape of your life, you’ll need every advantage you can. DO NOT have a gimmick, ring song, or finishing maneuver when you show up. Nothing sets of the DUMB MARK detectors more than this. Learn to wrestle find employment then worry about all that stuff. Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin didn’t show up at camp doing leg drops and stunners. Staying near to home also makes it easier to find alternate employment. For the first few years wrestling isn’t a career, it’s an expensive hobby. You will need another job to support yourself. I worked, midnight shifts at convenience stores, bounced in bars, I even worked in a car wash, anything to pay the bills.

 

If you get through camp and find work, remember, eye’s open, mouth shut. Wrestlers are very thin skinned and take offence easy, being liked will help you out, getting heat will get you ribbed to death and unemployed. Best of luck, I hope this helps.

 

Till next week,

Lance Storm 

 

Credit Stormwrestling.com

[Highland 0]

Now assuming you meet the size requirements you still need some skill. In wrestling the skill required is inversely proportional to the amount of size you have. If you are over 7’ tall or in excess of 400 lbs you can skip this section, everyone else pay attention.

 

This is very true, and I love how cynical and jaded Lance can be.