Couple Questions

Question
How much do you get paid in the independents and what are some good wrestling schools in Ohio?

Answer
Hello Shea,

How much you get paid varies quite a bit. It depends on what promotion you are wrestling for, what position you are in at that promotion, your overall level of experience/star power and how well the shows are doing.

Your first matches may net you $15, $25 or $50 a night depending on how well the promotion is doing. You might get more money than this, especially if you get your first matches in a large promotion or come out of an academy making a big impression- so the promotion might want to pay you some more as added incentive to keep wrestling there. If you wrestle for a promoter who doesn抰 know what they are doing, or for whatever reason is doing very badly financially, you may get less. Some promoters have been known to cheat wrestlers and not pay them at all (this would be regardless of how much you would otherwise get.)

If you $15 or $25 for your first matches, $50 or $75 would be the pay you will likely receive when you establish yourself. As you get more experience and prove yourself, you'll move up in one or more promotions. You may get paid $100-$200. After more experience, about $300-$500 would be around the pay range, of which $300 would be the upper limit for some small promotions. Other larger independent promotions may pay more. The average independent promotion would not pay wrestlers in a thousand or more a night unless the wrestler is a big name. Wrestlers get paid more if they prove to be a good drawcard, that is, someone who gets the people interested in watching them, generating more business. Independent promotions generally have rather small, but loyal fanbases, preventing the kind of income large promotions can provide their talent.

In the independent circuit, you have control over the pace at which you work- each promotion you work in is a commitment, but you control how many promotions you work in. If you are unknown to the area or the promoters, you will get paid less compared to those that have heard of you. The more well known you are, the more you get paid- to a certain point, where the promotion simply is unable financially to offer you more. Also, the higher up in a card you are, the more you make. If you a one of the centrepieces of one promotion and a mid-card wrestler in another,  you will get paid more in the former.

As for pro wrestling schools in Ohio

Big Guns Wrestling Academy (Ohio Championship Wrestling)
206 Ivy Street, Coshocton
Coshocton County, Ohio
Website: http://www.ocwrestling.net/school.html
Phone: 740-622-4806 or 740-502-4962
Email: [email protected]

Mega Training Center (Mega Championship Wrestling)
42208 Albrecht Road, Elyria
Lorain County, Ohio
Website: http://www.megacw.com/startframe.htm 慡chool?menu
Phone: 440-452-9088
Email: [email protected]

Elite Pro Wrestling Training
No single location, but based at 606 Sioux Court,
Milford, Ohio
Website: http://www.epwt.com/index.html
Phone: No phone number available
Email: Through http://www.epwt.com/epwtcontact.shtml
Note: They hold seminars and camps but don抰 have a school like the others listed. Due to the experience and quality of the trainers, highly recommended to supplement your training.

EGO Pro Wrestling/Rock and Wrestling Training Facility (EGO Pro Wrestling and Rock and Wrestling)
Sorg Opera House, 57 South Main Street,
Middletown, Ohio
Website: http://www.myspace.com/CtotheH2 and http://www.myspace.com/EGOprowrestling with some extra info on http://www.wrestleohio.com/category/ego-pro-wrestling/ - the promotion抯 non-MySpace site is inactive.
Phone: No phone number available
Email: Through MySpace to Cody at http://www.myspace.com/CtotheH2

XCW School of Professional Wrestling (Xtreme Combat Wrestling)
Warsaw Arena, 3509 Warsaw Ave
Cincinnati, Ohio
Website: http://www.myspace.com/xcwcincy and http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=411446320&blogI... for more info
Email: [email protected]

Revolutionary Championship Wrestling抯 school (link here: http://www.rcwonline.com/school.shtml) is currently closed but may be open in future.

I do not know the schools well enough to say which is good, other than Elite Pro Wrestling Training. I would suggest looking at the rosters of some of these promotions, even better, look at some videos and see what promotion and thus school is more in keeping with what you want.