In the Business.

[ButchReedMark]

So, a few people on here are involved in the business to varying degrees, so what do you do? Where do you do it? Do you reckon you're any good at it? How did you break in? What do you love about it? And what do you not love about it?

[ButchReedMark]

Well, I'll start us off. I'm a ring announcer. I do other little odds and sods, and soon the promoter wants to use me as a manager, but as it stands I'm predominantly a ring announcer for Welsh Wrestling, a successful touring company following the All Star model, and I've been doing it about 2 years. I broke in due to being an obnoxious drunken arsehole. I went to a show in a town near me and the ring announcer was fucking abhorrently bad! Really. One of the worst I'd ever seen. I was really drunk, found the promoter and told him the ring announcer was shit and that I could do a better job of it. He called my bluff, and here I am doing a few shows a monthnaround the country.

 

Am I good at it? I'm OK, I'd say. My voice is clear and booming and I do my utmost to put the talents over. However, I'm not to comfortable and struggle a bit with the geeing up the crowd. Shouting "Let's get ready to rumble, kids!" And the whole "I can't hear you, DO WE WANT MORE?" as it's not really "me". I'm getting better at that aspect though. I suppose it's the Ring Announcer's version of showing out.

 

I love the travelling and the boys. I normally ride with James Mason and it's a real blessing to be able to listen to him and his stories and opinions gleaned from 20 years plus of wrestling around the world. Knowing what works and why, and why he misses traditional pubs. Stopping in a greasy spoon for sausage and chips while he tells me stroies about William Regal getting sent home from an Orig Williams tour as he wouldn't drink after a show! The boys are all brilliant. We're a close knit group, no egos, we just all enjoy each others company, joking around and having fun. All really good friends with similar senses of humour, even the boss. For example, I pulled a fat girl recently and I was ribbed all tour after that. Friendly though. No malicion with any of the boys and it's a joy to work with them. Kayden Lee who wrestles for us and All Star took all of us to his local pub in Dollgellau one time after a show, and they gave us free fish and chips and the whole crew came out and had a few beers and it was just a real great night. Fantastic camaraderie I've not experienced in any other job.

 

However, I hate the waiting around. A lot of the time we'll get to a venue on a tour about 7 hours before bell time and it's a lot of sitting around doing nothing and spending half of last nights pay on food. I also hate it when they catch me hiding and make me help set up the ring. Fucking hate putting that ring up.

 

I'm looking forward to when the boss tries me as a manager, and really hope to win him over to the point other companies around the country will be booking me for my abilities as a second to their talent. Those are my hopes for the future.