The Switch Attempt

One thing that I was warned about prior to beginning my training and managing was how shady the wrestling industry was. I was told by several people that I really needed to be careful on who I trusted or who I turned to because not everybody was exactly what they seemed. And truer words had never been spoken.

This really started to become aware to me when I had to sit out of practices due to my concussion. I still could manage as long as I kept the actions light but I couldn’t do anything too dramatic or heavy. One particular Friday night, the wrestler that I managed decided it was a good idea to say to the audience that he had bought me for $5 and had put me away wet. Not many in the audience found that funny. Many actually looked at me for my reaction to what he had said and my reaction wasn't to laugh either. I didn't find it funny at whatsoever. I found it completely disrespectful and I was completely glad that the match was over because as soon as those words came out of his mouth, I shook my head in disbelief and was back in the locker room getting my stuff to leave. I was pissed. I don't think many realized just how pissed off and disrespected that I felt about that comment. I decided then when I got home after my forty-five minute drive home that maybe I should look elsewhere to train when I got cleared. There were other incidences that had been occuring that I really wasn't all that comfortable with and the comment was just the final nail in the coffin for me. So I began looking at other places that I could potentially train at. I knew one thing for sure that there was no way in hell that I would train at one of the wrestling companies here in Shelbyville. At the time, there were only two in Shelbyville. One was extremely better than the other. You couldn't pay me to train for one of them. I cannot stand the ring announcer or her little minions that help run things on show days nor am I really a fan of her husband either so the idea of training there or even working there. No. I'd rather chop off my right hand. At this time, I had actually only been to one of their shows and I did not feel welcome. It just wasn't my cup of tea. That left the better wrestling company that was here in Shelbyville. I personally preferred this company and brand for several reasons. I attended their shows on a monthly basis and my brother-in-law actually refereed for them so I knew that they were a great company. I always felt welcome at the shows and the talent on the roster each and every month was phenomenal. The wrestlers didn't look like they put their outfits together outside by the trash can. They looked legit and that was a key selling point to me. The trainers for this company were amazing wrestlers themselves and have traveled everywhere so naturally I thought that this would be a great fit for me. The downfall for me switching would be that I would actually have to pay for my training which I didn't truly mind because I just wouldn't have to put up with any creepiness anymore. I went down one day after work and just observed training to see how everything operated. I thought it would be a pretty good fit for me. Those there kind of knew exactly where I was coming from in regards to the reason why I wanted to leave where I had started training at so I felt like it would work. Training days at the new company was going to be three days a week for three hours, if I remember correctly. So I went in one day and was observing again because I was not cleared still and hadn't made the official move or switch and I was kind of put off by something that I was told. I was called by one of the trainers in front of everyone, which the two trainers are actually in a relationship, to come over and speak to them. They stated that if I wanted to keep observing I was going to have to pay the $25/day. I was taken aback because one, I was NOT participating. Two, I had not said that I was going to fully make the switch and join and three, there was literally barely even an hour left of practice left because of my job. But yet, they wanted me to pay them for just walking in the building for not even an hour and not even participating. Um, fuck you. No, I'm out. I left. At the time, I was working downtown Indianapolis at Anthem with the hours of 10a-6p, could've been 6:30 honestly with a 30 minute drive home back to town. I knew heading into my new training that I wouldn't get the full time as everybody else. So I knew that I would be paying $75/week for something completely different than what everybody else there was getting and it wasn't necessarily my fault because of my job. I mean, I never wanted wrestling to be a full-time career or anything like that because it was just something for me to do. I was fine with that but I just wasn't fine with paying money for an hour a day and not getting to do shit because I wasn't even cleared. I could stay at home and watch videos online or continue going to other shows with my brother-in-law when he had to ref on the weekends. That's what I did. I wasn't going to pay to observe. That was ridiculous. What was even more ridiculous to me was at the next month's show, I was told by someone that the brother of the guy who ran this company was running his mouth about me to my brother-in-law, which naturally got me all fired up. Basically it was stated that because I was really good friends with this one wrestler that wrestled at the other Shelbyville wrestling company, that I couldn't go to their shows and that he might try to get me to wrestle for this other crappy company. First off, no. Nobody is ever going to tell me what show I can or cannot go to. Hell, I wasn't even training with these people yet and they were already trying to tell me what I can and cannot do. That shit doesn't fly with me. He then also brought up that I wasn't wanting to pay for my training. Um, no motherfucker. Get your shit straight. I had no problem paying but when there is not even an hour left of class and I'm watching everybody smoke cigarettes and stand around and talk, and I'm not getting to actually participate because of my health then no. I am not going to pay to just observe. All of this had actually been discussed prior to this with his brother who ACTUALLY was always at the facility so why the hell did this moron feel the need to talk about my shit? Right then, I knew that I was not about to get involved with them because it was just going to end up being about the money and control. And I am not someone who can be controlled. I took time off and away from where I had started training and managing and let things calm down before I decided to go back. It was home to me but they didn't try to control what I did and didn't do. In fact, I got away with whatever the hell I wanted to do honestly.