Brian Marshall & The ROCK 108 Morning Show - "AEW Pro Wrestler Kyle Fletcher"

AC DC with a Rock 108 morning show and hell's bells.

Uh, maybe done on purpose for my guest who's here right now, Australian born.

18 months in AEW, but ring of honor, television champion, ring of honor, world tag team title holder at one point, IWGP tag team champion, top 100 in the PWI 500 this year, Kyle.

Let's list them, bro.

Let's go.

That's

right.

We got to go.

Kyle

Fletcher, welcome aboard.

Hello, how are you?

I'm well and yourself.

Very well.

Thank you.

Yeah.

How old were you when you started wrestling?

I was 14 when I started training, but before that, even before that, I was

11 or 12 when I started backyard wrestling.

Really?

It's been my whole life, man.

Yeah.

Is there a big scene in Australia

for wrestling?

So it's definitely growing now.

I think when I got into it, it was it was pretty small.

I think my first show had 20 or 30 people there, something like that.

But they're getting some steam behind the man.

They just my home promotion PWA just had a big weekend Coliseum weekend.

They sold out this.

this historic music venue is pretty, it was pretty cool, man.

So it's definitely, it's getting some steam now for sure.

When did you transition over to the UK to start wrestling

there?

So it was right after I turned 18.

So back in 2017, it's quite easy for Australians to get like a work visa for the UK.

So yeah, as soon as I turned 18, I applied for it.

I got it and I moved over.

The scene there at the time was going off.

So I thought that was a pretty

Good logical career step for me to try and make it out into the world and I guess it's kind of paid off seeing where I am now

Kyle Fletcher from all elite wrestling joining us the show is happening tomorrow at the Alliance energy powerhouse collision this will be live on TNT

folks

and this is the first time I'm thinking that this has been live a wrestling event from Cedar Rapids since I think 97 Kyle that is before I was alive

Yeah, that's crazy.

When did you get a sniff from like New Japan pro wrestling?

So it was I was living in the UK and I was working for a company called Rev Pro and they have very good working relationship with New Japan and Rev Pro were bringing over some New Japan guys and we just

I got lucky enough to get in the ring with quite a few of them.

And from there, I think they would go back and tell like, oh, these guys, like they're pretty good and whatever.

And it took quite a long time.

We went through COVID and all that kind of stuff that put a spanner in the works.

But yeah, it was 2019.

We did our first.

It was like the Royal Quest show in the UK.

So it was the first time and then COVID through a spanner in the works.

But it was kind of a long time coming for sure.

It's good that you're in.

pro wrestling now, especially with all elite wrestling, because if you had been born 20 years earlier, you would have been a stereotype of Australia.

Don't you think?

Yeah, absolutely.

I'm pretty, pretty grateful that the world has developed the way it has, because yeah, I mean, I'm not.

I don't live in the outback.

I don't kiss dingos or steal babies.

You know what I mean?

So, yeah, no, it's cool.

I get to be my authentic self.

I like it.

You know, and Iowans have an affinity towards Australians because...

I've heard this, yeah.

Okay, Tori Taylor.

The punters.

Yes.

Yeah.

From Pro Kick Australia.

Now

he's playing for the Chicago Bears

and

was in the fourth round pick.

He's from Melbourne.

You're from Sydney.

Yeah.

So is there any animosity between those

from Sydney and those from Melbourne?

Not necessarily.

No, I think it's more between Australians and the Kiwis more than anything.

Yeah.

That's awesome.

More with Kyle Fletcher, all elite wrestling.

AEW collision is happening tomorrow night at the Alliance energy powerhouse.

A live taping more with Kyle Fletcher coming up shortly.

Sleep there is new one called fallout on the Rock 108 morning show 947 Brian Marshall joined by AEW pro wrestler Kyle Fletcher.

We were here, baby We were talking about Tori Taylor in college football in

Australia

off the air and you're saying it's kind of hard to even break out as a pro wrestler out of Australia in that bubble, right?

Oh, definitely.

I think I think it's kind of Kind of based off the fact that Australia is this island so far like it feels like it's so far away from the rest of the world It really does feel like a bubble all the time

So unless you find a way to break out of that bubble, you kind of stuck there.

And that's part of the reason why I just went to the UK as soon as I turned 18.

I just was like, I gotta get out of here.

I gotta go do something.

I gotta get out into the world.

You know, I gotta know what are three things you look for when you come to a town for the first time?

What are things that you look

for?

So the first thing is probably uber eats or door-dash See what's around kind of get a lay of the land see what I'm feeling peckish for second is probably a gym

See, have a Google, see what gyms are around, try and find something cool.

And then third is probably just going for a little walk around and just kind of, I love just getting the vibe for a place.

Just strolling around and seeing what there is to do.

When you stroll around in a brand new town for the first time, do you have any wild stories of places that you've been where something crazy's happened on a walk?

No, I don't think so.

I think the only one I can think of.

The coolest one I had recently was right across, we were in Washington.

I think it was Spokane.

And there was just this park across the road.

And I was like, oh, I'll go for a walk in this park.

And it was just the craziest like river waterfalls and like bridges, this awesome, beautiful, like one of the most beautiful parks I've ever seen.

And I was like, I was staying right across the road from it.

And I was like, well, that's pretty cool.

You get gems like that all the time.

We're having such a good time and I'm gonna say two words that probably change that time Will Osprey, right?

Will

Osprey like I knew that was coming.

Yeah, sorry Wednesday, you had a

full head of hair.

I did and then on dynamite luscious locks.

What did you do?

I shaved it all off on live television, baby.

Why?

So I'm sure a lot of people can relate to always being compared to somebody always being feeling like

you couldn't get out of somebody's shadow.

I think my entire career, even before I became tied to Will Ospreay, I got these comparisons and I got this.

I mean, it's probably based off the fact that I think Will is an incredible wrestler.

He's someone that I took a lot of inspiration from.

I love the style that he works.

I love New Japan Pro Wrestling, which is where he made his name for the most part.

He did those high-level matches.

So hearing those comparisons, it's almost like I felt I could never get to the level I wanted to get to unless I shed those comparisons.

Unless I stepped into my own spotlight and made a name for myself.

I am the first Kyle Fletcher.

So that was the statement that I made on Wednesday.

I was shedding those comparisons.

I wanted to step out into my own spotlight and then tomorrow on a collision is going to be the start of a new era for Kyle Fletcher.

So this is going to be taped live at the Align Energy Powerhouse.

Like I said earlier, for the first time, I believe since 1997, we have had live wrestling on television nationwide.

It's cool, man.

AEW collision starts at 630.

Kyle Fletcher is on this bill.

Will Osprey, if he's in the building, what are you going to do?

I said on Wednesday, next time I see him, I'm going to be.

hitting with that tiger driver over and over and over again.

He's got a brittle little neck.

He's had neck issues for a very long time.

I was his best friend.

I know exactly what hurts.

So I'm sorry.

I got to make sure that neck is in a million pieces so I can step over that carcass and move on to where I'm supposed to go.

Who

else is on your radar?

My

radar, in what sense?

Well, I mean, Will is your immediate focus, but who else?

in AEW is on your radar.

Man, I think I, I don't know how to do anything, but go big.

And I look at who has that world championship.

I think that's my end goal.

Joe Moxley, if he has it by the time I get done with Will Ospreay, that's who I'm going to be going for.

See, that's what I like to hear is somebody that has goals and will achieve those goals.

Kyle Fletcher with us here on the Rockaway morning show.

Anything else that you want to make sure that the audience knows about before AEW collision tomorrow night,

man.

I just want people to know how much I love being a part of All Elite Wrestling, how much everybody backstage loves the company and wants to succeed.

It is a passion project through and through.

Everybody that goes out there loves what they do and they are going out there to put on the best show they possibly can.

So if you had the chance to see it live, I would 100% recommend it.

Seeing wrestling live.

Just take it from a guy like me.

That's the way to see it, my

friends.

It's a completely different experience.

It's cool to watch.

I love watching on TV, obviously.

Um, but man, I'm so lucky.

I get to be in the building and see it live every single week.

Um, it, there's nothing like it in the world.

Kyle Fletcher.

Thank you so much for joining

us today.

Man.

Thank you.