Retired Blackpool boxer RP Davies crowned champion of major UK pro wrestling company

The 35-year-old is celebrating adding another championship to his collection, only this time it’s in the world of pro wrestling.

RPD, as he’s nicknamed, claimed the Ignition title on Sunday of one of the biggest wrestling companies in the UK, TNT Extreme Wrestling.

In doing so, the former boxer - who was forced to retire from the sport through injury in 2017 - becomes the first championship-winning pro to win a pro wrestling title for a major company.

“It was a good night, a really good night,” Davies told The Gazette of his win against former champion ‘Shreddy’ in Liverpool.

“It was a weird feeling. I know it’s a completely different thing, but from the highs of boxing I never thought I’d get anything like that again and when the three count went down the crowd went berserk, so it was a very nice feeling.

“I try not to compare my boxing to wrestling because the two are very different things, but they’re both passions of mine.

“I was always a massive wrestling fan, even when I was boxing. But I’m really proud of this because, although it’s different, for TNT to recognise me like this means I’m doing my job well.

“For them to feel like they can sell shows off me and put me on the posters, that’s a real compliment to me.

“I’m very, very proud of it. Boxing is something I’ve done all of my life whereas wrestling is only something I’ve been doing for three years. But to climb as quick as I have, in many ways I’m equally as proud as the things I did in boxing.”

While this is undoubtedly a major achievement for the Blackpool grappler, he feels this is just the start.

“It feels like the end of the first hurdle of the first journey,” he added.

“No matter what happens now, I’ve achieved something in wrestling which was worth doing. It wasn’t just a party trick that I pulled out for a while, I’ve actually done something so I’m dead proud of that.

“But this next year, 2023, I think I can do some really big things. That’s my plan anyway. I want to really get myself out there and ride the wave for as long as I possibly can.”

RPD’s night was capped off when, backstage, he was informed Blackpool wrestling icon William Regal had tipped his cap to Davies while appearing at a Comic Con in Wales.

The legend, who currently represents American company All Elite Wrestling (AEW), told a fan he considers Davies to be an honorary member of his faction ‘Blackpool Combat Club’, which stars ex-WWE stars Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley.

“He’s just a lovely man,” Davies said.

“He said something along the lines of ‘I know Ryan very well’ before he was asked if he would ever consider having me in the Blackpool Combat Club.

“Apparently he made me an honorary member there and then, which is incredible! I laughed my head off when I heard about it backstage.”