Welcome to another interview on the Scottish Wrestling Network. Today, we had the opportunity to chat to one quarter of Lucha Scotland and the 2018 PBW King of Cruisers, Lucha DS!

First off, thank you for taking the time to answer some questions. How busy has your schedule been these last few weeks, in PBW and elsewhere?

Thanks for asking me to do a wee interview, I love talking wrestling so cheers. The last few months of 2018 were pretty hectic, I was working shows all across the UK, and having some really fun fast paced matches and trying to give them all 100 percent, like I always try to. So leading up to Christmas time, I had a few niggly injuries and I’m pretty sure I had a broken toe as well which was agony. But I knew I had a wee break pardon the pun from December to January so just pushed through it.

Who were your favourite wrestlers growing up, and who are your favourites now? Have any of them played a big role in the way you wrestle?

I had so many growing up and as a kid it was usually whoever was my most recent figure I got, that guy would be my favourite. Nowadays, I still have so many favourites, I’m still a fan, and hope that I always will be. I would like to say I was inspired by the greats and aimed to be like them but really I just wanted to be a wrestler so I could get in the ring. No matter if it was WWF’s Doink The Clown back in the day or New Japan’s SANADA these days, if you get my attention with what you’re doing I’m a fan and will try to steal what I like from them all haha.

Who are your biggest inspirations, as a fan and as a wrestler?

I love the lucha, high flyer style. Guys like Will Ospreay, Ricochet, Mark Andrews, “Speedball” Mike Bailey to guys I would see here like Stevie Boy, Kieran Kelly, as well as my tag partner Solar. I am inspired by guys who are nice both sides of the curtain and can put on a show no matter they’re smaller size-wise. I get inspired by the small stuff these days that folk might not even notice during a match, a small positioning or transition of body control can pop me just as much as a flip or power move.

Why did you decide to give wrestling a go?

I am not, or ever will be, a guy sat in a few years wishing I had just went for what I want. If I want to do something, I’m gonna go for it. Life’s way too short to sit on the couch and wonder what could have been, try it and if it fails at least you had a go, never look back at not taking a chance to improve yourself or your life. We’re only here for a few years so rip it a new one. Sometimes folk hold off or hold back and end up wishing they had done stuff sooner. I wanted to be a wrestler and when I found a school, I went for it. Fast forward a few years, I’m on shows. I still don’t believe it so I love every second of it.

Your home promotion is Premier British Wrestling. How much do you enjoy working on these shows, which typically house family-friendly crowds?

Best company to ever join and work for in my very biased opinion, but I’ll tell you why. PBW do so many shows a year, and they all vary from a school gym hall, to outdoors, festivals, holiday camp shows to your big town halls. Working in front of big family crowds and doing it all year round, and the academy bringing new folk through and learning on these shows and using the guys from Source, GPWA and other promotions on a regular basis. Kid Fite looks for talent, not looking at where they train and the past few years the working relationships of the promotions across Scotland has benefited everyone. I, as well as others, benefit greatly from it. I think this period of co-operation has greatly benefited the Scottish scene.

Aside from last year’s King of Cruisers Match (we’ll get to that soon), what would you class as some of your favourite matches/moments from your career so far?

There’s loads. I have matches I like for a number of reasons. I had one recently at Respect Pro against Robert Wishart which I though we smashed it and leathered each other in the process. I had one a few weeks back against Davey blaze where we brawled around the venue and again killed each other which felt like a war at the end. I also just worked with young Joe Nelson at 4GW where we seemed to click really well and I felt we left everything in the ring. So matches where I get beat up and am exhausted seem to be the theme.

Other than PBW, you travel up and down the UK for promotions, whether it’s up to Caithness or down to Wales. How much do you enjoy getting the opportunity to work in front of all these different types of crowds?

I’m a professional wrestler. If there’s a show on in any part of the country that feels I can add something to the card and ask me to be part of it, I’m all over it. If it’s a poster, I share it. Event page, I invite folk. I’ll do local press and push every show the same. I want to wrestle everywhere, it’s how you learn and improve. There are a few places I love to work and once I have them in the diary, it gives me a goal to hit for the gym.

Speaking of these promotions, you’ve got a debut upcoming for Southside Wrestling Entertainment alongside Soldato. How are you preparing for this show seeing as Southside are arguably one of England’s biggest promotions?

We are working hard for this one. We are training together to get things tightened up so we go down there to get noticed and not just take part. 2019, I want Lucha Scotland to be on more shows and showing folk that we are real assets to a show and that we can go with the top teams around. I personally want it to succeed because it’s my baby so to speak. We all have a voice and can do our thing, and when we come together I want it to have a spark.

As mentioned just a minute ago, you competed in the annual PBW King of Cruisers Match last October and came out victorious. How much did this mean to you?

More than I can probably explain. I was a fan of the King of Cruisers when I went to shows and when I joined the PBW Academy, just getting to debut was the goal. Once I got that, wrestling in Greenock was the goal. Then, wrestling in the King of Cruisers. Then, winning it. It’s been years of hard work and graft but that trophy is now in mine possession. Beating Lou King Sharp, Kip Sabian, Kieran Kelly, Amir Jordan, and Kenny Williams to get my hands on it will always make me proud. It’s now available to buy on DVD at pbwwrestling.com, so you can watch the match. But most importantly, it has a lot of history, and I’m part of it.

Are there any promotions (in Scotland or elsewhere) that you’d like to debut for?

If you have a ring and some chairs pointed at it, I’m game. There are promotions that I have been asked to work for but dates didn’t line up, so it would be nice to get to work them. There’s a few that I haven’t done that are coming up. Watch this space…

Who would be your dream opponent, past or present?

I want to wrestle the best, I want to be challenged and I want to help new talent get into the scene. I have matches I want cause they’ll be fun and there are some I want to have again and again because I’m a fan of the people. I want me and Solar vs Fite Club somewhere, I want to take on Andy Wild again, I want to wrestle Aspen Faith, I want to have a match against Kuma/Johnny Pugs, I would wrestle Krieger and Lou King Sharp every week because it’s so much fun, I love wrestling Jonathan Richards and Glen Dunbar. I could go on all day. I think a new combo for Lucha Scotland to work alongside Soldato and Falcon and work new tag teams would be interesting. I haven’t wrestled Kez Evans or Jesse Santana either, which are two other matches I’d quite like.

What are your current goals for wrestling, short-term or long-term?

Short-term, work my socks off and see what happens. In the current climate, there’s lots of opportunities for the taking. Long-term, I will ride this till the wheels come off lol. Who knows, I could be anywhere but I’ll do so with a smile on my face. Covered by the mask off course.

You’ve recently started a podcast called Lu-Chat! Lu-Chat! Lu-Chat! How did this come about?

I love podcasts and thought I wanted to do it and have my own way of doing it. I’m just finding my feet and it’s another medium to talk directly to fans and have my own say on things. I want to keep it light and fun, I don’t review shows or do predictions, it’s what I like to call wrestling adjacent and it’s a passion project so I’m having fun learning. With help from Tuck of the Draw’s Stephen Louch, I’m up and running. I’m on iTunes and Soundcloud, and with every episode it’s slowly getting better. I mean, it’s really awful but it’s getting better. Check it out. Please.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

I will be doing something somewhere. At this current moment, there’s a million roads to go down. I wonder myself.

Where can we find you on social media?

I’m everywhere and it’s all Lucha DS on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, iTunes, Soundcloud, it’s ridiculous. So follow them all or none. Drop me a wee message, come to a show, come say hi, I’m out there somewhere…

And finally, why do you do what you do?

Because sitting on the couch stuffing my face got boring, so I wanted to follow a dream and it’s changed my life. I want to be a hero to my son and wearing a mask seems to be working lol.

Our thanks to Lucha DS for taking the time to answer some questions.

Judging by his Facebook events page, here’s where you can catch him in action this year (more dates to be added);

  • February 9th at the Corporation, Sheffield (SWE Risky Business – Day Show)
  • February 22nd at the Clydebank Town Hall, Clydebank (SWA Clydebank Homecoming)
  • March 2nd at the Dobbie Hall, Larbert (PBW Live in Larbert)
  • March 9th at the Lochwinnoch Community Annexe, Lochwinnoch (RPW Live in Lochwinnoch)
  • March 22nd at the Mercure Inverness Hotel, Inverness (SWA Inverness Incoming)
  • March 23rd at the Greenock Town Hall, Greenock (PBW Live in Greenock)
  • April 5th at the Motherwell Concert Hall & Theatre, Motherwell (SWA MotherwellMania)
  • April 27th at the Airdrie Town Hall, Airdrie, Airdrie (PBW Breaking Limits 14)
  • May 31st in Paisley (SWA Live in Paisley)
  • June 1st at the Concord Community Education Centre, Dumbarton (PBW Live in Dumbarton)