When Lucha Libre came to England last year (and Sadly, in my experience, the people who have
again, earlier this year), they filled the Camden entered into wrestling with any money behind them
Roundhouse several nights in a row. Couple of haven’t had the basic common sense to make a
thousand a night. Did they post on a wrestling fan decent go of things. And those with genuine
forum? No. Did they announce company principles creativity haven’t had the cash to put their ideas into
and marketing strategies? Not one. Instead, they practice in the first place. But that’s for another
had ads and articles in the Sunday Times, The article.
Telegraph, The Mirror, The Sun, Time Out, and many,
many others. They even appeared on BBC
Putting my money Where Ricky Knight’s
Breakfast.
mouth Is
Nobody would argue that fans of Mexican wrestling
Lucha in Camden proved that there is money to be
make up just a miniscule proportion of the
made in this country from non-WWE wrestling, and it
miniscule proportion of the population who follow
doesn’t involve hustling the 300 or so who regularly
wrestling in this country. So Lucha didn’t target
post on internet wrestling forums. The secret, as I
them. Yet they packed the place out - a huge,
see it, is to present something that people are going
expensive, famous concert venue - again and again
to wantto go to, and wantto be seen at.
and again. Because instead of promoting to fans
My lottery-win-requiring Britwres-reviving scenario
already ‘in the bubble’, they promoted to the
would involve pumping a lotof money into an event
population at large, and presented a bright,
at a big Central London venue such as the
colourful, and intriguing product.
Roundhouse. I would hire about a dozen wrestlers
who in some way actually looklike wrestlers, either
It wasn’t just wrestling fans in attendance at the
in physique or due to some larger-than-life
Roundhouse. There were trendy London hipsters,
charisma.
office parties, curious art-lovers, families, young
people looking for something different to do on a
We have the talent in this country: Ricky Knight.
Friday night out... even Tim Burton was there on the
Doug Williams. Johnny Moss. Hugh Mungus. Johnny
opening night (and the Irish bloke from the IT Crowd
Angel (if I could track him down). Leroy Kincaid. Andy
on the night I went, but never mind...)
‘Boy’ Simmonz. Jodie Fleisch. Johnny Saint. Phil
Powers. Men, not children. Some good. Some not so
Instead of getting bogged down about workrate and
good. But all with a distinct personality of their own,
imports and worked shoots and company principles,
and an interesting image.
they simply ponied up some serious dough, and
worked on promoting a fun, unique product and
After setting light to allof their wrestling costumes,
marketing it effectively to a curious and appreciative
I would hire a professional seamstress and image
audience.
consultant to improve their look for the big stage.
One lesson we can learn from the Americans -
applicable y/n? especially the former WWE guys - is that image is
Is this applicable to Britwres? A promoter could
vital.
theoretically say that the reason they don’t ‘think Even Daivari, a man whose run in the WWE was so
big’ in the first place is because they simply don’t forgettable that I literally couldn’t remember who he
have the money. An IPW or an FWA just don’t have was when he appeared on some shows I was
the cash to hire a larger venue, to run regular shows, announcing last year had better ring gear than any of
to pay a decent wage, to hire PR, to buy major his British counterparts and carried himself like a
advertising space. true superstar.
Fair enough. But if that’s the case should they really I would fill out the rest of the card with a couple of
even be promoting at all? If the best you can do is a freaks, midgets and human oddities from an agency,
couple of hundred at a leisure centre, 50 in a town and then bill the entire event as a sort of post-
hall, 95 in a caravan park once or twice a month Are modern pseudo-ironic World Of Sport/Big
you reallyeven a promoter? Daddy/Giant Haystacks/fat men in tights/pre-pub
11 The online magazine for pro wrestling fans worldwide thewrestlingpress.com
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