Wrestler hopes career will inspire next generation

A professional wrestler, who is preparing to step into the ring one last time after 29 years, said he hoped to inspire young people into the sport.

Tristian Hayes, 45, from Salisbury, Wiltshire, first discovered his own passion for wrestling when, aged 11, his late father took him to Salisbury City Hall in 1992 to watch British wrestling legend Giant Haystacks.

Hayes has competed across the world, including tours in the United States and Australia, and is taking part in Ring Wrestling Stars: Salisbury Slamdown at Salisbury City Hall on 13 September.

He said: "To end my in-ring journey at Salisbury City Hall is deeply meaningful to me, even more so after my dad passed away earlier this year."

"It's been a wild ride. I've gone to places and met people I never would have dreamed of when I started out all those years ago," said Hayes.

He started wrestling aged 16 at New Star training school in Bristol - one of only a few in the country in the 1990s - founded by coach Pete Collins.

"He had a bunch of kids that came from all around the country to Bristol on a Saturday," said Hayes.

"It was quite a tough thing to get into, but also it was tough once you were in it and a lot of people did give up and quit."

"It was a very, very daunting place to walk into with a lot of big fellas there," said Collins, who said Hayes' determination was obvious from the start.

"He was very dedicated and I saw the talent in him. His enthusiasm just kept coming, which was great for us.

"It's a fantastic sport, a fantastic lifestyle, but you must take care of your body and your mind. That's the two main things," he added.

Liam Jones, a wrestler and coach at Evolution in Gloucester, said the sport was a lot easier to access than before - and more well-known via live streaming channels.

"It's definitely improved over the years as multiple wrestlers from the past now have enough experience to set up their own schools," he said.

"The unique thing about wrestling is that people enjoy how captivating and theatrical it is.

"As much as it's a sport and physically demanding, there are larger-than-life characters, and it's over-the-top with people doing a lot of cool tricks and different flips - it's appealing to a younger generation," he added.

Over his nearly three-decade career, Hayes went on to become the Ring Wrestling Stars Heavyweight Champion four times and entertained fans at venues across Salisbury under promoter Lewis Blain.

Asked about what qualities a young person looking to get into the sport required he said: "It's a two-fold thing. You have to be good at the physical aspect, but there's also the showmanship.

"I was a bit of a show-off as a kid, so having an audience just makes it better," he said.

He said he hoped to inspire people to start their own journey in wrestling.

"It's not as impossible now as it seemed many years ago, and there are many great training schools out there where someone thinking about taking the plunge could start on the road to fulfilling their own dreams," he added.

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