His early exposure to wrestling is connected to family; because his grandmother was a fan of the sport, Keith Lee began to follow it as well. Watching wrestling programs helped shape him early on, into not only a wrestling fan an aspiring wrestler. However, Lee initially pursued football before transitioning to wrestling. It was clear that with a six-foot-two-inch and three hundred plus pound frame, he had a build that would fit in on the gridiron. When Keith Lee pursued wrestling in earnest, he was trained by ‘Killer’ Tim Brooks, who had wrestled in promotions such as World Class Championship Wrestling. Lee was exposed to his fair share of ‘old school’ wrestling, suggesting he learned about pacing, transitions and even how to pull off the infamous ‘hour broadway’ which is dependent on a wrestler’s stamina.
NXT’s Keith Lee’s Will Soon Have Everyone Basking In His Glory
Without much notoriety or fanfare, Keith Lee competed on the independent circuit for nearly thirteen years, beginning in his home state of Texas for such promotions as Inspire Pro Wrestling and VIP Wrestling. It was during this time that built an alliance with current Ring of Honor hired-gun Shane Taylor. Together the duo competed as The Pretty Boy Killers. It was a name that fit them, as both men were massive in size, and could physically dominate those smaller than them.
Their success in Texas caught the attention of Ring of Honor, who brought them aboard. Upon their arrival in the company, they immediately began feuding with Mark and Jay Briscoe. However, they didn’t remain together all that long as Keith Lee decided to explore other opportunities, leaving Ring of Honor after a very brief tenure. He set his sights on competing as a singles competitor for not only EVOLVE but Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) as well. This move worked out well he won championships in both promotions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQjl4zSpE6A
It appeared as though the sky was the limit, which may have contributed to his moniker of ‘Limitless.’ Another contributing factor to that name is his remarkable agility in the ring, as he is armed with an offense that heavyweights could only marvel at and ruiserweights dream about. One of the keys to his success has been his continued evolution in the ring and adapt to the different talent that he is in the ring with. Whether it is with technical wizards such as Zack Sabre Jr or seasoned veterans such as Chris Hero (aka Kassius Ohno), Keith Lee faced the very best and learned to work with all shapes, sizes, and styles.
One of his most talked about matches in PWG was his debut for the company. At the Nice Boys (Don’t Play Rock N’ Roll) event, Lee faced both Brian Cage and Sami Callihan. He also had a series of legendary matches against Matt Riddle. In addition to the names already mentioned, during this time on the independents he faced other notable talents on the circuit such as current NXT performers Ricochet and Donovan Dijak, among many others.
By today’s standards’ Lee’s start in wrestling may be a bit late. However, that hasn’t hurt him in the least, as he is clearly a quick study and continues to grow and adjust. At thirty-three years of age (he will be thirty-four this coming fall), Keith Lee has grown by leaps and bounds. Before he walked away from the independent circuit, his last match was against two-time Mae Young Classic competitor Mia Yim. Again, it was Lee’s versatility that enabled him to take part in intergender matches and those sorts of matches that showed he was committed to putting on a great match and facing the best talent in the world regardless of gender. On that match, Lee was not victorious, and his putting over Yim shows the selfless competitor he is.
When Lee faced Kassisus Ohno once again, in a crossover match between WWE’s NXT and EVOLVE, it was announced at that time that he had officially signed with the company. A couple of months later, he was shown on camera in the crowd at an NXT: Takeover event. He debuted on NXT television last summer, and the reaction from those in attendance was feverish. He has all the attributes to succeed, and more than likely will. His ring attire says that others should ‘Bask in My Glory,’ and truth should be told they should. His time has come, and now that he is in NXT, it is only a matter of time before Lee shows the world that the man on grind will blow fans’ minds.
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, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.
