When did you start watching wrestling and was there a moment that got you hooked?

Unlike a lot of wrestlers and fans I never really watched that much wrestling when I was a kid. I had a few VHS tapes that I watched over and over again and I remember staying up to watch the odd episode of Nitro or Raw. That only lasted a few years, though, because I more or less grew out of wrestling for most of my life. It’s only been about 4 years since I was reintroduced to it by my girlfriend, specifically, it was Money in the Bank 2012 that got me interested in wrestling again. I think I just needed a reminder that wrestling wasn’t quite the stereotype that a lot of people hold it to and that it is far more athletic with deeper storytelling than a lot of people give it credit for.

What made you decide to start training to be a wrestler and where did you start?

When I was a teenager I hated sports. I played a lot of video games and found excuses every week to skip PE class. But as I got older I started to enjoy exercising, and I started casually hitting the gym. Then I started watching wrestling again and fell in love with the idea of being able to get into a wrestling ring, even if it was to do nothing more than run the ropes. It was just good timing that Scottish Wrestling Entertainment were moving their training school to Dundee when I was starting to feel more motivated to get in better shape. I went along for a few weeks to see how I enjoyed it, and I’ve never looked back.

Who are your biggest influences in professional wrestling?

After watching Money in the Bank 2012, the three guys that impressed me most were CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan. It’s no coincidence that all three of them go against the “wrestler” stereotype that I was used to, so it was those guys that I became attached to most as a fan. Soon after, I started watching New Japan Pro Wrestling, and fell in love with guys like Shinsuke Nakamura, Tetsuya Naito and Katsuyori Shibata. Nowadays I watch as much wrestling as I can from all over the world, and enjoy all styles of it, but those six names are the ones I’ll always watch back and get excited about, more than anything.

Do you have any favourite matches or opponents that you have worked with?

My first ever match was against J D Wilde, who was debuting at the same time as me. Since then, we’ve been in the ring together more times than I can count and every match has been more fun than the last. I think my favourite match, however, was the SWE Future Division match I had with LJT at last Decembers Seasons Beatings. It was the end of a storyline for me and the first time I felt like I had really deserved a shot at the title. That alone made it a great match for me, but LJT really helped bring it to a whole other level. He is as selfless and as humble as a wrestler can be, and I think he’s a brilliant asset to any locker room he steps into.

And finally, who would be your dream opponent, past or present?

If I could bend the rules of the question a little, I’d absolutely love to be in a fatal fourway match with Punk, Bryan and Ziggler for no other reason than because they were the guys that made me a fan again. If I have to choose just one opponent in a one on one match, I think right now my pick would be AJ Styles. I watched him a little in TNA, but he quickly became one of my favourite wrestlers after he debuted for NJPW and he impresses me more every day. He’s just as good on the mat as he is in the air, and I think he would be a fantastic all-round opponent to face.

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