I tried to play every wrestling video game that came out. I learned how to program in BASIC and wrote myself crude wrestling games. I played backyard wrestling with my friends, though it was far, far less extreme than the idiots you see nowadays throwing themselves off of their roofs and hitting themselves with fluorescent light tubes. I even got to go see the WWF in New Haven in 1986, one month after Wrestlemania 3.
The point is, I was a huge fan who fantasized about becoming a pro wrestler. The problem was that I was probably the least athletic child who ever lived. I was also hopelessly skinny. You know the type: I could eat and eat and eat and never gain a pound. I was literally a 98 pound weakling.
In July of 2003 I went to an ECPW show with my then-girlfriend( currently my wife). I was going so I could meet Hacksaw Jim Duggan. This show changed my life.
During intermission, an announcement was made that ECPW was looking for managers, wrestlers, and referees. I looked at my girlfriend and told her I was going to check it out. I went to the gimmick tables, which is where the wrestlers peddle their wares, and took a business card from the promoter. My intention was to be a manager, since I figured I wasn't physically big enough to wrestle.
A week later I was at the school in Lake Hiawatha, NJ watching a practice and signing release forms. I agreed to a payment plan and also not to sue the school if I got hurt, which is always a possibility. I was really going to do this. Three or four days later, I was in the ring.
One of the first things you learn how to do is fall properly, also known as bumping. Bumping is really awkward if you're new to it. Who intentionally falls backwards? If you do fall backwards, your first instinct is to reach back and attempt to break your fall. In wrestling training, you learn that this is a bad habit to be broken since you can hurt yourself doing it.
On my first attempt at a bump, I forgot to exhale when I hit the canvas. I knocked the wind out of myself. I never forgot again. I forgot to tuck my chin into my chest and knocked my head against the canvas. I kept landing on my butt or lower back. I had to do this 20 or 30 times and it was really starting to hurt.
I remember coming home and trying to take a shower. my girlfriend had to join me and shampoo my hair for me since I couldn't reach high enough to apply it myself. In spite of the pain, I was determined to see it through.
As time went on, I got used to the pain. Bumping is something you get used to. It just takes time. I also realized that I was far more agile than I expected. I could jump well and had halfway decent body control. I started wishing early on that I had chosen wrestling instead of managing, but still felt I was too small to be credible.
One thing that struck me was how the guys who were wrestling were not as big as I imagined them. Sure, there were some monsters, but also some guys my size. This certainly didn't help my misgivings about the path I chose. I was even more athletic than some of them. I was also more determined. I remember one guy, noticing I was hurt from bumping in an early practice, telling me not to let the pain discourage me into quitting. Two practices later he hurt his ankle and quit. I stayed on.
As a manager, I had to learn how to take and give many of the same moves that the guys training to be wrestlers did. I also got left out a lot. It made me feel like a second-class citizen. Maybe I wanted to learn the german suplex. I wanted to have the odd practice match, and not just be relegated to the outside to shout encouragement. I persevered and eventually made my debut in February of 2004. That is a story for another day.
For the benefit of those reading this who are considering trying their hand at wrestling, training is a must. Backyard wrestlers are looked down upon with much derision. Make sure the school you choose has an actual ring to train in. A guy making you fall on a couple of pads in his backyard is a hack. Also, it doesn't hurt if the school has had guys make it to the "big leagues", like the WWE or even Impact Wrestling. My school, the ECPW school in Lake Hiawatha, is responsible for the training of "Crowbar" Devon Storm(WWE, WCW, ECW) and Nunzio, also known as Little Guido(WWE, ECW). It has also trained a number of workers who have competed in WWE developmental territories and who have had dark matches(matches held before the actual shows). There are more of those than I could list here.
Training is hard work and requires patience. You will train for a minimum of six months before you step foot in the ring for your first match. Practice should not only include in-ring training, but also calisthenics and cardio training. In my school, weight training is left to use, though there are free weights on the premises. The school you choose may be different. You should also get coaching on creating a gimmick(character) and promo (interview) skills. When you are done training, if such a thing is even possible( You are always learning), you should be able to have a match with anyone. Even if that anyone doesn't speak a word of your native language.
Above all, be safe. You aren't there to cause violence, but merely the ilusion of violence. No one wants to get hurt and no one wants to be the one who hurts someone else. Expect the odd busted lip and/or nosebleed. It happens. You are also expected to be able to take stiff(harder than usual, sometimes to the point of no restraint) blows to the chest and upper back. Do not complain about these or you will be seen as a crybaby and will will lose a vast amount of respect from your fellow workers.
It's not easy, but it's worth the effort. Should you choose this path, you have my best wishes. Be confident. be safe. Never give up.
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