Entertainment
WWE’s Tyler Bate says ‘art of wrestling’ is bigger than likes of John Cena and Hulk Hogan
NXT UK star Tyler Bate has insisted pro wrestling is more than larger than life superstars like John Cena and Hulk Hogan.
The 24-year-old grappler – who won the Heritage Cup from Spanish sensation A-Kid last week – has reflected on his trophy, the traditional mat-based British style and its significance to the industry as a whole.
He exclusively told Metro.co.uk: ‘For me it’s the foundation – the hold for hold pro wrestling, the purer side of it, laid the foundation and set the ground for everything after it to be built on.
‘You can’t build a house on rocky foundations. There is no WWE without the wresting. The wrestling is the one thing that is… as an artform, the wrestling is the one thing that is timeless throughout all of it.
‘The “Stone Cold” Steve Austins, the Hulk Hogans, the John Cenas – they all come and go, they will always pass, but the pro wrestling is the one thing that stays true constantly. So, it’s an honour for me to be the representative for that.’
His match with A-Kid last week was hailed as an instant classic between two young wrestlers at the absolute top of their game, and Bate was delighted to be in the ring with someone he’s seen develop since they first worked together in the King of Trios tournament four years ago.
‘I feel like myself and A-Kid have similar intensions when it comes to wrestling and that’s for pro wrestling as a whole to be better off for our contribution to it,’ he said, noting that they ever different people behind the curtain.
He added: ‘A-Kid, he’s actually a bit of a genius, he’s a mathematician. His style is very analytical, he’s always thinking.
‘Whereas for me, it’s much more intuitive, it’s way more feeling, and not so much thinking. That’s what makes our matches interesting and fun to play out.’
WWE has announced this week that fans will be returning to Raw and SmackDown this summer as the company takes its flagship US brands on the road again.
Tyler’s hoping this is a sign of NXT UK also getting a live audience, although he suggested there have been some benefits to performing in such a unique environment at the BT Sport Studio.
‘I feel like even that has served a purpose in a way because now the in-ring content is – at least in my opinion – better than it ever has been before. We can’t afford to have those gaps in our performance anymore, because it’s not hidden by the fans,’ he pondered.
‘[But] the fans are a part of the performance, there’s a feedback. The fans dictate the pace, they dictate the ebbs and flows of the match. They’re quite literally a part of the act. So, without them there it almost feels like there’s a piece missing.’
While NXT UK could be poised for fans returning, the independent scene needs to recover and develop to make it safe for shows to resume after both the pandemic and Speaking Out movement.
‘I just have a faith, really, and a trust that it will help steer pro wrestling in the direction that it needs to go in,’ he said of the past year.
Looking to the future, NXT UK bosses are hoping to finally give the brand another TakeOver event after year’s Dublin showcase had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.
When that show does happen, Bate has his own ideas about how his evening should unfold, and he wants to channel Pride Fighting Championship by taking a page from Kazushi Sakuraba and Royce Gracie’s epic battle back in 2000.
‘They did an unlimited rounds match. I’d quite like to maybe do that with A-Kid. He is the Brazilian jiu-jitsu guy, I’m the pro wrestling guy. That’s something I’d quite like to do,’ he beamed.
And having the fans to feed off will make moments like that all the more special as WWE finally welcomes back the missing ingredient.
‘I feel like that’s when I can finally take a sigh of relief! That’s what I feels like I’m waiting for,’ he said. ‘There’s this tension still. When the fans come back, I can go “Ah f**k, OK, cool.” ‘
*NXT UK airs every Thursday at 8pm on the WWE Network, and Fridays at 10pm on BT Sport.
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