WrestleMania weekend has come and gone. With so many stories coming to a head, it is only natural that at this point, we look to the future. One wrestler that is sure to be a big part of the future is D.L. Hurst. Hurst spent the week in New Orleans, taking everything in.
“It was my first time attending Wrestlemania so I really didn’t know what to expect going into it. I went down on Tuesday morning and got settled, went out and saw the city a bit before heading back and getting some sleep. I attended a WWN seminar on Wednesday afternoon that I can’t speak any higher about. I met so many people. I took in so much knowledge in that one afternoon, not just about wrestling but about the business as a whole. The many different key aspects of it that will get you to that next level and I can’t thank them enough for the experience.
“After the seminar was over, I turned into the little kid inside of me that fell in love with pro wrestling. I got to attend a handful of events that week as a fan. I went to Progress, Axxess, Takeover, Wrestlemania, and RAW. It was amazing to take it all in as a fan as I wasn’t working any of the shows this year. Each night I’d run into different people that either knew me or I knew them and made connections. It was just such an amazing experience. All I can say is that I hope to be able to work even one event next year in New York. To be apart of it all would be such a dream come true.
“I’ve been a wrestling fan my entire life. It’s the one thing that’s remained a constant interest of mine through growing up. I’ve played sports, I played card games growing up, and I even played in a few bands. Now while all of those interests faded over time, I still found myself tuning in every Monday and Thursday/Friday/Tuesday night to watch wrestling.” In 2015, he moved out of his mother’s house with his brother and found himself in an apartment in North Andover, MA. One night, when hanging out with a friend, he was told about New England Pro Wrestling Academy, based out of North Andover. “Right away I took my phone out and looked up the school, sent an e-mail, and was there to observe a class that next week.”
For those of you unfamiliar with NEPWA, notable alumni include Sasha Banks, Donovan Dijak, and Flip Gordon, and Brian Fury has been considered one of the best trainers for quite some time now. “(Fury has) pushed me since day one at the school and I wouldn’t be where I am today without that. I learn something new every night at training and so does everybody else. Any questions I have, he always gives me a straight answer and points me in the right direction, he gives me advice when I need it, and he coaches me to make me an all-around better wrestler. His track record of professional wrestlers that he’s trained is proof enough, but you don’t know just how good he really is until you get in the ring with him.
“Brian’s help has gotten me to where I am today in my career, and I know he’ll be there to help me get to that next level and I can’t thank him enough for that.”
Since he began training, D.L. Hurst has competed for Chaotic Wrestling, Limitless Wrestling, and Chikara. In fact, Hurst was one of the competitors in Young Lions Cup XIV. “One of my trainers at NEPWA is Max Smashmaster, a long time regular in Chikara until recently retiring from in-ring action. While setting up the Young Lions Cup this year, Bryce Remsburg (the Director of Fun at Chikara) got in contact with Max and asked if he knew of any up and coming wrestlers that would fit well in the tournament, and that’s how my name was brought up. My name was thrown into the field of sixteen competitors and I knew right away that this was an opportunity I should not take lightly. I can’t thank Max enough for the nod of approval to be a participant in the Young Lions Cup XIV because it’s given me a lot of exposure that I wouldn’t have had otherwise anytime soon.”
Within a year of his debut, he was competing in the same ring as Daniel Bryan, The Young Bucks, and AJ Styles. “At Stage One I wrestled Dylan Bostic, Fuego del Sol, and Blanche Babish in a very competitive four-way eliminator match. I didn’t come out the winner in Stage One but I made a good enough impression that I was invited back to Chikara for Stage Two. At Stage Two I got to compete in a tag team match alongside Anthony Greene against the team of Xyberhawx2000.”
Being part of the Young Lions Cup is one more box checked off on the way to achieving the ultimate goal. “My main goal, like most people who get into the wrestling business, is to sign a contract with the WWE. Like I said, I’ve been watching it since I was in diapers but to actually be a part of it? To be on TV for other kids to watch and have that same dream? That’s it, that’s my main goal.”
At the rate at which he has progressed, we may be seeing him there sooner than later. The more and more fans see, the harder it becomes to keep it on the D.L. “I know there’s not much in this business I can’t accomplish down the road.”
If you want to keep up with one of the most promising young talents in the world of professional wrestling, follow D.L. Hurst on Twitter at https://twitter.com/dl_wrestles and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dl_wrestles/.
