Pro wrestling career

Question
Hello James,

My name is Jay, i sent you an email a caouple of weeks ago concerning this particular matter, but i didnt get an answer, so im not sure whether you received my question or not. im 16 years old, and i seriously consider a career in professional wrestling. I live in Timmins, Ontario, Canada. But there is no wrestling schools in my area. I consider myself a pretty good actor, i take drama classes at school, i workout as much as i can at home and i do Karate and Kickboxing. See, the thing is - i can honestly say that i dont have the money to be able to afford to move away from my parents and to attend a wrestling school. As a matter of fact, i have no family in Canada, therefore i cant really move with any of my relatives that would have a wrestling school. And also - i wanna raise money to be able to attend a school, which i plan on doing during my university years - and again, im not sure on what to study to get to know more about the business. My questions are:

1) Could i still become a wrestler even if i wear glasses to read and see small things from a long distance? And do some wrestlers wear contact lenses during matches? If they do, how do they menage to keep them on? Or, do some other wear glasses off-camera?
2) What should i study in University to be able to learn about the Business?
3) Do you know if there are wrestling schools where i could train to wrestler for either TNA or WWE?
4) How could i get in shape for the wrestling school?
5) And also, what more could you suggest me?

PS - a couple of years ago i fell hard twice on my back (once on the ice and floor) and i had difficulties breathing afterwards for a few moments after it happened. I was also wondering - could that have any impact on my dream?

Answer
Hello Jay,

The only question from you I've seen has been one from about a week ago- the 15th. I hadn't had the time to get to it before now. I'm busy, but I don't hold back information like others may do. That unfortunately, adds to the time it takes to answer, though I work on making the wait timely- or to put it another way, good value for the time.

1. You can still wrestle with eyesight problems. Stan Hansen did this. To compensate for his poor sight, not wanting to have his blows come across as fake, he hit quite hard. You wouldn't need to that, of course, but it is an example. He was very successful in Japan. he didn't wrestle with glasses on though- that presents difficulties when you are getting slammed. Even if you could keep them on by attaching it somehow to part of your costume, the impacts can mean there is the potential for it to break.

You can do without, or wear contact lenses. Rey Mysterio has worn contact lenses in the past, but only so his eye colour can match his costume. It is cosmetic only and has to do with the 'mystery' of the gimmick. I believe the particular way they do eye-poking means that it can be done so that it won't actually poke inside the eye where it could move the lenses around. They might just poke the outside and the wrestler acts as if it poked inside normally, for safety reasons, but I cannot confirm that. I am not in the business.

In pro wrestling, the most important things for you to see are the wrestling ring, the wrestlers and perhaps cameras if there are any. None of the above are small, so your eyesight isn't as troubling as it could be. Contact lenses are a sound option to look into, but only if you are comfortable with them. Mysterio has been fine, but in the absences of known experiences, I cannot say whether there would be times where lenses could move around.

2. Depends what University you go to. Some actually have pro wrestling studies as a course. That only happens at a few places though. You will really need to research on the web, look at interviews and the like if you want to learn specifically about pro wrestling. Subjects at University will teach you skills and information that can apply to and be used in pro wrestling, but unless you learn a specific pro wrestling subject, you won't be learning about how the business specifically operates.

The first set of subject I'll list are skill-building in nature.

Remember, they can come under similar but different names. By no means do you need to do any of them. Think about it only if you enjoy it and already have an interest in it, or else know you need to develop in that area. Either way, you need to be able to motivate yourself whatever you select.

For the most part, subjects like accounting and economics can be good for finance management so you can be better prepared for whatever happens during pro wrestling school and in the independent circuit. Keeping track of the money you are spending and knowing what you need to have can help you to plan out how much shows you take on and how long you work part-time- if you need to.

Also, any theatre studies/drama/film studies, etc., to help you to perform in front of a crowd and to act better, of course. Psychology, history, anything to do with English, sociology behavioural studies and social studies plus the subjects in the first sentence, can help you to create and develop characters, plus do promos. Writing/Creative Writing, Literature in addition to all of the other subjects in this paragraph can help you to come up with storylines.  


This second set of subjects are very much optional. They can help you behind the scenes, or in more specific areas.

Nutrition and dietetics/health science can help you with fitness if you need it.

Business management, public relations, law, design, communications, visual communication, sports management and IT can help if you wish to start a promotion or pro wrestling school.

Visual communication, graphical design, IT, media/film and television, art and marketing are good if you want to be a graphic designer in pro wrestling (costume design, logo design, merchandise- like T-shirts and DVD covers- video packages and posters)

Languages other than English are of aid if you wish to wrestle internationally. Alternatively, you can do those short crash courses in these languages that are done outside of school. Learning a language at University is best if you have prior experience with it through school. Alongside the language, you can learn about their culture, which can also be handy.

Journalism and Writing/Creative Writing are of aid if you intend to be a promoter or pro wrestling school trainers and wish to write pieces to promote the product, inform new fans and entertain people in general.

3. Directly, no. Indirectly, yes. WWE and TNA do not have any official training schools. WWE do reserve spots in pro wrestling schools they have a close relationship with. These are WWE Developmental Territories. Florida Championship Wrestling is WWE's sole such territory at present. It is very hard to get in due to the volume of people wanting to get there. If you do get in, WWE will be watching. Unless you stand out and impress though, you won't be looking at a WWE Developmental Contract. It does not mean you can then sit back and relax.

As for TNA, the closest would be BCW, or Border City Wrestling, just across from Detroit at Windsor, Ontario and Team 3D's school, but that isn't meant for new students. it is more a place for refinement.

Any pro wrestling school though, gives you an opportunity to get to TNA or WWE. Many independent promotions have contacts to varying degrees with WWE and TNA. In addition, WWE Talent Scouts are constantly looking for new talent in pro wrestling schools and independent promotions. Also, because TNA wrestlers also frequently appear in a variety of independent promotions, there is a fair chance you could appear on the same show as one of them and over time impress them enough for a good word to be put into TNA and a try-out offered to you.

It's probably easier to be seen by the WWE because of both the talent scouts and there having Official Development Territories, but it is difficult to stand out and really take their notice.

4. Physically or mentally? Physically, there are two aspects. Strength training and stamina training, the latter of which is basically done by running, swimming, whatever- as long as it is exercise over an extended period. Doing this gives you more energy so you can perform longer matches without collapsing in exhaustion. Stamina training is also effective with a good diet in getting rid of excess weight. Stamina training can be combined with strength training through circuit training.

Here's a sample beginner workout. Of course, modify according to what equipment and time is available and your specific level of fitness:

Warming Up:
5-10 minute Light Jog/Run
-or-
5-10 minute Bike Ride
-or-
5-10 minute Swim

50 Push Ups
50 Sit-Ups/Crunches
50 Hindu Squats
50 Pull Ups/Chin-Ups
3 sets of walking lunges
3 sets of 10kg dumbbell bent over row
3 sets of 10kg dumbbell curls
3 sets of 10kg Bench Presses with a dumbbell
3 sets of 10kg Shoulder Presses
3 sets of 10kg Tricep Kickbacks
3 sets of 10kg Leg Presses

Cooling down:
Light Jog/Walk
-or-
Bike Ride

Stretches should be done before and after exercise. To begin with, a set might consist of 5-8 repetitions. If you want to put on some muscle mass more quickly, try to keep the sessions relatively short, to about 45 minutes each and put more effort in each repetition rather than rushing through it. A shorter, more intense session will more easily stimulate the muscles as it is pushed past what it normally is called upon to do.

At any time, change the exercises as you find any others that are particularly helpful to you and to substitute with exercises that aren't as helpful. To get in shape, is not just about exercise though. Eating habits play a role as well. If trying to lose weight, eating more meals in smaller portions will mean the metabolism speeds up, which is good and you unlike starvation, you will feel more energised so you can put more into future exercise settings, helping the process along

Eat from a range of different food groups, not taking too much junk food and stay hydrated. You need a good dose of protein and complex carbohydrates and vegetables in general are good choices. Milk; skim milk in particular, as well as sports drinks and fruit juices are better options than cordials or sodas.

Preparation is as much mental as it is physical. To a certain extent, if you push yourself reasonably through exercise, then you'll be prepared for the times you may need to push yourself during pro wrestling training. In addition, you need to be able to motivate yourself. There may come times in pro wrestling training where it gets hard. This may be because it is hard to grasp a concept or to perform something. On the other hand, there may be times where it seems too easy and you slack off. Be prepared for it to be difficult, but also be prepared for it to seem easy.

Either way, you need to discipline yourself. Be relaxed, but always look and listen. If it gets tough, keep focused on your dreams and practice however much you need to- but never go past your limits at the time. Rest and then returning back to it can make it clearer or easier than constant practice. Sometimes it just needs time to sink in.  Do not give up and do not feel as if you do not need to try to learn, that you have done enough.

There is always more to do, the question is just where and when. If it seems easy, then it either means you are doing quite well and then refine yourself so your technique will stand out, or else you may not be doing it quite right.  

Be prepared to put in time and effort. The best way to be sure of your willingness to do is just to remind yourself of where you hope to end up and tell yourself you want to do it right. Give it your best shot and that way no matter what happens you cannot regret your actions. You may still wish for things to have turned out better, but blaming yourself would be impossible.

5. Networking is very important. Make friends and be friendly to everyone else. If you impress people and show yourself to be a good person, they are more inclined to put in a good word for you and tell you about opportunities they have heard about. Connections are good to have and the benefits of friendship speak for themselves.

WWE and major promotions in general look for wrestlers with charisma and storytelling ability. Personalities that stand out from the crowd, wrestlers that are easy to write for and have broad appeal stand out and catch their eye. Do not merely focus on doing well technically. Do not neglect it either and pro wrestling school is a time to focus on getting the technique down, but during and particularly after pro wrestling school, leave room to focus on developing your abilities as an entertainer.

Practice facial expressions in front of the mirror. Apparently some people naturally inclined to be actors- and actors themselves- do this. Since you see the expressions up close, this can help you to adjust so that you don't act in a horribly goofy manner. That makes for bad acting when wrestlers aren't portraying goofy characters.

If your character is making a promo and is meant to be feeling some emotion, recall any experiences in your life that made you feel in a similar way. Think about the experience and try to bring it out, I suppose is one way of putting it. Through keeping the emotion as real as possible one is keeping the acting as realistic as possible. When you feel you really have to do a certain storyline or whatever that leads to your character reacting a certain way that is past the extent of your acting ability, you can always act as if you are trying to hold back the emotion.

That way you don't need to act nearly as much, but still have to do enough so that it is clear you did really feel it.  The audience also needs to know the depth of the character抯 feelings. Words can work if facial expressions cannot. Point out that you are holding back for a logical reason and that you won't be come match-time.

Due to the lack of pro wrestling schools in the region, consider saving up some money and doing your education and then moving to Windsor, where BCW is, or Toronto, where a number of Canadian federations are. BCW lends itself to a move to the US, if that is where you intend your career to go. The Canadian wrestling scene is good for skill development, but if you want to get into WWE or TNA, you may want to move to the US sometime.

If time and money permits it, martial arts or boxing or amateur wrestling instruction can be good should you choose to stay in the general area until education is done; but keep in mind it is not needed. That way, you can learn some of the moves that can be used in pro wrestling and get a degree of knowledge about striking and/or grappling as well as improving your physical conditioning.  

6. Possibly. If you hit the ground hard- and it caught you unaware- then some moments of winded breath or breathlessness is natural. Still, when you use 'breathing difficulties' it might mean something not so ordinary, perhaps asthma. I would suggest avoiding big bumps.

In pro wrestling, you learn to bump so that you fall safely, reducing the impact. The impact of your previous falls probably would be more than the bumps in pro wrestling where you take precautions. Also, if you strengthen your back, that could help protect it. It may also help for you to learn how to breathe properly. Breathing techniques can reduce the impact of blows. This is done in martial arts and might provide an added layer of protection. It might be rather limited protection for back bumps, as opposed to frontal attack but it could still help.

If it has been only a few moments with breathing difficulty, then it sounds like safe bumps should be okay- but be careful when you are learning to bump. If it ever gets worse, see a doctor. Also see a doctor if it continues after you have learned to safely bump. Don't want to get disoriented after each slam, especially if it indicates something worse.

If it gets worse when you are learning to bump, wait for a while. You might have some minor problem in that case and if you wait a while it could settle down. If it reoccurs once you have safely bumped however, then it could be a problem. That doesn't mean you cannot wrestle- it could be a problem that could be fixed with medication or surgery if it really is serious. Don't worry- that consumes too much energy, especially given that it is a fair chance it won't happen again. From the sound of the incident, I doubt that it would prevent you from wrestling given the safety techniques in pro wrestling, but with health it pays to be careful.