Promoting Pro Wrestling

[Slickster 0]

http://www.promotingprowrestling.info/

 

"This amazing digital book contains all the information and ideas you'll ever need to successfully promote pro wrestling events!

Years of experience and successful ideas condensed into one amazing volume!"

 

Has anybody heard anything about this book?

 

I'd imagine lesson 1 would involve doing the opposite of what Vince Russo does.

[BruteSquad_BRODY 0]

Gabe Sapolsky has a money mark. His PPV concept bombed and his Japan tour was a money loser.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I'd say 5-10% at best involves booking matches and angles. Indy promoters need to locate venues, supply proper rings/equipment, advertise, book the talent and pay them, set up the necessary EMS coverage and satisfy other athletic commission requirements, figure out financials including tax payments and payroll, sell tickets, etc. It really is more business than fantasy booking.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

Yeah, it's expensive to hold your own show.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Of course, it is probably easier to turn a profitable show when you're paying your talent next to nothing to perform.

[fazzle 0]

Of course, it is probably easier to turn a profitable show when you're paying your talent next to nothing to perform.

 

 

Illegal Mexicans FTW!

[spman 0]

I've been told that Insurance and Venue are the two biggest expenses when it comes to promoting pro wrestling. It's also very difficult to make money doing, unless you have a ton of capital to invest to start with. You can't draw unless you have established names, and you can't get established names if you don't have money. It's not terribly dissimilar from the movie theatre business I work in, you aren't going to make a dime of profit on the show, all the profit comes from auxillary revenue such as concessions, merchandise, etc.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

all the profit comes from auxillary revenue such as concessions, merchandise, etc.

 

Yeah, those dixie cups full of soda and napkins with potato chips on them add up.

 

(Not making fun of you, referencing an older thread, btw).

[Scroby 0]

Are we talking about putting a show on or are we talking about promotion/advertising for one?

 

If we're talking about putting a show on, it takes some deicated to making it work. Normally there are two types of promoters, wrestlers who have their own ring/have their own school or marks who think they understand the buisness because they've watched wrestling all their life or think they know something because of the internet. Normally the wrestlers with their own ring are the ones who survive longer as the marks fuck things up within a couple of months and piss off a lot of people. I know of one mark who pissed off 85% of Nor-cal wrestlers and got his title belt taken from him....his fed soon died after and he hasn't been heard from since.

 

Anyways, here are some things you need to have or at least get that will really help.

 

1. Your own wrestling ring.

 

The reason why I say have your own wrestling ring is because it's a pain in the ass if you don't. You either have to find someone who is willing to let you rent their ring and you're most likely going to handle the set up and tear down of the ring, even if you're renting it from someone. Or you could find someone who owns their own ring and make them apart of the promotion as either a booker or some other role in the back and they'll be nice enough to allow you to use their ring...well while they're pleased with you.

 

2. Get a building..most likely a gym.

 

You can do two things here either try to get your own building to run out of or find some kind of publicly owned or private owned building and rent it out once a month.

 

If you decided to go to a publicly/privately own building, you have to play by their rules or you lose your building. That means, you run on the dates they hand you, you pay rent and if they want you to give them a percentage of tickets sold..gotta hand that to them too. If they don't want any cussing or alcohol served at their shows, better not sell the alcohol and make sure the other wrestlers know they CAN'T fuck up or bye bye building. If they want guardrails, rent them or buy them. Basically anyone who decides to run out of somewhere that isn't their own building, your balls are in their palm of their hands.

 

If you're able to get your own (lease/own/rent) building....CONGRATS! You have full bloody access to do whatever the fuck you want. You get to pick your own dates, and only pay the mortage or rent on the building. Which you can do by hopefully drawing well enough to at least pay the workers and the rent. Now you don't need a huge building. You don't need to have a gym or some kind of arena, all you need is a building with a high enough ceiling, big enough to seat a lot of people in folding chairs, and restrooms for them. And if your building doesn't have rooms or hallways so you can have some sort of kitchen area or some kind of lockerroom, no worries, just make parts of the building your lockerroom or kitchen area.

 

Taking some tables and lining them up so you can sell snacks and drink, that's all you need. If you can get a curtain, try to make it long enough so it can reach wall to wall and block off people seeing the people in the "locker room". Or maybe get enough fake walls. Like the walls that have wheels on them so you can move them around.

 

3. Locate a sound system. Music is a vital part of pro wrestling, get your own sound system or rent one.

 

4. sell concessions...feel free to mark shit up too. *thumbs up*

 

5. Get chairs so people can sit. Similar to the sound system thing, either buy your own or rent them.

 

6. Advertise!

 

They're are a few ways to advertise.

 

Flyer: Passing out flyers is the cheapest way to advertise. The only problem is trying to find stores/shops that will let you hang one in their windown or leave some tiny flyers on a counter for people to take.

 

Newspaper ad: A bit more than flyers but there's a better chance more people will see it than the flyers.

 

Radio/TV ad: Costly but the best way for people to find out about your show.

 

That's all I can really think of........ummm yeah.

 

 

 

 

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Scroby, how about the talent themselves?

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

Pay homeless people to fight for your enjoyment.