Post by TIA Promotions on Jun 10, 2022 9:02:35 GMT -5
Adapted from and article - prowrestlingstories.com/pro-wrestling-stories/want-to-be-wrestler/
The 5 Qualities of a Succesful Competitive Efedder
To make it in the hobby of big pops and high spots, you must first master the basics. Like in life, nothing comes easy, and being crisp of mind is just as important as being a good writer.
HONOR
“No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave."
– Calvin Coolidge
Earning the trust and respect of your peers is something that everyone, in any field, at any level, should strive to seek out. While it is never possible to be liked by everyone, if you are good at what you do and perform at a higher level consistently, you will have their respect, whether liked or not. Like everything else in the real world, trust and respect are earned by your actions and much less by the annunciation of your greatness to anyone willing to listen or is within earshot to hear it. No one, anywhere, is deserving of anything but an opportunity. You earn everything that is worth attainment in this life. The best way to earn respect the world over is first to be humble in yourself and open to instruction. Paying your dues takes time and devotion to your work to achieve the desired result. Part of earning that trust is putting in that time and paying dues by showing up each event, no matter how hard it may be.
A part of becoming successful is understanding that you’re not always going to be on top, and you’re not always going to go over (win). You have to learn when to take the losses and why, and within that, grow from it. Having someone hire you to their fed doesn’t mean that you should be able to walk up and get a push. It just doesn’t work that way. If you think it does, you’ll earn nothing but heartbreak.
Part of that give and take, that ebb and flow, inside the ring depends on the wrestler not being greedy. It also relies on knowing when to take direction and listen to the staff and the veterans of your fed, to show you the way. Just walking in thinking you can start calling shots is no way to get anywhere. It’s not going to garner one ounce of respect. Without that, nobody’s going to want to do anything with you, because, let’s be honest, you’re putting yourself at risk, along with everyone else around you.
Another way to garner the respect of your peers, not only in the fraternity of efedders but in the real world itself, is by always fulfilling your obligations. If you give your word and say that you’re going to do something, you should be ready to fulfill that without question or hesitation. Sometimes you’re not always going to get the result you were expecting, or maybe you have been promised, but that does not mean that you shouldn’t show up and give it one hundred and ten percent regardless.
SACRIFICE
"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do."
– Pele
All artists sacrifice for their calling and for what they love. Handlers are no different in that ilk. While an artist’s journey may have gone from doodling with crayons to creating masterpieces in their elder years, the efedder's window to achieve the same is much shorter. Once life gets in the way, your days in the hobby are numbered.
Many are willing to give up everything to reach that pinnacle of legendary status that will attain them efed immortality. But at what cost? Simply put? Everything. Be careful when managing personal and professional relationships while balancing the commitments of your efed body of work. Do not leave your wife and kids just to get an RP or a match out on time. Sacrifice personal time for the hobby, but know when to draw the line, take the L, and work on you.
Sacrifice and perseverance go hand in hand, and while perseverance is the test of the heart, sacrifice is undoubtedly the test of the soul. You have to be willing to hold that reserve that you can dig deep into when times get beyond the point of acceptable loss and uncertain gain so that it can see you through to that next opportunity. Being in that right place often comes from being there all the time and giving all of yourself to the hobby. No one ever gets a career-changing opportunity sitting at home while being completely disengaged in the hobby.
The costs levied upon the writers mind are unique to other hobbies. As their work is a part of their soul, put on display for public criticism. Each piece is a vulnerability, and a writer who puts themselves out there on a regular basis is bound to take on negative reaction at least part of the time. You can never win ’em all, and to believe so is either naivete, ignorance, or a lethal combination of the two that gives workers the delusion that they will never have to lose a match. “Going under” (losing) shows that you are able to do business and that you’re also willing to give of yourself to put someone else over. The true greats were and are able to lose, while still getting over themselves, without overshining the push. The biggest names in the business have had this quality, and it lends itself to why they have the term “great” connected to their names to begin with.
PERSEVERANCE
"Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody."
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
How deep are you willing to dig into your heart to achieve your dreams? When it seems they may slip through your fingers, will you walk away? Or will you search again? For every cliché, there is victory, and beside that victory, a thousand defeats.
Many careers have gone to the wolves due to a lack of conviction, whether by personal submission or attrition by the "forces that be.” While it may often be more the former than the latter, it all comes down to the desire to persevere and continue when everyone else around you says otherwise. It isn’t just about having the grit to pull through when the deck is seemingly stacked against you, but also having the mental toughness to keep your head in the game, so to speak. People will try to get in your ear and sidetrack you. In these times, you have to be able to stand alone and stand tall in the face of that adversity.
There is undoubtedly still that measuring stick applied to see whether or not you have "it" in this hobby and if you can be counted on to stay in the game, even if the chips are stacked against you. It is a test of self, and how much you want to succeed in this hobby or whatever else in life.
Striving through the struggle of breaking in, establishing a presence in the community and then hopefully a push to a title, are all different levels of success that, despite what some of the "you deserve it" generation may want to believe, are earned by an unbreakable combination of perseverance and sacrifice that few have when times get tough, and the river runs lean. Focusing on the prize will sustain you to attain it. It will all be worth it when you reach that mountaintop.
DEDICATION
"The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get on to it, and the perseverance to follow it."
– Kalpana Chawla
Nothing worthwhile in life comes easy. If you want to succeed, you have to earn it. Some never seem to grasp the idea. More and more, however, the sense of entitlement pervades our society on all fronts. Efedding is far from immune to its venomous sting.
Rather than to launch into a tirade about the younger generation of handlers not being willing to pay their dues and expect everything right now, let's focus on something else. The audience itself is responsible for the lack of patience and emotional investment required for a true storyline. This has been a steady movement since the Attitude Era. Be the audience for someone else, and be patient.
Impatience leads to uninspired writing, thrown-together tag team pairings, and poor technique, in the process of trying to achieve something amazing. Flips and hardcore matches in front of casual audiences may seem flashy, but they lack the heart of a long-term story arc. Get back to the basics and focus on storytelling instead of new move sets. Consider whether you'd rather hear "This Is Awesome!" or "You deserve it!" Which one is heard more often? Which one means more to you?
The old saying goes: if something were easy, then everybody would be doing it. Experience and knowledge of your craft comes with time and the dedication to doing it the right way, without compromising to shortcuts or flash in order to overcome lack of substance. Every steak needs sizzle, but if you don’t have any meat to bite into, you are left hungry.
CONTINUITY OF CRAFT (KEEPING KAYFABE)
“The ability to change constantly and effectively is made easier by high-level continuity.”
– Michael Porter
The stonemason who takes raw marble and refines it into sculpture is a craftsman. A handler is a craftsman too. Writer, Artist, Actor, Influencer.
Craftsman are created from nothing but themselves. Their sweat and blood are the oils that they use to paint their stories on the canvas of the mat, in order to tell the stories that draw us in and generate those emotions that keep us wanting more.
It’s important to remember continuity in the craft of efedding. And the importance of the predetermined lines about being a face or a heel. Little by little this distinction has been eroded away by the recent need for sports entertainers to give the fans what they want instead of manipulating their emotions the way they should be. Gone, of course, are the days of kayfabe when babyfaces and heels would exist separately. If you can, try to keep the illusion alive. Kayfabe may have died, but that does not mean its spirit is still alive in each of us.
The 5 Qualities of a Succesful Competitive Efedder
To make it in the hobby of big pops and high spots, you must first master the basics. Like in life, nothing comes easy, and being crisp of mind is just as important as being a good writer.
HONOR
“No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave."
– Calvin Coolidge
Earning the trust and respect of your peers is something that everyone, in any field, at any level, should strive to seek out. While it is never possible to be liked by everyone, if you are good at what you do and perform at a higher level consistently, you will have their respect, whether liked or not. Like everything else in the real world, trust and respect are earned by your actions and much less by the annunciation of your greatness to anyone willing to listen or is within earshot to hear it. No one, anywhere, is deserving of anything but an opportunity. You earn everything that is worth attainment in this life. The best way to earn respect the world over is first to be humble in yourself and open to instruction. Paying your dues takes time and devotion to your work to achieve the desired result. Part of earning that trust is putting in that time and paying dues by showing up each event, no matter how hard it may be.
A part of becoming successful is understanding that you’re not always going to be on top, and you’re not always going to go over (win). You have to learn when to take the losses and why, and within that, grow from it. Having someone hire you to their fed doesn’t mean that you should be able to walk up and get a push. It just doesn’t work that way. If you think it does, you’ll earn nothing but heartbreak.
Part of that give and take, that ebb and flow, inside the ring depends on the wrestler not being greedy. It also relies on knowing when to take direction and listen to the staff and the veterans of your fed, to show you the way. Just walking in thinking you can start calling shots is no way to get anywhere. It’s not going to garner one ounce of respect. Without that, nobody’s going to want to do anything with you, because, let’s be honest, you’re putting yourself at risk, along with everyone else around you.
Another way to garner the respect of your peers, not only in the fraternity of efedders but in the real world itself, is by always fulfilling your obligations. If you give your word and say that you’re going to do something, you should be ready to fulfill that without question or hesitation. Sometimes you’re not always going to get the result you were expecting, or maybe you have been promised, but that does not mean that you shouldn’t show up and give it one hundred and ten percent regardless.
SACRIFICE
"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do."
– Pele
All artists sacrifice for their calling and for what they love. Handlers are no different in that ilk. While an artist’s journey may have gone from doodling with crayons to creating masterpieces in their elder years, the efedder's window to achieve the same is much shorter. Once life gets in the way, your days in the hobby are numbered.
Many are willing to give up everything to reach that pinnacle of legendary status that will attain them efed immortality. But at what cost? Simply put? Everything. Be careful when managing personal and professional relationships while balancing the commitments of your efed body of work. Do not leave your wife and kids just to get an RP or a match out on time. Sacrifice personal time for the hobby, but know when to draw the line, take the L, and work on you.
Sacrifice and perseverance go hand in hand, and while perseverance is the test of the heart, sacrifice is undoubtedly the test of the soul. You have to be willing to hold that reserve that you can dig deep into when times get beyond the point of acceptable loss and uncertain gain so that it can see you through to that next opportunity. Being in that right place often comes from being there all the time and giving all of yourself to the hobby. No one ever gets a career-changing opportunity sitting at home while being completely disengaged in the hobby.
The costs levied upon the writers mind are unique to other hobbies. As their work is a part of their soul, put on display for public criticism. Each piece is a vulnerability, and a writer who puts themselves out there on a regular basis is bound to take on negative reaction at least part of the time. You can never win ’em all, and to believe so is either naivete, ignorance, or a lethal combination of the two that gives workers the delusion that they will never have to lose a match. “Going under” (losing) shows that you are able to do business and that you’re also willing to give of yourself to put someone else over. The true greats were and are able to lose, while still getting over themselves, without overshining the push. The biggest names in the business have had this quality, and it lends itself to why they have the term “great” connected to their names to begin with.
PERSEVERANCE
"Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody."
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
How deep are you willing to dig into your heart to achieve your dreams? When it seems they may slip through your fingers, will you walk away? Or will you search again? For every cliché, there is victory, and beside that victory, a thousand defeats.
Many careers have gone to the wolves due to a lack of conviction, whether by personal submission or attrition by the "forces that be.” While it may often be more the former than the latter, it all comes down to the desire to persevere and continue when everyone else around you says otherwise. It isn’t just about having the grit to pull through when the deck is seemingly stacked against you, but also having the mental toughness to keep your head in the game, so to speak. People will try to get in your ear and sidetrack you. In these times, you have to be able to stand alone and stand tall in the face of that adversity.
There is undoubtedly still that measuring stick applied to see whether or not you have "it" in this hobby and if you can be counted on to stay in the game, even if the chips are stacked against you. It is a test of self, and how much you want to succeed in this hobby or whatever else in life.
Striving through the struggle of breaking in, establishing a presence in the community and then hopefully a push to a title, are all different levels of success that, despite what some of the "you deserve it" generation may want to believe, are earned by an unbreakable combination of perseverance and sacrifice that few have when times get tough, and the river runs lean. Focusing on the prize will sustain you to attain it. It will all be worth it when you reach that mountaintop.
DEDICATION
"The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get on to it, and the perseverance to follow it."
– Kalpana Chawla
Nothing worthwhile in life comes easy. If you want to succeed, you have to earn it. Some never seem to grasp the idea. More and more, however, the sense of entitlement pervades our society on all fronts. Efedding is far from immune to its venomous sting.
Rather than to launch into a tirade about the younger generation of handlers not being willing to pay their dues and expect everything right now, let's focus on something else. The audience itself is responsible for the lack of patience and emotional investment required for a true storyline. This has been a steady movement since the Attitude Era. Be the audience for someone else, and be patient.
Impatience leads to uninspired writing, thrown-together tag team pairings, and poor technique, in the process of trying to achieve something amazing. Flips and hardcore matches in front of casual audiences may seem flashy, but they lack the heart of a long-term story arc. Get back to the basics and focus on storytelling instead of new move sets. Consider whether you'd rather hear "This Is Awesome!" or "You deserve it!" Which one is heard more often? Which one means more to you?
The old saying goes: if something were easy, then everybody would be doing it. Experience and knowledge of your craft comes with time and the dedication to doing it the right way, without compromising to shortcuts or flash in order to overcome lack of substance. Every steak needs sizzle, but if you don’t have any meat to bite into, you are left hungry.
CONTINUITY OF CRAFT (KEEPING KAYFABE)
“The ability to change constantly and effectively is made easier by high-level continuity.”
– Michael Porter
The stonemason who takes raw marble and refines it into sculpture is a craftsman. A handler is a craftsman too. Writer, Artist, Actor, Influencer.
Craftsman are created from nothing but themselves. Their sweat and blood are the oils that they use to paint their stories on the canvas of the mat, in order to tell the stories that draw us in and generate those emotions that keep us wanting more.
It’s important to remember continuity in the craft of efedding. And the importance of the predetermined lines about being a face or a heel. Little by little this distinction has been eroded away by the recent need for sports entertainers to give the fans what they want instead of manipulating their emotions the way they should be. Gone, of course, are the days of kayfabe when babyfaces and heels would exist separately. If you can, try to keep the illusion alive. Kayfabe may have died, but that does not mean its spirit is still alive in each of us.