[Wrestle Advice #1] 3 Ways To Separate Yourself In Wrestling
Wrestling is saturated and it feels like everything has already been done. Marie Shadows answers the burning question and offer 3 ways to be different in modern wrestling!
Wrestle Advice is a new gimmick that’ll focus on answering your questions in a learning style experience. All questions are anonymous, and all answers will be generalized unless context is needed. Any advice given may or may not work for you but isn’t meant to be the rule book of wrestling advice. Take the advice shared whenever you feel comfortable in doing so.
Want to submit a question for me to answer?
📧squaredcirclepodcast@outlook.com📧
If you like what you read, please tell a friend! Commenting is encouraged too! Also, consider upgrading your free subscription to the Squared Cricle Society as some posts may be paid and I wouldn’t want you to miss out on the valuable content!
Dear Student,
I’m glad you are on your wrestling journey. Wrestling is ever changing and quickly moving and sometimes it’s frustrating to be met with obstacles. Sometimes you cannot see what’s ahead of you and sometimes being afraid of the unknown is normal but don’t let it get too comfortable. Be daring to be different from others in the business.
Let me share with you 3 ways that can be used to separate yourself from your peers.
Don’t fix what’s not broken
Life has created many firsts and over time we overuse the things we’ve created, and they eventually become cliche. Cliche is often used in storytelling and is used in wrestling. Most wrestlers, young wrestlers, want to go viral so fast that it doesn’t help they're over all character, story, and branding. Of course, we can say these moves are cliche.
How many times have we seen a Canadian Destroyer? Extra read below.
How many times have seen the superkick?
We can criticize all the moves and storytelling elements that make professional wrestling great as an entertainment cliche all day long. But it is a matter of how you string together the performance inside the ring to not be cliche and become a fresh act, thus tweaking the above: don’t fix what’s not broken idiom.
From the inception of sports entertainment, you needed baby face and heel characters or good and bad guys to tell simple to complex stories. Instead, newer generation of wrestlers who grasp the fundamentals quickly, want to create moments and memories on the indies that’ll last all of fifteen minutes as a posted viral video. These moments are dangerous and scary and can either end your career or worse. Examples would include falling from a balcony, going through chairs, setting yourself on fire, and more. It gets ridiculous and while we know this is done for clicks, clout, views, and the hopeful finger-crossing of getting lucky to get signed because everyone is buzzing about you — in reality it isn’t a good look overall for your brand and your story. You’ll be labeled as a liability for wrestling companies. There’s a reason why most aren’t signed to major companies.
Now with that being said, the reason for the idiom is simply this: wrestling fans who attend the shows on a monthly basis (or weekly basis if they follow you from town to town) and those who watch via a streaming service are there IN THE NOW, so ENTERTAIN them IN THE NOW with simple storytelling. Those fans aren’t going to on social media to research if something you did was a call back to something else or quickly post that video they have saved in their camera roll. The fan who spent 20 dollars on the show plus more on your merch wants the experience of THE NOW and not the future you that wants to get signed via the fans help on social media. Fans barely remember the last 6-12 months when it comes to wrestling so make sure to make their month-to-month commitment to a wrestling show to see YOU, a very special IN THE NOW experience.
Show them that they matter and that the little things goes a long way with: Don’t Fix What’s Not Broken. Fans are simple, no need to over complicate things and milk it just because it’s quick and easier that way to get somewhere without mastering how to get over with the crowds organically and organically through social media. Once you get over with the crowd organically, that magical recipe of word of mouth will get you seen on social media and the networking will be begin to hopefully make dreams come true. Trust the process.
Move-sets matter for babyface and heel personas
In wrestling, we have babyfaces and heels. A babyface is a dedicated good guy or girl that can have different story arcs depending on what program they are doing with the heel wrestler. A heel is a dedicated bad guy or girl that can have different story arcs as well. Back in the territory days such as Mid-South and the East Coast, the companies had wrestlers tell stories through these tired and true personas that started everything. A babyface back in the day was a true-blue hometown hero and underdog character. The heel was a devilish of a person, always finding ways to cheat, and weasel their way to a victory or cause more suffering to the babyface to get a crowd reaction. All the crowds were highly invested in these simple stories because each wrestler connected with the average ordinary, everyday wrestling fan. Over the years, heels would be known for using such moves like poking the eyes, grabbing someone’s hair, doing a roll up pin and hooking the tights or leveraging the ropes so the opponent doesn’t have enough strength to kick out. Heels would often times distract the referee, push the referee around and more. The babyface would take the damage but through their guts, their resilience, their ambition wouldn’t give up and the crowd would feed the baby face their energy to hopefully win the match against the bad guy.
Now, most of these tactics are still used today. World Wrestling Entertainment, New Japan Pro Wrestling, Major League Wrestling, and some indie wrestling promotions get this right. All Elite Wrestling still needs to work on their storytelling fundamentals. It’s ok to use these true and tired tactics because again if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.
But here’s a suggestion to make you, uniquely you and separate from everyone. Turn on your latest WWE 2k game and go through the move sets that would fit your character and story.
🤔Are you a babyface that’s trying to tell the world you are an underdog, and nothing can stop you and when something that does stop you, you keep going and making that defeat a lesson?
Story examples: John Cena, Rey Mysterio, Orange Cassidy, Tanahashi
Move-set examples: Dragon Screw, Tilt-A-Whirl Style, Slingblades
🤔Are you a babyface that’s standing up to injustice for your co-workers because the heel wants all the power and uses their intimidation to get what they want all the time?
Story examples: The Authority, Yes Movement, Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Mr. McMahon
Move-set examples: Flurry of Kicks, powerbombs, Stunners, Cutters
🤔Are you a heel that commands everything and wants everything and no one can tell you a damn thing?
Story examples: Brock Lesnar, The Bloodline, Randy Orton arc
Move-set examples: shoulder breakers, arm breakers, knee smashes
🤔Are you a heel that wants all the spotlight?
Story examples: Rated R Superstar Edge, Christain story arc
Move-set examples: spears, TKOs, fireman’s carry
Now this isn’t an exact science, but all the successful stories and names mentioned did something memorable and we can easily have a discussion about their moves and what they meant in the context of their in-ring performances.
When Tanahashi uses Dragon Screw on his opponents, he’s the underdog babyface that’s fighting back against an opponent that might be stronger and smarter than him therefore slowing the opponent down with a simple Dragon Screw helps his babyface underdog persona to slip into outthinking the overconfident and cocky heel wrestler.
When Stone Cold Steve Austin fights Vince McMahon — his BOSS of all people — Steve Austin is a no-nonsense son of a bitch that uses stunners and deadly punches and stomps to send a message to the boss and show the locker room to stand up to bad bosses.
Whatever moves you choose to use for your specific babyface and heel personas, make sure those moves elevate you and your opponent because wrestling inside the squared circle is about telling a simple story to keep the audience captivated and less on their phones and social media. Anything they capture with their devices can be posted after the event.
Confidence
That’s it. Be confident. Have confidence in yourself, in your ability, in your character. Anyone can be a wrestler, but it takes confidence and understanding (through trial and error) on how to be a superstar. And there’s nothing wrong being known as a superstar. Wrestling has evolved from Greco-Roman style, to Amateur Collegiate, to Americanized spectacle pro wrestling that has a little bit of drama and combat sports. Wrestling wouldn’t have survived without the transformation that Vince McMahon gave the business by adding drama, larger than life characters like Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior, Roddy Piper, Undertaker, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and more.
Be confident. Being confident opens up doors and opportunities. You walk into the room with command and expertise and people gravitate towards that. There are some who enjoy this sport as just a hobby while others enjoy it as life and want to make it in the business. Confidence helps with networking with others because you’ll always shake hands and tell them your name. Be confident helps with being your own cheerleader and your own believer.
If you don’t believe in yourself first, then how can others believe in you and make that investment?
If you don’t become your own cheerleader and tout your accomplishments or anything you are proud of, how can anyone else — fans and co-workers — be your cheerleader and drive new fans to your brand?
Confidence isn’t an overnight skill to learn and generally isn’t easy to learn. But over time, talking with people, passing out your business card, and shaking hands will get your confidence up. Plus, most wrestlers are cool, and it feels like a family. But honestly, confidence is the win-win formula.
Wrestling is subject to change. Advice is subject to change. Take what works for you.
Extra read! This is a companion article to further read and explore by Jen: https://open.substack.com/pub/jenn5c3s4/p/genrification?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=1i4yrd