Posted by Cheryl
on 10/28/2009, 3:34 pm, in reply to "Re: USWO STANDING ROOM ONLY"
Message modified by user Cheryl 10/28/2009, 3:43 pm
The camera breaking incident was weeks before the event. No one in the house knew it was going to happen outside of the wrestlers and promoter. Training had been kept quiet specifically to make the camera breaking more shocking to the audience. As for the finish the night of the event, no one, not even the wrestlers involved, knew how the match was going to end until that night.
I agree with you about wrestlers not drawing well nowadays... even when the big names come in, like Jerry Lynn and Ricky Morton. But promoting the hell out of the league and talking the leagues up at every opportunity will help get people in the seats. There were people at this event that I had personally invited at least a dozen times, and they finally made it out. Most people who I've talked to didn't think they'd like wrestling, but then... they'd never been to a live show. What I've heard over and over again after someone's first exposure to a live wrestling show is: "I didn't think I'd love it so much!" And what a great change of pace a night of wrestling is from the Nashville bar/music scene.
It's important to get the word out, not just to those who HAVE been to a show, but especially to those outside of the usual wrestling community. I congratulate SAW for doing their best to reach beyond the wrestling community with the promotions they've been doing around town. USWO has also reached out by having an Appreciation Night at a local club, mixing wrestling with live music.
Gaining exposure to new and different audiences is the way to build a crowd -- not just to depend on the same 200 people who are fans and who are spread out between the different leagues in town. That base number needs to grow, and I believe it will with continual promoting and word of mouth from new fans who enjoy the shows. So, yes... this was a big event simply because that many new people were exposed to a great night of wrestling, and left raving about the evening and saying they'd be back and would be bringing friends. And, we will keep on them if they don't. 
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