I don't know if it's the same for all pro feds, but how do they normally go about putting their matches together? I don't mean the actual structure of it, but when do two wrestlers get together to decide what they'll do? How much are promotes involved? Do the wrestlers usually get time to practice spots and sequences before the match, or do they just decide on a plan and go for it? Do they set up all of it beforehand, or just a few key points and then communicate throughout to fill in the blanks?

Or is there no clear answer to any question and it's just relative to the fed, the match's importance, the wrestlers involved, etc.? Even if that's the case, some of your own experiences would be nice.

I'm just wondering because I'll be training with a local fed over the summer. Another guy I met one day when I came in for a free session at their school was working his first match at a show a few months later, so I figure by the end of the summer they might book me for shows, I'm just worried that since I'd be back at school and unable to go to training every week I wouldn't get a chance to put together a match and so they wouldn't book me anyway.

You'll probably have very little say in any of your matches starting out. Most Indy Promotions typically pair up more experienced workers with rookie workers so that the veteran plans takes control in planning the spots. Most of the spots he comes up with will be very simple and there will be some on the fly stuff.

A good Indy Promotion will have an agent or two in the back that goes over finishes with all the workers for each match. Usually, veterans in the upper-card matches are trusted to come up with there own finishes.

I normally find out who im facing 10 mins before bell ring

I know who I am wrestling in advanced, always. I put together matches, usually we don't try stuff, we just know we can do it, unless it's hard.

I always have free reign on what I can do. It sucks though, because not everyone in the crappy indies can do/take some stuff you would want to do. Just have to work with what you got.

you also have to be aware of changes in the card

because card subject is always to change, even 10 mins be4 showtime at times.

Most from what I've seen from yarders who backdoor their way into the indy's is that they wrestle each other and bitch about how much they get paid, even though they probably didn't even earn their ten dollars.

I've only worked for free twice ever. Any time I was paid, it was always 30$ or more.

Hm. I work in the areas where there could be 200 people at 10$ a head and I still wouldn't see a dime.

It's all about how you handle your promoter. Any time I've worked, I've made it clear upon arrival that I wasn't working unless I got paid. Of course I did it in a professional manner, but every promoter I've encountered has respected me for standing up for myself.

Trust me. It doesn't work here.

I usually work against vets, but I call an even amount against them, and when I wrestle trainees, I check with the promoter about how comfortable they are in ring before I let them call their comebacks or shine. I've only ever been told once how to end a match, and that was because the promoter didn't want me to take Drake's Landing.

I work a free show every week. I always found it disrespectful to expect pay until recently, since I'm green. When I get paid now, the least I get is $25, and the most I've received was $75.

I usually don't give a fuck about getting paid. I travel to shows for byw for free. So, it's no big deal to me. If I get paid, cool. if I don't no sweat off my back.

I make most drives by myself to pro shows, so I like some pay for that. I've never traveled to a yard show alone, so I don't mind doing that. It's just nice to get the little extra to throw into the tank instead of losing out.

Working for free, or if you're from my neck of the woods - PAYING to work shows is common place. It's regrettable, because a lot of guys who put in hard work and train forever, aren't getting booked, or paid for their service, because there are a bunch of hardly or not trained at all yarders paying up to $100 dollars a match to get on a card, or "Pre-Show" (think of a whole card of Dark Matches). The problem is that the fed generally claims that the workers on this Pre-show are students, but they've never stepped foot into the school, and make those that have trained there look terrible. Pushes people from wanting to join the school if they're gonna put on crap matches like what is there. Since the promoter is making anywhere between 200-1300 bucks more to do the pre-show - of course they're not going to stop it.

Also it KILLS the crowd. By the time the main event comes around, the crowd is dead tired and doesn't care. They just sat through a shitty pre-show, and were disappointed by that, then the main card has to make sure to impress with every match, otherwise that match is even MORE scrutinized.

Tony, I feel you're a better worker than to be traveling and working for free. Hell, getting 5 bucks for a sandwich is something you should be striving for, just to be considered "more professional".

Or if you do work it for "free" make sure to tell the promoter you want the footage of your match (or of the event) sent to you. Sometimes asking for footage (if they can't pay you) can make you seem like someone who knows what they're doing. Long as you work for SOMETHING, it seems like you're making a business transaction. Otherwise, yeah, the fed may use you a million times, but they'll throw you away for the slightest thing too.

Guess it depends on why you wrestle, but I feel that people that pay or work for free by me, say they really want to make it as a pro wrestler (not just do it for fun) - do everything the opposite of what it takes to actually make it.

I do have a promoter who takes care of me. He couldn't afford to pay a lot of teh guys last show due to weather. So, he made a tally up of who he owes and I will receive it next show.

One fed pays me 10$, which is better than nothing. I Also record my own match.

The only fed I have a problem with is one that gets a good head count of about 100(at 10$ a head), has us take photos with the fans (professional photographer) and the fans have to pay 5$ to get the picture. Do we see a dime? Nope. Do we get paid for our match, nope.

It sucks, but hell, that is indy wrestling around here.

And people wonder why I never want to go pro.

Going Pro isn't a bad thing but working your way up through no-name Indy's is 7/10 times a joke, and waste of time.

Walk and Talk is the most common way of forming matches around here, but vets from time to time will plan out our entire match. Working rookies or yarders who didn't even try to get training is the worst experience I've had so far. I've had a promoter tell me what finish to use in order to get myself over or have a storyline go over in a certain way.