Not alot really going on on any fronts the last few days, other than the report that Alex Shelley of the Motor City Machine Guns broke his collarbone during their match vs. Generation Me this past sunday in Hagerstown,Md.
I thought something was amiss, just based on the way Shelley held his arm & the expression on his face. However, he did work the body of the match before "hot tagging" his partner,Chris Sabin to finish the match- which will be the central theme of todays blog: how to "make it up on the fly" in a professional wrestling match.
I can honestly say that the only wrestling match I ever had planned out, begining to end, was my first one, & the following night, where I was matched up with the same guys ( and in retrospect, due to the different roles we played each night, that shouldn't have happened-more on that another time)
Whenever I can, I try to watch the matches before mine- this, I found, makes it easy to find different things to do that the crowd hadn't yet seen on the card. All too often, you have guys working the card who will do the EXACT same things....for example, climb the buckles for crowd approval. How many times a night does anyone really want to see that? No matter, they see it 5 times a night regardless.
I have general rules: If I'm working with someone I've never met or watched, I do have a basic outline of of a match that I use- I call it the "Ol' Stock & Trade" match- its designed to get good crowd response while not putting anyone in serious jeapordy of injury, namely me. And its a match that I can work either way- its so simple, so basic, & its two things most guys don't think about doing. I'm different, not dangerous! :)
Otherwise, its just feel & go, walk & talk, & lets go home-and live to fight yet another day. Don't get hurt- most of us don't do this full time, & we all have to go to work Monday morning!
I want to be different- if everyone else is screaming, I'm gonna talk; if everyone else is brawling, I want to work a mat based style. That way, you always stand out....and most of the time, standing out is good, not only because it creates excitement with the fans because you changed things up, but it usually favors you at intermission- which is where the bread is really buttered on the independent wrestling scene.
Working this way can also help you cover up mistakes & missteps- I couldn't tell you the number of times I have sat in a cramped room, putting my boots on, while two, four, or six young enthusiastic guys run thru the upcoming match, detail by excrutiating detail ( all the way down to pretending to whip each other into the ropes, slams, etc etc ) putting on the best match no one will ever see- because, lets face it, it NEVER turns out how you plan it. So why bother?
I try to make a point of watching these particular matches, because I'm always curious as to how they will save it when something goes wrong. Now, mind you, I'm not hoping for this to happen; that would make me a pessimistic a**hole, and rooting for guys to screw up is just plain prickish.
Heres my point: no one ever plans "down time" in wrestling match, so if you just screwed up doing 2-3 big moves, the mind will naturally race to get back to where you were, ignoring these facts: no one in the crowd knew where you were in the match (the fans, remember? the people you're supposed to be there to entertain?) & b) anxiety doesn't lend itself to performance. Grab a hold. Catch your breath. You have to bring them (fans) down to bring them back up.
I'm not saying that Alex Shelley would have avoided his injury, because these things happen; I just believe that he probably worsened it by staying in the ring because its "the way things were planned"...and Ibelieve the only reason he didn't tag out & not return until the finish was do to the structure of the match. I do,however, admire Shelley's resolve in "finishing what he started"- he's a very talented guy, in the ring & out.
Get well soon, Alex.
Until next time....
SSS
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