After decades in the wilderness, British professional wrestling is grappling its way back to the big time and spearheading its resurgence is a mild-mannered 20-year-old from the West Midlands, Tyler Bate.
The resurgence of pro wrestling on these shores is the worst kept secret in entertainment with independent promotions like ICW, PROGRESS and Revolution Pro Wrestling selling out venues from the mega SSE Hydro Arena in Scotland through to the legendary York Hall in Bethnal Green.
Now, the industry's big boys are getting in on the act, too. After an absence of over 30 years, ITV brought World of Sport back to the airwaves, Channel 4 have aired a documentary on the evolution of women's wrestling and – most impressively – WWE held a tournament in Blackpool to crown the company's first ever United Kingdom Champion.
Standing at 5 feet 6 inches, Tyler Bate is a far cry from the prototypical WWE superstar but in January, he overwhelmed a sold out crowd – and 15 competitors – on two consecutive nights in Blackpool's Empress Ballroom to win the championship and shoulder the responsibility of elevating British professional wrestling a whole new level.
Don't be fooled by his stature, Tyler Bate's got the in-ring pedigree, natural athleticism and undeniable likeability to introduce professional wrestling to a whole new audience. He told his story to Complex.
"I’ve never really struggled with the physical side of wrestling. I've got the sort of control over my body that most people don't."
COMPLEX: What first drew you to the world professional wrestling and WWE?
Tyler Bate: My earliest memories? I got into wrestling around 2005 and 2006, which was the era than John Cena and Batista were on top as the main guys – but my favourite wrestler was Kane who is still going strong today. I always loved that he could beat up two people at the same time, I thought that was wicked.
He’s also a huge guy. You’re on the smaller side of most wrestlers…
Yeah, that might be why I liked him! I’ve always been quite short.
Did your size ever affect your ambitions or abilities inside the ring?
I don’t think so. I was 14 when I started training to be a wrestler and I was lucky enough to have a training facility open up in the same town as me. I never had to struggle in terms of travelling far to learn the craft, which is something that loads of people have to battle. I started training with people like Pete Dunne and Trent Seven – who also competed in the WWE UK Championship tournament – and then visiting shows to pick up on how wrestlers and crowds interact.
Training to become a wrestler is a famously unforgiving task. How tough were your early days in the gym?
To be honest, I’ve never really struggled with the physical side of it. I was about 7 or 8 when I got into gymnastics and I’d been doing that for quite a few years up until I started training, so I’ve always had a good physical background and body composition. That taught me to have the sort of control over my body that most people don’t get, so I’ve never struggled with the technique. It’s the mental side of the game that is probably most difficult.
"Winning the title was just a blur and when I watch it back now I feel like I’m watching someone else."
When you got the call to compete in the UK tournament, what was running through your mind?
I was surprised! A bunch of us had a try out for WWE in early November and we didn’t know if anything was going to come of it. A week or two later we received a call saying that we need to be free for a press conference in London in December and that we’d be the first to compete in a UK tournament a month later. We only had two months to prepare for it so it was a shock but exciting because we’d be able to showcase the best of British wrestling on a platform as huge and influential as the WWE Network.
Not only did you take part in that tournament of course, but you won it. As a 20-year-old kid from Dudley, what was it like when you were announced as the first ever WWE United Kingdom Champion?
I don’t really know. I get asked this question a lot and I don’t know how to explain that feeling. It was just a blur and when I watch it back now I feel like I’m watching someone else.
That whole weekend is just one big mix of moments. I remember bits like travelling around on the bus with the WWE crew – I thought that was cool – and staring across the ring at Pete at the start of the final match, it was all just slightly surreal.
How were your interactions with the likes of Triple H, William Regal and Finn Balor, who were all present throughout the tournament?
Very cool. It was amazing to talk to those people and get their thoughts on how this industry works. And they were all so helpful, they gave me plenty of guidance on adapting to the WWE style of wrestling and it wouldn’t have been as amazing without their support. We were allowed to do what we did best wrestling wise, but there’s small things that we needed to be aware of, like TV cameras, because most of us aren’t used to wrestling on television.
Were you ever star struck in those moments when you meet someone like Triple H for the first time?
Not really, that’s not really me. I don’t get fazed. I’m very grounded but the only time I came close was when I won the title and Triple H was raising my hand infront of thousands of people and potentially millions watching at home. It was ridiculous.
"As a WWE fan growing up, I never really got a chance to go and see live shows very much. Now, I’m getting a chance to go to these things as part of WWE."
Shortly after you won the belt you were flown to San Antonio for Royal Rumble weekend. How was it to experience the WWE machine in full swing?
It’s absolutely wicked. As a WWE fan growing up, I never really got a chance to go and see live shows very much. Now, I’m getting a chance to go to these things as part of WWE and it’s really cool.
And you had your first defence of the title on NXT shortly after that to your long-time tag partner and friend, Trent Seven. That must have been special?
Yeah I’m really happy with it. Performing on a show like NXT is one thing but to do it with Trent Seven, someone who’s been such a big fixture in my career, was even better. We’ve had a chance to share our journeys together.
There’s plenty of rumours that your United Kingdom Championship could form the foundation of a weekly WWE TV show in this country. How would you feel about that?
It’d definitely be amazing if that happened. The idea is exciting but it’s just an idea as far as I know. I don’t know how it would work if it does happen but just the fact that these discussions are even happening is exciting and it shows the tournament worked.
The next major thing in WWE’s calendar is obviously WrestleMania. Do you think we’ll see the United Kingdom Championship there in some form?
I’m definitely hoping to go out there. Everyone who gets into professional wrestling dreams of being able to perform at WrestleMania. I’m hopeful it’ll happen but you never really know until you’re there…
Assuming we go into WrestleMania with you still holding that title, is there anyone you’d like that next defence to be against?
I’d love for it to be with Pete Dunne again but if I could choose to wrestle anybody in WWE right now it’d probably be either Sami Zayn or Cesaro. Both of those guys have such strong track records in the ring and I think there’d be a lot of synergy there. I really wanted to wrestle with them for a long time.
Current WWE UK Championship holder Tyler Bate will join dates on the WWE UK Live Tour this May. Tickets are available here.
