Xia Brookside Had To Train In Secret

While the perception of second-generation wrestlers is often that they have an easier way into the business compared to those coming in without wrestlers in the family, there are certainly aspects that can complicate matters for these performers as well. Making an appearance on "Busted Open Radio" on SiriusXM, Xia Brookside, daughter of British wrestling legend Robbie Brookside, spoke about breaking into the business while her father initially tried to keep her away from it.

"He never trained me," Brookside said. "He did everything to keep me out of [wrestling]." Brookside revealed she initially wanted to become a veterinarian, with her father very supportive of that dream. However, when he moved to the United States to become a coach for the WWE Performance Center, Brookside realized just how much she missed wrestling.

"When he left, I felt like there was something missing in my life," Brookside continued. "And then I was like 'Wait, no, this is actually what I want to do.' And then that's when I realized I loved wrestling – when it was taken away." Brookside shared that she began training in the United Kingdom when she was 15 years old under a wrestler named Darren "Thunder" Walsh, and would make her debut just a year later. 

"I actually went to this trainer behind his back," Brookeside shared. "I was like 'Hey, Uncle Darren, my dad said I could start training with you.' He didn't. So I kind of like snuck in. But I found out like a year ago that Darren actually did call my dad, and they ran it past each other. He just wanted me to be trained properly." The young performer was released by WWE in August after four years with the company, and has now returned to the U.K. independent scene to continue improving her skills.