Trent Seven: 'It was an honor to wrestle Tyler Bate on WWE NXT'
British wrestler talks Tyler Bate, NXT, and his facial hair!
Thursday 16 February 2017 11:37, UK
Hirsute English wrestlers Trent Seven and Tyler Bate are tag-team partners - but they were rivals on Wednesday's episode of WWE NXT.
Seven challenged fellow Midlander Bate in the latter's first defence of the WWE United Kingdom Title he scooped during a two-day tournament inside Blackpool's Empress Ballroom last month.
Seven, 35, came up just short against the 19-year-old champion, with whom he currently holds tag titles in British promotion PROGRESS Wrestling and American federation Chikara, after being nailed with a Tyler Drive '97.
Speaking to skysports.com, Seven said it was an "honour" to battle Bate on such a big stage and hopes it won't be long before he is back on WWE TV.
The Wolverhampton-born star also discussed January's 16-man UK Tournament - in which he reached the quarter-finals - and why he is so proud of his bushy facial hair…
Hi Trent - what was it like wrestling your 'Moustache Mountain' tag-team partner Tyler Bate on NXT in Orlando?
It was quite bizarre actually as we'd never had a one-on-one match before, so for it to happen for the first time in NXT for the WWE United Kingdom Championship was something in itself. It has always been a goal of mine to get in there with the best in the world - and it just so happens that the best in the world at the moment is one of my best friends. It was an honour to wrestle him. He has taken the world by storm, as we all knew he would.
Bate has wowed plenty of fans with his wrestling ability - did he do the same to you when you first saw him?
I think he was 13 or 14 years old when I first saw him - I was amazed then but he continues to supersede any expectations. He is a very gifted young man and seeing the way he confidently strode into the UK Tournament and knocked down everyone in front of him [was great to see]. He is such a wide skill set and can excel at so many different styles. You have to be at the top of your game to go toe to toe with him.
Did the fact you know each other so well allow you to push the boundaries a little bit?
When you tag together you have to have such a high level of cohesion and your timing has to be perfect, but it is such a different dynamic when it turns around and becomes a one-on-one situation. That said, I think we pushed each other to our limits and put on an exciting match.
Why do you think you clicked as a tag team?
We share a lot of the same opinions on the world, plus we are both vegans - that gives us things to talk about on the long road journeys. Tyler is a stand-up guy, fun, who doesn't mess around and tells it like it is, so we always have a good laugh, too.
When will we next see you in WWE?
I'm just waiting for the call. The joy of wrestling is that it could come at any time, so next week, for example, I could be at a set of TV tapings. It might be weeks, it might be months, I don't know, but there are a couple of big shows coming up over the next few months…
It’s important not to forget how far we have come. No one dreams of doing TV tapings – you dream of competing at WrestleMania – but we are making a big step.
The UK Championship Tournament seems to have been a resounding success - what were your expectations going into it?
I knew with the talent selected that it would deliver on a very high level for the crowd in attendance. However, those two days were live, not TV tapings, and there were guys who had not done live shows before with the potential for such a big audience to watch on TV. So, from that point of view, I think it did supersede expectations with the quality of performances put in. I have only ever heard good things from the wrestling world since.
Have you watched the show from a fan's perspective yet?
You kind of get swept away in it while competing and so I probably didn't quite realise what sort of product got displayed. Having had the chance to watch it back, though, it was mind-blowing - WWE is the market leader for a reason and the quality of the production, camera work and video packages turned 16 wrestlers into superstars.
There is plenty of talent besides you 16 in British wrestling, isn't there?
Wrestling as a whole has got a lot more respect over the course of the last three or four years and it is great to see the British lads reaping the benefits of that. It would be ridiculous to ignore federations all over the world, in places like Japan, North America and South America, being represented brilliantly by Brits - that's testament to the strength in depth we have and how hard we have been training.
Finally, you and Tyler have excellent facial hair - but do either of you top fellow Englishman, Jack Gallagher, in that regard?
Tyler has got a lovely moustache, although Jack may take more time over his, but for overall quantity and quality I think it's got to be me!
Gallagher will challenge another Englishman, Neville, for the Cruiserweight Title at WWE Fastlane on Sunday, March 5, a pay-per-view you will be able to watch live on Sky Sports Box Office.
