Random, Scattered Thoughts On Wrestling

The following article was written by professional wrestler Hayden Avery. This blog originally appeared on his MySpace and has been republished on Tha O Show with his permission. Avery won the coveted GCW Independent Title from another contributor to Tha O Show, Cody Deaner, just this past weekend.

Lately there has been an enormous amount of blogging regarding professional wrestling, mainly pertaining to the "green kids", experience, and most importantly, respect. I figured why not add my thoughts on this, before I smash myself in the brains again?

When I started getting involved with the independent scene, it started off by going to shows (I saw a few HWF shows, bought the merch etc, and a few other local shows). Then I really started to get addicted to it. I found Indy Wrestling way more exciting to watch than what was going on in the Fed.

I became a regular fan of the XWC shows and travelled wherever their shows were, just to follow the story and see what happened.

I started to do things like work the merch table, security, the door, or mopping up blood after the BodyCount matches. This happened even after I finished training with Showtime Eric Young, TJ Harley and JC Owens. I kept coming to the shows, with my gear left in the car, in hopes that there might be a Battle Royal, or someone from a tag-team might not show. I even travelled to Winnipeg, and when I came back with a bunch of matches under my belt, I STILL worked hard at helping out, and volunteering my services.

Ash did it, and so did Chambers, and Rocco... erm... Carbonie. It was pretty much expected of us. When openings became available, and we got invited in. It felt awesome because we EARNED it.

I EARNED my spot in FSP/NSP, I earned my spot in Border City too. Unfortunately, you just don’t see that anymore, or it's very seldom.

When I ran All-Star Wrestling in London on April 18th of last year, I probably had 15 guys who I can point out right now, tell me that they were definitely going to come and help out, and I was eager to see who would've. Guess how many showed up? Zero.

That's right, even after I said that my show was booked, but if they were able to help out, I'd try to get who I could on my next show, no one showed. One guy who hadn't even e-mailed me showed up though, hoping to maybe get on... he came over and introduced himself to me and everything. I promised that I'd do what I can to get him on for the second show, unfortunately my plans had changed, but my respect for him hasn't.

That brings me to my next point. When you go to a show, shake everyone's hand!

Introduce yourself, especially if you're new to the promotion or territory. You see guys show up, and hang by themselves in the corner because they don't know anyone.

Well, welcome to the family! We invite you to get up and shake someone's hand.

You should even try to get into a conversation with some of the guys like Cody Deaner, Johnny Devine, Tyson Dux, Derek Wylde, Notorious T.I.D, CK3 and other vets.

Find out how they EARNED their spot? If you aren't aiming to be like these top guys, then you’re just wasting space on the card.

Recently at a show, while I was shaking hands, I had a green horn kinda smile at me, and walk right by me leaving me with my hand outstretched. I looked back at his buddies, and they just stared in disbelief. I would've kicked his ass (because that's what would've happened to me if it was 5-6 years ago) but I just got 12 brand new stitches in the back of my head, and I was kinda tired.

When I refused to acknowledge him the whole show, or shake his hand while leaving, I think he got the gist of it.

I still think it should be left to the kids that are trying to, or have just started to break into the business, to make sure they come up and introduce themselves to the guys who have been around for a bit. Not that someone like Cody Deaner should be sitting on a golden throne in the back, and everyone comes up and introduces themselves.

In all seriousness, fans are starting to get permitted into the venue while the wrestlers are arriving, and catching up. So, if these guys who have been around a while, haven't come up to say hey yet... maybe you should be the one to make the move to do so. "Hi, my name's ________ ... I'm one of ___________'s students." BAM!!! I now know who you are, where you're training, that you are training, and are trying to learn the proper respect and etiquette backstage.

Don't wrestle in fuckin basketball shoes. You should always be looking at ways to improve. Someone who knows what they're doing should be watching your matches to tell you what you can improve on. If no one is, hopefully someone likes you enough that they are willing to do so when you ask. Then there's taping matches.

If you're taping matches just to watch yourself do moves because they are "so cool", do yourself a favour and burn your boots.

The few times I do tape my matches, what I'm looking for is stuff that looked weak.

Maybe I took a stutter step? Maybe my punches just felt and looked horribly off. Maybe trying to forearm people shouldn't be my thing for the next little bit because it sucks?

If I'm not trying to learn from my matches, then I consider it wasted ring time. The next time I hear "now fast forward it to my inverted 450 countered into a sharpshooter...", someone's gonna get smartened up.

Smartening people up. At another event I was at, I was sitting back dissecting a large 8 man tag-team match with Geza Kaulman. We began to focus on who should be leading that match, and how scary the match could have been if they went by veteran status instead of talent. To put it nicely, the match was the absolute shits! Without "VETS" on each team, the face teams were lacking leadership.

Not to mention that an 8 man tag is hard enough to work out, but when your face teams and the "VETS" on those two teams still can't get their shit together, well, something has to happen.

One of these "VETS" (after messing up the previous three attempts) finally made the hot tag, came in, and TOTALLY botched his hot tag. Doing random moves that took time to execute, let alone not even telling people what he was going to do. Anytime I have been in the ring with this guy, he has been reckless, and this was only a matter of time. Jake O'Reilly did the right thing, came in and kicked buddy's ass, and told him to leave the ring.

THIS IS NOT BULLYING, This is a business. 9 times outta 10, it's to knock some sense into someone with no hard feelings. Sometimes guys get carried away, and you need to beat the crap out of them, and tell them to calm down. I've had it done to me twice in Winnipeg, and I was deserving of it. If you don't like it, then get out of the business, because you're not wanted here.

Ontario has produced A LOT of amazing workers, and I think a lot of it has to do with the weak ones getting weeded out, and the stronger ones getting stronger. Anyone who has made it from Ontario has been taught discipline and respect for this business. Ribbing has also been utilized to weed out the weak.

If someone took some pretty serious ribbing (sorry bro, but I gotta use you as an example), like Ash for example, and if he cried about it on the internet, Ash would've probably been fought, and ribbed beyond recognition. But he has everyone's respect because he took it in stride, and kept coming to practice and to shows. Maybe there's too many new kids in this business and it's difficult to rib them all?

Experience and breaking into the business. Guys, and girls, I know how hard it is trying to break into the promotion that you have your eye on. Trust me, it took me forever to get into Fighting Spirit, and an eternity to get into Border City Wrestling, but you HAVE to stick with it. Although now it may be a lot easier to get into the business, work hard, train hard, and be respectful.

There are a ton of guys who have paved the way, and you should always be aspiring to be just as good or better.

Anyways, that's my long winded whine and bitch...see ya at the shows!

-Hippy

Share |