Get Your Weight Up: A Comprehensive Guide to Becoming a Pro in the Ring
Wrestling has a unique way of getting fans on the edge of their seats. It’s not like football or basketball or any other sport; it’s a league entirely of its own with extremely tough, loyal fans.
What if you could be more than a fan, though?
Do you have a strong desire to be in the ring one day yourself? This is something a lot of wrestling fans daydream about, but never actually put in the work to achieve.
The odds are stacked against new wrestlers trying to make it big and it’s a long road before those who do reach success get to where they want to be. But, it’s not impossible!
Here’s the brief overview of how to become a professional wrestler that you need to follow in order to one day be in the ring.
1. Start Training Right Away
If wrestling is your absolute dream – something you can’t stop thinking about and a profession you have a true passion for – what are you waiting for? There’s no denying your calling once you’ve found it, even if it is a difficult one to pursue.
The only way you’ll make it easier on yourself is to start training sooner rather than later. You’ll quickly learn this involves a lot more than weightlifting and fighting.
A wrestler’s training has them doing everything from heavy lifting to long-distance running. It’s a round-the-clock job of taking care of your body and pushing it further past its limits every day.
Don’t be surprised if you end up training twice a day on a regular basis, and get the idea of skipping a training session out of your head right now. If you really want to reach the top, you have to work harder than anyone else every single day.
2. Seek Out Other Wrestlers to Help You
There’s a balance between thinking of every other wrestler as your competition and as extended family. All amateur wrestlers want to become popular professionals on the big screen. But, none of them get there without building a network within their local wrestling community and being willing to learn from the people around them.
You have to build up a tough ego for when you get knocked down and also know when to put it aside when you come across someone that’s willing to help you. It’s a tricky thing to balance in a dog eat dog world like wrestling.
But once you find your people, keep them close.
These are the ones who will be pushing you when you think you’ve had enough and who will celebrate your small wins with you on your road to reaching bigger goals. They’re the people you want to have in your corner in the ring and by your side when your big moment comes.
3. Understand the Independent Scene
Speaking of the small wins on the road to success, think about the independent wrestling scene and the big-time league for a second.
Independent matches have earnings of as little as $25. Most wrestlers have to find their own means of transportation to get to them and they’re not the best-kept rings to fight in, either.
The big-time is a completely different world. Wrestlers can make millions of dollars in just one match, and you know they’re going to be surrounded by luxury everywhere they turn.
To get to that, though, you have to be willing to go through the independent scene. This is where many wrestlers start making a name for themselves. It’s where all your training starts to pay off and how you get professional managers to start paying attention to you.
4. Be Ready When the Professional Call Comes
It might sound a little crazy to use the independent wrestling scene as a way to get noticed by big-time managers and recruiters. But what you may not know is that these guys attend the small shows!
There’s a whole network of people who work for the WWE who show up at small local shows. They’re always searching for the one guy in the room who has the potential to be the next big thing in the ring.
You have to make sure that guy is you.
You have to put yourself out there and get in the small rings as many times as you can if you hope to step into the big leagues one day. When your call does come, though, you can’t mess it up. With so many amateur wrestlers out there, you only get one shot to upgrade from independent matches to televised ones.
By the way, you may want to discover more about the top televised matches if you want to understand what wrestling is really all about. There’s always going to be a new fight on TV, but there are only a few that will be known as timeless match-ups.
5. Make Sacrifices
Think about your current career, your family, and your friends for a second.
How are you going to earn a living while you’re training and going to low-paying wrestling gigs? Will your family understand your dream or will you have to just put the blinders up and prove them wrong?
These are just a few of the sacrifices that all wrestlers have to make. It’s what every professional wrestler will tell you if you listen carefully. No matter what kind of advice you hear about making it big, there’s always something that had to be sacrificed. No one gets to the big leagues without giving something up.
6. Focus on All Aspects of the Job
Here’s an interesting thought to consider: being a professional wrestler is about a lot more than wrestling. You have to be an entertainer and a businessman, too.
You have to understand how to put on a show and create a signature “thing” that you want to be known for. You also have to learn practical life skills in order to succeed once your wrestling days are done and how to make the most of your success.
7. Stand Up Every Time You Fall
This is what every wrestler lives by.
It’s the motivation you need to keep going when you think you’ve hit a wall and your professional opportunity hasn’t come yet. It’s also the little voice that starts screaming at you when you’re getting beat up in the ring and need to fight back.
You’re going to take some serious hits, and you’re probably going to take a lot of them. But, the trick is to know how to keep delivering them just as hard no matter what gets thrown at you.
How to Become a Professional Wrestler in the Woman’s League
The tips mentioned above apply to women just as much as they do to men.
There’s no reason for you not to pursue your dream of becoming a professional wrestler. If you’re letting things like money, opportunity, or even your gender create excuses for you, you don’t want this bad enough. It’s better to figure this out sooner rather than later when learning how to become a professional wrestler.
For a few laughs to help you keep going when you get knocked down, though, click here.