What Portland pro wrestling can teach organizers about connecting with audiences
As the political messaging war and the need to galvanize audiences increases in urgency, where better to learn some tips than the Oregon Pro Wrestling School?
Ricky Gibson addresses tryout attendees at the beginning of the session with his students Derrick Shaw and Tayler Davis, aka the Hoochie Daddy, standing next to the ring on Aug. 16, 2025. Credit: Photo by Grace Mangali
Lackluster messaging is a common critique lobbed at the political left. There’s no shortage of people who will insist “defund the police” is a bad slogan, but agree with the sentiment that reinvesting money from police budgets in community programs is a smart strategy to improve public safety.
That disconnect is even more pronounced in settings like school board meetings. Social justice organizers struggle to generate the same energy around their causes that seem to easily follow the people who attack transgender students and diversity, equity and inclusion programs with rallying cries like “boys don’t belong in girls’ sports” and “DEI stands for ‘Didn’t Earn It.’”
Some appear to be catching on. California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently made headlines for using AI-generated memes to counteract the social media presence of President Donald Trump, himself a WWE Hall of Famer.
The connection between political communication and pro wrestling has gained increased media attention since Donald Trump’s ascension and return to the U.S. presidency. One Politico headline from April reads, “How Professional Wrestling Explains Donald Trump’s Washington.” The story explains how Trump uses pro wrestling style storytelling and showmanship to engage his base, which includes blurring the lines between reality and fiction to constantly keep people on their toes.
The connections came from both directions. During Trump’s first term, numerous media outlets did profiles on The Progressive Liberal Daniel Richards, an independent circuit wrestler who would don Hillary Clinton shirts and pretend to wipe his ass with the Confederate flag to agitate conservative wrestling fans, as an exploration into how liberals can spice up their political messaging.
“You want to stick to broad, brushstroke talking points,” Richards told the Daily Show in 2018. He also added the caveat, “People in politics will say anything to get elected, whereas a good wrestler — they’re only gonna say things they truly believe in.”
‘You can see their confidence grow exponentially’
While wrestling is a form of entertainment with myriad differences from social justice organizing, they are similar in that they’re often at their most potent with an engaged and emotionally invested audience.
As an art form, professional wrestling depends on performers establishing a deep emotional connection with their audience. This can look like crowds singing along to wrestlers’ theme music, repeating their catchphrases in unison, dressing up as their favorite characters, or, conversely, showering wrestlers with effusive boos.
While mud-slinging may be more common than ever in the current political climate, other skills employed by professional wrestlers also apply to politics.
“We teach them how to interact with people. We teach them how to talk publicly,” Ricky Gibson, Oregon Pro Wrestling School owner, said. “It’s crazy the confidence that something like this can give someone outside of the ring. It has nothing to do with pro wrestling, but you can see their confidence grow exponentially.”
Ricky Gibson’s scuffed wrestling boots.
Gibson, a lifelong Portlander and 20-year veteran of the West Coast independent wrestling circuit, is perhaps best known as a multiple champion in various local wrestling promotions. Gibson is one half of Midnight Heat with tag team partner Eddie Pearl. In tag team wrestling, wrestlers partner up to take on other partner teams. Gibson and Pearl have wrestled multiple matches for All Elite Wrestling, or AEW, which is currently WWE’s prime competitor for U.S. wrestling audiences. Gibson also went viral in September 2024 as an extra on an episode of WWE Smackdown.
He opened the school in 2021 with 14 students and a 1,000-square-foot space in Hillsboro. Four years later, the school has 65 students with 46 on the waiting list, and the space has tripled in size. In addition to in-ring skills and wrestling psychology, students learn how to conduct interviews, build their brands and get booked for shows.
One technique the school puts heavy emphasis on is “cutting promos,” which refers to giving interviews or monologues that advance storylines, build characters or create excitement for upcoming matches. Gibson notes that there are a lot of similarities between cutting promos in wrestling and activities in social justice organizing like speaking at rallies, testifying at city council and school board meetings, or even leading team meetings. For him, the foundation for all of these activities is the ability to tell a compelling story.
“The more you can tell a story, the easier it is for whoever your audience is to understand,” Gibson said. “So, when we talk about doing promos in class, obviously, you’re trying to convince people to watch your match. That’s the ultimate goal for promos. (For example,) I’m going to wrestle Derek Drexel this Saturday. I need to convince you to buy a ticket to see me face him. I need to tell a story that’s compelling enough for you to go, ‘I’ve got to see that match.’ That comes with the confidence in the way we speak, the way you connect with each individual person and the audience as a whole.”
‘Everyone’s rooting for everyone’
On Aug. 16, Oregon Pro Wrestling School held tryouts. Fifty-four aspiring wrestlers signed up, some with the hope of winning a free one-year membership to the school. Others were there to live out an immersive fan experience.
One participant was Tom Price, a fan of Portland wrestling since 1975 and cancer survivor.
“I’ve had it twice in the last year-and-a-half,” Price said. “When you’re faced with mortality issues, you just think about doing things that maybe you wouldn’t do. I’m here for the experience. I’ve watched wrestling my entire life. I don’t know how many more days I’ve got to live. Why not?”
During tryouts, participants were asked to perform various rolls and try a few specific wrestling moves. Then, they had the opportunity to pick the brains of Gibson, several of his students and other wrestling instructors during a question and answer session. While Gibson gave disclaimers throughout the three-hour event that participants could opt out of any activity, nearly all 54 participants tried everything. Their fellow aspiring wrestlers enthusiastically cheered them on like a fully invested wrestling crowd — likely because many participants were local wrestling fans.
“I like how tight-knit it is,” said Ellie, a participant who found her fandom through POW! Pro Wrestling shows in Eugene. “Everyone’s rooting for everyone.”
Gibson said he particularly enjoys being surprised by the athleticism of participants.
“We’ll do rolls, cartwheels or bumps and you see someone that just absolutely shocks you,” he said. “That part’s my absolute favorite, just being blown away by someone’s ability that you wouldn’t expect.”
In addition to forward rolls, one-arm rolls and backward rolls, participants took bumps, or falls, in the ring. First, they were asked to fall backward, landing on their backs with their feet in the air, eliciting a loud smacking sound on the mat. From there, they were asked to do it again, but from a forward flip.
For the flips, Gibson encouraged participants not to be too proud to use one of his students, Derrick Shaw, as an aid. Shaw waited at the ready, on all fours. He has been wrestling for nine years and credits Gibson with helping him get started.
“He’s all about giving back and so am I,” Shaw said.
‘Reassess your relationship with failure’
During the question and answer portion, Shaw was among the instructors and students who shared candid reflections about training and life on the road. They spent a significant portion of the time tackling impostor syndrome and encouraged attendees to “reassess your relationship with failure.”
For example, promo photos of all of Gibson’s students line the walls when you enter the gym. Gibson said he purposely hangs up bad ones as one way to encourage students to pay attention to their professionalism and constantly seek improvement.
Tryout attendees participate in warm up exercises led by Mark Kernell (aka King Naja), an Oregon Pro Wrestling School graduate and Ricky Gibson’s second student.
In wrestling, as in politics, it all comes back to committing to connecting with the audience. The drill that perhaps exemplified this the most was when participants practiced “locking up” with each other. Locking up refers to the initial contact two wrestlers make in a match where they get in close quarters, grab each other’s forearms and opposing shoulders, and make a loud groan, growl, scream or other sound to emphasize the drama of the moment. Participants practiced for about 10 minutes, with constant encouragement to make as much noise as possible and step out of their comfort zones.
They weren’t asked to cut promos, or simulate interviews or monologues, but speaking with confidence was a consistent theme of the day.
Whether it’s trying to drive up ticket sales for the next show, rally a crowd or testify before the City Council, Gibson emphasized that practice is key.
“Most people, when they first start, they’re all reserved, closed up and maybe pacing a lot,” he said. “The more confident you are where you can just stand still, (then) you can talk with your hands rather than with your feet. Talk with confidence. Don’t say ‘um’ a whole lot of times. There are not necessarily any tips and tricks other than that. Just practice and get good at it.”
An aspiring teacher who hopes to open a gym himself, Shaw says wrestling has been especially helpful in improving how he talks to people. In fact, he says the skill that translates the most outside of the ring is cutting promos.
“Let’s say you have a bad boss. Cut a promo on him,” Shaw said. “Tell him what they’re doing good. Then slide in what you need. Promos are great because it’s just a conversation.”
To learn more about the Oregon Pro Wrestling School, visit www.oregonprowrestling.com.
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