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To say Impact Wrestling star Rockstar Spud has shown unrivalled versatility since winning the inaugural season of British Bootcamp back in 2013 would be an understatement. A two-time X-Division champion with an appearance on BBC 3’s Snog Marry Avoid to his name, whether it’s a feud with a top star or losing to a one year-old on television, Spud is one of the most dynamic performers in professional wrestling today.



The confident Birmingham man’s current role has seen him take a severe beating at the hands of 4-foot former WWE comedy character ‘Swoggle’ to the point of being wheelchair-bound. However, wherever he finds himself on the card, he insists, nothing fazes him. “Look, I want to be the World Heavyweight Champion but, creatively, I just want to be on the show.

"I don't care about where you put me. There isn't another talent in the World that can be as adaptable as I am. In any situation. I have no problem saying that, I am very confident in what I can do.

"If you want me to go in there and tear it up with Kurt Angle for the World title, I will. If you want me to go out and lose to a one-year-old boy and make it look good, I will. If you want me to main event Wembley Arena in front of thousands of people in a hair vs hair match and bleed all over the building I will.

"Even if you want me to pull down the pants of a little person, I will, and I'll make it work. I promise you, whatever you see of me, whatever my role is, as long as I'm on the show, you can guarantee that I'm going to knock it out of the park and it's going to be memorable."

Of course, the ambitious 34-year-old has goals higher up in the card at the newly-branded Impact Wrestling. "I may sound like an egotistical jerk, but I'm not," he claims, before challenging his new boss and former World Champion Jeff Jarrett to a match.

"I'm well able to call people out and I'll do it right now. If he'd ever get back in the ring again, I'd want to face Double J! I think it could be brilliant.

"[Imagine] the things he could say to me, and the things I would say to him. I'll even bring his old lady into it! I have no worry or care about what I'll say on the mic to Double J... I think the audience would really really enjoy it. But I'm not going to hold back! If he wants some, I'm more than happy."

The former TNA brand has had its fair share of public controversies, but Spud seems keen to stress that there isn't actually much in the claims of backstage drama from outsiders who claim to be looking in. "IF we didn't want to work here, we wouldn't work here. It's as simple as that. If we wanted to work elsewhere we would go up to the people in charge and say 'hey can I have my release? I don't like working here'.

"We love working in Impact. We love what we're doing, we enjoy being around each other, we enjoy the people involved, the management, we're a team! That team has the same vision as I have."

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He didn't even think much of it when Ed Nordholm of Anthem took over the reins from Dixie Carter back in January. "Honestly, here's the deal: I turned up to work and Jeff [Jarrett, now a part of the backroom team at Impact Wrestling] was there. So I said "oh hello mate," and went on with my day.

"That sort of stuff is above my pay grade. I am there to put on the best possible performance for my audience. And they are my audience as long as I'm out there. That's all I can say it."

(Image: Impact Wrestling)

The, no pun intended, impact that wrestling can have on its audience is something Spud has experienced first hand in the form of his role as an ambassador of British charity 'Starlight'. He got the chance to meet a young sick boy, Reegon, last Summer, who admitted that his one wish was to meet the two-time X-Division champ.

"I've had a lot of career highlights that I could say are 'the best' in the ring, but I always say that as an ambassador of Starlight UK to be selected to grant a wish was my greatest achievment. Out of all the people in the World, Reegon chose me! That's because of the connection he had to the character that I projected on the TV screen and that was one of the best things I've ever done in the job."

One style of wrestling that he refuses to work in the ring is the famous 'strong style' that has come from Japan to take the British and American scenes by storm. "Strong style is the wrong style," he says.

"Don't worry, I'm sure there's actors out there who do 'strong style' acting where they actually shoot each other in the gunfight scenes. Think about it: 'This is strong style acting guys, I'm bringing legitimacy to the role' says Tom Cruise when he's actually flying a fighter jet.

"All of my matches are one star matches, because there's only one star in them: Me!"

You can subscribe to Total Access Impact Wrestling for less than €6 a month and stream weekly episodes of Impact Wrestling just one week after it airs on Spike UK. You also get access to all library content including TNA Greatest Matches, TNA Classics, TNA British Boot Camp and much more.