Managing talent relations in pro-wrestling is similar to coordinating game officials across an athletic district. Both rely on workers who may have outside jobs and strict availability, and both roles are high-stress. By applying the same principles to the professional wrestling industry that are used in interscholastic athletics administration, promoters can build an efficient, resilient talent relations system.
Building a Foundation of Respect and Communication
- Set Professional Expectations Early: Establish standards for conduct, call times (which should be defined in a contract), and promotional duties, before an event takes place.
- Display Neutrality: Even if you book talent for your promotion that you personally enjoy watching, similar to how an assigner of game officials may get along with some officials better than others, you must try to treat every roster member fairly and consistently. Showing favoritism could put a talent in a difficult position in terms of how they are treated by others in the locker room, and would impact how you are viewed.
- Be an Accessible, Good Listener: Create reliable, direct communication channels. Talent should know exactly who to approach with concerns, and management is most effective when it listens without being defensive. In addition, allow them input into their storylines and character development. This collaborative environment encourages creativity and gives talent a noteworthy sense of ownership over their work. Plus, someone who is putting their safety on the line for you has earned the right to be heard.
Policing the Locker Room
- Be Calm Under Pressure: Intense environments naturally produce tense moments- whether it’s an angry athletic director or two performers with creative differences. People who are responsible for talent relations should have the calmest presence in the room. For some strange reason, sometimes when a person is involved in a situation that they dislike, they will expect you -as the problem solver- to be wound up like they are. But maintain your state of mind- nothing would be gained by letting them pull you into their emotion.
- Private Problem-Solving: It's best to address creative differences or personal disputes away from the rest of the roster, to avoid making a talent feel disrespected, and to prevent creating locker room drama. Taking them aside into a private, neutral space to discuss the situation would be optimal for morale.
- Reframe Creative Differences: Shift the conversation from individual satisfaction to mutual goals. Being that they are performers, it's common for talent to pitch ideas regarding development of their character and upcoming matches, and I think that should be encouraged- it increases their morale, and it is reflected in how they perform, making the show more enjoyable for fans. But a performer's job is to do what's best for the company, which is not always what the performer may feel is best for themselves. Remind talent that, much like an officiating crew working a championship game, individual success relies entirely on being a team player, and that doing what's best for the company will benefit everyone in the end.
The "Standby" Principle: Backup & No-Show Logistics
In interscholastic athletics logistics, a late cancellation or no-show by an official can force a game to be cancelled if the assigner can't get a replacement official. In pro-wrestling, a late cancellation or no-show by a performer can create chaos, as the promoter or booker scrambles to make changes to the runsheet. So, prepare for the unexpected:
- Make a "Go-To" Backup List: Identify reliable, local talent -the equivalent of the veteran interscholastic athletics officials who can be easily contacted and always keeps their gear bag in their vehicle- who can step in on short notice or adapt to last-minute card changes.
- Create Policies: Put clear contractual guidelines in place regarding call times and emergency notification procedures.
- Protect the Fans: When backstage disorder, creative differences, or disputes occur, handle the situation in a way that prevents the fans in attendance at the event from sensing a disruption and so that their focus on the show itself is maintained.
Addressing Common Locker Room Issues Proactively
- Creative & Financial Clarity: Be transparent about pay, card placement, travel expenses, and finish expectations before the day of the event
- Locker Room Leadership: Choose respected veterans on the roster to act as locker room leaders. These individuals have years of locker room experience and can settle personal friction without management needing to be involved. In addition, these wrestlers from an earlier generation can provide mentorship and give advice to wrestlers who are wise enough to pick their brains.
- Safety: Establish straightforward, non-negotiable safety standards. If a wrestler appears to be unable to perform, they should not be allowed to work. Doing so would potentially put themselves and whoever they are in the ring with at unnecessary risk.
Fostering a Professional Culture
- Note Professionalism: Remember the high work ethic performers who are the most professional & dependable, have a business-first mindset, and keep interactions smooth and manageable with no drama and arguments. These are the ones who will be easiest to work with and the most reliable performers on your roster.
- The "Go Position" Check-In: Meet the performers the second they walk through the curtain just to basically say: "Good work, thank you, how do you feel?" This ensures physical safety and immediate validation.
Managing talent relations and resolving disputes isn't only about control; it's also about coordination, crisis prevention, and mutual respect. When you manage the backstage area of a pro-wrestling promotion with the same organizational discipline of an athletic department, you build a promotion that talent wants to work in and stay with.
And if you want to learn about how talent relations in professional wrestling changed from a system where promotions held all the power to a modern model where wrestlers have more freedom, leverage, and control over their careers and contracts- I go into detail in my ebook/audiobook, "The Business Side of Wrestling: A Look Behind the Curtain".
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