A lot of young wrestlers ask me how can they get booked on shows.. I try to give them good advice on what worked for me 'Back in the day"
1.) Work out in as many wrestling school as you can ( After you graduate from the wrestling school you 1st attended). By working out in other school you learn me moves, different ways to do them but most importantly you make new contacts & hopefully new friends. You never know when one will remember you & recommend you for a show.. Also many school have student feds attached to them & if you work out at the school you may get booked for their shows
2.) If you are not booked for a show, go to one. Get there early, help set up the ring, help set up the chairs, make sure you bring a dvd of your best work & a resume. Make sure the dvd has matches & promos..If you are lucky they will let you try out or maybe some one will no show & you can fill that spot
3.) Whore your self out. Make sure every show your own is posted everywhere, make sure every match you have is on YouTube,vimeo, Facebook & any where you can upload it & the description has as much about you as possible.. Have a Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo Group, webpage, tout & anything else dedicated to you
4.) Remember that DVD/Resume from earlier. Find address for promotions & mail it to them, Email them to let them know you are sending it & when they get it send them you tube videos of stuff you may have done since then
5.) Whore your self out part 2. Get T-Shirts, DVD's, Pictures & other merchandise done of you. It is another way to spread the word about you. Get your logo done by a professional company & professionally done photos (Side note make sure you have awesome professional gear in all the pictures & dvd's of you. You must look like a wrestler, not like a yarder)
6.) Travel. If you are a 40 miler then you won't get book for the best companies. Work as many different places as possible & be prepared to lose money to do it. It is part of paying your dues & if you are afraid or unwilling to lose money to do this, then yu do not belong in wrestling.
7.) Whore your self part 3... Media. Get on TV, Get on Radio, Get in Papers, get on webpages, get in Magazines, do blog talk shows. Use Media to your advantage & you will see you will start to get recognized & booked.. When you are in the media whore it out everywhere so people can see it.
8.) At every show make sure you shake every ones hands & thank them for being there. It goes a long way. That means the wrestlers, ref, promoter, sound guy, person who brought the ring & his/her crew, valets, managers, ring announcer, commentator, guy sweeping, person selling merch, person selling food, person taking tickets & any one I missed. You never know who may remember you & can help you get places
9.) Make sure you work the fans. Sometimes a promoter will book some one just because a fan requested it so make sure the fans love or hate you (depending on what side of the fence you are on) and make sure they love/hate you for the right reasons.
10.) Seminars . Sometimes a promoter will book people who did the seminar. It also looks good on your resume
Follow this & it should help and remember when you are a big star because you did the above that I accept cash & gifts from grateful wrestlers ;)