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The Frantom Zone: The Present State Of British Professional Wrestling
By Frantastic, Warned.net Columnist
Sunday, February 18, 2007
- Let me first start by saying that although in this writing I will be giving my opinions and theories on professional wrestling in this country, it has to be said that I have only been in the business a short time and they are only my opinions.
- At the moment some would say that British wrestling is having something of a resurgence with groups like 1PW, LDN, and RQW among others leading the forefront, but this is only a small percentage of groups out there. There are a lot of small time groups all around the country that will never be recognised, and why is that? Easy, its money. A few of these promotions are being run by active wrestlers with huge egos. These “wrestlers” are pushing themselves to the top of the card, carrying championships and keeping other people down.
I’m not saying all these guys have no talent, but some I have come into contact with myself have definitely not been in the top 5 of wrestlers on the card yet are somehow title holders or in the main event constantly (hence world of sport leaving our screens thanks to a certain couple of crabtrees). Which brings me to one main reasons crowds are dwindling at these smaller promotions: people are sick of seeing the same people in the same matches every time they go to the shows. Unless these promoters can put aside their egos and give deserving athletes a chance, then there is no hope for any of us.
Then there are the suck ups in the promotions. The guys that would happily join the kiss my ass club before it has been wiped just to get a higher spot on the card. These are the people in the promoters’ ears telling them how someone else is really not talented, or telling the promoters exactly what their egos need to be told to feel fulfilled. Here we need promoters to put aside their egos and look at their talent objectively, i.e. who can draw the most money, who works the hardest and more important, who has the most talent. A lot of these people are not the most gifted athletes on the card and maybe that is why they have to do it, but in my mind it is still no excuse for their behaviour.
Now I’ll be the first to say that we all know Hogan is not the most talented wrestler in the world, but he has that charisma and can draw a crowd, but wrestling fans nowadays want to see wrestlers with a lot of talent. In these small promotions with their small crowds the slightest mistake is easier to be picked up than say in MSG. The fault cannot remain solely on the wrestler’s shoulders, however: a lot of the smaller venues are being filled not by wrestling fans but by people who want a cheap night out. That means that when a wrestler goes out there he may not get the reaction he would with a real wrestling crowd, if he even gets any reaction at all. If the promoters of these events cared enough they would put the money into advertising properly and not solely rely on fliers 1 week before the show, so the crowds would be bigger.
In wrestling today it seems everybody is trying to use a more devastating move than the last guy, so no one works on the basics anymore. That brings me to my next point.
The new breed of wrestlers rising up through the ranks are not good enough. I’m not saying that I’m amazing, but I had a firm grasp of the basics before I had my first match. These smaller promotions are pushing their trainees through the training schools and onto shows way too fast just so they can earn money off their hard work.
I have nothing against these kids as they are trying their best, but at least let their timing be right before they step in the ring. Wrestling needs to look fluid, and if you have a guy jumping before you lift him up that makes not only you and him look incredibly stupid, but it lowers the tone for the business altogether. Also because of these companies being so money hungry, when a glimmer of talent does rise through their ranks they are swiftly poached by other companies that will quite happily put up the finances for talent even if it is just for expenses (though some promotions won’t even pay petrol money). Until these owners realise that you have to speculate to accumulate, then I fear fewer and fewer of these companies will survive, making the prospect of new talent a hopeless wish.
In closing I believe that we have a wonderful tradition of professional wrestling in this country. It’s just sad that in my short time in this business I have seen more greed, jealousy and back stabbing than any other time in my life. I realise that in this business, as indeed all life, there will always be those three things, but until we can work together I fear that this small moment in the sun that British professional wrestling has will be just that, a small moment. I must also note that I have made a small number of close friends in my time in the business, a very small number, but there are a few. Unfortunately it is these friends that are always the ones who seem to be kept down or stabbed in the back. For the sake of myself and every other wrestler and wrestling fan alike I hope it all changes.
-- Frantastic
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