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Well, you've been fired.
Yes, I know World Wrestling Entertainment coins it a "release" but let's call a spade a space, unless you asked for your way of a WWE gig, you were fired.
Whether they didn't renew your contract, you got in trouble or they told you creative has nothing for you, whatever it was, you were fired.
So, welcome to chapter two of your career - life after WWE.
It can be a scary thing. There's no guarantee of a WWE check coming in every few weeks, although the royalties from DVDs and merchandise will still arrive from time to time, not that those alone will provide you with the quality of life you have become accustomed to. It's time to get to work, whether that means (gasp!) getting a regular job like everyone else or whether that means you plan to trot yourself out to the independent scene.
There are plusses and minuses to working on the independent scene. Sure, you are going to find your share of wacky promoters who never come through on promises and bookings, but if you are smart, you'll be able to create some regular revenue coming in for yourself, especially at the beginning of your post-WWE life cycle. You'll be able to create your own schedule, and might even be on the road far more often, but without the safety net of first-class catering, WWE trainers, clean rings and huge crowds.
But, if you play your cards right, you'll be able to make good, regular money and return to performing as a pro wrestler on a more organic, base level. There will be more improvisation as opposed to bullet points laid out alongside Producers. There will be a chance to interact with the audience and even grab the mic to rag on them if you are a villain. There's no pressure of walking on egg shells and doing the right thing backstage for fear of political heat - it's a chance to actually have fun as a pro wrestler again and remember why, for the most part, so many of you got into the business - because someone touched you doing this and you in turn, wanted to be the person in the center of the crowd touching someone else the same way.
Perhaps you had the chance to do that in WWE. Perhaps you feel like you were cast aside and spent more time in catering than you did on Raw or Smackdown. Either way, you are about to embark on a new chapter in your life and PWInsider.com was able to find someone who's not only gone through what you are about to do, but has successfully navigated the waters of a post-WWE existence.
Brian Myers was released from his WWE contract in 2014 after eight and a half years. As Curt Hawkins, he ran the gamut from opening house shows to running interference for WWE Hall of Famer Edge. He's gone from having an entire Smackdown episode built around him wrestling The Undertaker to seeing it re-written and being completely off the show. He's worked everywhere from OVW to Wrestlemania and like a lot of recent folks, got the call that his WWE tenure was coming to an end. Noting that he was grateful for his WWE run, Myers admits he wasn't satisfied with it and found himself looking forward to the opportunity to hit the independent scene.
Instead of waiting by the phone for calls that would (in time) arrive with far less frequency, Myers dove in and took to creating his own revenue streams. He has a slew of independent promotions that he works for regularly all over the country and some that he pops in for when the money and timing is right. He opened a wrestling school (Create-A-Pro in Hicksville, Long Island) to train students and remain sharp (he even has a live event this Sunday 6/5 with Colt Cabana appearing) and pitched Highspots.com a new DVD series "Developmentally Speaking" where he moderates discussions of road stories, frustrations and memories from former WWE developmental talents. He launched a ProWrestlingTees.com store to bring in additional money with merchandise he can sell on the road or even sell when he's not on the road. His name value continues to work for him and that remains evergreen as long as he's busy and working hard on the independents.
"I took the opportunity head on and kind of submerged myself in it to stay relevant and stay booked and stay a star, " Myers admits.
So, what are Myers' keys to navigating the independents?
Don't just be your WWE persona.
"You're going to these places - you cant just rest on your WWE name and have a lazy performance, said Myers. "I go to all these shows and I'm still trying to steal the show and have the best performance. I want to have the best match of the night and work my ass off."
Start Networking.
"The worse case scenario is when [wrestlers] sit at home and feel sorry for themselves, assuming the bookings will just come and then when they don't, they continue to feel sorry for themselves and mentally, you're not a pro wrestler anymore. You've got to find another job. I knew this was a business and I was a businessman and I have to be a bit of a hustler. I have to make things happen for myself. I can't just sit around and just think these bookings are going to be plentiful and they are going to last. They do at first and you think it's always going to be that way, but you have to prove yourself."
Don't price yourself at a ridiculous degree - that will only cost you bookings.
"I keep my price at a fair price. I don't screw a promotion over by asking way too much money, but I ask enough that it's enough for me to be there and make my living and in the long run, the repeat bookings are where I make my living. If that promoter becomes a satisfied customer and satisfied with my service, then the repeat business is where I will make my living in the long run."
Have a Good Attitude.
"Some guys will be greedy. They'll want too much money out of the gate and bleed [promoters dry]. If you come in and you are lazy and hard to work with, and you have a f**ing puss on your face, why is soneone going to want to bring you back? You might get cycled through once and then you are done because you had a bad attitude, you had a lazy match and you cost that promotion a ton of money. I want to have a great match, be easy to work with and be nice to everyone - as long as they are nice to me - and come back in the long run."
Put The Effort Into Your Ringwork.
"You have to put forth the effort into your match. I want to have a great match every time but it's not just about having a great match. You may not have that great match but you sure have to work your hardest."
Be Willing to Contribute, for others and for yourself.
"There's money there for the taking if you think about it and look for it. I went to Highspots and pitched [Developmentally Speaking] and it's worked and people like it. I've been taking some acting gigs because I'm able to do so because weekdays are free, so I try to fill them up. I have my wrestling school, but even at the bare bones, and this is something Pat Buck and I tell our students - the more you can contribute, the more valuable you become. If my students show up at a show and they know how to put together the ring and tie aprons, they can contribute and that can lead to them getting a chance on the show. If they are just sitting there waiting for something to happen and stay anonymous and don't offer anything to help out, they are more than likely going to remain unbooked."
Be Responsible.
"Unless you have someone handling your bookings, be on top of things. Some of these guys are just unbelievable when it comes to double-booking themselves and things of that nature. You have to be a smart businessman. Every time I get booked, I write down everything - the numbers, the date, the town, who I spoke to to get the booking, everything I need to know to be responsible about this."
Be Prepared To Be Humbled.
"The biggest thing to me is swallowing your pride. I was just having this conversation with Bull Dempsey. We were standing somewhere selling our gimmicks. These are the times where you have to really swallow your pride. There's not always going to be this never ending line of people waiting to meet you and buy your merchandise. Sometimes, we show up at a show and there's not even a hundred people there. It is what it is. You still have to put forth your best effort and make the best of it, for the fans and for yourself. These WWE guys are going from live events where at minimum, worse case scenario there are 5,000-6,000 people and you'll never see that at an indy show. It's a different world and if you want to stay in it, suck it up and make money. You have to do what you have to do."
Interestingly, Myers doesn't see all the new blood on the independent scene as opposition he has to worry about, but instead fresh talent to work with that enriches the scene and provides him with fresh matches and fresh possibilities on the independent scene.
"I'm confident in my position. Working the independents definitely is not the easiest thing, but it's something I enjoy doing and it's something I pride myself at doing, " said Myers. "We are coming up on two years exactly and I've been having a blast."
The key thing to remember is that Myers didn't stop working hard because he was no longer Curt Hawkins. He embraced the independents as "Prince of Queens" Brian Myers, hit the ground running and never let up. He didn't big league promoters and didn't give up because he wasn't inside Madison Square Garden. Instead of waiting to see what the opportunity would be, he began building and creating his own. Thus, he's been able to continue making a life at being a professional wrestler. In doing so, he's been able to control his own destiny, perhaps even moreso than he would have been able to do by continuing to work for WWE. There's a sense of pride and satisfaction there.
Still, it's entirely possible WWE calls him back one day, just as they may call you one day, but even if they don't, Myers can wake up knowing he's still living his dream and trying to touch others. You have that chance as well. Good luck!
Thanks to Brian Myers for the time. He can be followed @TheCurtHawkins.
Mike Johnson can be reached at MikeJohnsonPWInsider@gmail.com and can be followed @MikePWInsider.
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