Only 19, Nick Wayne is a wrestling prodigy
“Professional wrestling, it is everything I ever wanted”
The Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath the surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.
Contents for The Week in Wrestling:
Only 19, Nick Wayne is a wrestling prodigy
An inside look at the past week in wrestling
CM Punk is going to Saudi Arabia
Tweet of the Week
Nick Wayne on pro wrestling: “It is everything I ever wanted”
Nick Wayne carved his name in wrestling history this spring, becoming the youngest wrestler to ever compete in Best of the Super Juniors.
Andrade (then known as La Sombra) and Alex Wright were both 20 when they took part in New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s famed tournament, but Wayne, 19, is still a teenager. The global tourney featured talent from NJPW, AEW, CMLL, DDT, and Dragon Gate, bringing together the most elite super juniors in the world.
“The past three, four years, my biggest goal in wrestling was to be part of Best of the Super Juniors,” said Wayne. “I felt at home right off the bat. After I landed in Japan, I did the press conference, and the second I made my entrance, I felt like I belonged.”
Wayne returned to America last week after 23 days in Japan. He wrestled 14 matches and put forth an excellent showing, even defeating reigning IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion El Desperado.
“The consistency of wrestling, wrestling almost every day, that felt so good, even when I was tired and exhausted,” said Wayne. “I ate at a yakiniku spot every day. That Hamburg steak, I miss it already. The wrestling, the city life, the food, all of it was an incredible experience. It was a dream come true.
“I’d love to go back to Japan. Right now, my focus is on taking any opportunity that is in front of me and running with it.”
Wayne is the reigning Ring of Honor World Television Champion. He captured the title this past April in Boston, defeating Komander in a bout that caught the attention of both wrestling fans and his peers in the locker room. It was a performance that even pleased Wayne, who is his own harshest critic.
“I take professional wrestling very seriously,” said Wayne. “It is a very big deal to me, and I’m hard on myself. I’m a big nitpicker on my work, but I was happy with that match. I got a lot of great feedback from it, too. I felt really good about that one.”
The title victory allowed Wayne to make some ROH history, too. He broke the long-standing record of Adam Cole, who was 22 years old when he won the title in 2012, to become the youngest ROH TV champ.
“I’m honored to be mentioned in the same conversation as Adam Cole,” said Wayne. “He’s one of the best wrestlers and he’s had this prestigious career. So that’s truly unreal to me.”
A third-generation pro wrestler, Wayne’s grandfather is Moondog Ed Moretti. His father is the late Buddy Wayne, who passed away eight years ago.
Wayne’s father left a lasting impression on his son.
“Everything I do is for my father,” said Wayne. “He taught me how to be a professional wrestler. He was a wrestler and ran a wrestling school with classes three times a week, so I was always around professional wrestling. I’ve been in love with it for as long as I can remember.”
When Wayne was in kindergarten, he brought in his wrestling action figures for show-and-tell. He snuck off during his eighth grade school field trip to watch the Will Ospreay-Ricochet match from the 2016 Best of the Super Juniors. Four years later, the editor of the high school yearbook dedicated a whole page in the senior yearbook to Wayne’s adventures in pro wrestling.
Currently part of The Patriarchy, which is led by Christian Cage, Wayne is getting his own unique college experience by following his calling.
“I’m carrying a legacy,” said Wayne. “My father left it with me to pick up and carry, and I’m here to run with it. Since he passed, a lot of people have mentored me, including Christian Cage. I wish my dad could be here to see what I’m doing, but I know he’s with me every step of the way. I want to carry his last name with everything in my soul.”
Wayne’s wrestling career is especially family-oriented. His mother Shayna is also part of The Patriarchy, doing what any mother would do–which is whatever it takes to help her son win.
“It’s something we never expected, but it is fun to work together,” said Wayne. “She does such a great job of being herself. Our story is real. There aren’t many mother-son duos in pro wrestling. It’s a crazy experience, and I’m blessed to have my mom there with me.”
Once he returned to the states, Wayne quickly got back to work. He defended his title last week at Fyter Fest, defeating AR Fox, Sammy Guevara, and Lee Johnson in a four-way. Wayne is looking to build toward a big match at Supercard of Honor in July, which takes place a day before AEW’s All In pay-per-view.
“Consistent title defenses are key,” said Wayne. “I want to add value to the belt.”
A seven-year pro, Wayne still has a great deal to prove. His whole world revolves around pro wrestling, and the passion in his craft is felt when watching Wayne in the ring.
“Being younger and smaller, I have to work harder to prove myself,” said Wayne. “I’m proving I can be in the ring with anyone of any style or any range.
“Professional wrestling, it is everything I ever wanted. This is what I am here to do.”
This past week…
Gunther defeated Jey Uso on Raw, regaining the World Heavyweight Championship. Does anyone else get the sense that Uso will win the title back at SummerSlam?
R-Truth didn’t even need a full three minutes to get his point across: he is Ron “The Truth” Killings, and he is no sideshow act.
The King and Queen of the Ring tournaments are official. My picks: Sami Zayn (defeating Cody Rhodes in the finals) and Jade Cargill (defeating Charlotte Flair).
Mariah May’s new name in NXT?
Blake Monroe.
Mr. Iguana was the breakout performer at this past weekend’s Worlds Collide show.
We’re in store for another four-hour AEW show tonight, which includes a rematch of Will Ospreay against Swerve Strickland.
Tommy Fierro, who runs the 80’s Wrestling Con, is running a unique event throughout July and August–an 80’s Wrestling Fantasy Summer League.
It’s videos like this why I spend too much time on the WWE Vault page.
CM Punk is going to Saudi Arabia… did you expect anything else?
At some point, it was bound to happen.
WWE makes yearly voyages to Saudi Arabia. And CM Punk is one of the most prominent stars of the entire brand.
His journey there was inevitable, especially with the Royal Rumble being held there in January. So it should not be too shocking or jarring that Punk is going to Saudi Arabia for a match against John Cena later this month at Night of Champions.
The storyline was smart. Cena told Punk that he could have a shot at the world title, but only under the condition that the bout take place at Night of Champions. It is a missed opportunity not to hold a match of this magnitude at SummerSlam, but all those complaints will be muted by top WWE executives as they cash checks from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Punk is going to get criticized for this because of his comments from five years ago, when he unequivocally expressed his distaste for WWE’s travels to Saudi Arabia. It will be interesting if he ever addresses that comment, or whether he is asked about it during an upcoming press conference or media appearance. Clearly he had a change of heart, and it would be fascinating to hear him explain why.
But there is no mystery what Punks wants in WWE, and that is to reclaim the top spot. And going to Saudi not only provides Punk with a match against Cena, but it also brings him a step closer to his ultimate goal of a main event and title win next year at WrestleMania 42.
Tweet of the Week
It was music to this wrestling fan’s ears to have Corey Graves back on the headset at Worlds Collide.