Jimmy Havoc said good bye to UK indie wrestling for now at Progress Wrestling this past weekend at Strong Style Tournament. He spoke with the UK Daily Star about his departure and his signing with AEW. Here are some excerpts:
“I’m getting pretty emotional. PROGRESS has been a huge part of my life for several years now, and I feel like it’s my home, so leaving is hitting me pretty hard,” Havoc said.
“I’ve enjoyed almost every second of being a part of this scene. Most of my closest friends I’ve met through wrestling, through long car rides and late night drinks in incredibly random places, and I would change absolutely none of it.
“Seeing the scene grow the way it has through the hard work of so many great promotions, not just PROGRESS but ATTACK, ICW, Fight Club:Pro, Rev Pro, IPW:UK and many others makes me feel incredibly proud to have contributed even a small part to it.”
Havoc said he is “excited” about the future of British wrestling – adding that WWE moving into the scene with NXT UK is giving “a lot of UK talent a chance to shine”.
And he also tipped a successor to his blood-stained throne as Britain’s undisputed king of the deathmatch, naming one of his opponents on Saturday – Drew Parker.
“He’s young, fearless, athletic and is annoyingly attractive,” he said.
“I’ve bled with so many great guys over the years like Clint Margera, Jack Jester and Mikey Whiplash, and I’m really grateful for those matches and memories.
“I reckon Drew can carry things on for a long time though. Special mention to Spike Trivet too, he’s great and has a fantastic character, really enjoyed working with him.”
Havoc’s place in AEW comes as the firm, spearheaded by second generation grappler Cody Rhodes, heads towards its first show Double or Nothing on May 25
He said: “Getting signed by a company like AEW was something I’d never imagined happening to me, so I have no idea what to expect or what’s going to happen.”
“I’m looking forward to starting a new chapter in my life. Might try and get my singing career started after this too.”