Why you should (almost) never wrestle for free.
There. I said it.
There's not a whole lot of money in wrestling on an independent level. Still, you should almost never agree to wrestle for free. Here's why.
Before I joined Unlimited Wrestling, I considered (semi-seriously) starting my own promotion. I'm glad I didn't, because it would've been a disaster, make no mistake about it. And yet to this day, there are wrestlers out there who wish (semi-seriously) that I had, in fact, tried it. Why? Because before I joined Unlimited, I had no clue how much money the average indie wrestler makes – so I would've overpaid everybody. By a lot.
A lot has happened since then. I've learnt that there isn't a whole lot of money in wrestling on an independent level. I’ve learnt that it's extremely hard (but not impossible) to make a living. And I've learnt that there are established promotions who severely underpay talent. In some cases, wrestlers even work for free.
I’m pretty sure I'll get some hate for saying this, but: You should (almost) never work for free. It will severely limit your chances going forward. It’s fine to give your home promotion a sweetheart deal, but that’s about it.
Now, if you regularly work for free, I’m sure you have your reasons – “Those guys put me on the map!”; “I won my first title there!”; “They let me have that match I really wanted!”. And that's cool. I get being grateful. I get being loyal. But that doesn't mean you're eternally indebted to those places. No promotion is entitled to unlimited free meals at your expense. And make no mistake about it: It is at your expense.
You can't have your cake and eat it too.
When you consistently work for little or no money, you don't just surrender your time. You send the message that your worth is, well, zero. What it boils down to is this: Why should any promotion pay your asking price if you're working for free (or for much less) most everywhere else?
Take Unlimited Wrestling for example. As a member of our roster, you will be seen by thousands of people. You’ll likely get to work with established names from all over the world, and you’ll have input into your storylines. Why, on top of that, should Unlimited pay you a rate that no one else is paying? Why should the promotion that may well offer the biggest opportunity pay more than almost everybody else? It just doesn't work that way. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.
I’m a freelance writer and producer myself. When I ask for more money than usual, there’s only one reason: I don’t want the job. I might be willing to do it for a premium, sure. But I don’t really want it. By the same token, when you overcharge a promotion, you’re tacitly telling them: I don’t really want this booking. That may not be your intention, but that’s how it’s going to come across.
You need to know your worth!
Of course, there’s a simple way to avoid this problem: Ask the same amount everywhere. Let’s say your fee is 100, 150 or even 200 bucks. If I think that's fair and I really want you at Unlimited Wrestling, we’ll figure something out. However, I won’t be able to convince my promoter to shell out that kind of money while you’re wrestling for a hotdog and a handshake down the road. It’s just not reasonable.
Now, I can almost hear the rebuttal in my head: “But Victor, if I raise my fee, all those other promotions won't book me anymore!”. And you know what? You're probably right. And that’s going to hurt. Still, I have to ask: Why would you want to work for a promotion that obviously doesn't see your value? Why is it important to stick with someone who really doesn’t care if you’re on the next show or not?
As a wrestler, you don't just sacrifice your time and your energy – you put your body on the line. As I’m typing this, Unlimited Wrestling promoter Martin Guerrero is recovering from a broken shin that he suffered while performing a move he's done a thousand times before. Shit happens. If nothing else, you should be compensated for the risks you take. When you agree to work for little or no money, you're not doing anyone any favours. In fact, you're just hurting your own prospects.
So maybe don't.