Adam Knight sounds off: Why you are NOT a "Worker"
by moondogmanson.com on 2003-03-24

Commentary by Adam Knight

Recently I've been hearing a number of comments from a small group of people associated with the local wrestling industry that have caused me some confusion.

The words often change, and the level of contempt varies from ego to ego (or person to person if you prefer). But normally, the comment sounds something like :

"Man, I'm twice the worker that guy is. He/She's the sh*ts. I should be working in his/her spot."

Now, this is a statement that is never cool with me. It's arrogant. It implies a lack of respect for somebody else's in-ring efforts. But above all else, this is a statement that has caused me no end of personal confusion when I hear it coming from the mouths of these said "certain individuals".

Now these individuals may be good athletes. They may, or may not, be properly trained and have some level of wrestling experience.

But, by and large, the people making this statement are not workers.

"Waitaminnit," you might be saying to yourself about now. "Who the f*ck does Adam Knight think he is? How dare he suggest that somebody with training and experience is not a "worker"?"

I dare suggest this for a rather simple, perhaps a very arrogant reason. Unless you are being paid money to put on your boots, take bumps and entertain paying fans ... you are NOT a "worker".

Don't look at me like that, it's the truth.

If you spend 8 hours a day at McDonald's flipping burgers, boiling fries, serving customers, and smiling all the way only to have the Manager walk up to you at the end of the day with a firm handshake and a "Thanks a lot, pal" and no paycheque ... You're not an "Employee", you're a "Volunteer". Fact.

If you put on your boots (more likely sneakers), get into your ring gear (or the street clothes that you walked to the venue in) take a number of bumps and attempt to entertain a small crowd of kids and adults in your local neighborhood for no money ... You're not a "worker". You're a wrestler (by default) that entertains a crowd.

And there's nothing wrong with that.

Believe me, I did it for more years and more matches than I'd care to remember. I put on my boots (at first sneakers), I put on my ring gear (sometimes street clothes that I carried in a separate bag) and I took bumps to entertain a small crowd of kids and adults for no money.

I wasn't a worker either. But I am now.

So what's my point? I was going to write a rant about untrained kids being in the ring and risking my livelihood, but other people have already done that so I didn't want to beat a dead horse. I want to go in a different direction.

I want to treat you guys (and girls) who say that "I'm a better worker than so-and-so" like adults and professionals in the hopes that you'll learn by example and respond accordingly. I want you to know that I'm going to try to take you more seriously than I was when I was in your position.

Most importantly, I want you to know that you are NOT "workers". But if you want to become one, making statements about how good you are in comparison to others is not the way to go about it.

Statements like that will get your ass kicked.

*****

Make sure you check out www.PCWlive.ca for all of the latest news and views from Central Canada's top wrestling promotion. Big shows are coming on the horizon so keep your eyes and ears open for more information as it develops.

You can contact me about this article or anything else on your mind at numberak@yahoo.com. All emails will be responded to.

Now that the shameless plugs are out of the way, I'll leave this until next time.

Take care,

A.K.