How Do I Become a WWE Wrestler

Have you been dreaming about becoming a WWE wrestler since you first started watching Stone Cold Steve Austin? If you're reaching high school age, it's time to start taking the steps that may make that dream become a reality.

Training and conditioning

• Pursue a sport that is not wrestling. One of the most important aspects of WWE wrestling is becoming a well-rounded athlete. Many wrestlers have conditioned over the years through football and other sports. Wrestlers do not need to become world-class athletes, but they should be appropriately conditioned, as wrestling requires endurance.
• Participate in wrestling through your high school or a local amateur organization. A competitive wrestling background is not a prerequisite for the WWE, but it can be an asset. Typically fans are more excited about wrestlers who have the skills to complete authentic wrestling moves.
• Enroll in a professional wrestling school. Once you have adequate preparation through a high school or amateur program and feel comfortable enough to move on to a professional school, start pursuing options in your area. The WWE does not endorse schools, but there are a number of independent schools as well as schools with small wrestling organization sponsorships. It is easy to research local options online.
• Take speech or acting courses. It's important to keep in mind that WWE wrestling is a combination of sports and theater. Successful WWE wrestlers are able to be entertainers as well as athletes.

Get into the pro circuit

• After you have become proficient within your professional wrestling school, begin trying out for small, independent wrestling companies. These organizations are similar to minor leagues that feed major league sports. However, the difference here is that there isn't a formalized feeder system. You have to rely on your own motivation and skills to keep moving up in the ranks.
• Arrange a tryout for Ohio Valley Wrestling. Ohio Valley is the official training facility for the WWE. It is housed in Louisville, Kentucky. Nearly all of the WWE wrestlers come through this training ground.
• Move up in the ranks at Ohio Valley to perform in WWE dark matches. Wrestlers participate in matches for live fans before they are allowed to participate in matches that are on TV. If you are successful with the dark matches, it is likely that you will move up to the WWE's webcast show entitled the Heat.
• Move up the ranks to the WWE television shows. Wrestlers who do well in the Heat are likely to get an assignment with ECW, Raw or SmackDown. Many people deem Raw to be the best of the bunch because it is the only one that is televised live.

Tips and warnings

• Keep in mind that the WWE is scripted as opposed to "fake." There is nothing artificial about the practicing and training that WWE wrestlers complete in order to avoid hurting both themselves and their opponents.
• Until you are confident with your abilities as a wrestler, don't worry about developing a wrestling "character." Many small wrestling companies as well as the WWE often assign wrestlers personas of their choosing. However, some of the most successful wrestlers, such as The Rock, got where they are by maximizing their own wrestling characters, so don't discount the notion entirely.
• Never stop watching wrestling. It is a great way to sit in the shoes of your fans and concentrate on what they want to see. It will also remind you why you want to be in the ring.