A Wishaw wrestling star is taking his talents across the pond as he continues his fledgling career.
Declan Early, known to wrestling fans as Krieger, will be swapping North Lanarkshire for the ice and snow of Calgary, Alberta, Canada later this month.
The city is one of the hotbeds of North American professional wrestling and has been home to numerous WWE Hall of Fame stars.
Declan said: “I’m quite to have a few contacts over in Canada and they all said Calgary was the place to go to.
“It has a pretty historic wrestling scene and when I was growing up you heard all about the big names who had came out of the city like Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart.
“I already have a few wrestling shows lined up so it’s pretty exciting.”
As well as five-time WWE champion Hart, Calgary has also been home to WWE heroes such as the British Bulldog, Dynamite Kid, Lance Storm and Natalya while wrestling legends Chris Jericho, Mark Henry and Edge began training in the Canadian city.
For his part, Krieger has stepped up his work inside the squared circle since the pandemic and last year was part of over 100 shows across the UK and further afield winning numerous championships across various promotions.
He said: “I’ve been wrestling for 10 years and since Covid I have worked really hard.
“I’m 30 now so I’m not getting any younger.
“I’m quite lucky in the sense that I was working a 9-5 job Monday to Friday so it allowed me the chance to do my training and then do plenty of shows.
“I’ve been very lucky that my family have really supported me.
“I grew up in Craigneuk and when you say to your mum and dad that this is what I wanted to do you hope that they will support you and they definitely have.
“I’ve had so many great experiences through wrestling, been to so many countries and met so many great people.”
Krieger will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of other Scottish performers who have made the transition from the UK wrestling scene to North America.
These include former WWE champion Drew McIntyre, NXT trio Gallus and TNA star Joe Hendry.
Krieger added: “That kind of a change has been massive because it shows there is a pathway.
“Previously you only had Drew and now there are so many. It makes you think that they have been on the same shows that I have been on and if they can do it then why can’t I?”
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