But the Richmond entrepreneur isn't planning on entering the ring with these superstars from World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation. Martin, co-owner of Solid Gold Pro Wrestling, is competing for fans. And he has an angle that sets him apart from the WWF and WCW — promoting wrestling as good, clean, family entertainment.

These days, it's hard to differentiate between professional wrestling matches and the "Jerry Springer" show: Both include buxom blondes, flying chairs and other theatrics. But Martin doesn't think he needs these gimmicks to be successful. "I think the style of wrestling is going to change because people like the WWF have taken it to such an extreme," he says. "We put the family value back in."

Martin set up shop about a year ago in Henrico County. He expects to generate revenues between $65,000 and $100,000 this year.

Solid Gold opened Power Bomb University in May. Power Bomb, named after a wrestling move, trains wrestlers, managers and referees. "A lot of these guys and gals will not make the big time," he says of his 45 students. But "it's fun to train."

It's also expensive: $250 for the first 30 days of training, then $10 to $20 for each subsequent session. Most students train for about nine months before entering one of the shows Martin organizes.

A typical Solid Gold match attracts between 200 and 400 people at venues in Richmond and Fredericks-burg. Ticket prices are the same regardless of who is wrestling — $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 5 to 12. That's far more family-friendly than WWF or WCW shows that typically charge $40 per ticket. Big shows are overpriced, Martin says, partly because the industry is growing. But that's good news for Solid Gold. "It's the trickle-down theory — anything that happens in the big industries can only help. ... It makes the market for independents a lot better."