Taking British Wrestling to the Next Level

Recently, on a forum I frequent with great regularity, there was a topic on how a British wrestling company can make it big, how they can attract major investors and sponsorship to move up to the next level. However, despite the fact that kayfabe passed on years ago and that anyone with a pair of kick pads can get into a training school, I learned that the world of professional wrestling here in Britain is still a closed shop in many aspects, and it’s this that may be hindering British wrestling’s progress.

I’m going to approach this subject from a strictly business point of view. I have never run a business, nor do I have any wish to, but I was part of a successful small retail business for seven years, and during those seven years, the business expanded in every year bar one. I observed, I picked up a few tips, and I’d like to try and apply them to a business model for a wrestling promotion.

First, promotions shouldn’t constantly go on about what they’ve done in the past. They shouldn’t harp on about how their company has appeared in numerous print publications and on numerous radio and television shows. If a wrestling promotion wants outsiders to invest, they’re not going to care too much about the past. It’s the present and the future that will always matter the most to them.

It’s all well and good to bombard people with vague figures, saying that their shows always sell-out, or that DVD and merchandise sales are always good, but without the cold hard facts to back these claims up, it means nothing. What does it mean when a promotion says it always sells out an DVD? It could mean that they only made ten copies of a certain release, or it could mean they sold a thousand.

Speaking of figures, unless a promoter has got a close friend who trusts them implicitly, any potential investor is going to want to see the books. They’ll want to know just how much money flows through the company, from how much profit is made on the merchandise, to how much money is spent on venue hire, right down to how much is spent on paper clips and coffee cups. And they’ll want hard evidence, which means receipts, receipts, and even more receipts.

They’ll also want to know about something which all promoters and wrestlers are reluctant to talk about in front of people outside the business - the sticky subject of wages. While it is understandable that people in the business don’t want to tell outsiders just how much they pay the talent, it’s something they’re going to have to divulge, which includes keeping written records of how much is paid and to whom. If you’re not willing to tell potential backers these details, then what’s the point of talking to them in the first place?

There’s also several other areas that could put off possible backers, but the main one I’m going to concentrate on here is everyone’s favourite subject, the internet.

In the 21st century, the internet has become a powerful tool as far as advertising and promotion goes. But a lot of people tend to forget that the internet isn’t the be-all and end-all as far as advertising goes. Last year a high-profile promotion had to cancel a show at short notice because they failed to attract a big enough audience. This was because they didn’t even advertise the show locally.

The internet is also a great way for a promotion to get instant feedback from their shows. But when the feedback is negative, some promoters and wrestlers show that they have very thin skins, and start arguing on public forums, sometimes coming across very poorly, acting like bears with sore heads because people had the temerity to criticise them.

Perhaps this is why some promotions actually ban their wrestlers from posting on forums. Perhaps this is a practise that many promotions could implement. Appoint just one person to handle press releases and the like, and to keep good relations with the paying public. If a possible backer sees that a promotion has good public relations, then that’s all the better.

What might be off putting to any outsider wanting to invest in a British wrestling promotion is this - it’s just too damn easy for anyone to hold a wrestling show these days. It seems to be the dream of every smart mark with a few quid to spare, become a wrestling promoter, come up with a flashy set of initials, get the first show filmed, make yourself look good in front of the proverbial three men and a dog, and they think they’re the second coming of Vince McMahon. It may be cool to hang out with a few wrestlers backstage, but they forget all about the hard work that goes into the business side of things, and when they get the slightest bit of criticism on the almighty internet, they stick their heads in the sand.

What a lot of people, both in and out of the wrestling business, tend to forget that it is a business. A business like no other, I grant you, but a business nonetheless, and the goal of any business is to make money and attract investors. Yet the way that certain aspects of the British wrestling business are at the moment, big money investors would probably be very reluctant to part with their hard-earned cash.

By reading this you’ll probably think that I’m not a supporter of the British wrestling scene. Nothing could be further from the truth. But I would like to see a time when the biggest and most established promotions in Britain hold shows that have regular attendances in their thousands. I would like to see a time when you could walk into your local HMV or Virgin Megastore and see the latest British wrestling DVDs alongside the latest releases from WWE.

But I doubt if this will happen anytime soon. Unless British wrestling is willing to change it’s ways a little, and is willing to get rid of the wannabes who only want to make themselves look cool in front of the boys, the money men won’t come, and fans on these shores, fed a staple diet of WWE, TNA and ROH won’t give a monkeys about our home-grown talent.