Mark Haskins discusses the British wrestling scene and more.
British Wrestling has been a big topic of discussion over the past year with the debut of NXT UK in October 2018. NXT UK contracts reportedly prevent talent from working with Independent promotions that aren't partnered with WWE. An example of this made headlines on Wednesday as Southside Wrestling Entertainment claimed WWE pulled talent from their 9th Anniversary event. SWE is set to be overtaken by Revolution Pro Wrestling, which has a working agreement with New Japan.
Mark Haskins has been a staple of the British Independent scene for over a decade, working for promotions such as PROGRESS, Defiant, IPW: UK, and SWE. Speaking with Andrew Thompson of POST Wrestling, Haskins weighed in on the current state of British Wrestling.
“You’re not going to please everyone. That’s life," said Haskins. "Bottom line is that for the first time in a very long time, wrestlers in the U.K. can make a decent living out of British wrestling with guaranteed money.” He said. “I don’t recall a time where that was possible before. From the people I’ve spoken to, everyone has the intention of making the best of this opportunity and changing the path for future British wrestlers for the better.”
Haskins is a former PROGRESS World Champion, though his reign lasted only 35 days, cut short due to an injury. Haskins expressed his disappointment with the reign.
“Walking out of Brixton the Progress Champion was great, but I had a lot going on in my life that negatively impacts how I feel about that time period. I wanted to have a run at it and see what I could do as the top guy of the company, but I guess you can build up this fantasy experience in your head and if it doesn’t live up to what you expect, it can be super deflating. I wanted to do so much as Progress Champion, but I had to relinquish it soon after due to a neck injury I sustained but has since been resolved. I didn’t live up to my own expectations, so sadly I just kind of remember it being a wasted opportunity," he said.
Haskins signed with Ring of Honor in December 2018, joining the Lifeblood group alongside Juice Robinson, Bandido, David Finlay and Tracy Williams. Along with working a full-time schedule with ROH, he continues to make appearances for various Independent promotions.
“Who knows what the future holds? Right now I just want to enjoy what I do," he said. “It’s great getting to travel, getting to be a part of ROH as it enters a new era, getting to spend a little extra time at home. For the first time in my 13-year career, I’m on a guaranteed income, which allows me to relax a little more and allows me to be more choosy with what I do. I’ve always taken pride in what I do and I just want to apply myself in a way where I can give fans and companies I work for the very best I can. It would be awesome to go back to Japan and see some old faces, and if that’s something someone wants to talk to me about, then hell yeah I’m open to offers.”
Haskins is scheduled to team with Bandido at ROH Death Before Dishonor, challenging The Briscoes for the ROH Tag Team Titles.
Fightful will have live coverage of ROH Death Before Dishonor at 9 p.m. ET on Sept. 27.
