Becoming the Director

I may be called a connoisseur of customs, a patron of personalised videos, or a buyer of the bespoke. Without sounding too pretentious, I like it when a match is produced for me rather than the general fanbase. I've purchased many customs (more than I'd care to admit) throughout existence as a fan of the underground wrestling scene so I thought my limited 'expertise' on the subject was worth sharing to those interested.

Customs are, of course, not for everyone. I've seen prices ranging from as little as $50 to as high as $5,000 (both for a 20-minute video) depending on where you look. I'm very privileged that my financial situation has allowed me to purchase a number of customs over the years.

Here I am to give you the who, what, where, when what, why, and how (not in that order) of customized wrestling content. Consider this a guide of sorts.

What?

A custom video is a video produced by a studio or creator at the request of a customer. Many aspects of the video can be decided by the customer including: participants, gear, moves, duration, etc. The only limits are your imagination and the capabilities of the vendor.

Customs can be incredibly simple or meticulously planned. Want to see your two favorite wrestlers throw down on the mat? Add a third? Put them in a ring? Big vs little? Oil match? Rip and strip? There are options galore. There are almost certainly people who would be willing to make whatever you want, for the right price.

There are things to consider, however. Some people protect their anonymity with masks. Others may not be comfortable performing erotic acts or appearing nude. Maybe the wrestlers aren't physically capable of doing what is asked of them—not everyone can do a backflip, for example. It's important to be mindful of people's boundaries when making a custom request.

Who?

Almost every online underground wrestling company I can think of offers custom videos. Here's a list for your convenience (let me know if there are any that I've missed):

• Doom Maidens
• FFE Wrestling
• GBW Wrestling
• Hot Male Fighters
• Hunks Wrestling
• Jonny Firestorm
• Muscleboy Wrestling
• NRWrestling
• Spotland Scrappers (and ScrapEx)
• Thunders Arena
• Trickfighters
• Underground Wrestler
• Watchfighters*
• Weekend Wrestling
• Wrestler4Hire
• Wrestlingmale

*Watchfighters is a platform for creators (and some studios) to post their content. They have a "Custom Requests" page in which users can submit open requests for creators to take up or send creators requests directly. For example, since their return, UK Wrestling Hub only accepts custom requests via their Watchfighters page, though I'm sure one could be arrange by email as well.

As a disclaimer: I haven't purchased a custom from all of the vendors listed, but I have been in contact with most of them to at least inquire about their services.

You typically get what you pay for with customs. As you'd expect, larger studios may charge more for their customs, but this often means they have higher production values in the form of more participants to choose from, better cameras, etc. This doesn't mean to say that smaller studios or individual creators don't have good cameras or worse overall quality. Some of the cheaper customs I've ordered are some of the best I have in my collection.

When looking for someone to produce a custom for you keep in mind what you're looking for, the budget, and who best you think is able to create your fantasies for you. If you're unsure it doesn't hurt to ask. Many of the people I've contacted with questions have been very pleasant.

Any option is a good option if you know where to look and what to ask.

Where?

You've decided you want a custom. Great! Where can you see other people's customs just to make sure the vendor offers what you want?

Many companies will often simply label their customs as just that. Other times they will be released as part of their normal catalog but may have a "custom" label. For example, UCW has a "Lost Videos" collection of matches consisting exclusively of the custom videos they have produced. For others it's not so easy. There may be no indication at all that a match was produced as a custom, and some matches may not be released for general sale either, so keep this in mind.

In the case of the former it may be worth seeing if there are any oddly specific match styles, such as ones consisting of only toeholds, or perhaps someone typically seen as a jobber finally turns heel against the supposed top dog. Maybe that one headscissors was just a few minutes too long. These methods are by no means full proof but you may have some success.

Why

What's the point? With so much wrestling content out there now surely there's something for everyone. Want to see two bodybuilders get sweaty on the mat? Fancy watching a hot and steamy private match? How about some gut punching goodness? I have many recommendations. There is indeed content out there for everyone. But sometimes you just want more, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Contrary to popular belief, the internet doesn't have everything. This is especially true of the underground online wrestling space. Say your two favourite wrestlers from a certain company have only ever fought in the ring. You could order a custom to get them on the mats and have that match go however you want. Total squash? Give and take between two equals? Bearhugs only?

If you have the budget and patience then a custom match may be well worth your while, especially if you have an idea you really want to see played out.

Customs also provide an opportunity for unique ideas. Here are just a couple of examples:

Wrestlingmale's "Conquers 30: Slow Agony 2"

Such an interesting concept for a match. The competitors must first free themselves from their bounds and each other, then must compete to make the other climax first. It's almost an hour of entertaining back-and-forth with lots of close body contact. A brilliant mix of competition and intimacy. It's one of my absolute favorite Wrestlingmale matches, and that is a high bar considering how many great matches they have.

UK Wrestling Hub's "3 Way Chain Match"

A thrilling free-for-all between three of UKWH's big boys, with the caveat of them all being chained together. It's labeled as a "Legacy Match" meaning that it was directed by a fan. I've not seen another match like this across the entire online underground space. Sure there are some one-on-one strap/chain/rope matches, but nothing like this. It's a great one at that. Perhaps I'll review it at a later date and give you my full thoughts.

These are just two of the many examples of unique and interesting customs. No shade to the people producing the customs, but there are some things only a fan can come up with. Both of the above matches seem to be quite popular on their respective sites, so there is merit for 'interesting' match ideas.

There are times when you may not be able to act out your own fantasies. The next best thing is having someone else do that for you. It's by no means a perfect substitute, but a custom video can often satisfy those desires.

There are also times when stars cross oceans to collaborate. I've noticed a lot of post-pandemic traveling of well-known names. These trips are often advertized as a great time to get customs, and they're not wrong. How often do you see an American rolling around in a French hotel room?

What to look out for

There are a lot of things to keep in mind as I'm sure you've picked up on. One aspect that probably comes to the forefront is the possibility of not getting what you asked for. I don't want to throw the word "scam" around, but it does happen.

I've been very fortunate in my experience that I've never been scammed. There were times I was disappointed with the product delivered, but not once has someone outright failed to deliver something that resembled what I asked of them.

I've had mostly had very positive conversations with vendors when arranging a custom. The same can't be said for everyone, of course. I won't be naming and shaming in this post, but over the years I have seen numerous comment threads with people coming forward with their negative experiences.

So what kind of red flags should you look out for?

One of the most prominent warning signs is with regards to PayPal transactions. The site has two payment options: "Family and Friends" and "Goods and Services". The purpose of both is self-explanatory. Some people have been known to request payment through the former. There can be good reasons for this, such as maximizing profit since PayPal takes a cut if the Goods and Services option is used. This does, however, make it more difficult to claim your money back if the product was nothing like you requested (if delivered at all). Avoid paying through this option if you can. Request to be sent an invoice once a price has been arranged so there is a very clear record of transaction.

I've known some vendors ask for the communication channels to be switched (i.e., from email to WhatsApp). This can make it difficult to keep track of conversations and therefore make it more difficult to track certain details. Stick to one method of communication if at all possible. Watchfighters has a good system for customs and payment. The entire conversation is kept in one place and payment is only delivered to the vendor once they have delivered the product. Switching to personal emails or WhatsApp conversations can disrupt this process and remove the security you would otherwise get.

Some vendors have been known to set up a crowdfunding scheme for content. I recall a few years ago being sent an email asking fans to fund the travel cost for overseas opponents, but any amount of research would have revealed that those opponents had already made the journey. I could go into specifics, but for the sake of brevity I'll keep quiet on that front.

How

You've made it this far and want a custom? Great! Not sure on the best way to ask? Let me help.

Each item in the list of vendors above links directly to the "Custom Orders" (or equivalent) pages of the respective sites. They all have their own instructions which should be clear enough. If your favorite site or creator isn't there, send them an email. Asking won't lock you into a transaction. My experience communicating with vendors who don't advertise the production of customs has been overwhelmingly positive.

Be polite, clear, respectful, and patient. The vendors you're dealing with are people too. They have their own schedules and ways of working. Getting into their good books can go a long way if you're a returning customer. Being mindful of a person's boundaries and limitations, as well as just being generally good life advice, helps with customs. There's no point asking a small creator who only films in their private mat room for a 60-minute pro match with lots of high flying moves.

Patience is, of course, a virtue. I've had waiting times ranging from just over 24 hours to 6 months. Keeping up communication is key, but don't pester them everyday. Ask for a date that they reasonably believe they could achieve as it will mitigate the guessing game. This could be a couple of months away, especially in the case of studios who have designated shoot schedules.

Clear communication is key. Not all the creators and websites I've listed speak English as a first language. While I've never had a communication issue in that regard, keeping this in mind helps. Using example pictures is a good way to circumvent this issue. There have been many times where I had no idea what a move was called but a picture illustrated exactly what I wanted to see.

The final hint I can offer is to be concise. Clearly stating what you expect for the different variables of a match (duration, gear, location, etc.) in the form of a list leaves little room for interpretation. Here's how I would set one out:

Wrestlers: here is where you name the people you want in the custom or describe them
Gear: what are they wearing? Speedos? Masks? Nothing?
Location: this is entirely dependent on whether or not who you're asking has multiple filming locations 
Duration: how long do you want the match to be? It's almost never exact, but a general idea is always good
Description/script: how does the match go? One-sided domination? Give-and-take oil match? Just let the guys do whatever they want?
Moves: what kind of specific holds do you want to see? This is a good place for example pictures if necessary.

On a Personal Note

It felt strange to finish off the almost-guide with a personal touch, but it now feels like the most appropriate way to end.

I've been ordering customs from various people for over 4 years now. Some have been better than others, of course. Some are being sold on their respective sites whereas others may never see the light of day. It's something I've invested a significant amount of money into, so not being able to share and discuss my experiences in the form of a blog felt like a shame.

I won't list all of the customs I've commissioned--this post would be far too long otherwise. Here are a couple, however:

wrestle4afee's "Callum v Dimitri 19 (CVY19)"

One of my all-time favorite matches. The "19" indicates a long history between these two; their familiarity with each other is evident throughout. Filmed towards the end of 2021, this match was a 60-minute scrap, with Callum and Dimitri going back-and-forth throughout. I can't recommend it enough to people looking for a long, evenly-matched tussle between two well-versed grapplers. Callum v Dimitri 19 is a testament to wrestle4afee's grounded production style and the high quality of their catalog.

UCWrestling's "Match 835: Axel vs Cole Dallas - Sleeper Match"

This one was fantastic. Two highly-skilled opponents in an intense back-and-forth struggle, full of dirty tricks. I had a basic premise with some minor details, but mostly let the guys at UCW get creative with this one. I was not disappointed. Axel and Cole were not my initial choice; one of the wrestlers I asked for had to bail on the shoot due to illness. Michael "Bodyslam" suggested pairing these two together and he was right. What followed was a match that surpassed my expectations and really shows why UCW was one of the finest around.

I've gone on for long enough. If you've managed to get this far, thank you. I'd be happy to discuss this topic with others if any are interested. I've got plenty to share.

Whether a custom is something you're interested in purchasing, I hope this post has helped you reach a decision. If you're looking for your ultimate wrestling fantasy to be played out on screen or just have a fun idea you want to see, this is perhaps the best way to do it. At the very least it's a good way to support a content creator or studio you're a fan of, and at its heigh you could receive the video of your dreams.