Luke Guyett was someplace over the center of the Pacific Ocean when the world modified.
The Melbourne-based professional wrestler, recognized professionally as Slex, was lastly getting the massive break in his profession he’d been working in direction of for half of his life.
He was flying from Melbourne to Los Angeles in preparation for his first pay per view look with one in every of America’s greatest unbiased wrestling corporations, Ring of Honor, after signing with them in late 2019.
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However Guyett’s flight was in the midst of March. It’s possible you’ll remember some issues went on final March.
“I flew out pondering the present was going forward, left Melbourne, landed in LA and once I landed my cellphone blew up with textual content messages, emails, missed calls – from not simply Ring of Honor however my household and my spouse, saying “come residence, come residence”,” he informed Foxsports.com.au.
“The present’d been cancelled and we didn’t know the way severe the pandemic was, but it surely was getting fairly loopy. So I needed to decide on whether or not I used to be going to go to Vegas – the present wasn’t going forward however they have been doing a little filming and taping. Or, as a result of I’m from one other nation, possibly it’s greatest to get out.
“So I spoke to the workplace at Ring of Honor and the choice was it’s simply safer to go straight residence. I rebooked the flight in LA, was sitting for an hour there and flew straight again to Melbourne.”
Anybody who’s carried out that flight as soon as is aware of how dangerous it may be – twice in 24 hours is simply merciless. However much more merciless was the timing of this pandemic from Guyett’s perspective (not that he’ll complain about it).
As a substitute of transferring his younger household to the US and wrestling across the nation, lastly getting an opportunity to point out off the abilities he’s honed in Australia and Japan, he was caught right here.
Fortunately Ring of Honor has been “completely superb” with their expertise, in accordance with Guyett, holding involved and giving them probabilities to advertise themselves on the corporate’s social media channels.
It’ll be over 11 months between matches when Guyett returns to the ring this Saturday evening for Melbourne Metropolis Wrestling at their comeback present, Homecoming.
“For me personally, when all this occurred I felt like I used to be hitting my stride. And it’s like the whole lot simply received placed on pause,” he defined.
“It’s form of good in a manner as a result of I haven’t used this time to slack off – I’m in higher form, I’ve been coaching my ass off within the fitness center, getting my conditioning higher, I believe I look higher and I’ve been getting within the ring on the MCW Academy and attempting new issues.
“I believe I’m coming again as an all-round higher bundle and a greater performer – I’m not coming again the identical, I’m a more recent and higher model of me.”
It’s the type of onerous work that has enabled Guyett to get his shot within the US (as soon as issues return to regular).
Making a profession in professional wrestling in Australia stays nearly not possible, merely due to the scale of the market. In 2019, high promotions in our capitals might draw just a few hundred followers as soon as a month; the cash simply wasn’t there to go full-time until you dedicated.
After an prolonged break in 2017, that’s what Guyett did, getting his huge break globally when he wrestled New Japan Professional Wrestling celebrity and future Corridor of Famer Kazuchika Okada at an MCW present.
“I hadn’t been placing within the work,” Guyett mentioned.
“It’s very onerous to do this (go full-time), however that was my most important aim once I got here again and had that match with Okada. I gave myself two or three years to do that for a dwelling and try to get signed by a significant firm.
“And I’d practically given up, I believed possibly this isn’t gonna occur, however on the finish of 2019 I lastly received signed.”
Guyett signing with Ring of Honor continued an unimaginable wave of momentum from Australian professional wrestling, which has seen quite a few stars plucked from our island to the opposite aspect of the world.
For years WWE wouldn’t contact Aussie expertise, however now our ranks are within the double digits – together with Rhea Ripley, who practically received the Royal Rumble this previous week, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce and Buddy Murphy.
The truth is, there’s a heavy Melbourne Metropolis Wrestling presence on the earth’s greatest professional wrestling firm, together with Murphy, but additionally Bronson Reed, Brendan Vink and Indi Hartwell – all of whom made frequent appearances on the Thornbury Theatre earlier than signing with Vince McMahon’s empire.
As soon as issues get again to regular, the sensible cash is on the Australia-to-US pipeline persevering with.
“There’s guys that I see developing in MCW who I actually suppose have a shiny future,” Guyett mentioned.
“You’ve received Tome and Stevie Filip, the Pure Classics, whose work is superb however in addition they look nice. And being brothers, that’s one thing that stands out.
“Then you definitely’ve received guys like Royce Chambers, he’s already carried out a little bit little bit of stuff in Japan however he’s solely gonna get higher with extra expertise. You’ve received the Brat Pack [Nick Bury and Mitch Waterman] who’re so entertaining and so good within the ring … there’s numerous younger expertise at MCW and alternatives are simply gonna maintain coming for these guys.
“I felt like MCW was constructing, constructing, constructing, however the pandemic’s simply paused everybody. It’s gonna be fascinating coming again to the Thornbury Theatre for Homecoming and seeing who’s not simply coming again and being what they have been, however attempting to show one thing and make themselves higher. And make MCW higher, which ought to be the aim.”
Guyett’s return to the ring will come towards an outdated rival Adam Brooks, who he was initially presupposed to face in Las Vegas earlier than the pandemic intruded.
The pair have produced a few of the greatest matches in latest native wrestling, which means the pandemic will really give Aussie followers one other probability to see them sq. off in individual earlier than they finally head abroad.
“It seems like Adam and I’s careers have been neck-and-neck,” Guyett mentioned.
“We’ve had so many matches up to now and we convey one of the best out of one another, however this one is really to show who’s one of the best in Australian wrestling.”
Melbourne Metropolis Wrestling’s return present Homecoming on Saturday February 6 is offered out, however the present could be watched on-line at MCWOnDemand.com.au on Monday February 8 from 7pm AEDT.