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It's hard to believe that, with such a rich history, the United Kingdom has had to wait 108 years to see its first wrestling World champion.

However, that all changed when Norfolk-born Magnus became the first Brit to reach the top of the mountain.

The grappler - whose real name is Nick Aldis - bested Jeff Hardy to become the TNA World Heavyweight Champion on December 19, but he still can't quite believe he's the first.

He told us: "No matter what happens, that will always be the case - that I will always be the first guy to win a recognised World championship from the UK.

"So that's a very cool thing and something that I never thought would happen - because honestly there's so many great wrestlers to come out of the UK that deserved to be a World champion before me, that I never thought would be a possibility.

"It's not something I ever took seriously because I just assumed that someone else would get there first, honestly."

Despite being incredibly humble about the honour, Magnus - who previously appeared as Oblivion on Sky1 show Gladiators - insisted his achievement is "a testament" to those who came before him, the likes of the British Bulldog and William Regal.

He added: "When it happened - and the response that we've got here in England - it's a really cool thing.

"It's more about something that everyone can share now, it's something we can all enjoy and share together.

"That's the way I look at it ... It's a testament to all of those guys. I'm just pleased I can be somewhat considered in the same bracket, even though I don't consider myself on the same level."

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As a nation, the UK has a rich history in the industry, and Magnus is keen to point out the importance of those who have paved the way for his success.

The champ said: "Davey Boy was phenomenal, just such a star, a superhero and such a great wrestler. I remember I just loved him as a kid.

"Regal is one of the most entertaining guys - and I think people overlook that with him. They forget what a great entertainer he is, with some of the best facial expressions in all of wrestling.

"And then of course, he's such a fantastic grappler - such a great, real, rugged style and a great technical wrestler."

Regal is someone Magnus believes every wrestler needs to study to learn how to make it as a pro.

He added: "Even if they don't want to replicate his style - they should study it as an example of a unique character and how he's been able to amalgamate that into commercialised American pro wrestling.

"It should be an inspiration to everybody - and he is a huge inspiration to everyone, including me."

Both the new champ - and TNA as a company - are hugely grateful for their UK fanbase, and he admitted his heritage has been a huge benefit to his career.

He explained: "I happen to be the key talent from their best market - that's a fortunate situation for me to be in, I'm very aware of that.

"That's not something I had any hand in, but that's just the situation, really - that the UK happens to be their strongest market, and I happen to be the best talent they have from the UK.

"So, it's definitely a good thing for me. But that's often been the case, previously, in pro wrestling. Bruno Sammartino was the best character and the most over character they had from that section of the North East.

"That happened to be, at the time, the hottest market where they were doing their best business, so Bruno went on to become Bruno. That's just something that I'm aware of - you need a bit of luck, and I'm fortunate to be in that situation."

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The company capitalised on their avid following when Challenge - who air their regular programming - ran a reality series British Boot Camp in which they tried to find the next break-out star.

Rockstar Spud won the contract, and Magnus thinks the show will return in the future.

He speculated: "I would say there's a good chance we haven't seen the last of that, that could be revisited at some point.

"Obviously it's just a case of, we can't run the show over and over again consistently because we just don't have that many spots on the roster. But it's definitely something that we'll do again, and I'm sure that there's going to be other ways to highlight the best of British talent."

And while the British wrestling community is hugely proud of Magnus and his achievement, he's quick to point out the fans and their enjoyment of the show is always "the most important thing".

He said: "What we have right now with our fans here, they're just on fire. They just love what we're doing, and they've really taken it on. They feel like they are a part of it, and that's the most important thing."