Source: Times Ledger
Most businesses shy away from ventures that could leave them permanently damaged or scarred. Jack Balian’s, however, thrives on it.
Balian is the owner of Wrestling Universe at 12-60 150th St. and operator of Wrestling Superstars Unleashed, one of the premier independent pro-wrestling circuits in the tri-state area. Though you wouldn’t know it from visiting his Whitestone wrestling merchandise store, Balian’s ventures are growing rapidly and business is bustling.
On a spring Thursday afternoon, the night before a big event at Holy Cross High School in Bayside, Balian is fielding phone calls from fans around the area and feverishly scouring YouTube for new talent. The next day’s event will mean big business for Balian, who expects upwards of 600 people to attend.
“If you come here tomorrow, you’ll see blank walls,” he said, pointing to the walls of his store, lined with wrestling figurines and DVDs. “We pack up everything and bring it to the event. We can make more money in one night at one of these events than we do in a month at the store.”
Balian’s pro-wrestling circuit, WSU Wrestling, holds events around the area monthly, bringing in wrestlers from as far as California to participate. During business hours, Balian pours over hundreds of videos on public video database YouTube.com, seeking the next unsung hero of amateur wrestling to give a shot at one of his shows.
“YouTube is amazing, this is where I find a lot of our talent,” he said. “There’s thousands of wrestlers on YouTube.”
Balian opened Wrestling Universe in 2004 after working for 11 years with another collectibles store. His passion for wrestling and realization that the niche market was growing brought him to where he is today and, ultimately, will carry him into the future.
“You know, I was always a fan,” he said, noting that he used to be extremely analytical and critical of pro wrestling ventures. “One day I decided if I feel I could do better, you know, I’m going to go out and do it.”
In the near future, Balian hopes to open up a wrestling school of his own, which he views as the next step in allowing his young venture to grow. By opening a school, Balian says he will be able to have a continual talent pool to pull from for his shows.
Balian considers WSU Wrestling to be the “hardest hitting program out there,” and said giving fans the best show possible in the ring is crucial when you don’t have the capital to put on more extravagant shows, like the ubiquitous, industry leading World Wrestling Entertainment.
“Since there isn’t the theatrics and the lighting the wrestlers really have to go above and beyond,” he said. “You’ve always gotta push the envelope.”
He said independent wrestling ventures don’t operate on the same philosophy as the WWE. Balian said while the WWE relies on theatrical extravagance, WSU Wrestling relies on passion, athleticism and heart.
“It actually works against us sometimes. You give the fans great matches and then you’ve got to top it. They always want more,” he said. “You give them blood and they want death.”
