Chatter With: Gabriel Kidd (Part One)

Hi guys, 

Last month, I was lucky enough to have had a really great in-depth chat with one of the hottest young veteran wrestlers in the UK Gabriel Kidd. So, here's part one of my interview where we spoke about how Kidd got into wrestling, his influences, Defiant Wrestling and of course his part in the resurgence of World of Sport! So, welcome to my newest segment called 'Chatter With' (do you get it... you know Wrestling Chatter)... 

Everyone’s love of wrestling starts at different stages of their lives, how old were you when you got interested in wrestling and what started the love in the first place?

I can work out my exact age and I was probably about 9 or 10. My dad’s Irish and I was in Ireland visiting my grandma who had Sky Sports. We were flicking through the channels and wrestling was on. As soon as the screen came on, Mark Henry was in the ring and then the Undertaker’s music hit and he made his entrance. From there, I was just glued to the TV. I loved it because it was so big and over the top and there was this guy with this huge, long black coat walking down slowly to this cool music and then he got into the ring and they started battering each other. I was glued to it! Then, when I got home, I knew a few people in my class who liked wrestling so I started talking to them about it and found about WWE. Then we started going to their houses and watched it together. It just started from there really and I might have even been younger than that really.

You obviously started watching it at a young age, but I’ve seen in other interviews that you started training at only 11-years-old! How was it starting to train at such a young age surrounded by guys a lot older and bigger than you?

I think that because I was so excited about it, it didn’t really bother me. I’ve always kind of gone into things quite shy but, when I open up a bit more, I get a lot more comfortable. I think, to start off with, I remember driving there with my dad and he was like ‘If it’s like UFC wrestling, you can’t do it’ and I was like I’m not interested in that. Luckily, we got there and it was pro-wrestling. At that time, it wasn’t that common to start training so young and the next youngest was like 19 or something. I kind of went in and watched the first half and then they were like "If you want, you can come in and try some bumps and things on the second session." So I watched it and, even when I was watching, I was itching to do it and then came in and did the basics that they teach you and it was like every week from there really.

Wrestling obviously influences people and you said you were shy. Do you think that wrestling brought you out of your shell and changed who you were as a person?

I definitely think so because it’s almost been 10 years since I started training now so my whole adult life has been around wrestling. I think I was hanging around people that were a lot older than me when I was 12 years old and that definitely helped mature me in certain things like when my friends at school weren’t as mature as me at that stage. It helped mould me into a different person than I would’ve been if I wasn’t around it and continued to hang around people my own age.

Who are your wrestling influences back when you started wrestling or now. Have they changed?

They change all the time, maybe not on a daily basis but more a monthly basis and it kind of depends on the time. When I came back from Ireland, I didn’t have Sky Sports so I went to my friends. At the time, we had Virgin Media so TNA was on Bravo back during the 6-sided days. I watched that so my inspirations back then were AJ Styles and Christian. AJ more just because he was the high flier and kind of the guy at the time and I was mesmerised by what he was doing. As I got more serious about wrestling, and now even more so and the style of wrestling I watch, it’s changed dramatically and the ones that are solidified are the likes of Fit Finlay, Arn Anderson and Stan Hanson. It's because old school wrestling is my thing as a lot of people don’t really work that anymore so I try to incorporate that in my work. A more of a modern inspiration would be Zack Sabre Jr. He is easily in the top 5 in the world right now and, if you watch his style, it’s kind of a nod to the old world of sport style. I think that’s kind of why I see him more of an inspiration in the modern day. He works that style but not strictly how they did it. He takes holds and then incorporates it and then makes it a modern hybrid twist which is why he’s so good. Also, from a visual standpoint, his frame’s a lot different to a lot of wrestlers but I think that almost adds to his whole thing. He’s a lot smaller in stature but the way he controls his body and can tie people up is amazing. Even when he’s striking, he can hit as hard as the bigger guys he’s in the ring with.

In the recent months we’ve seen a lot more ruthless side to you, especially in Defiant wrestling, where has that come from?
I think it goes back to the influences I mentioned just before, the guys like Fit Finlay and Arn Anderson. That was their view point on wrestling. No nonsense. Like I’m here to do a job and a job’s what I’m going to do. I think that’s become more especially now I’ve gone full time. I think you have to draw a line where yeah it’s all fun and games but now it’s my profession, this is how I pay my bills. So, I have to take it a lot more seriously and I think, going back to those guys, their mindset is what I look up too. I’ve kind of just taken it from them really and it’s working for me. I’m getting a lot more title shots than I was getting when I was happy, happy Mr Nice Guy.



I can’t really talk to you without mentioning World of Sport! What was it like being part of the resurgence of one of the most loved shows in history?
It’s been fantastic! Honestly, we did the tapings in May and it was so positive and such a great team to work with. Then, obviously it aired over the Summer and it got great feedback and then it went a bit quiet . But they’ve just had the tour and it honestly was so good. Every night was a different show but they were all excellent and it all looks positive for the future. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future but I know important people were there at some of the shows and they were really happy with how it all looked and how it all came across to the audience. Even from feedback, some people got tickets on the first weekend and loved it so much they booked tickets for another show the weekend after. I think people who came to those shows just had a really good wrestling show experience. Every match was different and they were all really good matches. Like I said, watching the old World of Sport, it’s great to be involved in almost bringing it back. I’m really happy to be a part of that.

It airs on prime-time ITV on a Saturday, and it’s obviously going to attract a lot more families. What has the reactions been like from the crowds and maybe people that you’ve met on tour, especially the young families who maybe haven’t watched other promotions?
I think that even though some of these people wouldn’t have been wrestling fans before and might not know what Defiant wrestling is or Southside Wrestling or Progress, they’ve seen it on the telly and, when they put it on, they really enjoy it. When I wrestle for most promotions, I’ll wrestle and then go on Twitter and there’ll be a few tweets about that match or people live-tweeting during shows. But I found most of the time that I wasn’t getting that at the WOS shows, but then I looked into the audiences and it’s a very high percentage of children and they’re all so invested in it without needing to write an opinion online. They don’t need to write online because the look on their faces. We did the meet and greets pre-show and for most of them I was sat next to Grado. Kids faces would light up when they see him or Justin Sysum or Will Ospreay. It speaks for itself and I’m really happy that the company and the brand got to give people that experience and that feeling, they got so excited when they saw their favourite wrestlers.

Credit: @WrestlingGabe Twitter

Kidd really has done so much for someone so young at only (I mean he makes 22 year old me feel inferior). He found wrestling at such a young age and fell in love with it like so many of us. However, this post barely touched the surface of Kidd. So keep an eye out for the next part of my chat with him where we talk about some of his favourite matches he's been in, NJPW and the future.

To keep up to date with all things wrestling and to be first to know when I post something new, follow me on my social media (@Wrestling_Chat on Twitter and Wrestling Chatter on FB and WrestlingChatter96 on IG)!

Until next time,

Bye!