How to Start Your Own Wrestling Company
- 1). Write a business plan or action for the wrestling company. Make sure you know what kind of wrestling company you are going to be. Are you going to be a hardcore wrestling league? Are you going to be an old school league featuring old wrestlers or a league spotlighting the newest high-flyers in the business today? Also, develop a catchy, unique name for the wrestling league. TNA Wrestling seems cool, but the name is also a synonym that might not be suitable for everyone.
- 2). Obtain business loans unless you have capital saved up. A business plan will be needed to get any business loan. Some owners will find business partners that can provide them with money like how Eric Bischoff had the bankroll of Ted Turner to run WCW.
- 3). Buy a wrestling ring online at Highspots, a major wrestling retailer, or through Craigslist or Googling. Make sure you get a ring, apron, ropes, turnbuckles and all accessories.
- 4). Book a show at a venue that can house at least a couple hundred people. You might not fill that much, but having the venue be too small would be worse than too big. High school gyms and local auditoriums are common places to run shows.
- 5). Contact the athletic or sports commission. Most states, except for West Virginia among others, have commissions that set rules for sporting events. Pro wrestling is considered by most commissions as a sport. Most require a license to hold a show among other rules. For instance, the state of Maryland requires a doctor ringside for wrestling events.
- 6). Contact local wrestlers and wrestlers that you find suitable for your league. Having big name independent wrestlers like the old school "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan or independent superstar Chris Hero might seem like a good idea, but the investment might not pay off. Look for lesser known and local wrestlers to cut down on costs unless you have lots of money.
- 7). Post flyers and open a website to promote the wrestling company. Post flyers at bars, local sporting events and high traffic areas such as malls to get the name out. Put the wrestling league's name and their website on the flyers and promote matches. Online, link to wrestling databases like the Yahoo! wrestling directory. Make friends with whomever you can to create contacts. If any of the wrestlers have websites online, get them to provide a link to your page. Promotion goes a long way in making a successful wrestling company.
- 8). Hire a DJ for live music and lighting. Wrestlers need grand entrances so they feel larger than life.
- 9). Run a show. Tape it with a nice camera and put it online. Also, make DVD copies and sell them on the website and at future shows.