Starting a wrestling promotion is a challenging but potentially rewarding endeavor. It requires passion, dedication, and a solid understanding of the business. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to turn your wrestling promotion dream into reality.
1. Develop a Solid Business Plan:
Define Your Vision: Decide what kind of promotion to create (American, Japanese, lucha libre, British, hardcore/deathmatch, women's wrestling/joshi, or comedy), the target audience (die-hard or casual), and most importantly, what will make your promotion distinct. Decide everything that will make the promotion different from others, and what it will provide fans that other promotions don’t. After you do that, it can be communicated to fans in a clear and concise way.
Market Research: Analyze the local wrestling scene. Identify your competition and potential audience.
Financial Planning: Create a detailed budget, including startup costs, operating expenses, and revenue projections.
Legal Structure: Choose a legal structure for your business (e.g., LLC, sole proprietorship).
Location: Find a venue that works for your budget and show size. Since you're just starting your promotion and don't have an established audience, find a venue that has a capacity of 50 to 100, as opposed to a medium or large venue. Otherwise, the venue will feel empty and drain your operating budget on high rental and staffing costs. Small venues (like black box theaters, community centers, or VFW halls) are significantly cheaper to rent and require less security and staff, protecting your bottom line while you build momentum. Plus, a packed venue of 50 fans can create an electric, energetic atmosphere that translates well to video. In addition, small venues are beneficial to pro-wrestlers, since they are able to connect with fans more easily, and they would prefer to perform in front of a full house than a room full of empty chairs. When your local fanbase grows to consistently sell out your smaller venue, then it will be time for you to scale up to larger spaces.
2. Assemble Your Team:
Partner(s): If you want a partner(s), look for a reliable person who shares your vision, has pro-wrestling industry experience, and complementary skills.
Wrestlers: Find and book wrestlers who are talented, capable of drawing fans, and are a good fit for your promotion.
Referees: Find experienced and reputable referees.
Commentators: Recruit commentators that prioritize focusing on the drama, emotional stakes, and entertainment value of professional wrestling, using their voices to amplify the narratives and reactions, while also utilizing ones that are generally more focused on the action and technical/historical description of a match.
Production Crew: Get a team to handle sound, lighting, and video production.
Security: Stoic individuals often make excellent security professionals for maintaining order and safety at your events. Their core philosophy is focusing on what they can control, remaining calm under pressure, and acting with courage and justice. This approach keeps the fans and talent safe without escalating crowd tension.
3. Secure Funding and Resources:
Startup Capital: Determine how much money you need to launch your promotion. Explore funding options, such as personal savings, loans, or investors.
Equipment: Acquire necessary equipment, including a wrestling ring, sound system, and lighting equipment.
Insurance: Obtain liability insurance to protect your business from potential lawsuits.
Permits, Licenses, and Laws: Obtain any necessary permits and licenses to operate your business. Depending on your location, the state regulates pro-wrestling just like boxing or MMA. You would be responsible for acquiring and paying for state-appointed doctors, securing an ambulance presence on site, posting surety bonds, and paying license fees for every wrestler on the card. Always check state laws.
4. Build Your Brand and Marketing Strategy:
Create a Brand Identity: The brand identity should be unique and make your promotion stand out from the competition. What makes your promotion different from the others? Why should fans come to your shows instead of watching other promotions? For example, I helped BJW (Big Japan Pro-Wrestling) as a columnist when it was one of the first Japanese wrestling companies to make a website to attract the English market outside of Japan. Whether your promotion is being compared to WWE / AEW / WOW or a local independent, there is a reason for a fan to choose yours, and you need to figure out what that reason is. And if you don't believe you have the best promotion in the industry, no one will. Even WWE, AEW, and WOW would be business failures if Triple H, Tony Khan, and David McLane didn't individually believe they are presenting the best product on TV.
Social Media: Learn about leveraging social media to grow your wrestling promotion's fanbase, how to implement social media crisis management, and the importance of responsible social media usage and online safety.
Merchandise: Create and sell merchandise to generate revenue and promote your brand.
5. Plan and Execute Your Event:
Create a Compelling Card: Develop a lineup of matches that will excite your audience.
Promote Your Event: Utilize your marketing strategy to promote your event and sell tickets.
Be Flexible: Be prepared for no-shows due to travel issues and severe personal emergencies. For 12 years, I worked as an assigner for athletic events to hone my skills in organization and logistics. That experience taught me that it's best to have "go to" wrestlers available- wrestlers who are always ready and willing to be booked.
6. Build Relationships and Network:
Wrestlers: After booking a wrestler for an event, request that they inform their followers of their upcoming appearances, which would benefit the wrestler just as much as it would benefit your promotion.
Other Promoters: Cross-promote your events and merchandise to reach a wider audience. A wrestling writer can help you build these relationships.
Local Businesses: Partner with local businesses to publicize your events and cut costs.
7. Stay Organized and Authentic:
Maintain Records: Keep detailed records of your finances, contracts, and event results.
Stay True to Your Values: It's common for a company to change in order to compete with companies that have adapted to a changing industry, but it's possible to be successful while also staying true to your values and your mission.
Continuously Improve: Continuously evaluate your performance and identify areas for improvement.
Other Advice:
Safety First: Prioritize the safety of your wrestlers and attendees.
Professionalism: Maintain a professional image and conduct yourself ethically.
You Get What You Pay For: If you are on a tight budget, you may want to hire wrestlers and staff who are not very experienced and who will likely be low-cost. However, remember that you usually get what you pay for, and they may not be able to produce the same quality of work as someone who is more experienced.
Online promoting: Online promoting tailored to your target audience, combined with tickets at affordable prices, will help you get good crowds. For more information, check out my articles on how to increase attendance at wrestling events and how to promote wrestling events effectively.
Starting a wrestling promotion is a challenging journey that can also be a fulfilling one. By following these steps and staying committed to your vision, you can build a successful and thriving wrestling promotion. And to learn about how wrestling promotions interact with the worlds of ticket sales, merchandise branding, TV rights, streaming, talent relations, technology, and more, check out my ebook/audiobook, "The Business Side of Wrestling: A Look Behind the Curtain". If you want to learn how promotions monetize their streaming content without angering their paying subscribers, why promotions invest heavily in unique documentaries and original programming to drive subscriptions, and what TNA, NJPW, Stardom, and Diana do to carve out valuable niche audiences, read my full industry analysis/overview on my paid subscription Substack by clicking here.
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