Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
HIDDEN AIRDRIE WRESTLING HEROES
Declan and Merissa enjoy grappling glory
It might not have the glitz and the glamour of American giants WWE – but Monklands is producing its own top grapplers.
John Cena, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin may be the names that jump to your mind when you think of professional wrestling – but for fans in Airdrie Declan Early and Merissa Fraser are the big name stars.
Declan will be making his return to Premier British Wrestling at the Airdrie Town Hall on October 26 alongside Scots independent talent Wolfgang and Grado.
The 25-year-old is looking forward to returning to where he trained in the PBW Academy to face Joe Coffey – who is a member of WWE’s UK roster.
He told the Advertiser: “It’s really my home wrestling show and I always look forward to it every year.
“It’s one of the highlights of my year and I get all my family out to come and support me.
“I always get quite good support from friends and family here so I can’t wait now.”
He went on: “It’s definitely a bit of a surprise urprise fo r people when en they hear there is s a big wrestling show in Airdrie.
“When n I first started ted wrestling here ere two or three ee years ago you ou wouldn’t t have known n it was here, or at least mos t people you ou talked to didn’t dn’t expect it to be here.
“You expect pect it to be in a tiny venue not in the Town Hall. It kind of blows peoples minds but it shows that there is a community for that kind of thing in Airdrie.”
Declan made the decision to become a full-time wrestler earlier this year, having worked as a carer and in other odd- odd jobs jo around
Lanarkshire. However, How he decidedde that now no was the time tim to take the plunge and spend spen life on the road. road He said: “You have t to cover quite a few shows but I decided decide that this was the right time to go for it. “It can be difficult to spend a lot of your time on the th road, and not with my girlfrien girlfriend who has a normal job or my family. “However, you’ve got to try these things and I felt like I was at the right point in my career. It’s a lot of miles on the car and hard-going on the body but it’s a great job.”
Merissa, who wrestles under the name Emily Hayden, also heaped praise on the local scene. She added: “When people ask me where I go to train, they are always so surprised when I tell them about the PBW Academy which has a school based in Airdrie as well as Barrhead.
“Nobody realises just how much wrestling is right at their doorstep. PBW Airdrie Academy is where I was trained by head coach, TJ Rage.
“I may not be on the card this time but it does not mean my friends, family and the locals should miss out on this show! This is the second biggest show of the year for Premier British Wrestling.
“Every year, the show gets better and better with the matches constantly upping their game and raising the stakes.”