Wade Barrett On If He Plans To Wrestle Again
Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Stu Bennett, formerly known as Wade Barrett, was recently interviewed by Mirror Sport to promote the relaunch of ITV's World of Sport Wrestling. WOSW, after a 30-year absence, is scheduled to have a 10-part series, with the debut episode on July 28. Bennett will act as the "Executive" of WOSW, and commented on the company's return.
"It's absolutely huge because British wrestling hasn't been in the mainstream since the days of Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks which were 30 to 35 years ago," said Bennett. "When I was coming through as a professional wrestler, as a young man in 2003 and 2004, there really wasn't much of a wrestling scene in the UK to take advantage of or make a living in, so I was forced to have to go to the US and kinda make a living from it out there. But these days, with the platform that is offered now through ITV and WOS, it's different.
Hopefully this is going to be a big hit on TV, I believe it's going to be a great product and people are really going to get into it but on top of that the quality of wrestlers in the UK these days is as high as it's ever been. There's some amazing talent out there and we've put together a great roster at WOS and I think people are going to be very excited to watch them."
Bennett feels that British Wrestling lost its way in the 1980s because the athleticism part went away, leaving the show looking like a joke. As a result, this soured the British audience towards pro wrestling. However, Bennett promises that WOS will bring back what the British audience want to see, blending athleticism with entertainment.
Since his WWE release in 2016, 37-year-old Bennett has spent much of his time filling the roles of either a commentator or an authority figure for various wrestling promotions in the UK. The 2015 King of the Ring tournament winner commented on whether he plans to return to the ring.
"I'm on a bit of a career sabbatical at the moment. I wrestled for 14 or 15 years," said Bennett. "I've got a bunch of injuries, I'm tired, I'm getting old, I'm getting some grey hair now. I promise you Morgan that at some point I will be back in the ring and maybe that will take place in WOS. We'll have to see."
The top name of WOSW is currently Grado, with other names on the roster including Will Ospreay, Doug Williams, Joe Hendry, and Davey Boy Smith, Jr.
Source: Mirror Sport