Andy Baker's journey into Pro Wrestling: From the UK to WWE Developmental and Beyond

I first started my pro wrestling journey in 1999 with NWA Hammerlock, a promotion based in Kent, UK. A few months into training, they opened a wrestling school in Sheffield, which was much closer to home and allowed me to focus more intensely on honing my craft. Like many aspiring wrestlers, my dream was clear from the beginning: to make it to the WWE.

By 2002, after years of training in the UK, I sent out a video compilation of my matches to two WWE developmental territories at the time: Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in Louisville, Kentucky, and Heartland Wrestling Association (HWA) in Cincinnati, Ohio. I was eager to get noticed and take my training to the next level. HWA was the first to offer me a spot, and I jumped at the opportunity. I booked my flights and headed to Cincinnati for the summer of 2002.

Before leaving for the U.S., I started gaining experience with All Star Wrestling, one of the most respected wrestling promotions in the UK. 

Brian Dixon, who ran the promotion, gave me a platform to perform and gain valuable show experience. It was here that I met Nigel McGuinness, an established independent wrestler who would later go on to great success in Ring of Honor,WWE and AEW. Nigel, who was also training with HWA at the time, gave me invaluable advice before my trip to the U.S., which helped prepare me for the challenges ahead.

Arriving in Cincinnati as a 21-year-old was both exhilarating and intimidating. The experience was eye-opening, to say the least. Training in HWA was more grueling than anything I had encountered in the UK, both physically and mentally. But the knowledge I gained was priceless. During my time there, I met several wrestling legends, though I never got to wrestle in a live match. However, I did land a role as an extra on one of HWA’s TV broadcasts. Unfortunately, while I was there, HWA lost its developmental deal with WWE, and OVW became the sole developmental territory.

Upon returning to the UK, I decided to leave the Sheffield school where I had been training. I felt that I needed more ring experience, as we were only doing a limited number of shows each year. Nevertheless, I will always be grateful to my coach, Alan Johnson, for everything he did for me during that time.

In late 2002, I saw an opportunity that could potentially change everything: a WWE/OVW tryout camp in Louisville, Kentucky, with only 50 spots available. Thousands applied, and I was ecstatic when I received an invitation! The camp was held in February 2003 at the new Davis Arena. I had the chance to learn from some of the best in the business, including Rocky Johnson, Rip Rogers, Danny Davis, Jim Cornette, and Dr. Tom Prichard. The camp pushed my physical and mental limits, especially when it came to skills like speaking in front of a camera, something I hadn’t focused on in the UK. Fortunately, I had friends from HWA who were already under WWE developmental contracts at OVW, and they guided me through the week.

A few weeks after returning home, I received feedback from OVW, and to my surprise, I was invited to join their beginner’s class. By October 2003, my visa was approved, and I was back in the U.S. Within a month of training in the beginner's class, I was moved up to the developmental class. Though I wasn’t under contract, being in the developmental class put me in front of WWE scouts and talent managers regularly.

OVW was where injured WWE talent came to rehab, and I was lucky enough to train alongside some big names in wrestling, both current and future stars and we had many legends coming in passing on knowledge. My journey in OVW spanned over two years, with me traveling back and forth between Louisville and the UK. However, after the devastating loss of both my grandparents within six months of each other, I returned home for good.

Despite this, I did get a chance to participate in a WWE RAW TV taping in Birmingham, UK. I was scheduled to wrestle Simon Dean (Nova) on Sunday Night Heat, but the match was changed when veteran UK wrestler Robbie Brookside was brought in. Instead, I took part in Chris Masters' Masterlock Challenge, an experience I’ll never forget. After the segment, Shane McMahon was the first to approach me and say, “Great job!” 

After this, I opened the Runcorn Wrestling Academy (RWA) in 2005, where I could pass on the knowledge I’d gained while keeping myself in shape. Between 2007 and 2011, I made a couple more trips back to OVW, and by 2011, I was wrestling in main event matches as Andreas Rossi under the tutelage of Al Snow. That same year, I wrestled on WWE SmackDown in a three-on-one match against The Big Show in Liverpool's Echo Arena, an incredible highlight of my career.

In 2011, I made the move to Florida, where I wrestled for various independent promotions and continued my training at DWI Wrestling School. My time in Florida was incredible; I had the chance to wrestle with so many talented people and made lifelong friends along the way.

In 2013, I was given another opportunity to try out for WWE at the NXT training facility in Tampa, where I was living at the time. However, the tryout came just a week after the devastating loss of my older brother, who passed away from breast cancer. It was one of the most emotionally difficult experiences of my life, but despite the grief I was going through, I pushed through the tryout and was praised by WWE scouts and coaches for my performance.

A few months after my 2013 tryout, I made one of my final WWE appearances on their NXT brand, wrestling against Conor O'Brien with William Regal on commentary. It was a surreal moment for me, especially given my connection with Regal.

I first got to know William Regal through Rip Rogers, who had always been a great mentor. While I was training at OVW in 2011, Rip encouraged me to send my matches directly to Regal for feedback. Having someone like Regal in my corner was incredible, and it made me feel like my dreams were within reach. Both Rip and Regal, along with others, constantly supported me and helped me navigate the wrestling world.

Sadly, shortly after my NXT appearance, I had to return home for personal reasons, bringing this chapter of my wrestling journey to an end.

While my dream of becoming a full-time WWE wrestler didn’t come to fruition, I closed out my in-ring career in Japan, wrestling for Tajiri’s promotion, Wrestling New Classic (WNC), in Tokyo. I continued to wrestle locally occasionally in the UK until 2019 and officially stepped away from the business and coaching at RWA in 2020. 

 There are countless stories I could tell from my wrestling journey, and this has just been a small glimpse into it. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my experiences, and I look forward to sharing more in future posts. 

Keep moving forward!

Andy👊

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