Is My Wrestling Going Away? No! But It Needs Your Help!
Hello Internet! I have been thinking about this topic for a while.
But first: If you are looking for a some more opinions on the financial side by a long veteran of the industry please read this piece by wXw's Tassilo Jung. It is German but I am sure you find a way to translate it:
https://world.hey.com/tassilo/uber-geld-muss-man-reden-b1040fca
So what is this blog going to be about? I put my focus on what fans and talent can do to keep the ship sailing. Because the truth is that the Indy-scene is facing some challenges. The same challenges the entire event scene is currently dealing with.
The main issue right now: Rising costs, that most fans simply can not cover anymore because everything has gotten immensely expensive and is still rising while salaries are not being raised or at least not enough. That means the general public has started to safe money and unfortunately the first spendings that are going to be cut are usually those for entertainment. Also it is not just the costs of the show everyone has to cover. It is the traveling, hotels etc. Its a lot at the moment, as most people can feel directly in their pockets at the moment. All while the costs for events simply can not go down.
You add certain standards fans have become accustom to and things quickly get a little bit rough.
Another driving factor is that we are at the end or already have passed the end of a boom period for wrestling. Which means that there is the usual ripple in the community. Some go away forever, others become casual fans or at least take a break. Some simply started a family or took on a new job which means that they have grown in life and wrestling now is taking a smaller part in their day-to-day life.
The last driving factor I want to mention is the political mine-field that social media has become. The big tech billion dollar companies completely fail to moderate their platforms, which results into many people simply leaving social media - making it harder for promotions to reach new eyes.
So what can be done to keep the ship sailing smoothly. It simply depends on what you as a fan, a talent or even as a wrestling journalist can give. Every path is individual. I am not gonna sit here and tell you its time to post 25 Instagram Stories per day and then do another 120 minute podcast review session. If you can and want to do that: Feel free. But we also gotta be realistic. That is an extreme and not the usual way to go for most.
But sometimes all it needs is just the little impulse.
The simplest answer here is participate as best you can:
If you do not plan to go to every wrestling show under the moon, you do not have to. But if you still consider yourself a wrestling enthusiast, maybe you can visit a small show next month. Get into a conversation, take a picture. Show everyone what you love and just enjoy yourself. If you are ready to watch more in maybe, let's say, 5 years from now, you at least participated in helping Indy wrestling the way you can in between.
If you are still using social media, give others a reason to come back and check whats new. Engage in a healthy conversation, voice your thoughts, share a picture or follow a new promotion. Small things, big impact if more people are doing it again.
But what if you are a talent and your daily plate of wrestling is already stacked? Well chances are you are already on social media. Don't just promote your act, promote the show you are on. Tag the right people, share it around - perhaps more than just once. It helps everyone, including yourself.
And yes: The offline world still exists. Talk about wrestling. Its not normal until you make it normal. This is your passion and if you surround yourself with the right people, they surely want to know about your passion. Just keep it special rather than making it your entire identity and you are good to go. Help people understand what drives you.
Whatever your way is, if you still care about wrestling, keep the ball rolling. One way or the other.
If you are able to spend some dimes as a fan, also keep in mind: Pre-Sale is better than On-The-Day-Sale. In order to meet your demands a a fan promotions rely on that. I know sometimes you can not plan ahead, sometimes its just because of financial reasons you have to wait for the day of...but just know, Pre-Sale is a big deal.
I am sure there is a lot of passion in everyone of us, even in people that are not that making wrestling their No.1 priority anymore. We just need to remind ourselves, that we can be passionate together again. Everyone plays their part from promoter, fans, journalist to talent and then wrestling stays exactly where it needs to be: In our hearts.
