Meanwhile, I’ve got posters that need printing, sponsors breathing down my neck asking who’s on the card, and fans already talking online about who they want to see. I don’t have the luxury of waiting forever. Eventually, I move on. I reach out to someone else—someone who checks their messages, someone who responds within a few hours, sometimes even a few minutes. That’s the person who gets the booking.
The sad thing is, half the time the first guy actually was available. He just didn’t bother to check his inbox. By the time he finally replies—“Hey brother, I just saw this. Yeah, I can do that date.”—it’s too late. The spot is gone.
This is the reality of independent wrestling. Promoters work under deadlines. Posters don’t design themselves. Venues don’t wait. Sponsors don’t wait. If you’re slow to respond, the business moves on without you.
I hear wrestlers make excuses all the time: “Oh, I don’t really check Facebook.” Or, “I didn’t see the email.” Let’s be honest here. You can post gym selfies, share memes, and retweet clips, but you somehow didn’t see the message from the promoter who was trying to pay you? That excuse doesn’t fly.
What wrestlers often forget is that their reputation is being written every time they don’t answer. Word travels in this business. If you’re the guy or girl who never replies, or who takes a week to answer, it won’t be long before promoters stop reaching out at all. Why should they, when there are plenty of others who make communication easy?
I’ve booked talent for years, and here’s one thing I’ve learned: being easy to work with matters just as much as being good in the ring. Sometimes it matters even more. Fans never see the messages, the emails, the back-and-forth that goes into putting together a show. But those little things—the quick responses, the professionalism, the respect for deadlines—are what keep you on the card month after month.
Checking your messages might sound small, but in this business, it’s not. That one unread email could have been the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. That one missed DM could have been your chance to wrestle in front of a bigger crowd, get noticed by new fans, and take the next step in your career.
I’m not saying this to be harsh. I’m saying it because I want to see talent succeed. I want wrestlers to get opportunities. But I also need wrestlers who treat this like a business. Because that’s what it is. And in business, communication is everything.
So, wrestlers—check your messages. Check them every day. Because the next one you open might be the one that changes your career.
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