Andy Wild made his in-ring debut on NXT UK under zero fanfare on May 27, 2021. No entrance music. No vignette. Just him in the ring. Although he lost to Kenny Williams in just over four minutes, it would be foolish to overlook “The Stovie Superman.” So, who is Andy Wild?
He may not be being primed as the next big star of NXT UK, or even officially signed to a contract, but his foot is in the door and that’s all he needs to make an impact. Wild made it weekly back-to-back appearances on NXT UK when he teamed with Dan Moloney in a losing effort against Symbiosis.
In the last golden age of British wrestling, a good way to figure out if someone was a big star was by how much they reflected one of your dad’s mate’s from down the pub. If they were slightly overweight and happy to exploit this, they were probably a star. Case in point, “Big Daddy” himself.
Regardless of if we are or aren’t experiencing another golden age of British wrestling, there’s a clear way to tell if someone is any good. If they look like they can make you a decent coffee, they are probably a big star in British wrestling. Look no further than Tyler Bate and Trent Seven.
Andy Wild looks like he could whip up a pretty delicious flat white. He’s also pretty good at dropping “dad bombs” and putting on impressive displays of strength and cardio in the ring.
https://twitter.com/AndyTheWildman/status/1404529357520093184
Who is Andy Wild?
The self-monikered “Dad Bod God” has lost three and a half stone over the past year to get in the shape of his life. Wild’s intimate blog posts The Diaries Of A Fat Wrestler first documented his weight loss journey and is a fascinating insight into the man. He also discussed his anxiety issues online.
All of this made Wild turning up on NXT UK more exciting. It’s great to see someone tackle their weight and mental health issues and get the shot with World Wrestling Entertainment they deserve. He has recently completed some training with NXT UK and his matches against Williams and Symbiosis were his rewards. His Twitter post after his debut match suggested he may have filmed a couple more matches when he was at the BT Sports Studio.
Wild’s career started in 2006 but took a while to truly get going. Wild was named UK and Ireland’s Most Underutilised Wrestler by Fighting Spirit Magazine in 2019. Sick of waiting patiently for opportunities and being promised matches that never materialized, he cut a promo on Insane Championship Wrestling owner Mark Dallas. This storyline, based on his true displeasure with being overlooked within ICW, struck a chord with fans.
Stepping Out of the Shadows
By the end of 2019, Wild had forced the opportunities within British wrestling he had waited so long for. He saw out 2019 with wins over Joe Coffey and Scotty Davis in ICW and as PBW European Heavyweight Champion, a title he still holds.
Although 2020 slowed things down, Wild has come into 2021 swinging. With a growing number of matches on the WWE Network, Wild is finally stepping out of the shadows. He has been a mainstay of ICW Fight Club on the WWE Network since April 2021, with victories over Leyton Buzzard, Dylan Thorne, and TJ Rage.
You can expect to continue to see him on ICW Fight Club, with a heavyweight title shot surely looking. If he continues to impress in Scotland, we will likely see him on NXT UK again. What we know for certain is Wild is a rare case of a wrestler embracing his vulnerabilities and working hard on himself. It’s hard not to root for that guy.
I am excited to say I recently spent some time training with @NXTUK and made my Debut tonight on the @WWENetwork. This was an unbelievable experience and the culmination of 15 years of work.
Keep an eye on future NXTUK episodes. You may be in for a few more Wild Nights Out! pic.twitter.com/oGTVB6Wa4C
— Andy Roberts (@AndyTheWildman) May 27, 2021
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