Entertainment
WWE’s Bronson Reed reveals how he overcame self-doubt to achieve childhood dream with NXT North American Title win
WWE superstar Bronson Reed hit a major milestone in his 14-year wrestling journey when he captured the NXT North American Title last week.
The new champion – who will address fans on tonight’s episode – started training aged 18, and he has opened up on how knockbacks over the years left him wondering if he’d ever truly make it.
He exclusively told Metro.co.uk: ‘With how wrestling is, sometimes you doubt yourself and you get people that also doubt you.
‘That’s nothing against some of my family members or friends that say, “Hey maybe it’s time to pack it in, you’re getting close to 30. Maybe don’t do this!”
‘My wife was always someone that stood by my side and encouraged me to keep chasing the dream. She sort of took the reigns back home when I had to travel to the UK or Japan, all these places.’
His wife Paige joined him in the ring to celebrated after last night’s win, and it was the culmination of more than a decade of hard work – but even longer dreaming of this moment.
Asked how he retains his passion for the business during the tougher moments, the 32-year-old star admitted: ‘I always try to remind myself of the little kid that was such a wrestling fan.
‘A lot of people have phases growing up where they’re fans when they’re really young, and then they become a teenager and they get a little bit too cool to watch wrestling.
‘Or it’s the opposite and they start becoming fans as teenagers. I was a fan my whole life, so I never really grew out of it or anything like that.
‘For me, if ever I have any of those sort of doubts, the best thing for me is just to watch some wrestling. That’s usually what I do, I find that love for it again.’
Reed – who has also told us how watching Bret Hart with his uncle kicked off his lifelong love for wrestling – has gone from performing in front of small crowds to entertaining fans all around the world.
‘There’s some people in Australia, they remember watching me wrestle in a bar in front of seven people, and now I’m the North American champion,’ he laughed.
Others stars have had similar journeys, and Reed remembers watching fellow Australian champion Rhea Ripley take her first steps in the industry.
‘When I started wrestling maybe three or four years into my wrestling career, she was a fan that used to come and watch as a young teenager,’ he explained. ‘It’s mindboggling that I got to see her be a fan, start wrestling training, go to WWE, then become so successful! It’s great!’
Looking back to his own early life, Bronson thinks his childhood self would be delighted with how his wrestling career has panned out.
‘I hope he’s be very proud,’ he smiled. ‘I remember being a young kid making my own title belts. I’d draw them, cut them out and make my own championship belts!
‘I remember once, I would have been around 10, I had a big piece of foam, and I cut out a foam title belt, drew on it, and I had that for a few years. I think he’d be pretty proud.’
*Tune into BT Sport tonight to see Bronson Reed address fans on WWE NXT.
MORE : WWE’s Bronson Reed targets Brock Lesnar dream match: ‘He’s such an attraction’
