William Regal is the NXT General Manager on-screen and helps out behind the scenes with NXT and NXT UK. Regal is one of the most respected names in the business for his wrestling ability, longevity, and work as a coach.
Speaking to Metro, Regal reflected on getting his start in wrestling and advice he gives wrestlers coming up today.
"Everything that is good in my life, has come from [Blackpool]. And that means the start of my wrestling career at the Pleasure Beach, to meeting my wife when I was 17 – who I’m still with. My two eldest sons were born at Victoria Hospital here. ‘Everything that I’ve ever learnt – the start of my wrestling and a lot of people who were very important to my career, Johnny Saint being one of them, lived here. ‘So I got to travel with him every day once I was 18 and working for bigger companies. He was such a role model to me, the way he conducted himself."
He continued, "All the entertainers that I knew who lived or worked here, I used to study them. When I wasn’t wrestling, I was always at the circus or at a show watching all these people – 'how do they make their stuff work for their audience?' That used to fascinate me as a child. I always tell people this – when you start wrestling, don’t forget that part you liked as a child. If you can keep a bit of that in your act, you can keep a bigger audience. I didn’t know what a good technical wrestler was when I was little – it was people that made me scream or boo or cheer. Especially with villains that could do that. It’s got to work if you’re up the road at a holiday park with a thousand kids. You’ve gotta keep them booing, you’ve gotta be a pantomime villain, or Dandini, or whatever you’ve gotta be. I’m sat there watching and it’s raining and the parents want to have a drink at the bar. It’s all these different skillsets."
Along with his role as NXT GM and trainer, Regal is one of the key members of WWE's recruitment team. His current title in WWE is Director of Talent Development and Head of Global Recruiting.
In a recent interview, Regal discussed his relationship with Triple H. You can find his comments by clicking here.
