The bright lights of professional wrestling’s most star-studded companies could lie ahead for two Maidstone musclemen.
Nigel McGuinness and Doug Williams are both on the verge of worldwide exposure in the “sports entertainment” business – something very few English grapplers have ever achieved.
Williams, 35, recently signed a deal to work for the upstart Total Nonstop Wrestling (TNA) promotion, while McGuinness, 32, has high hopes of hitting the big time with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
And as the current champion of America’s leading independent company Ring of Honor, that move may not be too far away.
McGuinness, who grew up in Staplehurst and attended Maidstone Grammar School, said: “I can’t begin to tell you how proud I am to be ROH champ. It means the world to me to follow in the footsteps of those who have held the title before me.
“As far as WWE goes – never say never. It would be fantastic to wrestle for the company that first made me a fan.”
McGuinness said he first watched wrestling when it was shown on ITV’s popular World of Sport show, but became hooked when he was introduced to the spectacle that was then the WWF.
He trained at a school in the States before returning to England to tour with All Star Promotions, but today he lives in America and wrestles full-time.
When asked what he thought about people who criticise the business for being “fake”, McGuinness said: “They’re about 20 years behind the times.
“I’ve suffered concussions, torn knee ligaments, herniated disks in my back and neck, a broken nose, separated shoulder and countless cuts and bruises.”
Fin Martin, editor of Britain’s leading wrestling magazine, Power Slam, feels both McGuinness and Williams are well prepared to have successful careers in the industry.
He said: “I think Nigel in particular has a really good chance of making it big because he has the total package of skill and charisma. If there was one English guy I had to back financially, it would be him.
“I’ve spoken to him several times and he’s an intelligent man. He worked towards a 2:1 degree in chemistry so he’s no fool. He knows what he’s doing.
“Doug is also very intelligent and works as a surveyor. I like them both and wish them all the best, although I think Doug’s style is more suited to Japan. They really like him over there and it’s difficult to command that sort of respect.”
Williams has so far wrestled twice on television for TNA, which has a programme shown every week in the UK on Bravo.
No English wrestler has been able to recreate the hero-like status experienced in WWE by the late British Bulldog, although Mr Martin feels McGuinness could be in with a shot.
He said: “There should be a spot for an English hero and you would have thought WWE would want one, but I guess it’s not high on their list of priorities.
“At the end of the day they have a lot of very popular wrestlers who are going to be cheered and sell a lot of merchandise when they tour over here anyway.
“It doesn’t really matter whether you are English, Mexican, American or Japanese.
If people like you, they like you.”
POSTED: 30/08/2008 08:00:00
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