To The Maxted

Despite the coronavirus halting continuance of wrestling shows on a worldwide scale, 2020 has still shined a light on some of the finest talent that the United Kingdom have to offer. Adam Maxted, who has wrestled for 4 years now, is essentially the figurehead for this new crop of stardom, and he sets his sights on being one of the best professional wrestlers in the world. Humble in the judgment of his juvenile career, Adam Maxted star speaks to Y2SAY about how he stays in such tremendous shape, his inspiring career so far and what’s in store for the future.

Maintaining the physique that Maxted has built over the years requires serious dedication to both diet and weightlifting, especially during these unprecedented times. The gyms are currently closed, and the supermarkets are running low on meats; this way of being is the antithesis of how Adam Maxted and the rest of Britain would usually live. Nevertheless, regardless of the global pandemic, Maxted has frequently showcased his devotion to staying in unbelievable shape, which is something he has done consistently for over ten years now. The Belfast-born reality TV star-turned pro wrestler has taken to Instagram to post workout videos during this worldwide lockdown period, and it’s evident as to why companies such as WWE are keeping tabs on this workhorse of a wrestler.

“I found myself very lucky growing up because my mum is a qualified personal trainer, so there was always good food in my house and my mum was always training” says a reminiscent Maxted.

“When I was about 16 my mum was working at a good gym and I started going there to train.

"I am very lucky that I was in the right environment growing up.

"Because of this, dieting and things have never been a struggle of mine because it’s not like I was ever a kid growing up eating bad food; I’ve always eaten good food, so that aspect of things has made stuff a lot easier.

"I still eat junk food, I still eat sweets pretty much every week but I also know how to maintain a good diet.

“It’s probably only been the last two or three years where I’ve seen the big changes in my physique.

"I’ve been properly training in the gym since I was 18, so ten years now.

"I’ve started filling out a lot more and developing as a man, which just comes down to muscle maturity and years of continuous training in the gym.

“You’ve got to have that discipline and see the bigger picture, because things can get frustrating when you’re in the gym for six days a week and you don’t feel like your physique is changing.

"You’ve got to see the end goal and understand that there’s no quick fix.

"Just like wrestling, if it’s what you truly want, then you’re going to put in that time and you’re going to be committed to it.

"That’s just the way I’ve lived my life, having that determination and drive to be better both in the gym, in the ring and just in life in general.”

Maxted has been in the limelight since coming 4th on ITV’s popular show Love Island; however, instead of pursuing a career in reality TV, the 6’3 superstar decided to pursue his passion of pro wrestling. Naturally, coming straight off a hit reality TV show exposed him to an abundance of critical wrestling fans. Despite this, Maxted’s passion for professional wrestling earned him a second shot with the previously censorious fans, and 2020 looks to be the year where his passion-driven decision to compete in the big leagues of the sport concludes in full fruition.

“I was already training to be a wrestler before I went on Love Island, so I knew what I was signing up for, but I feel like I was thrown into the deep end after I did the TV show because I was being put in matches that I wasn’t ready for” admits Maxted.

“It was sink or swim; I thought that it was better for me to go out there and show that I’m passionate and, although I might not be experienced, I can show people that I have the right attitude.

"It was another way of me showing that I do have potential, too. I knew that I looked like a wrestler, but I wasn’t at the standard or the level that I am today.

“The TV show did make it a bit harder when starting my wrestling career, as a lot of wrestling fans were saying ‘who does this guy think he is?’ and ‘oh, he’s just a reality TV star who all of a sudden thinks that he can be a wrestler’.

"Not that I have a chip on my shoulder, but every time that I step in the ring now, I feel like I have a point to prove” states a driven Maxted.

“There are some crowds that I haven’t wrestled in front of; so, to them, I could still just be that ‘reality TV guy’.

"I want to prove to them that I am a guy who respects this business, a guy who puts in the hard work that has paid the dues to get better.

"Overall, the TV show made it easier to get bookings; however, in terms of earning respect from people, it did make harder.”

The hard work that Maxted has put in over the years has undeniably paid off as he continues to earn the opportunities to compete against some of the top talents in the professional wrestling industry, including the current WWE World Champion Drew McInytre amongst many others. Maxted has cited his match with All Elite Wrestling star PAC as a match he is particularly proud of. The two Brits squared off in Maxted’s hometown of Belfast for Over The Top Wrestling, and it was an opportunity for the 28-year-old to hush the critics once and for all and showcase his abundance of talents to a live audience.

“PAC is one of the best in the world and I had a really good match with him.

"It was a moment for me to prove that I can hang with the best in the world, and I did that.

"I then beat Mark Haskins to win the Gender Neutral Championship at OTT in Belfast and, again, Mark is one of the best in the world so to win a championship in a big promotion was a big deal for me to prove once again that I’m not just this reality TV star."

“Another career high for me would be being a part of the World of Sport live tour and the TV show.

"Wrestling in front of thousands of people on TV each week was a really cool experience.

"It was so great to be a part of that.”

At just 28-years-old, Maxted is far from reaching his potential, which makes him one of the hottest prospects in the industry given that both his look and his ringwork are already of a world-class standard. This, and his tremendous work ethic, ultimately rewarded him with both respect from his peers and wrestling fans, earning him recognition from wrestling’s juggernaut company, the WWE. Following his trials in 2017 for the aforesaid company, Maxted, who boasts over 300,000 accumulated followers on his social media channels, has never been so hungry and driven for success in the industry of professional wrestling.

“The end goal for me is the same goal that I had when I first started.

"WWE is the company that I want to work for one day” divulges Maxted, who is determined in his statement.

“Any wrestler that says that they don’t want to wrestle for WWE are not being fully truthful.

"It would be like a kid saying that they don’t want to play football for their favourite team growing up.

"I think any wrestler would want to wrestle for the biggest company in the world."

“It’s not even about the money, it’s about the passion and the journey to working your way to the top and knowing you’re working for the biggest company in the world.

"You don’t get into this job for money, because you’ll find out that it’s going to take a very long time to make money in the first place.

"I want this more than anything, and I hope to continue to prove that to everybody every single time I step through those ropes."

Thank you to Adam Maxted (adammaxted on Instagram) for photo permission on all images used in this article.

#WWE #OTT #PAC #Maxted #COVID19