A Review of In-Demand Indy by Rob Kimball aka RYZIN

 

 

The art of self-publishing involves a lot of promotion, marketing, and business savvy. In my journey selling my wares as an author, I have taken a lot from professional wrestling. So it was with great interest that I recently bought In-Demand Indy, a new book by pro wrestler Rob Kimball aka RYZIN. It also doesn’t hurt that my upcoming novel, Chaos in the Corner, is a story about a wrestler who works his way through the independent circuit. Reading about the industry is research.

Admittedly, I am not the target market for In-Demand Indy. The book is written for wrestlers aspiring to make it in the difficult business of pro wrestling. Unlike other books I have read on independent wrestling, RYZIN writes from the perspective of someone who has been successful, with over 20 years in the business. Despite never being signed to a long term deal, something he addresses often, RYZIN is a name in demand, having worked for WWE, AEW, TNA, and many other well known promotions and he has experience against some of the top names in wrestling. In-Demand Indy details his lessons learned, successes, and failures. It is a great book for those trying to make a business of being in the business.

Although I have only been in a wrestling ring three times in my life, I made a several notes as I read In-Demand Indy. These are from my perspective as a wrestling fan who has friends and family in the business and someone who has a love for the old school days of professional wrestling.

1) My biggest observation is that while RYZIN writes often about being a character, he makes no differentiation between being a heel or a face. For RYZIN, the business of wrestling is agnostic, which is the dominant theory since fans started rooting for the NWO in WCW and Stone Cold in the WWE(F). These days, heels can make as much, if not more, than faces.

The old school fan in me disagrees with the agnostic business model. In the old days, heels would not go out to see fans at intermission. Old school heels also didn’t interact with fans before or after shows. They kept kayfabe as insufferable assholes or unapproachable, intimidating monsters. Today, MJF in AEW is the only wrestler that keeps this tradition alive. Unfortunately for old school heels, that meant not making as much money in merch and other fan-related avenues.

I had a lot of problems with Norm Kaiser’s Fixing The Indies but his chapter on heels is really good. Kaiser writes about what makes a good heel including the different types of heels, from the arrogant bastard to the super strong monster. (FYI, I reviewed Kaiser’s book here.)

2) Speaking of old school, I don’t think the term “kayfabe” is mentioned at all in In-Demand Indy. Maybe once? In past generations, this book would have a “TOP SECRET: FOR PROFESSIONAL WRESTLERS ONLY” label on the cover. It would not be for sale to the general public. Wrestling was a secret society and “protecting the business” was paramount. This is not a knock against RYZIN. I am sure there are parts of the business fans are still not privy to. I know the days of keeping kayfabe are long gone, but I always wonder how the modern era of the business could fit in the past mentality of secret keeping.

3) This book was published in 2025 and probably written in years prior to, but it would be interesting to know RYZIN’s thoughts on Generative AI and wrestlers using AI-generated material for their marketing and swag. Is it ok to make AI-generated flyers? What about creating an AI logo or putting an AI design on your shirt or stickers? What if you sharpen your image by putting in ChatGPT or Claude?

If I am not mistaken, you can’t copyright an AI image. In order to sell your image on a t-shirt, you need to own it. If you can’t copyright it, you can’t own it. In other words, don’t use AI. Hire a real artist and buy the image from them.

I could see RYZIN commenting on AI in almost every chapter, from flyers to swag to using AI in business spreadsheets. That might be in volume two.

4) I mentioned in the intro that I use a lot of the same skills that indy pro wrestlers use in my book hustle. I “cut promos” to tell viewers the time and place of my next signing, I book my own events by contacting venues and organizers, I have an LLC, I tally profit and loss, I add swag to my table, I push product, and I hope to get signed to a contract for guaranteed money. I really enjoyed finding those comparisons. Fortunately for me, I don’t put my body on the line. Although I probably should go to the gym more often.

5) Since this book is all about the business of being a pro wrestler, how do wrestlers reconcile their personal business with the business of the promotion? For example, what if the promoter wants a wrestler change from heel to face or face to heel? What if that interferes with their branding? Should wrestlers not take the booking, even if it is early in their career? What if the show that wants them to alter their gimmick offers great, possibly career-altering, exposure?

What if a promoter wants a wrestler to job out (lose without putting up a fight)? What if the promoter’s idea is bad for the wrestler’s business? Is it ever ok to go into business for yourself? How do wrestler’s minimize the impression that they are only trying to get themselves over?

6) I enjoyed the social media chapter. In 2010, I wrote an article for a wrestling website on how wrestlers can best use social media. Of course, platforms and audiences have changed, but the need to constantly communicate to potential fans has not.

7) If I could add one chapter to In-Demand Indy, I would suggest that indy wrestlers be open to participating in other creative avenues as a way to promote themselves. Podcasts, talk shows, stand-up comedy, improv, movie acting, and many other platforms use many of the same performing “muscles” as pro wrestling and allow should allow a wrestler to namedrop their wrestling endeavors. There are numerous examples of this, from Hulk Hogan in Rocky 3 to Nick Nemeth in comedy to Tyrus on FoxNews. Even just taking local improv classes can raise a profile. Anything a wrestler can participate in is going to bring fans and make them more in demand, especially if they bring their new fans to wrestling.

Overall, I really enjoyed In-Demand Indy. 5 stars out of 5. There were a few typos and grammatical errors, but that can be looked over. It was a quick read (only 138 pages!) and it is filled to the top turnbuckle with great advice. RYZIN knows what he is talking about and it would behoove beginning wrestlers to pick up a copy and follow RYZIN’s words of wisdom. Recommended and necessary.

In-Demand Indy is also helpful to other folks peddling their creative wares. Pick it up if you want. Support indy wrestling.

A Farewell to Pops

A few months ago, I wrote a post entitled “One Last Drive to Minneola” about my trips to see World Xtreme Wrestling, the longtime pro wrestling organization owned and operated by Afa Anoa’i.

Although there has been mention that Afa Jr might one day bring back wXw, the show in April was the end of an era. It marked the last show put on by Afa, his wife Lynn, and their daughter Vale. As I wrote in my post, wXw was ending because Afa’s health was not good. He had been through several scares and there was a need to circle the wagons and focus on recovery and family.

Unfortunately, Afa left us on August 16th, 2024, nearly four months after closing wXw and only six weeks after his brother Sika Anoa’i passed away.

Pops was a lot of things to a lot of people. To those who didn’t know him, he was a wrestling legend, a titan of the ring in his era and the patriarch of generations of champions. To those who knew him, he was a father, a husband, a High Chief, a brother, a friend, a trainer, and a mentor. He was father figure to many, and a “Dad” to many more. He welcomed many into his family and encouraged people to seize their full potential. He gave chances and believed in those he cared about.

I like to always mention that I have only been in a wrestling ring twice in my life. Once was at a training center with my brother Bryan Maddox and the other was helping put together a ring for a theater performance. It is not my place. But Pops still referred to me as one of his kids. He had a lot of kids, and each one was special to him. To be called one of his kids was an honor and not something I took lightly.

For me, Pops was a father figure, a great-uncle figure, and a role model. As a man, you want a lasting impact. You want to treat people with kindness, but have the wisdom and authority to make things happen when they need to happen. Through his kindness, Pops had an unspoken gravity to him. You didn’t want to let him down.

I didn’t have a relationship with Pops when I started attending wXw. For years, I called him “Sir” and said hello only when spoken to. Through the years, however, Pops started to know who I was and I went from “Maddox’s brother” to “Afro” to “Mike”. Eventually, I would talk to him after every show. He would ask how the show was, and I would always answer that I had a great time. That’s the honest truth. Whether the show was a banger with a full crowd or not, whether my brother was wrestling or not, I always enjoyed going to wXw.

Pops also always asked me how I was doing and where my brother was if he wasn’t on the show. Always. Not only did he want Bryan to wrestle in the show, but he genuinely wanted Bryan there. Bryan was one of his kids and he wanted his kids to do what makes them happy. He knew wrestling made Bryan happy. It also helped that Bryan was one of the biggest wrestlers on the wXw roster and a multi-time champion, but that was secondary.

On the rare chance I saw Pops before a show, he often suggested that I would be involved in a run-in or some in-ring action. I am pretty sure he was joking, but if he told me to do something, I would do it. I don’t know how well I would do, and it never progressed more than a suggestion, but he said it enough to get me nervous.

While I was never a wrestler, Pops taught me a valuable lesson about wrestling. During one month in 2010, I had the pleasure of doing a video project with veteran wrestling manager Bill Alfonso. Among the places Fonzie wanted to visit was wXw. That was the first and only time I went in the wXw locker room before a show. While we were getting footage of Fonzie mentoring aspiring wrestlers, Pops pulled me aside and reminded me to make sure I protected his business. That’s a forgotten mantra in today’s social media age, where the behind-the-scenes of wrestling is almost as popular as the in-ring action. But in Pop’s day and era, it was wrestling law. Of course, if someone of Pop’s stature in the business tells you something, you do it. Hence, I protected the business in Fonzie’s video and continue to do so. 

Outside of the wXw shows, Pops made his presence felt in my life. As a longtime government contractor, I’ve often gone overseas for months at a time. During a trip to Qatar in 2018, I included Pops on my monthly email updates to friends and family. Not all my friends and family would respond. As a matter of fact, only a few did. But Pops always replied. Every month for nine months he would send me a short email telling me to stay safe, take care of myself, and that he and everyone missed me. He didn’t have to do that. Of course, when I returned, he told my brother that he knew more about what I was doing overseas than my brother did. That might have been true.

Pops loved having people at his house. I was lucky enough to visit a few times following wXw shows. Pops sat in his chair as a king (or a chief) would on a throne as people mingled and socialized. Before the night was through, he always asked newcomers what wXw meant to them. There are few wrestling organizations that can honestly say they are a family, but wXw could. That was the most common answer. When asked, I remember telling Pops that although I would follow my brother anywhere and cheer and boo him as needed, wXw transcended that. It became more than a wrestling show, it was seeing, supporting, and hanging out with people I cared about.

My brother and I were able to visit Pops one last time a month before he passed and a few days before he went to Pensacola for his final days. It was a sad day, but while we knew it would be the last time we saw him, it was good visit, full of laughs and smiles and stories.

Although he is gone, Pop’s legacy lives on. Just the other day, I spoke with a wrestling friend for three hours on the phone. We talked about Pops a lot. I look forward to seeing other wrestling friends at shows throughout Florida. I might even again chat with one of Pop’s superstar nephews or great nephews. No matter who I meet or see again, I am sure we will reminisce over the common bond that Pops touched our lives.

On the same day I spoke with my friend for a few hours, I texted Pop’s daughter Vale. I sent her some words of comfort during this difficult time. As I mentioned when my own father passed away, the “passing of a parent club” is a club no one wants to join, but as we get older time inevitably makes many of us members. When that happens, it helps to remember that many of our friends might already be in this unfortunate club. As friends, it is our job to be there for new members and give them hope. To let them know their loved one will always be with them in spirit and their friends will always remain by their side here on Earth.

RIP Pops. Your legacy will last forever. #AnoaiStrong

 

Seen on a SportsKeeda WWE Video

 

Eagle-eyed wrestling fan and my good friend Nick Major informed me that I was in the background of a recent video by Sportskeeda Wrestling. The video, entitled "How WWE Failed Dolph Ziggler", covers the career of Ziggler from his days in college wrestling to his present status with TNA and New Japan Pro Wrestling. A majority of the video covers his nearly 20 years with WWE, to include his 2008-2009 stint at Florida Championship Wrestling in Tampa.

That's where you see me and fellow Afro-Squad member Snowman. We are at the 3:30 mark in the video.

Fun story: one Thursday night in late 2008 or 2009, I went to a local Hooters after an FCW show. It was near 10pm and Hooters was about to close. But there was enough time to get food. While I was sitting at the bar eating wings, Dolph Ziggler walked in a took a seat at a table in the nearly empty restaurant. I told the bartender that he was a wrestler. At first she didn't believe me but then walked over to ask him. She talked to him for a few minutes. That's my Dolph Ziggler story.

Unfortunately, that is not the Sportskeeda video. But if you want to watch what is in the video, here it is.

One Last Drive to Minneola

I’ve been putting off writing this for a few reasons. One, I wanted to attend all that needed to be attended, and two, I wanted to give time and space to others to express their views before I express mine. I don’t mind bringing up the rear, and in their world, they go first.

Fifteen years ago, there was very little development northbound on State Road 27 between I-4 and Minneola City Hall. Once you got off the interstate and past the truck stops, there were a few lights in Clermont and a whole lot of nothing before arriving at Minneola’s one traffic light. The nothingness was so expansive that in February 2009, the first time I drove up SR 27 to Minneola, I thought I was lost. After a few minutes of nothingness, I turned around and drove back to Tampa.

True story.

Once I figured out where I was going, Minneola City Hall became a regular drive. Although many times I took a friend or two, and even once took a legendary pro wrestling manager, I often made the journey solo.

While friends were always nice company, the reason I drove to Minneola City Hall was to see World Xtreme Wrestling, the famous federation run by Afa Anoa’i and his family.

In the beginning, my reason for driving to Minneola was simple, to support my brother, Bryan Maddox. If Bryan was in a show, I drove to see him. Prior to wXw, following his career led me to matches all over Florida. I saw matches in roller skating rinks, VFWs, bars, television studios, and the occasional civic center. Once he settled on wXw, I settled on wXw.

As the commercial says, wXw is better than the rest.

Over the years, I became a wXw regular. I was the heckler with the afro wig. A cheerleader, one with a three-foot afro wig instead of pom-poms. A tradition that started with the Afro-Squad at Florida Championship Wrestling travelled to Minneola and found a new home. Whereas I was part of a crew at FCW, at wXw I was the only afro-clad super fan. In wXw, the afro wig got bigger and I got louder. I developed a reputation as the guy who jeered the bad guys and started chants for the good guys.

“Perfect Loser!” – to Richard “Perfect Creation” Criato. Still one of my favorite chants.

“No one likes you!” – to any and all bad guys. Especially the arrogant type.

“Get up! I have money on you!” – always funny when a good guy is getting pummeled.

“You got him right where you want him!” – when a good guy wrestler is getting beaten by a bigger bad guy.

“WXW! WXW!” – when wXw was invaded by FCW and years later, Battlefield Wrestling.

And so many more. Whenever I brought a friend, I would warn them of my reputation and antics. Sometimes they joined the trash talking. Sometimes they got caught in the heckling crossfire. But it was always good fun and always clean.

Being a wXw regular and Bryan Maddox’s brother introduced me to so many great people at wXw. First and foremost, the Anoa’i Family. From Pops to Momma Lynn to Vale to other family members who occasionally visited, the entire family treated me like family. Whether it was giving me a warm welcome when I returned from Afghanistan, allowing me to visit their home after a show, sending me emails when I was in Qatar, asking about my brother during his times away from the ring, coming to my book signing, or being at my Dad’s Celebration of Life, I am forever thankful for their kindness and support.

Before I discuss the regular roster, I want to mention that because of wXw, I have some amazing Haku stories. Haku is a legend of the ring. A former king and one of the toughest men in pro wrestling history. But I never approached him as an awestruck fan. His daughter, Vika, was at FSU the same time I was. Her college roommate was friends with my college roommate. When I first approached Haku, I asked about his family. We talked about life in Orlando versus Tampa. He paid my tab at Buffalo Wild Wings one night after I complained about lack of service. He sent me a birthday video last year. He gave me a hug and chop to the chest at the last wXw show. Haku is the man. Getting to know him wouldn’t have been possible without wXw.

Because of wXw, I also broke bread and drank beer with Jey Uso in a Tampa sports bar. When I explained to Jey that his family has treated my family like family for many years, he asked me who. When I told him I knew his Uncle Afa, Aunt Lynn, Cousin Vale, etc, he invited me to hang out with him and also paid my tab. We closed down a few bars when WWE was holding temporary residency at Tropicana Field. That never would have happened without wXw.

Other people I crossed paths with because of wXw include Harry Smith at the same sports bar I met Jey, Tamina Snuka at a Qdoba in Tampa, and two women on a nature trail in Hawaii who commented on my “Anoa’i Strong” t-shirt and told me about their own Samoan lineage.

Now to the wXw roster. I have a lot of respect for the wrestlers of wXw. I have only been in a wrestling ring twice in my life. It is not my place. My place is outside the ring with a big afro wig on my head. But to those who put their bodies on the line at wXw, thank you. To my brother, Bryan Maddox, to his longtime tag partner, Ethan Essex, to his former manager, Rico Moon, to Nick Nero and Ace Radic (aka Justin Bieber), Maluta to Mandrake, Vertigo to Deathrow, Hound Dogg to Hudson, Gus Money to Gariston Spears, Mercedes to Sarona, Sugaa to Shawn Spears, TNT to Tony Ice, D-Ramos to E.R.A. to Alex G to the Big O, and many, many others, thank you for years of dedication and entertainment. I hope to see you at other shows soon.

In my 15 years of wXw fandom, one of my favorite moments happened in Summer 2023 when Battlefield Pro Wrestling “invaded” wXw. I arrived at Minneola City Hall wearing my afro and a wXw t-shirt. Before I could make my way to a seat, the wXw wrestlers sitting ringside chanted “One of us” to me. I was representing wXw and they wanted me to sit with them. Of course, I didn’t attack Battlefield wrestlers when they did, but I did join them in booing and jeering the invading roster. For them to acknowledge me as “one of them”, even in the crowd, was super cool.

Now to the fellow fans. Through wXw, I became family with many other regularly attending fans. We would always chat and catch up every month. From the Clacks to Santa Claus to everyone who bought my book to the kids who thought my afro was real to the kids who swore it wasn’t, thank you for making wXw more enjoyable. I can’t count how many new fans at wXw asked me if I was part of the show or told me that I added to their enjoyment. Thank you to the fans who laughed at my heckling and thank you to the fans who joined my chants. I also hope to see all y’all at other shows soon.

wXw provided me with 15 years of entertainment and introduced me to so many good people, but the best thing wXw did was make me that much prouder of my brother. I saw Bryan win titles, lose titles, get cheered, get booed, get a stinkface from Rikishi, meet his idols, and eventually make the wXw Hall of Fame. I’ll admit I cried a little when he received his well-deserved Hall of Fame plaque.

Weeks ago, when I started writing this essay, I thought I was making my last drive to Minneola. Afa the Wild Samoan announced April 13 was the last wXw show. Twenty-seven years, to include fifteen in Florida, was coming to an end. I was ready to tear up. During the show, however, Afa Junior took the mic and announced he was going to continue hosting wrestling shows in Minneola. We don’t know when, we don’t know who, and we don’t know how. But we are going to hold Junior to his word.

Instead of saying good-bye to Minneola, the wXw Grand Finale was instead the closing of a great chapter. It was end of the shows hosted by Afa, his wife Lynn, and their daughter Vale, the central nervous system of wXw. They have to circle the wagons and take care of Pops, who has been battling health issues lately. The Grand Finale was their finale.

These days, countless condos and complexes line State Road 27 from I-4 to Minneola City Hall. The nothingness is gone. The area is growing and more things are happening. City Hall itself is getting a massive upgrade. But after April 13th one thing will be missing.

World Xtreme Wrestling.

Thank you, Afa, for putting on such great shows for 15 years. Thank you, Mom and Vale, for all you did. Thank you to the wrestlers and the fans. I love you all and I will see you soon.

P.S. After the second-to-last show, someone asked me if the afro wig will be retired if wXw closed. I don’t think it will be. The Afro-Squad started in FCW and has been at many different organizations statewide. I also don’t think my WXW or Anoa’i Strong shirts will be retired either. As a matter of fact, they will probably be my regular attire to all wrestling shows from here on out. Although I will be at whatever show in wherever, Florida, my heart will always be at wXw.

P.P.S. I still can’t believe I missed The Rock.

Counting Wrestling Shows

 

Wrestling podcasts are all the rage these days. My personal favorite is Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw hosted by WWE Hall of Famers Jerry Brisco and John Bradshaw Layfield aka JBL. It's a good, clean show with great guests who tell great stories. There is no trashing the business, no trashing other people in the business, and there is very little mudslinging, unless it is in jest. It is highly recommended.

A few months ago, Brisco and Bradshaw talked with Rich Achberger, aka WWE Sign Guy. Acheberger is a famous fan of WWE. He has been written about on WWE.com, supported by wrestlers while on Deal or No Deal, gets twitter praise from people in wrestling, and has amassed a prominent twitter following of over 40,000.

No doubting his incredible fandom.

During his interview with Brisco and Bradshaw, Achberger said he has attended over 1,200 wrestling shows. That's a lot of wrestling shows. As a fellow fan of wrestling shows, his count got me thinking how many I have been to.

Overall, I think I have been to roughly 270 wrestling events. Which to be honest, seems really small compared to Sign Guy. Here is my math:

WWE: 9

I've been six WWE RAW or Smackdown shows in Tampa at Amalie Arena as well as WrestleMania at Raymond James Stadium. That's seven. I went to one Smackdown in Tallahassee and one closed circuit broadcast of WrestleMania 3 at Nassau Coliseum when I was a kid in New York.

NXT: 2

I have been to two NXT events. One in Tampa and one in Cocoa, Florida.

FCW: 50

Here is where the estimating starts. From 2008 to 2010, I went to a lot Florida Championship Wrestling shows in Tampa. This was the Afro-Squad days, where we were acknowledged by Steve Keirn and the legendary Dusty Rhodes. I might be a little low, but I am going with 50 total.

ASW: 40

In 2010, the Afro-Squad stopped going to FCW as often and started going to All-Star Wrestling Florida. ASW was run by local friends as well as part of our FCW fan group. We had to support. It was fun, it was local, it was very indy. From 2010 to 2012, I would estimate I went to 40 ASW shows.

wXw: 70

This number seems low, but I think it might be correct. Since 2009, I have been going to Afa The Wild Samoan's wXw monthly promotion in Minneola, Florida. For 10 of those years, my brother Bryan Maddox wrestled there. During that time, I would go every month. Since he stopped wrestling in 2018, I have gone every other month or every third month, depending on my schedule. I also missed two years because I lived overseas. This might be on the conservative side, but I am going with 70 wXw shows.

Miscellaneous: 100

I would guess I have been to 100 other wrestling events, mostly independent shows. From flea markets to fairs, civic centers to storage units, I have paid to see men and women battle in the squared circle. I can't count how many different promotions I've seen. Many of them might not be around any more. I've seen people dressed as Japanese monsters and barbwire Christmas tree matches. I've seen future superstars and people in it for the joy of entertaining the fans. 

But like my FCW and ASW numbers, my visits to independent wrestling shows has dropped dramatically in recent years. I might be a little conservative, but I think 100 is a fair number.

A total of 270 shows is not even 20% of Rick Achberger's 1,200. Whereas I have spent nine months total at wrestling shows, Rick has spent almost 3 and half years. That's mind blowing.

A big tip of the red hat and doff of the afro wig to fellow super fan WWE Sign Guy. May his seat always be warm and his beer (or soda) always be cold.

Review of Springtime for Kaiju in Tampa

 

Giant monsters invaded Tampa on April 29th, 2023. Good monsters took to the squared circle to take on bad monsters, led by the infamous Dr. Cube.

As a fan of pro wrestling and a fan of kaiju, I have wanted to see Kaiju Big Battel for years. The idea of Godzilla and Mothra-type monsters duking it out in a ring with buildings and other props at their feet absolutely intrigued me. Unfortunately, Kaiju Big Battel doesn't come to Florida very often. Last Saturday, it finally happened at the Orpheum in Tampa and I was there.

Typically, Kaiju Big Battel happens in a wrestling ring. I am not sure if they didn't have ring because of the rain or because they just didn't have a ring. I do know the roof of the Orpheum is too low for an indoor ring, especially if giant monsters are the combatants. So instead of a ring, barricades were erected to protect the crowd from the giant monsters. Of course, some giant monsters took their battle to the people and engaged in combat amidst the crowd. What a sight that was!

It is impossible not to have fun at a Kaiju Big Battel show. It is mostly-wholesome fun for the whole family. As you can see from the picture above, kids sat ringside and kids were involved as managers during the show. There was even a kid bell ringer. I wonder if Kaiju can be a gateway drug to human-based wrestling. Has anyone gone from rooting for giant monsters to rooting for John Cena?

My second observation is that Kaiju Big Battel is about story telling. Kaiju isn't technical wrestling. There is no Bryan Danielson versus William Regal catch wrestling. There are big monsters hitting each other. There are clear good guys and clear bad guys and they fight. No tweeners. No heel turns. No flip-flopping. The storylines are simple. While too many wrestling promotions complicate their shows with complex storylines, Kaiju keeps it simple. The simplicity makes it fun.

To the benefit of first-timers or casual fans, the announce team helps out by encouraging booing the bad monsters and cheering the good monsters. I enjoyed this and think other wrestling promotions, on and off our planet, could try to duplicate this concept. If wrestlers don't do a good enough job conveying their good or evil, the announce team can tell the crowd who to support and get chants started.

The props also make the matches fun. Cardboard boxes painted to be buildings, bottles labeled "Sleep medicine" and "NRG Drink", pillows, pool toys, and even a Pikachu doll were used in the monster battles. Imagination is important. Kaiju encourages the audience to let out the kid in them. Of course a pool float wouldn't be used in a battle between a giant mosquito and an intergalactic alien robot, but in the pit of doom, a pool float is not a pool float. In Kaiju Big Battel, a pool float is a weapon of mass destruction.

Overall, there were 6 or 7 matches in the two hour event. It depends if you want to count the main event as one match or two, as it turned into chaos and more monsters descended to the pit of doom and chaos broke out before the grand finale. For a niche extravaganza, there was a good crowd of 200 or so, which is not bad considering the bad weather and the other events going on around Tampa - music festivals, NHL playoffs, and several other concerts. But for those who value intergalactic, time-travelling conflicts between giant monsters, Kaiju Big Battel was the place to be.

I would definitely go to Kaiju Big Battel again. As they say, Monsters are real and Danger can happen!

Following Fonzie: A Month on the Road with Wrestling Legend Bill Alfonso

 

Following Fonzie: A Month on the Road with Wrestling Legend Bill Alfonso from JordiScrubbings on Vimeo.

In 2010, I had the interesting pleasure of working with pro wrestling personality Bill Alfonso on a documentary. We met at an All-Stars Wrestling show in Tampa, where I was doing social media. If I remember right, Fonzie told one of my friends he wanted to put something together to show his life. I had a camera and some spare time, so I volunteered.

Fonzie was an interesting character. He was full of wrestling knowledge. He worked for WWE, WCW, ECW, Championship Wrestling of Florida, and dozens and dozens of other organizations throughout the world. He worked for Dusty Rhodes, the Briscos, the Funks, Paul Heyman, Vince McMahon, and many other promoters. He knew the business and almost everyone in it.

For a month, Fonzie and I travelled around Florida. We went to Ocala to see the Funks, we went to Minneola to see the Anoa'i Family, we went fishing, and we regularly went to famed Tampa restaurant La Teresita. Along the way, I had a chance to learn about pro wrestling from someone who had been a referee, a manager, and a backstage hand for over 25 years. I had a chance to be a fly on the wall during conversation between Fonzie and WWE Hall of Famers. It was a crash course I will never forget.

In total, I had over 12 hours of footage. In 2016, I created an hour long movie with the intent to post it online. Unfortunately, my hard drive crapped out. The movie was gone. Fortunately, I had backups of all the footage on a portable drive. In late 2022, I started recreating the movie.

Currently at 1 hour and 6 minutes, it could be a little tighter. But I think I did a good job, especially considering it is by far the longest video project I have ever worked on.

Thoughts on pro wrestler attacking fan

I have so many thoughts on this. Not a show goes by without me interacting with wrestlers. That was the point of the afro years ago - to draw their attention. That said, I never cross the line into personal, racial, or religious. Gotta keep it character based.

I can make a long list of wrestlers who have "interacted" with me at indy shows. Whether its yelling back, ripping off the afro, or grabbing a sign from me, it's all been part of the show. And you have to roll with it. If you want to be "part of the show", you have to know the line. Heels are assholes. They flip hats, they rip signs, they insult your mother. Touching the wrestlers is wrong. You don't throw watermelon back at Gallagher. 

By the way, the whole thing looks like a work. Look how the fan feeds his back to Joe Black who clubs him with forearms. No uppercuts, no chokes, no real fight moves. Compare to when Seth Rollins choked out a mark who jumped the rail on RAW.

If it is not a work - life is a work, btw - that fan should be barred from that promotion forever. But there are other promotions and the odds he and Joe Black cross paths again will be pretty high. Then when Joe Black and the boys whoop his ass (the whole locker room, because if you mess with one, you mess with all) , the way wrestlers would have back in the day, he will learn not to teach the wrestlers.

Book Review: Too Sweet — Inside the Indie Wrestling Revolution

Back in 2010, I ran social media for a small, local independent wrestling organization in Tampa, Florida. All-Star Wrestling of Florida was as small and as local as wrestling comes — a bar show featuring mostly talent from the Central Florida. Attendance was lucky to reach 100 paying patrons.

Despite the small presence, ASW Florida still attracted some big names in the wrestling world. WWF legend Sunny made an appearance. ECW legend Bill Alfonso made an appearance. Shawn Spears worked a few matches. Eventual GCW co-owner Danny DeManto was a regular contestant. Then-TNA stars Jay Lethal and Samoa Joe were frequent attendees who watched from the bar.

After ASW Florida folded in 2011, I stopped being as interested in the indy scene. I still attended show at wXw, Afa the Wild Samoan’s developmental, watching future WWE talent such as Sean Maluta, Kona Reeves, and the widely-traveled Mercedes Martinez. But I attended because the Anoa’i Family has become family to me and my family. Only going to wXw meant the underground wrestling scene was no longer my scene.

I also stopped writing about wrestling as much. For a while I was a guest writer on the now-defunct Walls of Jericholic — The Wrestling Blog website. Although we often had different opinions, their editor allowed me to write my views through the prism of the Florida indy scene.

So it was with great interest that I read Keith Elliot Greenberg’s “Too Sweet: Inside the Indie Wrestling Revolution”. Too Sweet covers independent wrestling from its beginning as “renegade promotions” in the territory days to a viable source of entertainment in the WWE-dominant days to the gathering of the top stars to create a WWE-level alternative in All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

Although Greenberg writes about the big Japanese wrestling leagues, and mentions pro wrestling in the UK and Mexico, he focuses most of the story on Ring of Honor, CHIKARA PRO, CZW, GCW, and other US-based independent organizations. Of course, hundreds, if not thousands, of other independent feds went unmentioned, but to write about them all would require volumes. Credit Greenberg for keeping a narrative, even if none of my local indies were mentioned.

Also to his credit, by keeping to these top independents, Greenberg stays away from the criticisms of independent wrestling — that is has led to a watered down product because everyone with a ring is putting on shows. As a matter of fact, Greenberg almost embraces the low bar of wrestling promotion. Veterans of yesteryear state the high bar kept the wrestling community tight and ensured the fanbase received a quality product for their money. The lowered bar means an open market, where fans dictate the type of entertainment they want to see. Greenberg seems to favor the latter, not the former.

While I enjoyed the tale of the indies, the narrative almost works against Greenberg. As the book progresses, the book becomes The Road to AEW, with the Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, and other stars of the present organization becoming the focus of the book. The focus on the indie organizations is left behind. How they are doing in 2020 would have made a great epilogue. Perhaps that is covered in his book Follow the Buzzards: Pro Wrestling in the Age of COVID-19. I might have to pick that up as well.

(Quick aside: While WWE was hunkered down in Tropicana Field during the pandemic, I ran into WWE stars Jey Uso and Otis at several Tampa-area sports bars. Joined them a few times for dinner and drinks. Family is family.)

Despite my critique of Too Sweet’s final focus, the rise of AEW as a major wrestling promotion was and still is a big deal. AEW is an organization primarily run by wrestlers with the focus of taking on WWE. Unlike TNA/Impact, AEW was backed by a billionaire family and immediately landed a major TV deal. Initial investment combined with the wrestling buzz generated by market-savvy wrestlers made AEW’s launch “must-see TV”. That is definitely a story worth telling.

So what is next for the indies? Small wrestling organizations filled with weekend warriors doing their thing in flea markets, gyms, and VFW halls won’t get the same attention as AEW. But given the highly volatile business of pro wrestling, some small indies might last longer.

Book Review: Fixing the Indies by Norm Kaiser

Throughout the last 15 years, I have gone to countless small professional wrestling shows. I have travelled to flea markets, gyms, small civic centers, and fairgrounds to support those trying to make a career in squared circle. While a lot of my travels were to support my brother who was working his way up the ranks, along the way I met some great people who put their bodies on the line in name of entertainment. From them, I learned a considerable amount about how the business of wrestling runs.

Years ago, I bought Norm Kaiser’s book “Fixing the Indies: Saving Independent Pro Wrestling from Itself”. I am not sure how I heard of it, but it has been sitting on my shelves for at least five years. One of my new year’s resolutions is to read some of my older books and not get distracted by new book purchases, so I figured Kaiser’s book would be a great curtain jerker for 2022.

(Curtain jerker – wrestling slang for the first match of the night.)

First and foremost, Fixing the Indies was written 10 years ago. Wrestling has changed a lot since, for better and for worse. Some of what Kaiser writes about are still problems with the business, from the top to the bottom. But some of his discussions makes him appear to be a crabby, old man who would be happy if pro wrestling promoters modelled their shows after MMA.

Let’s start with the positives: the book is well put together. It seems self-published and I cannot find any mention of Foxbat Books anywhere on the web. I noticed no typos in the text. I wish the photos were better aligned, but overall, the book is well done for a niche book.

In the book, the biggest positive is Kaiser’s emphasis on REALISM and COMBAT. He makes a lot of sense. Pro wrestling should never be mistaken for synchronized swimming. Unfortunately, pro wrestling shows are filled with “spot fests” – moves planned and performed with athleticism and crowd response in mind, not the acting of a true fight. Kaiser writes that pro wrestling should look like a fight, not a competition to see who can do the most flips, dives, or choreographed stunts. I think he is 100% correct.

Kaiser also gives good advice in regards to professionalism. Looking like a fighter is important. Matching colors are important. Being in shape is important. Having clean, if not, well-presented gear is important. Staying a character is important. I also like Kaiser’s advice that bad guys not mix it up with fans as it detracts from the bad guy’s prime focus of winning the match.

There is also good advice about merchandizing and promotions, but it is a mixed bag with negatives I will discuss shortly. 

Possibly the best part of the book is Kaiser’s book is his breakdown of heels, the bad guys of pro wrestling. Kaiser talks about character a lot. Some I agree with – too many flip-flops, stop listening to internet wrestling “experts”. Some I don’t – he is very negative on gimmicks and the characters that have made wrestling fun. But his analysis on heels was great.

Kaiser breaks down heels into 12 types:

• The hater
• The traitor
• The coward
• The bully
• The hothead
• The whiner
• The opportunist
• The sadist
• The braggart
• The madman
• The pretty boy
• The trash talker

He analyzes what makes each type effective and attractive. He advises not to be all of the above as characters would then be too cartoonish and unbelievable. Heels should work within the constraints of normal human behavior. It is that commonality to the average asshole that makes them hated. 

Now on to the negatives. 

Number 1, first and foremost, is credibility. I have no idea who Norm Kaiser is. There is no bio, no picture, no quotes from established names, no blurbs and reviews, and very few stories from the road. That kills this book. Kaiser can have all the ideas he wants, but unless they have been proven to make money, they are just his opinion. While he has some good points, the only part of the book where he claims to have any knowledge beyond opinion is in the physical fitness portion in the back of the book. There are too many segments that start with “I have been to wrestling matches, and here is what they should do better”. Kaiser needs to prove his bona fides.

Second, Kaiser weighs down the book with way too much social conservativism. He likes a very conservative style of old school wrestling and doesn’t understand the allure of anything else. He doesn’t understand why wrestlers come out to that hippity hop and why anyone would wear anything but trunks to the ring. No makeup, no tattoos, no masks, no jeans, no bare feet, no flair, no individuality. Often times, his social commentary borders on insulting, which hurts his credibility.

Third, even for a 2010 book, there are way too many outdated references. It is clear Kaiser is a late boomer or early Gen-Xer. There are references to M*A*S*H, Dukes of Hazard, Charleston Heston, and other pop culture icons from the 1970s or earlier. Using outdated references is a great way to lose the reader.

Fourth, Kaiser rarely ever mentions women. His only use for women in a wrestling show is as “rainmakers” at merch tables. He suggests promoters find attractive girls with large breasts to work the tables, because that’s what wrestling fans like to see. In nearly 350 pages of wrestling commentary, Kaiser never once discusses female wrestling. Nor does he discuss female wrestling fans, often suggesting that the only people who buy wrestling tickets are male. I know the book is 10 years old, but even then, there were great women working the independent wrestling circuit as well as millions of female wrestling fans.

And if he wasn’t being sexist, Kaiser is also insulting. Especially to anyone he doesn’t understand. For example, he writes that “nerds are typically great photographers, web designers, and computer people” and understanding technology is what makes them “nerds”. He then instructs would-be promoters to find a nerd and get them to do things for the promotion for free. This is straight-up bullshit and reeks of high school jock arrogance. And that is just the insult that stood out the most. There are many others. 

Overall, Fixing the Indies is like an independent wrestling show. There is some good content, some bad content, some cringy attempts at humor, and some outdated content that the promoter wants to shove in there because he likes it. For all it’s flaws, however, there are nuggets worth keeping and it is money well spent.

In conclusion, would I pay to see Kaiser’s promotion? Probably once or twice. More if I knew some of the performers.

Would it have personality? No.

Would it be tighter, cleaner, and more professional than 90% of independent wrestling shows? Yes.

Does Norm Kaiser need to get with the times, stop insulting people, include women, and better understand the audience of modern professional wrestling? Absolutely.

In the words of the ancient philosopher Joe Dirt, "It's not what you like. It's the consumer."

4/5 stars.

Remembering Florida Wrestler Norman Wright

 

Farewell to Norm, standing far right

These posts never get easier. But even if someone passes through my life on few occasions, I still like to write about those memorable moments. I feel it is a great way to pay tribute.

Way back when I first moved to Tampa, I attended Florida Championship Wrestling. FCW was the training ground of WWE and, as I have written often, it was a family-like atmosphere with a great fanbase. It was where I started rocking my now famous afro wig and joined the famous (maybe infamous?) Afro-Squad.

It was also where I met Norman Wright. Norm was a local wrestling fan with eyes on joining the wrestling business. Norm was a good dude, a nice guy, who always said hello and was a pleasure to be around.

If I am not mistaken, Norm trained with FCW for a bit as well, learning the ins and outs of wrestling. After finishing with the WWE's affiliated school, he then set a sail into the Florida independent wrestling scene, where breaking in is tough and networking is tougher.

But Norm made it, and in 2011, he wrestled several matches in All-Star Wrestling under the name "Roman Wright". I was a regular at ASW shows and saw Roman in the ring quite often. Roman was a tough guy who battled well in the ring, although he drew the ire of fans with his attitude and demeanor. Roman was opposite of Norm, who was a friend to anyone in the crowd.

While that was the extent of my time seeing Norm wrestle, it was a few other times I saw him around town that I will always remember. In 2019, I saw him at the now-closed Franklin Manor nightclub in downtown Tampa. He was hanging out with a few ladies and enjoying himself. We caught up and he told me he was working at another nightclub. It had been years since we talked, but we caught up like old friends.

But my greatest memory of Norm was in October 2008. October 19th, 2008 to be exact. The day the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays played Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. Being new to South Tampa, I was looking for a place to watch the game. I discovered the Press Box, one of Tampa's oldest sports bars. It was packed for the big game and there was not a table to be found. Fortunately, I spotted Norm sitting at the bar with a friend. Although I had only met him a few months earlier at the FCW shows, he waved me over to join them. The whole night was electric was the Rays won and made their first World Series in franchise history. I will forever be appreciative of Norm for finding me a spot in the crowded sports bar and letting me hang with him and his friend.

Farewell, Norm. You were a good dude gone too soon.

Alexa Bliss replies to criticism

 

I am a pro wrestling purist. I like old school wrestling, where big dudes who looked like the toughest guys in the arena slugged it out for championships. When championships mattered. When wrestlers came from Parts Unknown and belief was able to be suspended.

Pro wrestling is big business these days. Wrestlers are stars who attend award shows and do big interviews.

The problem I have is when they break kayfabe. As wrestlers, they play one role - that of their in-ring persona. They are not actors, playing different roles in different movies. Wrestlers are more like Pee-Wee Herman. They are their performing role for the extent in which they are that role. If they move companies and change roles, names, or characters, then the old character ceases to exist. They don't talk about the old character.

But unfortunately too many wrestlers today are treating their in-ring persona as just a thing they do when the cameras are rolling. Their gimmick is only something they do when they are in a pro wrestling environment, whether it be a ring, a stadium, or an autograph signing. The gimmick is just a job, not a way of life.

Perhaps the worst offender of this new mentality is Lexi Kaufman otherwise known as WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss. For years, Lexi Kaufman has ignored the traditional rules of kayfabe and varied between her real life and wrestling personas. This differentiation has become more obvious when her gimmick became a dark, possessed, demon girl while in real life she likes Disney movies, playing with her dog, and hanging out with her significant other.

All of her real life hobbies would be fine if she broadcasted them under the name Lexi Kaufman. Instead, they are all published under the name Alexa Bliss, the name of a demonic, evil person in the WWE Universe.

Lexi Kaufman has never been one of my favorite pro wrestlers, if she would even call herself that. She probably prefers "sports entertainer", a term invented by WWE.

Recently, Lexi did an interview in which she stated that she would like to get into acting because "she is doing a lot of acting now in WWE". I cringed when I read that. Such a blatant disregard for kayfabe.

So I did what I normally do, and I tweeted my objection to Lexi's comments. Notice however that they are attributed to Alexa Bliss. That purposefully blurring of the line is what makes wrestling unique. Actors don't do interviews as their characters, but wrestlers do interviews in their gimmick. As they should.

But apparently Alexa Bliss wants to get away from her doll holding, creepy wrestling career and get into acting. Or is that Lexi Kaufman's goals? What are Alexa Bliss's goals in the WWE?

My tweet objecting to Lexi's interview was seen by Lexi who replied on her Alexa Bliss twitter account. So who replied to me? Was it Lexi, the Disney-loving athlete-entertainer? Or was it Alexa Bliss, the dark, demonic, doll-carrying wrestler?

Either way, she came back with a heelish reply. And I am ok with that.

Review of The FCW Story on WWE Network

From 2008 to 2010, I frequently attended Florida Championship Wrestling events at the FCW Arena on Dale Mabry Boulevard in Tampa, Florida. Longtime readers of this website might remember my writings about FCW and the group of friends I hung out with there. As a wrestling fan, I enjoyed the fact that WWE trained the next generation of superstars five minutes from where I lived.

The closeness of FCW to my place meant that not only was the entertainment close, but so were the athletes. I would frequently see current WWE champion Drew McIntyre walking his then-girlfriend's dog in my complex. Other wrestlers and referees were commonly seen, whether they were at the local pizza place, the grocery store, the burrito restaurant, jogging, or getting their mail. To paraphrase the old Sesame Street song, FCW athletes were the people in my neighborhood.

So it was with great interest that I finally watched WWE's newest documentary, The FCW Story, on the WWE Network. The FCW Story described the rise and fall of FCW, from its very humble beginnings as a bar show in New Port Richey, Florida, to its disbandment after the creation of WWE's NXT brand. The documentary ran for approximately an hour and half and featured many interviews from current WWE superstars who trained at FCW, from Seth Rollins to the Bella Twins to the aforementioned Drew McIntyre.

There was a lot to like about The FCW Story. First and foremost, I liked that they talked with Steve Keirn, owner of Florida Championship Wrestling and Tampa wrestling legend. Keirn gave a rundown of the history of professional wrestling in Tampa, which is vitally important in understanding the local identity of FCW. What I did not realize was how much Keirn actually ran. FCW was basically an independent promotion using WWE talent. The organization itself was not owned by the WWE. That explains a lot about why FCW was run the way it was and why things happened the way they did.

After introducing Keirn, The FCW Story used first person interviews to tell how FCW operated before they secured the warehouse on Dale Mabry Blvd. FCW would run weekly shows at Bourbon Street, a sports bar in New Port Richey, nearly an hour north of Tampa. Bourbon Street was known for independent wrestling and the crowd there was lively and knowledgeable. The good crowd and the grassroots approachability of early FCW led to wrestlers and fans creating nascent friendships that many took with them to Tampa when the organization found a permanent home.

While I enjoyed The FCW Story, not mentioning the connection with the fans was a glaring omission in the documentary. WWE loves to taut the NXT fanbase, even showcasing a video in which Triple H visited fans at a local restaurant after a show. While Triple H discusses a "bonded community around NXT", there were plenty of fans who bonded over FCW. Steve Keirn knew us, the wrestlers knew us, and even the legendary Dusty Rhodes knew us.

(True story: one night after an FCW show, Dusty Rhodes pulled up near us in his pick-up and signaled for me to get closer. Recognizing who it was, I walked over. Dusty then personally thanked me for coming to the shows and supporting FCW. That is a wrestling story that will stay with me forever.)

The accessability of the talent is missing today with NXT. As a WWE product, NXT is highly controlled. Athletes are brought in, they perform, and they leave. NXT does not have the grassroots, independent vibe that FCW had.

One of the segments in the documentary I also really liked was the former FCW wrestlers talking about their do-it-yourself trials and tribulations. They discussed putting up flyers, posing for programs, and assembling and disassembling the ring whenever they traveled. Those experiences made them into who they are today, both physically and mentally.

It was powerful to hear the former FCW wrestlers talk about ring labor. I have seen other developmental wrestling promotions mandate ring construction to teach aspiring superstars that they are no better than the ring crew. The manual labor teaches the humbleness essential in the wrestling business.

(Quick aside: there was a really good article on Brock Lesnar on ESPN.com days before WrestleMania 36. In the article, former WWE trainer Danny Davis stated that Lesnar would build and breakdown the ring during his training days in Ohio Valley Wrestling. If Brock Lesnar is not too big to break down a ring, no one is.)

I wonder if humbleness is being lost in the huge stand-alone facility that is the WWE Performance Center. How are they teaching humbleness for the business when all the rings are permanent fixtures? What other menial jobs do they put trainees through?

There were a lot of other great parts in the FCW Story. The development of promos was very interesting, especially the evolution and development of Bray Wyatt. Although I was disappointed they did not interview him - perhaps due to the complexities of his current character, seeing Windham Rotundo evolve from Duke Rotundo, chubby tag partner of his brother, to Husky Harris to wild haired cult leader of the Wyatt Family was fantastic. That growth should be its own story eventually. While there have been many great athletes and champions, Bray Wyatt is easily the best character to come out of FCW.

Interestingly, Windham Rotundo is another FCW alumni I met and interacted with often. When he first joined FCW, he resembled other Florida independent wrestlers and I suggested he work with them, especially after FCW invaded Afa the Wild Samoan's wXw in 2009. Years later, Rotundo was sitting at a table next to mine at the Tampa Improv during a performance of comedian Bert Kreischer. Between acts, I chatted with Rotundo and congratulated him on his success. He remembered me at FCW for my big afro wig and chants. He is definitely a class act.

(Quick aside 2: The invasion angle was a story that was not told in The FCW Story, but really should have been. Or it should be its own mini-documentary. In August 2009, both FCW and wXw were running shows in Leesburg, Florida, population 23,000. wXw invaded FCW and a week later, FCW invaded wXw. Current WWE stars Tamina Snuka and Kona Reeves can be seen on the wXw side and Bray Wyatt, Byron Saxton, and others can be seen working for FCW. I was personally at the FCW invasion. The next week, I went to an FCW show wearing a wXw shirt. Dusty Rhodes himself told me I was wearing the wrong shirt.)

As a fan who was there for much of FCW's existence, I really enjoyed The FCW Story. It brought back great memories of a time when the greatest up-and-coming wrestling talent in the world trained in my backyard. Even though they are now global superstars, FCW made them my neighbors.

The FCW Story might mean more to me and my friends than to the average wrestling fan, but I still recommend it to anyone interested in the development of WWE stars. How WWE trains their performers now might be totally different, and FCW might never come back, but for me, the memories will last forever.

Here are a few of my blog posts on FCW:

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013
So Long, From the Sunshine State - A Review of the Final FCW Event in Tampa

FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 2008
Snowman of the AfroSquad Writes about Wrestling

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2008
The AfroSquad and Florida Championship Wrestling

Talking WrestleMania at the Tampa Bay History Center

WrestleMania 36 is coming to Tampa in less than 30 days. I am excited not only as a pro wrestling fan, but also as a resident of Tampa. I love seeing big events come to the city and the city grow. There is a lot happening here and it is a fun place to be.

As part of the Road to WrestleMania, the Tampa Bay History Center opened up an exhibit displaying the history of pro wrestling overall and especially in the Tampa Bay area. The exhibit opened Saturday and I was among the first visitors. Being one of the first people there meant I got rounded up to chat with the local news.

Check out my interview with Gabrielle Arzola of Bay News 9 below or you can check out the news website article here.

When COBRA tried to blow up Florida Championship Wrestling

This was a fun video made by SnowMan of the Afro-Squad from our days attending Florida Championship Wrestling (now NXT) in Tampa. Good times, and by the way, SnowMan is a cinematic genius.

I think this video was supposed to be a prequel to another video we did in which I have a bigger role.

Did Braun Strowman comment on my blog?

Many years ago, when this blog started, I wrote a lot about sports. But I didn't write what other people wrote about. I tried to find the most obscure angles to current sports stories.

One obscure angle I took in July 2007 was to compare then-baseball star Barry Bonds to home run leaders in other leagues such as the Japanese League, the Negro Leagues, and American softball leagues. Entitled "Barry Bonds has a long way to go", it was a fun post that got a few comments and if memory serves me well, was linked on Deadspin.com, which was a big deal back then for independent blogs with small audiences.

(Btw, it turns out, Bonds's 762 home runs fell far short of these historic sluggers.)

One of the softball home run legends I profiled was Rick "The Crusher" Scherr. I wrote about Scherr's amazing ability to crush softballs and his over 4,000 home runs.

Typical of internet snarkiness, one of the commentors on my blog post didn't believe someone could hit so many home runs, even in softball. The commentor claimed I made up some of the names.

Following that comment were people vouching for the softball legends, including this comment:

For years, I didn't think anything of that particular comment as family members, fans, and former teammates all commented on the validity of the softball sluggers.

Recently, however, I discovered that Rick Scherr has a very famous son. The given name of WWE Superstar Braun Strowman is Adam Scherr. After a bit of research, I discovered Rick Scherr had two children, Adam and his younger sister Hannah.

If my Anonymous commenter is indeed a Scherr family member (there is always the possibility it is not), in 2007, Adam would have been 24 years old and Hannah would have been 20. According to wikipedia, in 2007, Adam Scherr was working as a mechanic and doorman and playing semi-pro football. Rick Scherr's awards could have been hanging in either of the siblings' own houses or in the family house - the "my" not being indicative of a separate house.

Although it is possible the comment was written by Hannah Scherr, I like to think it was written by a bored Adam, years away from wrestling greatness, spending his day reading sports websites, wondering where his life is going, and defending his father's legacy on a small random blog.

While many wrestlers can attest to "getting those hands", how many blogs can say they "got these words"?

How Pro Wrestlers Can Use Social Media

I wrote this article for a pro wrestling website in 2010. The article is no longer online so I wanted to repost it here. Some of the advice is a little outdated, but a majority of it still applies. Also, since 2010, professional wrestlers have fully embraced social media in ways that far exceed this article. Perhaps the biggest difference between what I wrote and what has happened is the continued blending of character and reality. There exists a weird pseudo-kayfabe these days, a model led by the WWE, where most wrestlers compete in character only in the ring. Outside the ring, there are normal athletes. The rare exceptions are the unnatural "monsters" of the ring, such as Braun Strowman. Even characters such as Bray Wyatt tweet football scores.

Other than that, here is my 2,600 advice column on how pro wrestlers can use the web to create a better brand.

Social Media and Self-Promotion: How Independent Pro Wrestlers Can Use the Web to Create a Better Brand

The world of marketing has become more and more individualistic in recent years. Businesses, both small and large alike, have taken to directly interacting with their customers through forums such as blogs, online video, and any one of many social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, etc.) . Gone are the days when customers were regarded as mass receivers of data and the recipients of “culture”, force-fed their likes and dislikes by money-making industries. In today’s market, the customer is now a target to interact with, listen to, and react to.

Few businesses have traditionally integrated the feedback of customers into their decisions better than professional wrestling.  The approval or disapproval of fans can make or break a wrestler’s career, or at least his or her character.  It is the fans who “put over” wrestlers, allowing for more exposure, more complex storylines, and more potential for marketing dollars.

In the book Steel Chair to the Head, writer and theater and film professor Sharon Mazer writes that the connection of fans to wrestlers is the lifeblood of the business.

“Everything about the event, from the advance publicity … to the action in the ring, has explicitly catered to (the fans).  The promoter promises he’s going to give them what they want: ‘real’ wrestling.  If it happens that what the promoter presents fails to fulfill their expectations, the fans have a way of telling him and his wrestlers so.” (Mazer, 72)

Unfortunately, a majority of marketing in the independent pro wrestling business is done by local promoters who, because of either lack of marketing ability or lack of budget, tend to only see the big picture for their company. These promoters will not usually go out of their way to “put over” individual workers.  Wrestlers, especially at the independent (non-WWE) level, are left to market and promote themselves.

Possibly due to the lack of assistance, many wrestlers choose only to promote themselves during the small window of time allotted to them during performances. They may sign a few autographs, pose in a few pictures, or even talk to a few fans. With an array of online platforms at their disposal, however, marketing and promoting only during the time granted by a promoter should not be the case.  Today’s wrestlers can take advantage of all the tools at their disposal and foster a digital connection with fans. They can easily break their reliance on promoters and push themselves as a brand, creating a buzz that will hopefully put “butts in the seats”.

This three-part guide is written help professional wrestlers promote themselves as a brand and take more control of their own promotion.

Step 1: Define Yourself: Go 100% Kayfabe or go 100% Real – There is No In-Between

The first decision a wrestler must make is how they want to approach their audience. Do they want to promote themselves as a “real” person or stay in “kayfabe” (aka their in-ring character)?  Do they want to be “Dwayne Johnson” or do they want to be “The Rock”? Under no circumstances should wrestlers should switch back and forth while engaging fans. Switching not only ruins the character, it distorts the fan’s expectation of what the brand actually is.  For an indy wrestler, imitating the pseudo-real characters presently popular in the WWE should be avoided at all cost.

The most effective way to stay in character is to create two online personalities – one for wrestling, and the other for personal interaction.  The latter web presence would be for interacting with friends, family, co-workers, etc and the former for engaging fans.  No matter how tempting, if wrestlers choose to market themselves and build their character online, they must stay in character, no matter what.  Fans will respect performers more in principle if they keep the curtain up than if they jerked the curtain up and down.

Additionally, keeping in character online means wrestlers should not in any way, shape, or form, add, befriend, follow, or otherwise network with anyone they have a feud with.  Ever. Wrestlers should make sure they correspond their online connections with their storylines so fans have no doubt as to where the wrestler stands on other performers.

Step 2: Create a “Home” Page

There are several online tools for engaging fans.  The first, and most important, is the home page.  The home page should be the first destination a fan can go to see the latest and greatest news about a wrestler – where they have wrestled, who they have wrestled, and, most importantly, where they are wrestling next. It should be the number one location fans find when they do an online search for a wrestler’s name.  The home page is also where wrestlers should post pictures, videos, and contact information.

These days it is entirely possible to have a homepage hosted on a third party site.  Wrestlers no longer need to purchase their URL (ex. www.WrestlersName.com) and or possess the web skills to create and post a web page, although owning the URL of their name is highly recommended.  Using platforms on the market today, wrestlers, even those with the smallest bit of programming talent, can create a decent central location for fans.

The most popular third party homepage is Facebook, with MySpace close behind.  Both of these social networking platforms allow wrestlers to post status updates, news, pictures, and videos.  Most importantly, however, they allow them to see their fan base and engage their fans either through comments or messages.

No matter what platform, the homepage should be kept up to date.  Like hitting the gym or practicing a promo, wrestlers should work on their online skills at least 3-5 days a week. Although sometimes the simplest announcement is enough to keep the fans’ interest level high, wrestlers should definitely spend time building and pushing information and interacting with as many fans as possible.

Step 3: Utilize Social Media

Along with home pages, wrestlers should also be proficient in other forms of social media.  Forums such as Twitter, Bulletin Boards, and YouTube should serve to supplement the wrestler’s online persona.  These sites should be avenues of not only communication, but broadcast.  Each of these tools can connect with audiences different from those on a home page.  Using these platforms is not about the in-ring performance at all. It is about letting character and personality come through.

Twitter – The microblogger service Twitter is immensely beneficial for wrestlers looking to promote themselves. It allows them to engage with an enormous amount of people, places, and things. Anyone on Twitter is a potential fan and target.  Wrestlers should attempt to broaden their fan base by interacting with as many people as possible. For a wrestler, the entire twitterverse is an audience. Wrestlers are not limited at all in who they can address via Twitter. They can harass or hail Oprah, belittle or befriend Aston Kutcher, or even imitate or insult Shaquille O’Neal. Twitter also allows for massive networking as workers can find and tweet with other wrestlers throughout the Twitterverse, as well as create relationships with local business, artists, media outlets, and other creative personalities.

The benefit of Twitter is not only in its ability to network and engage.  It can also be used as a blog.  Wrestlers can post updates, announcements, or links via Twitter. They can also create lists, allowing fans a glimpse into what people, places, and things the wrestler follows.

For those without much experience on Twitter, it would help to first follow a few people in various fields (again looking at celebrities, musicians, artists, businesses, etc.) and get a feel for the capability. After learning the system and seeing some of the tricks of the trade, the best thing to do is jump in with both feet. The truth of Twitter is that the more you engage, the better the benefit. On Twitter, the floor is open for those not only with the gift of gab, but also with any bit of creative networking ability.

Bulletin Boards – Perhaps the most common form of current interaction online between wrestlers and fans occurs in bulletin boards.  These sites, often run by fans, are places where the followers of wrestling discuss everything from storylines and performances to the subtle nuances that make for a great show. Although some bulletin board participants are experts in wrestling, a majority have never ever been active in the ring.  No matter their experience, they are nothing if not passionate. They love wrestling and enjoy engaging with similarly passionate fans.

Although participating in a bulletin board discussions is not a bad thing, wrestlers looking to increase their fan base and find new followers would be best advised to push their message elsewhere.  The fans on bulletin boards are already sold on wrestling and are likely to attend local shows regardless of the card. They are fans of the art and the overall production as much as of individual performers. Wrestlers should partake in board discussions sparingly, although they should still keep an eye out to gauge the diehard wrestling fans’ perception of their performance.

YouTube – One of the best and easiest ways for a wrestler to promote his or herself is via YouTube. It should be a natural fit for wrestlers to use the camera to promote their personalities and overall brand. Uploading videos to YouTube has a low barrier of entry and the potential for amazingly high reward.

A recent article by blogger Dan Schwabel on the social media web site Mashable.com[1] explores a three step process for users to establish themselves on YouTube.  Schwabel lists the following steps:

• Brand Your Profile


• Create Remarkable Videos


• Promote Your Videos

Like homepages, these steps are not only applicable to businesses, but also to professional wrestlers.  “Brand your profile” means taking the time to create a specific YouTube location, or channel, where fans can go to watch all a wrestler’s matches, promos, or other adventures.  This is essential. Wrestlers should not depend on third parties to post matches and promos. If a promotion prohibits creating videos at their event due to trade secrets, their own pre-arranged contracts, or merely the need to exhibit control, then wrestlers should flood the web with outside-location character-building videos and promos.

What wrestlers put on these videos is Schwabel’s second step. Wrestlers should look beyond the mat to sell themselves as entertainers. As wrestling is at least half performance, YouTube provides the ideal medium for out-of-the-ring creativity.  Wrestlers could not only cut their own promos, they could create short skits of the wrestler interacting on the street, in the mall, at the mayor’s office, etc. Of course, the more the skit fits the wrestler’s personality, the better. These skits could even be similar to those used by the WWE, then WWF, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. For example, if a wrestler played a solider gimmick, he or she might want to create a skit at the local VFW or National Guard armory. The possibilities are endless.

Schwabel’s final step is to “Promote Your videos”. This means bringing the social media net together. This step involves embedding videos on a home page, posting it on a bulletin board, and putting the link on Twitter. This is the selling step and requires almost as much work as the creating step. However, the more media a wrestler has across the Internet, the better the chances a fan is going to see the wrestler. Of course, like any other video maker, wrestlers should aspire to get their videos to “go viral”, and have fans push and promote the videos to their friends, followers, and other influential entities. Then those people push it to their friends, who post it and push it to their friends and so on. Once a wrestler’s video goes viral, it is just a matter of time before the fans buy a ticket and see them at a wrestling show.

Step 4: Connect the Web with the Ring

Social media and networking doesn’t stop when a wrestler gets off a computer. Brand marketing should continue at the show and in the ring. Wrestlers should make the most of the time given to them by promoters and push their web sites, Twitter feeds, Facebook pages, MySpace pages, and any other platform to the fans. Wrestlers should do whatever it takes to integrate their online personas with their in-ring personas. Some ideas may include promoting their web page in promos, their Facebook address on t-shirts, their twitter account on photos, their YouTube channel on business cards, their MySpace page on flyers, or even putting their email address on autographs. Any mixing and matching of online reminders and real life souvenirs provides fans the ability to look for more.

Optimally, the best situation is where a fan goes to a show for the first time and is so interested in the character and ability of a wrestler that he or she looks up the wrestler’s online presence. If the wrestler is on any one of the many sites mentioned above, the first-time fan could easily grow to become a full-time fan. And when the wrestler notices the fan joining his or her following, the wrestler pushes content to the fan. The fan then absorbs the content and grows more and more interested in returning.  When the second match does occur, the first-time fan becomes a second-time fan. Then the second-time fan sees, reads, or hears a reminder from the wrestler to visit the wrestler’s page again. Hopefully the process becomes ongoing and the wrestler has his or herself a legitimate fan base. A fan base that puts butts in the seats no matter where the wrestler is booked or who is doing the booking.

Step 5: Stay Flexible but Remember Your Brand

Many wrestlers choose not to push themselves via social media because they are unsure of the direction of their character. Under the current system, promoters drive wrestlers’ characters, forcing them to play the role of heel one week and possibly face the next. Unless they have a strong gimmick, wrestlers can’t tell a promoter they will not play a certain role for fear of lack of work. Accordingly, if wrestlers don’t know their role, how can they maintain a constant message to the fans? Wouldn’t social media have an opposite effect if the fans are expecting one character only to see a complete opposite emerge from behind the curtain?

The answer to this dilemma is that wrestlers must stay flexible but absolutely, without a doubt remember their brand. That brand is their selling point. Wrestlers should turn down any promoter who tries to put them in a story line that would ruin days, weeks, months, or even years of self-establishment. Wrestlers need to maintain their gimmick and insist promoters respect their work, for if the wrestler has a strong enough buzz he or she will have a profound effect on the attendance. And of course, attendance leads to dollars which leads to a happy promoter.

Even if a promoter or storyline causes a jarring shift in a wrestler’s character, a good social media campaign should be able to compensate. With an active online presence that conveys the character’s feelings on a regular basis, wrestlers may be able to use creative license and add additional details or background to the storyline. A growing and continuous story will lead to a self-fulfilling cycle of fans who demand more information.

Step 6: Have Fun

Lastly, the most important point about using social media to promote and interact is that it should be fun. Social websites should be an enjoyable way to interact with the fans, watch communities grow, and eventually see more people come out and support local independent wrestling. There is no rule that says wrestlers must have an online presence, and many wrestlers have been successful without being on the Web. But for those wrestlers who want to take their characters and gimmicks to the next level and expand their creative potential, the entire social Web can be their squared circle.

[1] http://mashable.com/2009/11/04/youtube-personal-brand/