The NXT brand of WWE will be headed Down Under to Australia next month for the first time ever, and the upcoming tour represents a homecoming for Buddy Murphy.
The former NXT tag champion discussed the chance to wrestle at home during a recent interview with The Herald Sun, a newspaper in Melbourne, Australia.
"I haven't wrestled in front of friends and family for close to four years," Murphy said during the interview.
For Murphy, who signed a developmental deal with WWE in 2013, the aspirations to be a pro wrestler came early on in life.
"I remember one teacher in Year 11 asked the class what everyone wanted to do when they grow up and I said, 'I want to be a professional wrestler'. The teacher laughed and said to be serious," he recalled.
Murphy has enjoyed his greatest success to date in WWE in the NXT tag division, teaming with Wesley Blake to win the NXT Tag Titles last winter. Their reign as champions lasted for 219 days. Murphy and Blake were managed during that run by Alexa Bliss, Murphy's real-life girlfriend, who currently is one of the top heels in Smackdown's women's division.
“I put in a lot of hard work,” Murphy said when describing his road to reaching the WWE. “Don’t take no as an answer – anyone can achieve anything.”
Competing in NXT is a grind, especially as the travel schedule has increased, but it appears to be a satisfying one for Murphy.
“It’s a long day, but when you love what you do, it’s all worth it,” Murphy said.
The NXT tour of Australia begins Dec. 5 in Perth.
