Wrestling Ain’t Daycare—It’s a Business

 Professional wrestling is a business. Read that again. It’s not a backyard game, a hobby for grown-ups in tights, or a feel-good outlet to boost your ego. It’s a business—one built on ticket sales, character investment, and trust between the promoter, the locker room, and the fans. When one wrestler puts themselves above the booking, it doesn’t just affect them—it affects everyone involved.

So let’s talk about something that recently happened—and why it should never happen again.

There’s a guy wrestling in Lexington, KY this weekend for Ohio Valley Wrestling. Apparently, he didn’t like the outcome he was booked for, so what did he do? He ran and cried to his mom.

And now she is trying to rally the local community to boycott the show—all because she and her son don’t like how he is booked.

Let that sink in: A grown adult who calls himself a pro wrestler went home and whined to his mother about a finish. And now his mom is campaigning against the show.

If you’re in the business, your jaw just hit the floor. And it should have.

Why This Is a Serious Problem?

1. It Breaks the Trust of the Locker Room

Wrestling is built on trust. Promoters trust you to do your job and protect the business. Your fellow wrestlers trust you not to go public or personal over finishes. When you bring outside drama—especially through a family member—you break that trust. You make the entire company look unprofessional.

2. It Hurts Ticket Sales and the Promotion

Mom’s little boycott? That could hurt the gate. It damages the reputation of the promotion in an already tough market. Independent wrestling is hard enough without having to fight against a parent’s Facebook smear campaign because her son doesn’t like losing.

3. It Makes You Unbookable

Word travels fast in this business. If you cry to your mom about being asked to lose, and she causes drama, promoters will remember that. Other wrestlers will remember that. No one wants to work with someone who might throw a fit backstage—or worse, sabotage the show through outside interference.

Wrestling Is a Business—Not a Therapy Session! - If you can’t handle being asked to do the job a promoter gives you, then this business is not for you. You might not like every finish. You might not always go over. But this ain’t Burger King—you don’t get it your way. You’re there to tell a story and build the product. If you refuse to play your part, you’re not helping wrestling—you’re hurting it.

No one says you have to like every decision. But if you can’t do what’s best for the show—even when it means taking a loss—then hang up your boots. Because you’re not a pro wrestler. You’re just playing one on weekends.

This business will never grow if it’s filled with egos who throw tantrums the second things don’t go their way. If you ever find yourself tempted to whine about a finish—especially to someone outside the business—take a step back and ask yourself: Do I really belong in professional wrestling?

Because if you can't do business, you don’t need to be in the business.

Period.