“So what do you do?”
“I’m a professional wrestler.”
“No, really, what do you do?”
“Oh, you mean my shoot job?”
“Your what?”
“Sorry. You mean my day job?”
“Yeah.”
“Guess.”
“Security? Bar bouncer?”
“Respiratory therapist.”
“……I’m sorry. What?”
Here’s what I love about indie wrestlers. They’re all different. They all have unique backstories. And while some do fit the cookie cutter stereotype – I mean, what bar owner doesn’t want a big, strong pro wrestler-type working the door? – they’re not meatheads.
Many of them have college degrees.
Some of them have master’s degrees.
Some even have doctorates.
In the last year, I’ve watched Grindhouse manager Michael Fury and OVW wrestler Big Zo defend their master’s and doctoral theses, respectively. Both of them passed, which is why Big Zo is now Dr. Zo.
You know Jack Vaughn, the TikTok guy who mocks indie wrestlers and now works for Billy Corgan and NWA? He’s a respiratory nurse. He was one of the first in Cincinnati walking into rooms to treat Covid-19 patients.
Reese Ramone just graduated from Marshall with a degree in engineering. Once she’s achieved a few wrestling goals, like touring Japan, she has plans to get her master’s.
OG Ugly has some pretty impressive degrees to go with his title belts and rap albums. He also works with at-risk youth.
Pro wrestlers are great with young people. I know several who teach. Elementary, middle school, high school. Even college.
Many wrestlers own their own business. Some own several businesses. There are some brilliant gig economists in the wrestling business, many of whom provide vital services to their fellow wrestlers.
Wrestlers are also actors, stunt performers, artists, and musicians. They write books. They make movies. They perform in stage plays.
And yes, some work as cops, security, and bouncers at the local bar.
Okay, some of them are meatheads. And as such, you probably won’t see them around for very long. But you get those in every line of work, and they don’t last long bagging groceries, answering phones, or nailing drywall either.
The ones that stick have to be smart. They are their own brand managers, their own marketers, their own booking agents, their own merchandise managers. They know how to film and edit video. They probably know more about social media than the guy managing your company’s Facebook page.
They know how to travel smart, how to budget time and money, how to work a crowd and sell just one more 8″x10″ so they can put a little more gas in the car. They know where the fast, cheap places are to eat on the road. They know who to call to get gear made, T-shirts printed, and even get a tooth pulled or a joint popped back into a socket.
More often than not, they’re securing these goods and services from another wrestler.
Think you know indie wrestlers? You might be surprised what you don’t know.
Want to know more? Visit the Indie Darlings page of our Book Shop.