The 'Hope from the Top Rope' pro wrestler Luke Watts was a gymnast at the Australian Institute of Sport for 15 years until he decided to travel overseas to pursue his dream of becoming a pro wrestler.
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Using his background Watts moved to Japan to learn the puroresu wrestling style which was more suited to gymnastics.
"It really worked for someone like me to train over there and hone my craft, the American style at the time was much more about macho bodybuilding," Watts said.
Watts doesn't perform a gimmick in the ring. He presents the audience his unique character with long bleached hair and acrobatic power slams.
Watts is now based back in Australia as a pro wrestler. He's performed in every promotion across Australia entertaining the crowds wherever he goes.
By day Watts is a project manager in Canberra and said he took random gigs throughout his wrestling career to support himself.
"Project management by day, power slams by night," he said.
Pro wrestling experiences a rise in popularity
Australian pro wrestling is experiencing a boom period and a Canberra-based promotion is attracting fighters from all around Australia.
The promotions board of directors member Mark Riley said Australian pro wrestling is developing its own culture and the promotion is at the forefront of the pro wrestling scene Down Under.
"We are seeing an increased popularity in pro wrestling in Australia, there's some very good promotions around the country. The best of them all combine together for Slam! Pro Wrestling," Mr Riley said.
Their latest promotion is the tag-team main event grudge match with 'The Hooligan' Vinnie Bronson and 'The Top Shelf Champ' Mikey Broderick battling 'The Bogan Warrior' Crofty and 'The Hope From The Top Rope' Luke Watts.
Originally from East London, 'The Hooligan' Vinnie Bronson promised crowds quality entertainment. The Hammers fan doesn't shy away from his cockney accent and had a message for his opponent 'Hope From The Top Rope' Luke Watts.
"I like to call him the flop from the top rope because he's an absolute lemon head."
"As for Crofty, he's an utter bellend, there's nothing good about Crofty, every fibre in my being cannot stand him," Bronson said.
The match on Saturday is promising to be an entertainment-packed night and Bronson said the fans can expect a lot of big blows and proper action going on in the main event.
Coming up against Vinnie and Mikey in the main event is 'The Bogan Warrior' Crofty, and 'The Hope From The Top Rope' Luke Watts.
After hearing what Bronson had to say about him Luke Watts had some words of his own.
"He wants to talk crap about me leading up to the fight. Well, listen I cannot wait to get my hands on him."
"I'm gonna grab him so hard, slam him down and give him the 270 degrees of the shooting star press," Watts said.
Mikey Broderick dropped his in-ring persona to talk about how he got involved in Australian pro-wrestling.
Like so many young children Mikey would watch WWE and practise his favourite wrestlers moves.
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While American WWE wrestling and Japanese pro wrestling inspired young children in the 1990s and early 2000s the Australian scene has lagged.
Mikey travelled to Canada to train under Canadian WWE trainer Lance Storm and soon started touring gigs in Osaka and Tokyo.
"In the last five years, it really exploded, you'll see a lot of Australian talent featured heavily in the WWE at the moment like Rhea Ripley and Grayson Waller." Mr Broderick said.
Pro-wrestling in Australia doesn't attract the same lucrative pay packages as the promotions overseas. Mr Broderick said you could find Australian pro-wrestlers working in the public service and construction sites.
"A lot of people do a side job to get by - it's a real mixed bag, I used to be in construction," Mr Broderick said.
Nick Namazian is a wrestling fan from Canberra who started watching the Slam! Pro events when they first started.
Seeing the promotion grow with hundreds now attending their events has been surreal for Mr Namazian but he said there was still a long way before Australian pro wrestling could start competing with the dominant Japanese and United States promotions.
"I love that it's getting more popular in Australia." Mr. Namazian said. "I could see it becoming a real staple in our culture. Pro wrestling, the characters and the showmanship, it suits Australia so well."
