A-Kid Talks WWE NXT UK Heritage Cup Tournament Rules, Randy Orton Blending Wrestling Styles

WWE NXT UK Superstar A-Kid recently sat down with Vicente Beltrán of ViBe & Wrestling to talk about NXT UK's return on September 17. A-Kid is set to compete in the Heritage Cup, and he spoke about the NXT UK tapings as well as the measures WWE has taken to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I was a bit scared because I did not want to miss the tapings," A-Kid admitted. "I was spending time in Germany, and I was lucky because in Madrid, the virus was really strong and the situation was worsening, so that fear was not so strong. I was in Germany half training, half vacationing, and WWE planned the return of the competition and asked me if I would rather travel from Germany to London to avoid quarantine, and that's what I did.

"In WWE, the measures cannot be stronger. The truth is that that makes you safer. I think we have had three or four tests throughout the week and the truth is, they are horrible. I don't wish it on anyone. We were also in a bubble and we couldn't have contact with anyone from outside. It's clearly the best way to do it, and I think WWE has the experience of dealing with these kinds of situations as seen on a daily basis on the main roster."

A-Kid is in the Heritage Cup along with some other big names of NXT UK, like Noam Dar and Trent Seven, making him one of the biggest names on the brand. He talked about what it means for him to be on that level in the brand, especially as one of the few Spaniards in WWE.

"I take it as a compliment to the work I was doing this past year," A-Kid said. "It is something that I would like to do. I would obviously like to become that face in NXT UK, and why not? If television returns in Spain, I would like to see NXT UK on Spanish TV so people can see a Spaniard competing in WWE. It's just that – I take it as a compliment to the work I've been doing."

The winner of the Heritage Cup Tournament will receive the first-ever NXT UK Heritage Cup Championship. A-Kid also revealed details about the tournament and the unique rules that will be featured.

"It is something very important, and possibly it is the highest level that it has been, not counting the current moment in UK," A-Kid noted. "It was in the late 60s and 70s when there were these type of rules that were already in place. It's something we used to do all over Europe. We used to do in the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, France... They are basically rounds that, in this case, there will be six rounds of three minutes to the best of three, and when you get a pin or submission, the round ends.

"To win, you have to have the highest number of rounds won, or win twice. I really want to show this to the fans because for anyone who has not seen it, in my opinion, it is one of the best wrestling styles in the world. Being able to see it and see it in WWE where the best European talents are, it is something very special."

When asked about his goals in NXT UK, A-Kid said he was focused on the Heritage Cup. He talked about how tough of a challenge Dave Mastiff will potentially be.

"I am simply focused on winning the Heritage Cup, so not much has changed," A-Kid admitted. "I am still what I was, and right now, I just have one goal in mind. My biggest challenge right now is winning the Heritage Cup and it's something that has taken me very seriously. The toughest opponent will be Dave Mastiff. He may be the most dangerous because I have never faced that style in WWE, but I will do my best to win."

A-Kid then discussed the need to mix around different styles of wrestling. He highlighted Randy Orton as an example of someone that can mix around styles to tell the best story.

"I think that in general, like any other artistic discipline, the size of our attention has decreased a lot because, after all, we always have a mobile in our hands, and if something bores us, if something is not catching our attention, we can constantly go to that mobile and see everything we want," A-Kid pointed out. "Well, today's professional wrestling as an artistic discipline has to change.

"I also think that Randy Orton, for example, is one of the masters at mixing styles and finding that story with the necessary time to get it right, and at the same time, give us enough action to keep that attention and this constant tension."

NXT UK is set to return but it will do so in an empty arena due to COVID-19 protocols. A-Kid gave his thoughts on wrestling in an empty arena, and how he used Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley's WrestleMania match as a template.

"I personally remember when I saw WrestleMania and the match between Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair, I wanted to do that," A-Kid revealed. "I wanted to have that, to have that challenge, that feeling of wrestling in an empty arena, and it's different because you don't have that fan's strength that helps you to get to the next level. That is the greatest difficulty in my opinion, but once the bell rings, at the end, you are competing and it is exactly the same.

"It's also interesting to hear everything the Superstars are saying at all times. If I say something to my opponent, everyone will listen to it. It is something that you do not have in a normal setup and something that I really wanted to do, and the truth is that the experience was very pleasant."

A-Kid also gave his thoughts on the duplicity of the Cruiserweight and Intercontinental Tiles. He talked about the exciting challenges those titles bring.

"I am a big fan of this duplicity as long as, in the future, there is a match to have a true champion, and I think that is the way they are going," A-Kid stated. "Both have won the title in a legitimate way. If you only want to have one, you have to face each other and see who is better man.

William Regal is a well-regarded legend in not only British pro wrestling but pro wrestling as a whole. A-Kid discussed what it was like to have Regal as a mentor.

"I don't remember a special phrase that changed my life, but the advice that I get from William Regal is incredible," A-Kid expressed. "He is the person who is there in the Performance Center watching us train, and he tells me the smallest things that totally change the perspective of what I do.

"It is very difficult to put into words but he tells me to do one thing instead of another, and it always works. I see that they want me to become a better wrestler, and they know how to pass it to me and how to focus on my style to change and improve it. It makes me feel comfortable."