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KZ: Hi Bronson! Did you grow up watching WWE?

B: I watched WWE literally my whole life, so it’s very surreal sometimes when I’m backstage. I have to pinch myself sometimes and remind myself that it’s real life.

KZ: Did you play any other sports growing up?

B: I watched wrestling religiously, but I think like most Aussie kids I dabbled in all sports really. I played soccer when I was young, from like eight to 10. Then from about 10 to 13, I played Aussie Rules football. In high school I played rugby for a year and then basketball for two years. I was always doing something, but in the back of my head I knew that eventually that’s what I wanted to do; I wanted to become a wrestler.

KZ: Nice! One of your nicknames is the Auszilla. How did that come about and what other nicknames do you have?

B: That one came about because I’m a huge Godzilla fan and fits with the type of wrestler that I am. I am a big sort of super heavyweight from Australia, Godzilla – it came about like that. I’ve always been one to have nicknames and monikers as I’m going on in my career.

KZ: Do you hang out or trade tips with the other Aussie WWE Superstars?

B: I think all the Aussies here look out for each other. We do speak to each other on a regular basis and see how each other is doing, so that’s really good. I spent a bunch of time with Rhea Ripley when she was on NXT. That was cool because we’re both from little old Adelaide.

KZ: Aside from your family, what do you miss most about Australia?

B: Aside from family, it is 100% food. Bakery goods like meat pies, sausage rolls, pasties. They just don’t have bakeries or anything like that over here. I’m craving a meat pie really badly.

KZ: What has been your favourite match that you’ve been a part of so far?

B: NXT TakeOver: Stand and Deliver Night Two. Even though I didn’t win the North American Championship, I think me and Johnny Gargano had a memorable match… I think it’s one that you can stack up against any other match throughout the week and go ‘hey maybe that’s match of the week’.

KZ: We’ve seen you pull off a cartwheel in the ring; is that a regular move for you?

B: It’s not a regular move for me at all. When wrestling Johnny he’s very quick and he usually does things like cartwheels and things of that nature. He tried to do one move and it’s just the way that I could counter the move. It’s also something that they don’t expect me to do.

KZ: It looked really cool!

B: Surprisingly I pulled off a really good cartwheel. I haven’t done one in a few years. I remember being a kid and doing cartwheels in the backyard, but I was like I don’t know if I can still do this. But I did, so it was good.

KZ: What would you love to do in your career?

B: I think every wrestler, their aspiration is to become a WWE champion. It seems very far-fetched, but it is a huge goal of mine. Hopefully something that I can achieve one day, but I always try to set goals piece by piece. I have my eyes on the North America Championship in the NXT first and then we can go from there.

KZ: If you could swap places with someone for a day who would it be and why?

B: I feel like I would try and swap places with someone who does something completely different to me. Maybe Ryan Gosling, just because he’s a famous actor. He seems like a cool dude. It would be interesting to see what his life is like behind the scenes. I wouldn’t want to be another wrestler because I know what they do all day.

KZ: If you could tell your younger self anything, what would you tell him?

B: To practise more cartwheels in the backyard!

KZ: What advice would you give to K-Zoners who want to join the WWE?

B: I think the best advice is to be a fan of the product. I think if you’re a fan of wrestling, you get to know how everything works by watching. Then when you’re old enough, that’s a big thing too – I always tell people to try to stick out school – and when you’re old enough try and find a reputable wrestling school. From there hopefully you’ll learn all the different holds and everything that you need to know the basics of pro wrestling. Then hopefully one day you can get a tryout for WWE.

Want to read more of our interview with Bronson? Grab the June 2021 issue of K-Zone, on sale now!

Looking for more Bronson Reed news? Check out our interview with Bronson in June 2023, or watch our chat on K-Zone TV!