Seth Rollins, Samoa Joe and Dominik in the ring (WWE)
If it weren’t for small, independent wrestling promotions, who knows if we would’ve seen the rise of stars like Shawn Spears, CM Punk, and Samoa Joe?
Whatever you might think of non-mainstream, indie wrestling promotions, there’s no doubt that these are where you’ll find some of the hungriest, most ambitious, and underrated entertainers in the world.
Even as wrestling (along with all of sports entertainment) is still reeling from the effects of this year’s earth-shaking events, independent wrestling isn’t about to tap out anytime soon. In fact, because the pandemic happened during the peak of the smartphone age, the entertainment business’ increasing reliance on online audio-visual content has given rise to a new age of independent wrestling.
“The setting may be a little bit different, but the action will be better than ever,” said Maria Starr in the 55th episode of Tennessee’s Championship Wrestling. Since the pandemic hit, the indie wrestling promotion which used to shoot in the TV studios of WLMT-TV has had to adjust by moving its operations into the promoters’ Germantown home.
In lieu of HD cameras, they have a smartphone and a stand, and a makeshift green screen setup with four lights. “We are committed to bringing you a brand new Championship Wrestling each and every week,” adds Starr, who now shoots Championship Wrestling from her and her husband Dustin Starr’s gym at home.
Meanwhile, for RYSE wrestler Laura Loveless, adapting to the ring’s new normal lies in revamping her YouTube page and social media content strategy. Using videos and pictures taken with her own phone, Loveless’ impressive social outreach is allowing more and more wrestlers to see the value of digital content as a venue for long-term self-promotion and content creation.
“I hope they explore all the opportunities of digital mediums; I hope they still work out and practice. I hope they never forget their craft,” says Loveless. “Things will get better, but we have to put in the effort first if we want to see the changes happen.”
Considering the availability of smartphone-friendly video gear today, taking this approach wouldn’t be that hard for many independent wrestlers, even for those with limited audio-visual production know-how. The long list of professional videography equipment on Adorama shows how today’s video stabilizers have a variety of adapters that can allow smartphones to be used with the latest stabilization technology.
A basic DJI Ronin stabilizer and Polar Pro phone adapter setup won’t even set you back by $100, while either a Sony or Insta360 4k-resolution camera is just less than $400. In the absence of massively crowded live wrestling matches, it’s feasible now more than ever for independent wrestling content producers to take matters into their own hands and do whatever they want on their own channels and platforms.
As our own collection of WWE stories here on Media Referee reveal, both indie and mainstream wrestling are alive and well thanks to the Internet. And the ability to create content for the online market is what gives the most ambitious indie wrestlers and promotions their edge today.
Outside the digital content market, independent wrestling matches, expos, and other events continue to go on with social-distancing safety restrictions. But even such aspects of the sport often boil down to online distribution – currently the only way to reach as many fans as possible. For the foreseeable future, much of the ongoing rise of independent wrestling, also known as the independent revolution, will be televised – on the biggest network the world has ever seen.