“I mean, from my first month there, the first show that they did was just a few weeks later and I was picking up Teddy Long at the airport.”
The relationships built in the wrestling business are forever. The people you train, your trainers and the fans, they all shape who a wrestler becomes. From the Bayous of Louisiana to the heart of Texas, Nate Bradley has used these relationships to become one of the top independent stars in the South.
The Origin of Mr. 5k
Hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana Nate trained at one of the best schools in the region. Wildkat Sports wrestling school, run by former NWA star Luke Hawx. As a college student Bradley was unsure of a direction but wanted to find his spot.
“I was still in college at the time. And I just felt like I just didn’t have any direction, I guess. And I was looking. And, you know, everyone always says, “Go after your dreams.”
Training under Hawx, the WildKat school opened up opportunities early in Bradley’s career. Nate performed on WWE television on a 2018 episode of RAW. He also had an opportunity to challenge for a WildKat Wrestling title on NWA Powerrr early in the Billy Corgan regime.
“That was probably the most eye opening aspect of getting into it. One of the things that I found fascinating the most is the relationships that a lot of times you guys build in the business because like you just said, it’s very humane on that side of the curtain.”
Evolution into a Champion
Nate sat down with Will Gray, from Last Word on Sports, and discussed the evolution of his career. Wrestling in a house of 10 people or 1000 people should feel different but to Nate it’s just another night at the office.
“So, you know, I actually treat them as one and the same because of my performance, I don’t believe that there’s any reason for me to put a different amount of effort based on TV or house or ten people in the crowd.”
The need to always go at 110% is part of who he is. Like many on the independent circuit Nate also has to work a day job to make ends meet. Eternal struggle of finding a work life balance is there for a wrestler just the same as a regular guy on the streets.
“Like scheduling conflicts, conflicts with shows, Conflicts with work, conflicts with your personal life. It is going to happen for the rest of your freaking life. And it’s okay. That is just what life is. It doesn’t work out perfectly. There’s never going to be this perfect scenario where everything falls perfectly into place. You’ve got to look at all of these guys that are outrageously successful.”
“You want to just wrestle all the time. But then you get to a point where you’re like, “All right, what am I getting out of this?”
The body of a wrestler is left beaten and broken a lot of times after a match, and on the indies these guys have to continue their daily lives with the scars from the night before.
Try me.
📸: One Fall Photo@TASWwrestling pic.twitter.com/MtGgDFLLKT— Nate Bradley (@natebradley5k) November 20, 2023
“Aside from being beat up the entire week and then going into the next show, still hurt from previous weeks matches and then and then you’re not ever healing. And months go by and you feel like you’re falling apart.”
During his career Nate Bradley has held both the TASW Cruiserwight and Heavyweight Titles. This comes with a record that can never be taken away.
“I might be the first champion younger than the promotion, the first heavyweight champion. Because the company was founded in 94. I was born in 95, so I’m actually probably the first heavyweight champion to hold the title that is younger than the Belt and Company.”
Nate Bradley has continued to showcase his skills regularly with TASW. The most recent match between Nate Bradley and Nate Slater ended in a no contest, after outside interference. The TASW heavyweight title scene shows that independent wrestling can still tell good stories.
The full interview is available here. If aggregated please credit, Will Gray and Last Word on Sports.
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Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world.
