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NXT UK has been on somewhat of a hiatus recently, with no live events taking place in the United Kingdom due to COVID-19. That hasn't stopped the WWE Superstars from working though, as Dave Mastiff recently confirmed to me how he's staying sharp ahead of WWE's plan to resume taping shows.
As I detailed a few weeks ago, NXT UK Superstars have been taking part in online acting seminars, Skull Sessions, and of course, simply working out.
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The Bomber also opened up on his rivalry with Joe Coffey - stating the first two men he'd love to be back in the ring with when it's safe to do so would be the Scotsman and WWE's NXT United Kingdom Champion WALTER.
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Mastiff also went on to discuss his role in The Rock's movie about former WWE Superstar Paige, as well as how surreal it is to work with the likes of Shawn Michaels as part of the NXT UK brand, before emphasizing the importance of the WWE Universe.
Sportskeeda meets Dave Mastiff
You can watch the entire video below, or read on for the full transcript!
Before we get into the wrestling and all the fun stuff... In the UK, we've not been able to get out or do much recently. With no wrestling in the UK right now, how are you keeping yourself busy and what are you doing at these times?
For myself, I'm using a lot of the time to study old tapes and old matches, keeping my mind active. That keeps me learning, that keeps me improving as a professional. Fortunately, for myself, last year, for my birthday, my partner totally did out the garage and moved a load of gym equipment in there so I've had a garage gym for a considerable time now, so I was slightly ahead of the curve, so I'm able to keep fit and keep active in there.
I'm walking the dog. That's my mandated outdoor time for the day and just keeping busy, trying to entertain my son, that's been a bit of a blessing because the time we've had off has been totally unbroken time with him, and seeing him develop and it's really nice to be able to see that, I guess, so there is a positive from all of this right now.
NEXT: Dave Mastiff discusses NXT UK's return plans
Obviously there is stuff outside the ring you can do to keep going, but the one thing, we don't have much in the way of wrestling in the UK. Actually, none at all. We're watching the stuff in America happen in front of no crowd. What do you think of the prospect of wrestling in an empty arena?
I think there's a plan going forward that, as soon as it is safe for us to return to work and provide content, and I believe we absolutely will. So, as a professional, just to be able to provide the content for people, to bring smiles to the faces is something we're all really looking forward to and it will be different with there not being much of a crowd, or with there being no crowd if we have to do that, but, you know, we are professionals, we are focused and we've got a job to do when we go back, and we will absolutely do it, and we will all be relishing going back to work, and the truth is...
It's a little bit funny but, if you go back 15 years, there wasn't many people in crowds in British wrestling shows, so it's going to be about seven people less than my smallest crowd I ever wrestled in front of.
We are still getting NXT UK shows right now, while it is slightly different in the way of the history of the brand, favorite matches, and hidden gems. What's been your highlight of NXT UK so far personally?
That's a curveball, I was expecting a different question to that. Personally, I couldn't pick one. There's been so many, I've had so many great experiences. In the ring... In the ring, I think two moments stand out for me. The first one being obviously the Royal Albert Hall against Joe Coffey to really kick the brand off. Our first big moment as a brand was there and again against Joe Coffey and TakeOver: Cardiff, the Last Man Standing Match.
Those were big moments in the ring but the whole experience so far, the last two years have been phenomenal - and just away from the ring, being able to go around the country to these different places and entertain people, to build something special, has been really cool and also there's been times where last year, NXT UK went out to the Royal Rumble in Phoenix and we went to WrestleMania New York, so to go out there and represent the brand and get to see those places and meet the WWE Universe at meet and greets and stuff has been something really special, and on a totally personal and selfish note, to be able to do that with some of my best friends who I've known for a long time has been really great.
NEXT: Dave Mastiff discusses his Last Man Standing Match
Well, two of my highlights of yours have to be the match with Kassius Ohno in Blackpool recently and, of course, the second Joe Coffey match, being a huge fan of both of you. With a match like that, is there a switch you flick to adjust to a match like that? Is the end goal simply to make it out alive?
Yeah, there's definitely a switch that you can flick on, and for something like that, there was 5000 people there, and hundreds of thousands, maybe more, watching on the WWE Network. The thrill and the buzz from the crowd in the arenas. That's what you live for and that's why we do what we do. As the match goes on, I personally become way more comfortable. I start to almost enjoy it despite how painful it can be and how dangerous it can be. It's the greatest thrill that I could have.
I mentioned there that my favorite Mastiff moments have been two matches, but I think I actually lied a little bit! My favorite Dave Mastiff moment is for sure seeing you in Fighting With My Family! I did not expect that! How did that come about and what was the experience like?
That was a crazy experience, really. It came about because I saw one of my friends on social media share a link with an email address for wanting wrestling extras, so I emailed and sent off my details and some photos, and I had a call from them and they said, "Can you come down so we can just talk to you?"
I went down and I met Stephen Merchant and a couple of his associates and they said, "Right, can you come on these two days and do some filming? We want to do a wrestling montage, and stuff like that," so I said, "Yeah, that sounds good to me."
I went down to London, very early morning, and we filmed at part of the Olympic Park.
It was a long day, but we filmed a scene with Vince Vaughn, who is a really interesting guy, real down-to-earth guy and it was quite interesting speaking to him in between takes because he seems so down to earth and we just chatted about Gracie jiu-jitsu and MMA, and about professional wrestling as well, so it was a real cool experience, really humbling and I feel quite fortunate that I got to do some of the things I did.
I did a lot of the work with the lead character, who was obviously portraying Paige, and film stuff with her, the training scene, which is really cool, she was really willing to give things a go in terms of the physical aspects in the ring, which can be tough obviously. She gave it a good go and she was ready for the rough-and-tumble of it. So that was quite cool.
NEXT: Dave Mastiff discusses working with Shawn Michaels
So, I normally ask NXT UK Superstars, you get to work with Triple H, Shawn Michaels, William Regal, Johnny Saint... Legends! You've also been in a movie with The Rock! What's the strangest interaction you've had with a WWE legend or a fellow WWE Superstar?
Oh, jeez. A lot of it is pretty surreal. In general. Working at the PC with Shawn Michaels, who is one of our coaches. Shawn Michaels is my boyhood hero and talking with him about my matches and how to get better, how to improve and stuff like that, and listening to some of the things he says, that is surreal. We'd come back from...
I remember speaking to him after the Glasgow tapings up at Braehead last year, we had come back from the main event, it was a four-way main event, myself, Joe Coffey, Travis, and Jordan Devlin, and I spoke to Shawn, and we all spoke to him and Shawn was really complimentary and it's kind of strange, it's just strange to hear that. It's kind of... It's kind of hard to accept because he's saying complimentary things, and you obviously aren't, you just kind of don't want to believe it because he's the greatest of all time, so he doesn't need to say those things.
On the flip side of that, you work with veterans but the younger Superstars probably look up to you in a similar way! Of all the young talents in NXT UK, who do people need to keep an eye on? Who do you look at and think, "Man, they're going to be huge"?
Ooh. The roster are so talented and there's so much depth on the roster at the moment, and also people will think that we're talking about young people but there are so many people who aren't necessarily young, not 19 or 20 years of age, but they've not really come to full prominence yet. They've been involved but they've not really broke out.
Someone like Ashton Smith has got a lot to offer, I think. And then again, there's guys... There are young guys like Tyler, who is 23-24, something like that but Tyler Bate is already a breakout star. Yeah, there's just so many. Valkyrie's just came into NXT UK recently and she's got a lot of potential. There's a whole host, and there's young and, nobody's old but, you know, throughout the roster, there's so much talent and everyone's just waiting to break out, and everybody's going to get their moment at some point, and you can see just how talented the NXT UK roster is.
FINALLY: Dave Mastiff reveals who he wants to be back in the ring with
I just asked you to praise the roster, but all I've seen online is your fellow Superstars saying how they can't wait to get back in the ring and beat someone up. Who's the one person you want to be back in that ring with?
Oh! I'm indiscriminate, I will absolutely batter anyone... But, no, I enjoyed giving WALTER a good pasting in York. You know, me and Joe Coffey, obviously I think we've got a bit of a history in NXT UK, and even beyond that. Our paths might not be crossing at the moment but I've got no doubt that, down the line, they will cross again, and Joe brings a bit of something out of me, and I think I bring something out of him again, and it will be pretty brutal.
Thanks to WWE UK for setting up the interview, and to Dave Mastiff for taking the time.
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