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From headteacher to WWE wrestler and again to the classroom, Eddie Dennis has led fairly the life.
It has been nearly a decade for the reason that 38-year-old Welshman give up his faculty job to give attention to wrestling full-time, which led to him turning into a star on WWE’s NXT UK model.
In March 2023, he introduced his retirement from the ring and took a job as a author on the sports activities leisure large, solely to depart a yr in the past and make his wrestling comeback.
Talking solely to Metro.co.uk, Dennis has mirrored on how he left his WWE function to return to instructing whereas nonetheless wrestling throughout Britain this weekend.
“Struggling on the weekends whereas instructing is certainly the toughest factor there’s, and it is infinitely tougher now than after I got here up,” he admitted.
Initially, the so-called Welsh Dragon deliberate to take break day from every part following his WWE writing job, which he left after combating the distant nature of a task for US-based model NXT, initially supposed as a stepping stone to one thing. positively nearer to dwelling.
It wasn’t lengthy earlier than Dennis was getting wrestling bookings once more, and the concept of returning to supplying at his old-fashioned grew right into a a lot larger place.
“September is coming and I am in a pastoral care function in center administration throughout the faculty, and I am instructing full time, and I am nonetheless happening impartial dates on the weekend, completely burnt out and exhausted,” he laughed.
“It is 4 o’clock on Friday, and the final place I wish to be is knowledgeable wrestling ring.”
Dennis – who will probably be at Burning Coronary heart Professional Wrestling in Wolverhampton this weekend together with his FSU tag accomplice Mark Andrews in opposition to TNA Wrestling’s Robbie
“Once I was in my late 20s, and the scene blew up, and my fame throughout the business did [upwards] Throughout my journey, it was a lot simpler to work 50 hours as a college principal throughout the week after which journey 4 hours to an occasion,” he says.
Dennis acknowledged that he is “in all probability reached the best level” he can in wrestling, having tasted WWE success earlier than returning to independents – and the classroom.
And regardless of his continued ardour for wrestling, his college students are at all times there to carry him all the way down to earth.
“Should you discuss to common individuals, versus wrestling followers, the one factor that exists and is smart is WWE, and every part else is simply interest wrestling, and even nothing in any respect,” he laughed.
“So I get on daily basis, ‘Sir, sir. Did you used to wrestle for WWE, had been you a WWE wrestler? Have you ever met John Cena? Have you ever met The Rock? Have you ever met Roman Reigns?”
When Dennis introduced his wrestling retirement practically two years in the past, it wasn’t as a result of he was “prepared” to hold up his boots.
He explains, “I used to be supplied a novel alternative to develop into a author for NXT. And at my age, I used to be 37, I used to be in all probability too younger to do it, but additionally too outdated to show it down.”
The job did not end up fairly as he had hoped, with the unique objective being to function a author for the NXT Europe model, which has but to materialize.
“I ended up spending the 9 months I used to be there – excluding 10 weeks after I was within the US engaged on the bottom – working remotely right here in Britain,” he recollects. “That is the ingredient that did not work for me.”
He left on good phrases with the likes of NXT boss Shawn Michaels, and he emphasised that “the doorways are by no means closed” relating to WWE, AEW or every other avenue offered he can keep near dwelling.
“As quickly as I left that atmosphere, I instantly needed to wrestle once more,” he stated, admitting the drive by no means went away regardless of a rollercoaster profession that noticed him undergo from torn pecs and a separated shoulder.
That brings him to Burning Coronary heart Professional this weekend, an organization he describes as ‘the head of British wrestling’.
“It is like all the good individuals put collectively an excellent present,” he joked, referring to a roster that features fellow WWE alumni, the Grizzled Younger Veterans.
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Working with such a schedule is a really aware selection for Dennis.
“Just about every part I do from now till it stops includes individuals who have an in depth emotional connection to me,” he stated. “Each time I wrestle, I really feel prefer it may be the final time.”
Burning Coronary heart Professional Wrestling returns to Wolverhampton on Saturday 16 November at Wolverhampton Astoria. A restricted variety of second row and common admission tickets at the moment are out there.
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