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4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 A Good Read Before Taking "The Big Step." Aug 08, 2004
By K. Brown
"El Rudo Lucky Pierre!"
Honestly, I approached this book with few expectations, and was pleasantly surprised to find a lot of useful information. If you have had some degree of experience in the wrestling industry, you are probably already aware of much of the information in this book. If, however, you have aspirations to become involved in pro wrestling as a business venture, this is a good book to pick up before taking the plunge.
What makes the book especially valuable is the candid portrayal of the wrestling business. Both Drasin and Collins make no bones that a lot of dishonest people ---be they promoters, wrestlers, or bookers--- do become involved in the biz. Nor do they try to convince you that promoting pro wrestling is a good avenue toward wealth. They illustrate the positives of the pro wrestling business without giving you delusions of grandeur.
The biggest surprise for me was the portion of the book written by Bruce Dwight Collins. Ric Drasin has been involved in the pro wrestling scene, and has long been wise and savvy to the business end. Collins, on the other hand, is a more recent inductee into the ranks of the independent wrestling promotion. His limited experience, and the fact that his rookie successes and mistakes are still fresh in his head, really gives the book a greater depth.
I'll be honest... when I came to the section written by Collins, I rolled my eyes when reading about his naive beginnings as an Internet wrestling enthusiast, and thought I was in for a long, cringe-inducing read. I've met more than a handful of Internet smarcks who fancy themselves rasslin' promoters, and many of these folks are delusional! Collins, however, appears to be one of the exceptions. In fact, by reeling in his ego and showing his innocent enthusiasm for pro wrestling in the beginning, Collins better illustrates the gradual transition from a starry-eyed fan to a realistic man of business. In between you read about the many unexpected obstacles that stand in a promoter's way, from no-show wrestlers to the petty battles brought about by jealous competing promoters.
Ric Drasin's experience in the business gives you a good idea about the industry's beginnings, how it has evolved into the present day, and his vision of pro wrestling's future direction. Drink in his information well, because Ric is a good independent promoter who preaches promoting with a rational mind versus getting carried away and spending mountains of cash on unnecessary accessories.
My criticisms of this book are few, and are not significant enough to steer anybody away from the book. The aesthetics and the occasional typos give the book an amateurish look, especially the placing of an advertisement for a self defense device.
The combination of Ric Drasin's experience and Bruce Dwight Collin's recent indoctrination are what makes this book a hit. If you want to become a wrestling promoter, this book is a good start. If you want to become a wrestler, this book is a good heads-up when dealing with promoters. Check it out!
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Useless Nov 08, 2010
By Nathan Daniels
This is quite possibly the worst book I've ever read. For starters, this "comprehensive guide containing two books in one" clocks in at a measly 139 pages total, with about a third of the pages being either blank or at least half blank. On top of that, the book is very, very small in size. From the instant I opened the box it came in I knew I'd been ripped off. I've never paid so much for such a small book.
This would be okay however, if the book itself had contained very much actual useful information in starting a wrestling promotion. If you are looking for a step by step guide, then don't waste your money. There is no actual information on how to obtain start up money, how to track down the contact info for talent, how to sell your ideas to people, what the day to day operation of a promotion is like, or how to land a television show on a local channel. There's not even any useful information on how to talk to wrestlers without offending them or hurting their fragile pride, how to decide if someone is reliable enough to put a belt on, and things of that nature.
Instead what we are treated to is a very basic explanation of what the job of being a promoter is. Odds are, if you're considering this book, you are probably serious about choosing this as a career path, and as such are already familiar with anything that could be considered useful in this book. It is written for average Joe Blow that saw Rasslin' on tv a couple times and thinks he can make money off of it, not for people who are serious about promoting and have a realistic view of the modern wrestling landscape.
In actuality, only about a quarter of the pages even have anything to do with promoting to begin with. What fills these pages are the authors talking about watching wrestling with their Grandpas in the 70's, how wrestling sucks now compared to the "good ol' days", how awesome it is to have Jake The Snake Roberts and The Blue Meanie working your shows (to quote Tony Schiavone- that'll put some butts in the seats), and you get to hear the main author be a total mark for himself. Marvel at his tales of how he designed the Gold's Gym logo, how he worked out with The Governator once 25 years ago, how he is a former world champion in the small time promotion he owns that no one has ever heard of, how he's such a successful actor (I watch tons of tv and movies and have never seen him in anything ever), and how he was the first guy to have a bald head and a goatee (he honestly believes he started this trend, and I wish I was exaggerating when I said that there was an entire chapter devoted to it). He even included a lecture about safety, and an ad smack dab in the middle of the book for a keychain that is also a self defense weapon.
How is any of this supposed to help me become the Vince McMahon, Dixie Carter, or Carey Silken? I'm not quite sure exactly. But what I do know is that you should take the 13 dollars you were going to spend on this, and use it to print up flyers for your show. Then spend the hour or two it would have taken to read this to plaster said flyers around your town. And that my friends, is more genuine advice than this entire book will give you.
Bottom line avoid this. If I could give this 0 stars I would. There are no redeeming qualities to this whatsoever. On the plus side, you can tell it was actually written by a couple of small time wrestling promoters, because I feel like I've been swindled by a couple of crooks.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Great wrestling book ! Nov 26, 2003
There are a few really good wrestling books. There are even less great wrestling books. What I mean by great is that few books give you the tools to operate in wrestling.Most books tend to be biographical in nature or they try to expose the 'seedy' side of wrestling. This book is not in that category. It is a very rare book, one that shows you HOW to BE a promoter. This book takes you step by step on how to run your own wrestling shows and there is so much in this book ! Ric also has some extra sections such as wrestling moves and the book has some nice photos too. I recommend many wrestling books but this is one you really SHOULD get. If you become a promoter, you will use this book as a REFERENCE manual. It's also a good look at what happens behind the curtain.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
MUST HAVE!!!!!!!! Mar 09, 2007
By John R. Silvernail
"Big John Tubbz"
Very informative. Ric Drasin tells it like it is. I highly recommend to anyone who is starting out in the business and to anyone who is. A++++
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
This is the wrestling book to buy ! Nov 25, 2003
Ever wanted to make $100, $500 or even $1,000 or more per month doing something you love to do ? "So, you want to be a wrestling promoter?" is the book for you ! Written by Ric "The Equalizer" Drasin (an actor, wrestler and promoter-www.RicDrasin.com), this book is very detailed and walks the reader thru all of the nuances of promotions. Subjects range from the Athletic Commission, insurance issues, where to go to get a ring, a title belt, wrestling programs, how to contact the WWE's talent relations, wrestling newspaper columnists, wrestling websites, where to put your merchandise for sale on the web,how to create your own website, types of advertising, how to set up a card, best ways to sell tickets, what type of building to hold your event in, types of matches you can use, insider tips on employing wrestlers and much, much more ! This is the only book I've ever seen that has so much information in terms of becoming a wrestling promoter ! So many books are dedicated to wrestling but little on how to do it yourself. A MUST BUY. You won't regret it. If you want to know more about wrestling or are serious about owning your own promotion, you NEED this book ! It will give you the edge for success ! Highly recommended ! (...)
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