With their RAW, SmackDown, and NXT manufacturers needing a continuing inflow of fresh pro wrestling talent, WWE’s roster runs into the tons of. The worldwide chief in sports activities leisure scours the globe, always in search of the “subsequent massive factor” that may join with audiences in the identical method as WWE legends like Hulk Hogan, “Stone Chilly” Steve Austin, The Rock, and John Cena, however with so many rookies like Levi Muir vying for WWE’s consideration, getting observed can deliver its personal challenges.
For Muir, turning into a professional wrestler was his solely objective, and he went all-in to be sure that he landed on WWE’s radar by following an inspirational plan that serves as a wonderful instance for anybody on the market wishing to run the ropes. The world-class athlete from Tooting, London, explains the steps he took to develop into one among WWE’s most enjoyable younger signings.
Get in form
It’s true to say that WWE’s locker room is filled with women and men of various sizes, however for essentially the most half, WWE is a tv product and as such, it’s wrestlers have to look good on display screen. Levi grew up watching icons equivalent to John Cena, and he knew that commanding the highlight would require laborious work within the health club.
“I first began watching WWE in 2006,” says Muir. “My favourite superstars on the time had been John Cena and Jeff Hardy. Later, I began to understand folks like Rey Mysterio and The Miz. Cena is an enormous boy — he has muscular tissues on muscular tissues — in order that stood out to me as a child. I noticed {that a} massive a part of attending to WWE is trying good, and that’s the place my love of bodybuilding got here from in order that I may decide to this journey correctly.”
As a self-professed hard-gainer, Muir has to work laborious to devour energy, ensuring to refuel at the least each three hours. He’s been in a position to take his naturally trim physique and add muscle to his body, to realize a terrific search for the cameras.
Be taught from the perfect
There is no such thing as a scarcity of retired pro wrestlers who will take your cash to highschool you within the artwork of professional wrestling however, as Muir quickly came upon, it’s necessary to hunt out the perfect coach that will help you meet your objectives, even when meaning shifting midway internationally.
“I went to my first coaching class after I was 14,” says Muir. “It was simply at the back of a pub. My mom got here down with me and on the finish of the category they’d everybody take kicks from all the opposite wrestlers as an ‘initiation.’ She by no means let me return there once more. After that, after I was 15, I discovered (the well-respected) Progress Wrestling College (in London) and I dedicated myself absolutely. Then, the next 12 months I went [to Calgary, CA] to coach with Lance Storm.”
Lance’s Storm Academy ran from 2005-2019 and has skilled the “who’s who” of right this moment’s crop of grapplers, together with Dominik Mysterio, Gail Kim, Franky Monet, Brian Pillman Jr., and so many extra. Whereas the Storm Academy was not an “official” WWE coaching heart, it was a good selection due to Storm’s profession as a revered professional wrestler and his WWE connections.
Be ready to go all-in
Muir was nonetheless at school whereas leaping back and forth between The Storm Academy and Olympic trials. The flights and lodging took a heavy toll on his pockets, so he made the choice to find work in order to fund his development. “I obtained two jobs, and I simply labored them for eight months,” says Muir. “It was work, practice, work, and that was it. I labored in a day care heart with infants and I labored in a health club too, cleansing the health club and doing shift work. It was a chance, and a danger, however hopefully I’m beginning to see that pay-off now. It labored out in the long run.”
Develop into a rounded athlete
“I found out that there have been two routes I may take to attempt to get to WWE,” says Muir. “One route is the unbiased wrestling route, and the opposite is the ‘athlete’ route. If you watch the tryouts within the WWE Efficiency Heart, there are NFL guys, Ex-basketball guys, powerlifters, all guys that had a pedigree from a special sport. I knew that I wanted a sport behind me, to legitimize myself [to the scouts], so I began powerlifting and did rather well. I received a GB competitors, and I obtained contacted by the GB Olympic team.”
Group GB was working a program referred to as “Uncover Your Targets” and put Muir by means of his paces in tryouts. He was provided a spot on this system, however since he was already deep into his professional wrestling coaching with Storm, Muir declined the supply together with his objective of turning into a well-rounded and revered athlete now fulfilled.
Grasp your conditioning
Within the ‘80s, a beefy physique appeared like the one qualification wanted to seek out your home on the cardboard, however today professional wrestlers are anticipated to be conditioned athletes who along with trying nice, also can dangle with smaller and extra agile challengers. Muir is a large fan of field leaping — he has a private finest vertical bounce of 59 inches. He additionally has a formidable backward-facing field bounce.
“I like plyometrics. I believe that sort of coaching is so useful for professional wrestling,” he says. “I believe it reveals within the ring, it creates a distinction in motion, and I believe it’s one thing that each wrestler ought to do. It is sensible since you use the identical model within the ring, whether or not it’s leaping up and down or altering path, so why not practice that method exterior of the ring to start with?”
Levi Muir is a eager powerlifter and likes to carry heavy, however he’s tapered these periods off to accommodate his busy wrestling schedule and relieve stress on his joints, serving to to stop any accidents that might pressure him to overlook matches. “I don’t avoid it fully,” says Muir. “However I do strive to focus on the bodybuilding model of coaching, together with these plyometrics.”
By no means give up
Levi Muir constructed his connections with WWE higher-ups and was instructed to maintain working laborious. He plied his commerce on the unbiased scene for nearly three years earlier than incomes his WWE contract. And, for the reason that lifetime of a WWE famous person is as a lot psychological as it’s bodily, NXT UK’s William Regal couldn’t resist testing Muir’s steel earlier than a contract was provided.
“I had a three-day tryout with WWE in 2019, and it was the hardest factor I’ve ever carried out,” says Muir. “We had 4 professional athletes depart inside 20 minutes of beginning the tryout. There have been so many drills, and so many burpees. Then I used to be requested to remain and practice with the WWE NXT UK roster for the week as nicely. I used to be solely 22, and I had grown up watching Noam Dar on Monday Night time RAW and now I’m coaching with him. Wow!
“On the finish of the week, William Regal got here as much as me and he mentioned that he needed me to have a match in entrance of the wrestlers in attendance in London’s WWE Efficiency Heart. However proper earlier than the match, he instructed me that they weren’t going to signal me [laughs]. He mentioned that they had been going to deliver me in part-time, and see how I did — type of like probation. So, then I went and wrestled the match with all this occurring in my head, had the match and afterward, he instructed me that they had been actually going to signal me and that I did nicely. And that’s the way it all panned out in the long run.”
Having pushed himself by means of psychological and bodily limits, Muir absolutely intends to show that William Regal, and the WWE had been proper to deliver him into the fold.
“My fast objective is to take benefit as a result of I’ve obtained folks round me which might be a lot extra skilled than me,” Muir says. “I preserve my mouth shut and my ears open. My long-term objective is to assist push NXT UK as a world model. We now have the perfect roster on this planet. My long-term objective is the world title and nothing much less. I need to be the primary black NXT UK champion. There’s a well-known quote wherein Triple H mentioned that in case you are not right here to by champion, then why are you right here?”
Levi Muir WWE Exercise
BACK
Deadlift 5 x 3
Pullup (weighted) 4 x 10 (Final set to failure with the equal of your physique weight)
Vast-grip Lat Pulldown 4 x 8-10
Plate-loaded Seated Row 4 x 10
Dumbbell Row 3 x 10
Straight-arm Cable Pulldown 3 x 12
Barbell Shrug 4 x 10
BICEPS
Machine Preacher Curl 4 x 12
Rope Hammer Curl
superset with
Cable Curl 3 x 15
Hammer Curl 3 x 10
Incline Dumbbell Curl
superset with
Focus Curl 3 x 10
