components to promoting a wrestling event...

[R is for Ric]

I've wanted to promote a wrestling event all my life, and at 24 I believe if I don't do it now I never will.

 

I'm looking at hosting a wrestling event without any US names and featuring purely UK talent, but potentially being hosted by a special guest DJ such as a Jack Beats or Shy FX (someone of that ilk). I'd be looking at hosting the event in or around freshers week this year (September) in Manchester or Leeds (where I have contacts) and targeting it towards the student population.

 

Now, I don't post on here but I've been reading the forum for a long, long time and am looking for a bit of advice and to speak to people here and away from the forum who are in involved with promoting wrestling in the UK whether past or present.

 

Of course any advice or discussion coming from anyone would be great too!

[Dean Ayass]

Don't post on a forum asking for advice on how to promote a wrestling show as it'll make you look like a div. Go to a show that's a good distance away from you and speak to the promoter there.

[DJ Kris]

This won't be what you want to hear, but the first thing I'm gonna tell you is to completely forget about promoting a show this year! The UK has enough people stinking up the scene because they don't know what they're doing, it certainly doesn't need another.

 

However, if you want to do it well you should look for an established company within travelling distance of you, but obviously not so close as you'd be in competition with them when you do run something and see if there's any work you can get with them (even unpaid) so that you can learn the ropes from the inside.

[Ravenhill Promotions]

All I will say is this, i've spoken to several accomplished promoters over the last two weeks, and I can tell you that this year so far ticket sales are down for these promoters by an average of close to 35%, including myself.

 

So i'd have a real good think about it. As we type, i'm contemplating on cancelling an upcoming event due to poor ticket sales. However, if you want to be one of those promoters who uses shitty wrestlers and has no wages to pay, then go for it, you may make a few quid but don't expect a return crowd.

[GlennCullen]

To be fair if he's going to do it as part of a uni's freshers week activities he's going to have a built in audience that should ensure a good turnout. It's not like he's looking to tour the country, and as long as he gets the other variables right (by as suggested, speaking to established promoters relatively nearby him) it would probably be a success.

[Enrico Federico]

If your even thinking about promoting a wrestling show, make sure you have some funds in the bank. dont pay the lads who are wrestling with the cash from the doors.

[Hyperion]

Sounds like you could contact a local promotion round the Leeds/Manc area and see if they want to help you out. If they supply the ring and talent and you supply the cash and promotion, then it could work out okay.

[diamond_dust]

I want you to go through with this because I want to see more wrestling in Manchester but at the same time I really couldn't see it working. Try talking to Dave Rayne who runs Futureshock in Manchester he'll have the best idea of what the areas like at the moment.

[Your Fight Site]

A fan forum isn't where you should be starting. Why not get involved with a local, already-established promotion and learn the ropes that way? As mentioned, there's Future Shock Wrestling in Manchester ran by Dave Rayne, and Toga seems to be doing good things with Dynamic Pro Wrestling based out of Leeds. Chat to them about your ambitions.

[GPW Kristian Zane]

It would make a nice change if for once and I know this for the most part is a completely alien concept to some people but maybe for 1 yeh don't ask for help on a forum and secondly instead of adding yet another company that essentially uses the same wrestlers in a slightly different way, I dunno maybe work with another promoter in helping establish their group in a new area. I know that might mean you'd come across as someone not after making a quick buck but there'd be no harm in bucking the trend.

 

 

I say this because up north we have GPW (Wigan), Futureshock (Stockport) and XWA (Morecambe) who have been working together sharing talent and other things and its actually working and I just think it'd be better if one of those had an extra show as they are established brands instead of someone unknown coming along not doing a great job, being written off on the old "ohhh it was his first show let him off" but then nobody attending the shows in that area because it wasnt as good as it should have been when if it had been under one of the brands and you'd just promoted it it'd prob do ok. Bit crazy I know but if promoting the show was all you had to worry about it'd be a lot less stress and a lot more likely to succeed then say if you had to promote, book, ensure everything ran smoothly on the day etc. Those problems would be removed by the established brand using the formula that works for them and it does work otherwise the 3 wouldnt have been in business for so long (8 years for GPW, ok so XWA as a brand name hasnt been going for that long but their format has been going since 2003 and Futureshock, 7 years).

 

Course you won't even read this but hey at least I tried!

[Adam James Bullivant]

This comes solely as a student myself, but just because you plan to do it around the freshers time doesn't mean it's guaranteed you will get a great student turn out. I've known event planners who have fallen in to this trap before. Wrestling is normally sold to children and families, IMO most students would rather be going out, getting wankered and meeting new people at their local Uni nightclub then spending a night at a no name wrestling show. Only proper wrestling fans, who just so happen to be students, would be attracted to this. Unless it's a totally different kind of event, like Lucha Britannia for example, which might fare better. Something with a bit more overall entertainment then just Match 1, Match 2, Match 3 Ect Ect.

 

Otherwise, what else has been said. Learn from others and find a spot that doesn't already have a wrestling companying running near by. Either way I wish you the best.

[TapOut Tapes]

It would make a nice change if for once and I know this for the most part is a completely alien concept to some people but maybe for 1 yeh don't ask for help on a forum and secondly instead of adding yet another company that essentially uses the same wrestlers in a slightly different way, I dunno maybe work with another promoter in helping establish their group in a new area. I know that might mean you'd come across as someone not after making a quick buck but there'd be no harm in bucking the trend.

 

 

I say this because up north we have GPW (Wigan), Futureshock (Stockport) and XWA (Morecambe) who have been working together sharing talent and other things and its actually working and I just think it'd be better if one of those had an extra show as they are established brands instead of someone unknown coming along not doing a great job, being written off on the old "ohhh it was his first show let him off" but then nobody attending the shows in that area because it wasnt as good as it should have been when if it had been under one of the brands and you'd just promoted it it'd prob do ok. Bit crazy I know but if promoting the show was all you had to worry about it'd be a lot less stress and a lot more likely to succeed then say if you had to promote, book, ensure everything ran smoothly on the day etc. Those problems would be removed by the established brand using the formula that works for them and it does work otherwise the 3 wouldnt have been in business for so long (8 years for GPW, ok so XWA as a brand name hasnt been going for that long but their format has been going since 2003 and Futureshock, 7 years).

 

Course you won't even read this but hey at least I tried!

 

 

What I have never understood is why you all dont just merge into one brand name? Wouldnt that be more beneficial than having 3 seperate companies, operating close by, with generally the same wrestlers?

[GlennCullen]

This comes solely as a student myself, but just because you plan to do it around the freshers time doesn't mean it's guaranteed you will get a great student turn out. I've known event planners who have fallen in to this trap before. Wrestling is normally sold to children and families, IMO most students would rather be going out, getting wankered and meeting new people at their local Uni nightclub then spending a night at a no name wrestling show. Only proper wrestling fans, who just so happen to be students, would be attracted to this. Unless it's a totally different kind of event, like Lucha Britannia for example, which might fare better. Something with a bit more overall entertainment then just Match 1, Match 2, Match 3 Ect Ect.

 

Otherwise, what else has been said. Learn from others and find a spot that doesn't already have a wrestling companying running near by. Either way I wish you the best.

 

Aye this is what I assumed, that it would be an official part of the freshers week program, with lots of booze involved. Those freshers will go wherever the uni tells them to during the first couple of weeks so get the Uni on board and you're sorted.

[GPW Kristian Zane]

What I have never understood is why you all dont just merge into one brand name? Wouldnt that be more beneficial than having 3 seperate companies, operating close by, with generally the same wrestlers?

Hey that wouldnt be the worst thing to be fair!

[Surf Digby]

Ignore that it's wrestling. It's a live event. It needs the same preparations, promotions, insurances and assurances that other live events do.