Gary Joseph Wilson

Lawyer, marketing/sales director, MMA enthusiast, 90s music superfan, Star Trek nerd, and indie wrestling promoter for Paradigm Pro. #BlackLivesMatter

[Gary Joseph Wilson @gjw34]

There’s a non-zero possibility that I may have already promoted my last pro wrestling show.

In taking these last couple of months off, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to give wrestling a significant amount of my attention.

I’m blessed to have a shoot career that I love. It affords me a very comfortable life, but it also places extremely significant demands on my time.

I’ve been working a lot of 12+ hour days, and between work and real life responsibilities - I’ve spent over 120 days in a hotel room or otherwise away from home in 2024.

If I’m going to be at all present in the lives of my friends/family when I’m not working - that does not leave a huge window of time for promoting pro wrestling.

And to be honest - Paradigm has faced some recent challenges. While ticket sales have been up, we’ve faced issues with streaming providers, venues, and other logistical hurdles.

While none of these would be insurmountable obstacles, they would require more of my / our time to fix than I currently have to give.

That’s not to say Paradigm is done. This could very well be more of a “see ya later” situation than a good bye, as I could very well get the itch again in the future.

There are also two other very talented and capable partners in the promotion who may wish to keep the brand going in my absence.

We could also collectively decide that a farewell tour may be in order.

But in almost any scenario, I think at minimum that I need some more time to rest. So if I come back, it will be in the Spring at the earliest.

In any event, Paradigm has accomplished far more than we ever thought possible. 149 shows in 5+ markets over 7 years is a pretty damn solid run.

I also like to think we may have helped a few folks advance their careers, or develop new skills.

We got profiled in a magazine I grew up reading; I got to work with some of my childhood heroes; we trended on Twitter several times; and PBS Indiana made a short documentary about us.

Perhaps most notably - we successfully brought back an extremely niche rule set that I loved as a kid - and ran more matches in that style than the original promotion did.

Way more than I ever expected.

If you ever attended a show, worked for us, sponsored us, streamed our programming, or otherwise supported us - I love you with all my heart.

See y’all down the road.

[Eric Boehm @EricBoehm87]

Conservatives these days

[Gary Joseph Wilson @gjw34]

@FilthyTomLawlor I was literally watching and screaming at the TV, “why would you do the death walkout”?

[Gary Joseph Wilson @gjw34]

@Mouse3911 It only really fills the void if I can buy 50/50 tickets, and then Tony Khan comes onscreen and yells at me for not telling more of my friends and family about the show.

[Gary Joseph Wilson @gjw34]

Could really go for an IWA Midsouth South show at the Colgate Gym or Jammerz right about now.

Some chainsmoking in the parking lot, an opening show Ian promo, a random transitional fireball spot, a few unprotected chairshots to the head.

[Gary Joseph Wilson @gjw34]

Here currently; it’s 98 percent full. The lights are on cup holders so are visible if the chair is filled or not but it’s packed.

[Blind Bear 🐻🕶️ @BlindBearMedia]

Netflix MVP Card Rousey vs Carano arena is EMPTY

The main card has started and NO ONE is there it’s crazy the monopoly the UFC has😳 #RouseyCarano

[Gary Joseph Wilson @gjw34]

There’s some pretty terrible people associated with this card but I’m not even going to pretend that I didn’t have a poster of Gina Carano on my dorm room wall. #MVPNetflix

[Gary Joseph Wilson @gjw34]

This was the Paradigm Pro philosophy of booking for at least three years.

[Chad French @ChadAFrench]

@zanepasley @Fatgeek75 @mwtwrestling @IsThisWrestling @pwponderings @OfficialPWI @SeanRossSapp Yes. Adding more matches seems like a good idea.

[Gary Joseph Wilson @gjw34]

2022 Gary is vindicated.

The guy that threw the first punch against a fan - and then was about to be handled by said fan - was unwilling to take a fluke rollup against our top guy. That ego just killed one of the most historic indie territories.

It’s a work brother.

[Gary Joseph Wilson @gjw34]

@WarriorPPW @KJDesign_Prod Where yall at? What do you think so far?

[Gary Joseph Wilson @gjw34]

It’s like a high school football game but with far worse parking and a lower level of play. Great stadium and vibes though. #UFL

[Gary Joseph Wilson @gjw34]

It’s funny that you liked the brand split; we think that might have been our biggest unforced error.

Fun shows but we both diluted and saturated our product and it killed local ticket sales; 2022 was our worst year business wise by a whole lot.

Our out of market shows in 2022 saved the company. Without the OH and NJ shows - we wouldn’t have survived that year.

[Gary Joseph Wilson @gjw34]

@IsThisWrestling The surprise Swinger title win was my favorite thing we ever booked; it lead to heel Suge and then face Bev and our next six-ish months of storylines.

Genuinely surprised on the Cyclone Classic call-out; I loved that taping but did not get positive feedback on it haha.

[Gary Joseph Wilson @gjw34]

Paradigm was pure ambition.

Not everything we did worked; we once had a single digit presale - but on occasion we hit a home run.

We weren’t afraid to experiment and to fail. To grow and learn.

If nothing else, I like to think we helped some wrestlers advance their careers.

[Paradigm Pro Wrestling @ParadigmProWres]

7 Years. 149 shows.

What was Paradigm to you?

For us, it was many MANY things but the final chapter was a legacy that was left behind without a goodbye.

We got one last curtain call in us.

[Gary Joseph Wilson @gjw34]

Things that aren’t completely unrelated - I’ve lost 70 pounds and gotten my blood pressure under control since I left pro wrestling.

One of the last shows we ran, a wrestler I’ve known since I first entered the business told me that I looked like I was dying. I was.

[Gary Joseph Wilson @gjw34]

Four matches? And a WarGames that ends with a pinfall?

Yeah, back to boxing for me.

[Gary Joseph Wilson @gjw34]

Ahh yes - what a logical order for the airport train to travel in.

[Gary Joseph Wilson @gjw34]

Happy birthday to @TheCamAdams; here’s him checking to see if the ceiling at the Sellersburg American Legion was tall enough for @ParadigmProWres…

It certainly wasn’t but those ended up being some of our best shows.

Miss ya brother.