Merch Master Becca is...PINNED DOWN

Take me out to the Ballgame!

In trying to keep things fresh and get all different views and opinions in the wrestling world, I do by best to surprise my readers now and then and get people in the wrestling world from outside the ring, there are many people involved in a show and promotion that sometimes don't get credit or even if they do, seeing things from their point of view can be fun or informative.

For this Pinned Down, I went to the place where Merch is sold, wrestlers mix with fans and promotions sell their stuff. While the whole Merch area has grown to include several tables and people to help sell it but the first and main person I have dealt with at several shows as the Merch stand is Becca.  

She helps push the Merch, she knows the wrestlers, has been a friendly driver, had them crash at her place when needed and is all around the person who tries to help in any way she can, including helping push and sell the pictures, T-Shirts, and unique items the wrestlers come up with to sell.  So what is her take on the Indy and WWE/TNA wrestling world?
 

Also, she sells Merch. With Vega

History: My wrestling journey began in 2003-2004 when I trained for a short time with Tugboat Taylor in Houston. Fast forward to March 2007 and I was able to join the staff at Anarchy Championship Wrestling. In 2013 I was asked to join the staff at Inspire Pro Wrestling. Over the last 8-plus years I've done so many things in the wrestling business. Getting to work with people I have admired, and to interact with all of the fantastic fans, has been nothing short of incredible. I've learned a lot not only about wrestling, but about myself. One of the best things wrestling has given me is self-confidence.

 

1. What was the toughest thing to give up or sacrifice to be part of the wrestling world?

That's a tie between time and money. Traveling to and from shows, getting to a venue early to set up and staying late to tear down, all of this infringes on your sleep and takes money to make it happen. I know when I got a job where I began working "normal" hours I had to scale back on my involvement in wrestling and it was a really tough decision. Choosing between something you love, your family, and the thing that ultimately pays your bills is hard. 2. Do you think its harder or just equally as hard to get to the big leagues of wrestling as it is say Basketball or Football?

In my opinion it's equally tough to make it to the big leagues in professional wrestling as it is any other professional sport. People discount pro wrestling without understanding how much dedication the profession takes from the athletes. There's no Little League, AAU, or organized high school/college "pro wrestling team" to guide an aspiring pro wrestler. Even many parents don't support their aspiring pro wrestling athlete they way they would if the person had chosen basketball or baseball. Everything these athletes accomplish is because they have the desire and drive to do so.

She even sells Hugs!

3. Do you feel that wrestling has more premature or just a surprising number of earlier then expected deaths compared to other sports and does this influence you in any way?

Unfortunately, yes it does and every single time, it hurts. If you don't know the person, it hurts to know that somewhere along the line, one of your friends has lost someone they care about and look up to. If you do know the person, it's even worse. A part of your extended family is gone. 4. If you had the power to make any gimmick work, no matter how weird or normal it may be, what would you do?

There was a time when I wanted to be a manager. My ideal was a mix of Sherri Martel, Paul Bearer, and Bobby Heenan. If I could be 1/4 as good as those three, I'd consider myself a success. 5. If you could change anything about the Indy wrestling industry what would it be? What about TNA/WWE?

Less animosity between promotions so fans everywhere could see their favorites and find new ones. If a wrestler isn't allowed to work somewhere or can only work for such and such company that hinders their ability to grow a fan base, to wrestle new people, and to get their name out there. I know as a fan I want to have wrestlers from all over Texas, or the East Coast, West Coast, Canada, Midwest, Mexico, Japan, whatever… I want them to come to Austin so I can see them!

Eamon and Becca by Stan

  6. Do you handle crowds differently depending on size? 

Since all I do is man the merch booth, no, not really. But when there are larger crowds I usually need an extra body or two to help me out, because I can't be everywhere helping everyone at once. 7. How do you handle going from say going from a no rules wrestling show to a family first show. Do you change a lot about how you handle things and what you say or do you just try and act the same no matter what the show?

The only thing different for me is when there are more kids at a show, because tiny humans are scary and I don't know what to do with them. 8. Was there every a moment when you truly felt you had had enough, that maybe wrestling wasn't for you? Was it a crowd? Just one guy/gal? A losing streak? Too many broken bones? If so what kept you going? 

I've had some health issues over the years and sometimes I wake up and honestly don't feel like getting out of bed or going outside. Once I'm at the show… there's nowhere else I want to be. I know if I keep reminding myself how much fun I'll be having, I can get over that moment of not wanting to participate in life.

9. Say you were picked up by TNA or WWE and given a over the top gimmick? How would you play it, go through the motions and hope it fails so you can move on to something better or really try to sell and play up the gimmick?

There's no reason that would happen to me, BUT I would totally do it and have fun while it lasted!

Doing Prom Right

10. What promotions do you feel are breaking down the walls separating Men Wrestling from Women Wrestling and just making it all Wrestling? How do you feel they are doing that?

ACW and Inspire are the only ones I have experienced personally. There a lot of great promotions that have a heavy focus on women's wrestling, but it still seems very separated. As a female fan I love seeing intergender and mixed tag matches where every athlete in the ring is treated as equal. 11. What has been your most exciting experience in the wrestling world so far?

So many things have happened over the years that I can't narrow it down to one. People always ask me about specific matches, and honestly, after over 8 years, hundreds of shows, thousands of matches, so many things run together for me. The most exciting thing is that I've been in attendance and been able to see so many international stars do what they do best. I've seen current WWE and International title holders wrestle, in person, spoken with them, and been able to tell them I appreciate what they do… that's amazing to me. 12. Who are your wrestling Idols?

Too many to name because I know I'd forget a ton of folks and I don't want to anger them. ;-P As far as all-time favorites in the wrestling business…. my first favorite wrestler was the Undertaker, so he'll always be my favorite. When I was a kid I loved the British Bulldog and the Hart Foundation, and Roddy Piper. I think I've always been a fan of the bad guys, but not the simple bad guys who do nothing more than yell things about the city they're in or their opponent. The ones that really worked for it and had good psychology. I love the theatricality of the 80s and 90s and for me, a well-done character will always win me over, even if that person isn't as good in the ring. I also really love a good manager, like Bobby Heenan, Paul Bearer, James Mitchell, Scary Sherri… 13. Goals for 2015/2016?

Keep doing what I do for ACW and Inspire. I want to go to more shows outside of the Austin area, especially promotions I've never been to before. If money and time allowed it, I'd probably road trip every weekend to see wrestling and help out where I could. 14. What tricks and tips have you picked up for helping wrestlers sell merch?

First is even if you don't have merch, come out at intermission or after the show and meet your fans. If you take 10 minutes per show to do that, then when you do have merch, they'll buy it. If you have merch, make sure you come out at intermission and sell it because the fans want to buy it from you and interact with you. They see me all the time, I'm just Becca, they're here to see you. And lastly, if you're someone with a lot of merch like t-shirts and DVDs, make sure you also have something under $5 for the kids or the fans who don't have a lot of expendable income. Some folks do save up to spend their $10 a month to get into a show and maybe they only have $5 extra after that. It doesn't make them a bad fan, it makes them dedicated, so have something available for them in their price range.

WWE Love

15. You have gone on several road trips and picked up many a wrestler from the airport or given them a place to stay. What is your funniest story about these times and trips?

I don't have anything super funny, but maybe just entertaining?

The first 6 months I worked for ACW I took various wrestlers to The Alamo at least 4 times. I was so sick of The Alamo after that. I didn't go back again until 2011.

I was really nervous the first time I was going to meet Jerry Lynn. I mean, here I am getting to drive Jerry Lynn around. How is this my life?! I had no idea what to say or do, and all my worry ended up being for nothing. We ate Chinese food and talked about Guitar Hero and it was like I'd known him forever. Such an incredibly cool, down-to-earth guy.

When Matt Sydal came to ACW we were driving around and talking about how much we liked Chik-Fil-A, and how much it sucked they were closed Sunday's, etc. Maybe 20 minutes later we thought, hey, let's go eat there! I was about to turn into the parking lot when we realized it was still Sunday, they were still closed, and all our chicken sandwich dreams had been crushed. So sad. 16. You competed one time in the ring, would you do so again in a anniversary match or for a special show? Why?

I'd absolutely do it again! It's a lot of fun getting to be a part of the show, even in that small way. 17. Which wrestler is your favorite to watch?

There are so many people who work for ACW and Inspire that I absolutely love to watch. I could list an entire roster worth of people and still leave folks out. I love our Texas(ish) wrestlers and always enjoy seeing them all.

Peek A Boo!

18. You have a unique perspective, as a fan who also does some work for the companies you go to, what do you feel are the best and worst things you see in fans?

I'll start with the best… the best fans are the ones who cheer and boo, take pictures, bring signs, talk to the wrestlers at the merch stand, and buy merch. Wrestling is just like going to a baseball game. Show your appreciation for the hard work they're doing, because they're doing it for you!

The people who yell obscenities and racist or misogynistic things at wrestlers or ring announcers are the absolute worst. Don't be a dick. No one came to the show to hear you yell ignorant things. Cheer or boo, comment on the actual match taking place, but stop yelling things just to get a reaction from the crowd. And crowd, stop rewarding these jerks by giving them a reaction. Plus, you don't get to yell things like that then turn around and ask the wrestler you just called a bunch of disgusting things to sign your picture. What they should be doing is punching you in the face.

Also, I really hate jerk "fans" who even after being asked not to or to move, put their drinks on people's merchandise, smoke beside the merch booth, or hover when they're not looking at merch at all. No one wants their t-shirts to smell like your nasty cigarettes, no one wants you to ruin their stuff when you inevitably spill your drink, and if you're blocking the way for fans to get to the merch booth, which is how these athletes make their money, then you're a supreme jerk! 19. What is the most unique merch item or items you have seen come across your table? 

Dragon Gate had mirrors, as well as paper fans with cartoons of all their athletes on them. I really like the art Masada has been selling (handmade skulls, leather and bone jewelry) as well as the patches he has. A few years ago MsChif had a coloring book. I love the Filsinger Gaming cards at Inspire because even if you don't play the game, they're affordable, perfect size to get autographed, and would look amazing in a collage frame. Bonus Questions: What would be your finisher? 3D Splash (just wait, you'll figure it out) Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate for sure

Submission or High Flying? I like a mix, depending on who is in the ring. Cats or Dogs? Cats

Gorilla

Beer or Liquor? Liquor Light Side or Dark Side? Dark Side Favorite Opponent EVER? I still haven't gotten revenge on Evan Gelistico and the Submission Squad….

 

 Fun to see things from a whole different P.O.V.  Fans, take heed to some of her tips and how you might be looked at by not just wrestlers and workers but fellow fans as well. Don't be a supreme jerk.

Not Jerks

Always take a look at the Merch table or tables, you never know what you may find to buy, some wrestlers and companies have some clever and unique stuff and many wrestlers have something for sale under 5 bucks for people who want to have something of thier favorite wrestler but not a lot of extra cash.

She is a big supporter of managers and while she is mostly merch, she has been in the ring and even has a score to settle with The Submission Squad who we have not seen much of in Texas so I am not sure she will ever get her revenge but stranger things have happened, it may even make up for crushed chicken sandwich dreams!!!!

Good Times!