Post by TIA Promotions on Aug 20, 2022 23:25:48 GMT -5
9 Things – Indies vs. Majors
www.thesportster.com/Majors/Majors-indie-wrestling-different-same/
When writing for an efed, it’s best to know if you are working for an indie or a major. Consider some of the following:
Indies Focus More On Matches - One of the reasons why fans enjoy independent wrestling is because of the quality of matches. Majors spend a lot of time booking things that don’t make sense in the ring, whiles indies focus more on the in-ring product than anything else. Majors focus on matches that are safe and formulaic. Independent wrestlers tend to be more technical and athletic because they need to perform well in the ring to retain an audience.
Majors have more loyal Fan Bases - Even though Majors can get stale, fans still care about the product. They are loyal and have hope that the product will get better. Many wrestling fans are particularly interested in independent promotions and wrestlers because they feel a greater connection to a niche product. While indie fans tend to be more intensely loyal, they are quicker to change their minds and moods.
Indies give More Creative Control To Wrestlers - Majors don’t allow much creative control to any wrestler except for a few major names. This is a result of them fiercely defending the histories of their feds, and feeling responsible for keeping their reputations intact. In efedding, majors will only let their top guys affect bookings. This often leads to wrestlers leaving willingly because of a believe that they were mishandled. Wrestlers in Indies may be afforded more input in how a show will go. And are less likely to leave if things don’t work out. In the indies, wrestlers are free to do whatever they want to do with their character and can make changes on the fly without permission
Cards are always subject to change - Majors are notorious for using false advertising to hype up an event or a PPV. Bookings may change to the scheduling conflicts or no-shows, but it usually pisses off fans when it’s an unexpected change. Indies run other risks, such as production delays, personality disputes, and technical glitches.
Majors focus more on story - A typical majors match would see a heel beatdown the face wrestler, almost win the match before a kick out happens. Then that wrestler would look at the crowd, generate powers magically, perform his signature moves and then win. That's the story of (almost) every MAJORS match right there. Indies tend to depend more on spots.
Different Work-Life Balance - Majors typically require their wrestlers to work less often. They can alternate being booked in segments and matches every other card. While the pace is easier, the spotlight isn’t on a single character quite as much. Indie wrestlers tend to work more often with less recognition.
Indies can be hostile environments - Majors are great for the wrestlers. They have better production quality, larger staffs, and a proven pattern of success. They have learned from mistakes of their past and know what they are doing. Indies will take more risks, sometimes for no good reason, just to get recognition in the community.
Different Kind of Talent - Majors often rely on past superstars too much to promote their shows, more slowly elevating new talent to the top of the card. Majors are more likely to invests a ton of time and resources scouting the best talent in the world they could hire and then building them up slowly. Indies are constantly looking for hot new hires. Allowing non-exclusive contracts. Just hoping for flashes of brilliance. For this reason, Indies often feature some low quality wrestlers in addition to the few star talents on their cards.
No-Selling in Indies - Indies are more likely to have matches with a lot of kick outs. This is an effective tactic to get both wrestlers over without using storyline. Because of this, the results of the matches are more likely to be no-sold.