By Nathan Hunt
This interview was conducted in July 2015 and the original version featured on TheIndyCorner
website. Check out the site for loads of great content, including
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Robin
Lekime is a Belgian-born professional wrestler who currently lives in
the UK. He is perhaps best known in Britain for his work with Ricky
Knight's WAW promotion in Norwich and headlining the first Superclash
event promoted by Superstars Of Wrestling in Gloucester in 2013. He also
works regularly in mainland Europe and has competed around the globe. A
talented all-rounder and decorated multi-time European and tag team
Champion for promotions throughout Europe, Lekime is in high demand due
to a strong work ethic and reputation for strong quality performances.
I
was fortunate enough to be granted an interview with 'The Bull' and am
proud to present this here. He began by sharing his
early memories of pro wrestling and how he first started training:
"One of my earliest memories is a match between the then-Intercontinenal
Champion The Ultimate Warrior & Brooklyn Brawler just before WM6.
My reaction after that match was 'I wanna do that stuff!' From then on, I
was hooked. I was 12 at that time. It wasn't easy finding a school back
then; the industry was very closed off and potential wrestlers were
more discouraged than encouraged. I finally found contact details of a
wrestler through a TV station. After a test, they basically told me that
all I needed was bump-training and running the ropes. 3 months of
training later, in May '99, I debuted on a show in Brussels and started
on the carnival run in Belgium and northern France."
For
some, their debut is one of the most daunting experiences of their
lives, while others revel in the spotlight. Lekime shared the memory of
his early matches and his induction into the business.
"It
was an awesome feeling. Being in front of an audience actually came
quite naturally to me; I've always liked performing in front of people. I
remember getting really beat up in my first matches - they were just
checking if I was going to get back up or if I was going to quit."
I
asked Lekime about his early bookings and how hard it was to make a
name for himself back then. He also spoke about the various day-jobs
that he had in the early days before he was able to make wrestling his
full time profession.
"My
first bookings were handled by my trainer, so that was relatively easy.
For the rest, it was just dependent on word of mouth. I had the
reputation early on as being a good hand. With the internet and
everything it's a lot easier these days to get your name out there.
Youngsters actually have it relatively easy now."
"I
used to be a butcher for a while. I've also been a warehouse
coordinator and worked at a DIY-shop. I'm doing this full-time now so
I'm pretty busy, especially with the summer coming up."
Having
used many names throughout his career - The Bull, Roberto Lequimez,
Carnage, Mr. Vain etc. -I asked if there were any names/characters that
he particularly disliked or that he felt were ever handled wrong by
promoters:
"I
didn't dislike any of those. If I disliked something, I wouldn't do it.
As for being handled wrong, that's a bit of a hard one to answer. I
think every promoter had his own idea about how he wanted to use me."
Lekime
regularly gets bookings throughout the world and wrestled regularly in
the UK even before permanently moving here from his home country of
Belgium. He shared the ups and downs of his wrestling and training
schedule and commented on his move from his native country to Norwich,
where he is a cornerstone player for World Association of Wrestling.
"The
highlights of being on the road are the various road-trips with the
boys, but the main downside is missing my 2 cats. I moved here full-time
last year in August. I don't really miss anything about Belgium; I've
always felt very comfortable in the UK. As for training, I can use the
WAW gym anytime I like. There are weights, cardio machines and 2 rings
constantly set up."
Travelling
the world and working for various different wrestling promotions, each
with their own styles, stars and philosophies, has helped Lekime become a
well-rounded and polished performer who has learned how to work well
with anyone at any experience level. I asked about his favourite and least favourite matches, styles, opponents and promotions to work with.
"Wrestling
on water is something I'm not fond of. The ring is on buoys and is
constantly moving. Wrestling in Japan was a nice experience. Splitting
my time between the UK and Japan would be cool. WAW is my favorite
promotion to work for - and this isn't ass-kissing - it's just a
well-run company by people that are passionate about wrestling. My
favorite opponents are any wrestlers that test me, people that can bring
out the best in me. I like working as both heel and babyface, however
it's nice being accepted by the British crowds. As for styles of
wrestling, I like working either Strong-Style or British style, I'm a
fan of both."
The
British scene is enjoying a resurgence over the last few years and is
gaining traction all the time. As a fixture in the UK, I asked Robin
Lekime who of the current crop of British talent he believes have
potential to become stars in the industry,as
well as who have made the biggest impact on the international scene and
whether the UK could ever be a strong national territory like those in
Japan & Mexico:
"It is a
strong national territory. Davey Boy Smith, Fit Finlay and William
Regal come to mind as 3 men who've done the British circuit, wrestled in
Japan and Europe and became stars in the States. Europe, especially the
UK, is the place where everybody hones their skills. People from all
over the world are still coming over here to learn. American, Canadian
and Japanese wrestlers get sent over here to learn. The UK Hooligans are
two wrestlers who have potential to be big stars. They are so
well-rounded. Alex Young is a youngster that will make it big one day.
Lately, a lot of the younger British wrestlers are copying the US
mainstream and Indy wrestlers instead of learning how to wrestle
properly. Personally, I'm not a fan of that style. I prefer the
European/British style."
Finally, I asked Lekime what advice he would give to anyone who wants to break into the wrestling business:
"Find
a good school. Make sure wrestling is your priority. Don't be blinded
by all the frills and big names, learn from the old school veterans.
Most importantly, have respect for those who paved the way."
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