Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
I started doing wrestling after school and now I am heading to WWE
Meet the Belfast man who’s got a firm grip on the big time
WHEN it comes to wrestling WWE is the pinnacle – and now Belfast’s Paul Gallagher is ready to grapple, grip, throw and pin with the best.
Signed as part of the new NXT UK weekly streaming show from WWE, Tucker, as he is known, will do battle with the best this weekend in Plymouth and in Liverpool in November.
All are set to be shown each Wednesday on WWE Network.
The 28-year-old has had a life-long devotion to wrestling from when he attended Belvoir Primary School and is now set to be part of the vanguard of talented wrestlers.
Having already had several matches as part of NXT UK Paul has a burning ambition to grow the entertainment shows across Ireland as he prepares to take to the ring throughout the wrestling.ie tour this month.
He said: “I’d love to be the man who failed maths twice but made history in his hometown putting Belfast on the map.”
The former personal trainer started when he was eight years old, spurred on by his brother who helped him join a wrestling school on the Cregagh Road.
From that point Paul has worked hard to be a top grade wrestler and was part of the first UK championship tournament.
He added: “To be held in such a high regard and be considered the best in Northern Ireland amongst such a highlytalented bunch of individuals was a true honour. And to have the privilege of representing my country for the biggest company in professional wrestling was truly a dream come true.”
But it hasn’t been a smooth ride. In 2015 a series of injuries, including a torn anterior cruciate ligament, put Paul on the sidelines for 18 months and as he confesses his knee at the time looked like a “Belfast bap”.
Paul said: “What we do is amongst the most unique forms of entertainment on the planet, I have the greatest job in the world. We have the ability to pull on our audience’s heart strings, taking them on a rollercoaster of emotions, there is no other sport that possesses this ability.
“I train every day, between weights, cardio, mobility and of course in ring training.
“I make sure to cover all aspects to stay at the top of my game. With the wealth of young talent in Ireland north and south of the border, as well as the phenomenal scene in the United Kingdom, I feel I have to ensure I am the hardest worker in the room.”