We recently he a chat with one of British Wrestling’s biggest names El Ligero, you can find him on Twitter at @Ligero1 and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/The-Mexican-Sensation-El-Ligero-196094777081501/
What first got you into wrestling?
I first saw wrestling when I was 8 years old. My dad borrowed a video of WWF WrestleMania 8 from a relative, and the first match I saw was Hulk Hogan vs Sid Justice and I was immediately hooked on the sheer size of the guys involved, the massive crowds, the bright colours and all the drama and the rollercoaster they were taking the crowd on.
Who was your favourite wrestler when you were a child?
Who has been your favourite opponent to work with?
Far far too many to mention! I’ve had the privilege of working with so many great guys from home and abroad. Of course, any member of the C3 (Martin Kirby, Kris Travis, CJ Banks, Danny Hope and Joey Hayes) have always been ace to work with. Then there’s awesome talents like Bubblegum, Zack Gibson, Joseph Connors, Dave Mastiff and Liam Lazarus, not to mention Nathan Cruz, who I’ve wrestled nearly 200 times. And that’s just some of the superb talent we have on our shores, I’ve had the pleasure of wrestling a lot of foreign talent who I feel I have great chemistry with, Sami Zayn, Apollo Crews, Ricochet, Matt Sydal and CJ Parker just to name a small amount.
With you being a trainer as well as a wrestler you must see some stars of the future, who of your trainees stand out?
There’s a few students of mine that have turned out to be truly fantastic workers. Martin Kirby and Nathan Cruz being the best 2 examples, easily 2 of the best wrestlers in Europe. Liam Lazarus is another student of mine, and 2014 was a breakout year for him, I think he’ll be someone really successful. There’s a lad called David Graves who I’d advise people to keep an eye on, as he has the dedication and passion to do really well for himself and is on the right track to become a really solid hand.
What do you think of the current state of the British wrestling scene?
The best it’s been whilst I’ve been involved, undoubtedly. It used to be the case that in the past, I’d wrestle in working men’s clubs and small community centres every weekend, the occasional larger scale show would come along and that was fine for the time. But now, it’s completely different, everywhere is doing big numbers and the small shows are an exception to the rule these days. The fact that so many worldwide talents are clamouring to work over here speaks volumes.
What has been your greatest achievement in wrestling to date?
Who would be your dream opponent past and present?
Past Shawn Michaels without a doubt, in my opinion the greatest of all time. As far as current wrestlers go that I’ve never stepped into the ring with? Maybe Kevin Owens? It nearly happened before he got signed and it was a match he asked for, but it never came off unfortunately.
You wrestle both family friendly shows and adult only shows, how do you adjust between the two?
It all depends really. Family friendly shows usually require the wrestlers to try and establish who they are and what their characters are to an unfamiliar audience. Adult crowds usually consist of more hardcore fans who already know who everyone is, so you can get stuck into the actual in-ring stuff a lot quicker.
Who has been the biggest influence on your career?
If someone has never seen an El Ligero match before what should they expect?
What advice would you could give someone wanting to get into the wrestling industry?
Be prepared for a hard grind and a long road if you want to be successful. Too many people think what we do is easy, and it’s really not. You have to be SO dedicated to this if you truly want it, it takes over your life. But in my opinion, it’s worth it.
What is it like wrestling under a mask?
It took some getting used to at first, as I used to wear a full head mask, whereas now the top is open. When I’ve done certain shows that’s involved some of my friends working in masks when they ordinarily don’t, they always ask how I manage it. But honestly, I don’t even give it a second thought now, it’s just second nature.
Where do you see yourself in 12 months?
Finally what does wrestling mean to you?
SOMEONE STOP THE DAMN MATCH!!
Big thank you to El Ligero for taking time out to answer our questions. Let us know what you thought over on the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SomeoneStopTheDamnMatch