“They’re really high-level” - Liam Harrison glad to see old training pals Malakai Black, Zelina Vega reach career highs in wrestling

Liam Harrison is one of those people who see happiness in the success of their friends.

The British Muay Thai star is one of the best fighters to ever come out of England, and he’s used his experience and technical expertise to train those who have also fallen in love with the Art of Eight Limbs.

Two people who shared rounds with Harrison are professional wrestling couple Malakai Black and Zelina Vega, two stars who are blazing their respective trails in the squared circle.

Black, real-life Tom Büdgen, has one of the most captivating acts at AEW while his wive Vega, real-life Thea Megan Trinidad Büdgen, is embroiled in the Latino World Order storyline in WWE.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Harrison said he always trains with the couple whenever he gets the chance. He also expressed his pride in watching Vega and Black carve out stellar careers in WWE and AEW, respectively.

Harrison said:

“I’ve known Malakai Black, Tommy, and his wife, Zelina Vega, who’s called Thea, for a while. She’s absolutely massive at the minute in SmackDown, and he’s a big star in AEW, so they’re really high-level professional wrestlers, but they’re both into their martial arts as well. I’ve trained with them before a few times.”

Harrison, who watched wrestling as a kid, said Black and Vega quickly took to Muay Thai and would often incorporate the art form into their move sets inside the ring.

Black is an avid ONE Championship fan and always raves about the action at the ONE Friday Fights series, a habit he made into a weekly viewing on Friday mornings.

As for Harrison, the multi-time Muay Thai world champion is deep into his training camp in preparation for his anticipated return to the Circle.

Harrison suffered a brutal leg injury in his world title challenge against then-ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nong-O Hama at ONE on Prime Video 1 in August 2022.

The injury and subsequent recovery from surgery has kept 'Hitman' off the ring, but he revealed on social media that he'll return in early 2024.