Australian-born wrestler Matt ‘Buddy Murphy’ Adams makes history by winning championship with global leader WWE

TWO years ago, this Aussie pro wrestler was playing the dim halls of Wayville. Now he’s performing in front of millions with powerhouse WWE. So what’s his secret?

TWO years ago he performed in front of 400 people in a Wayville hall — this month, Matt Adams made professional wrestling history in front of one million viewers in 10 countries.

Adams, 26, is the first Australian to ever hold a championship in World Wrestling Entertainment, having won its NXT tag-team title with his partner, Wesley Blake.

And while wrestling is scripted, and the outcome of matches predetermined, the Melbourne-born grappler’s win — under his ring name “Buddy Murphy” — is no fantasy.

Championship reigns within WWE are akin to “best actor” Oscars, opening the path to a brighter spotlight, greater fame and a bigger slice of the company’s $725 million-a-year turnover.

But for Adams, who performed in Adelaide and Melbourne prior to WWE, the historic achievement is another chance to hone his performance.

“It’s a massive honour to have made history, and it’s something that I’m going to hold very close to me for the rest of my life,” he said.

“But you never stop learning in this business, not at all, and I’ll still be in that ring and in the gym every day, keeping my creativity up.”

Early days ... Matt Adams, standing, at the start of his career with Jonathon Flentjar. Picture: Mark Stewart.

Melbourne-born Adams started chasing his dream of wrestling fame eight years ago, performing across the country in Australia’s growing independent scene.

“I’ve never forgot my roots and where I came from, and I’d not change a thing about my journey,” Adams said.

“It gave me the foundation and prepared me, to some degree, to make it over here.”

In 2013, Adams flew to the US and took part in a WWE tryout in Tampa, Florida — of 85 hopefuls, he was the only performer selected.

One of his last matches before joining WWE full-time was with Adelaide’s Riot City Wrestling.

“Obviously it was a dream to get signed by WWE, and that by itself was huge for me,” he said.

Adams is now based at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando — a custom-built, 7925sq m, state-of-the-art world-class training facility.

Historic win ... Buddy Murphy, aka Matt Adams, and his tag team partner Wesley Blake, won the NXT tag-team championships this month. Source: WWE.

He and 70 others learn all elements of wrestling performance, from athletics to public speaking and acting, and train in a gym that rivals the Australian Institute of Sport.

“Everything you can think of is there, and we get to use it on a daily basis,” Adams said.

“The coaches like kicking my arse, in a good way, to get the best out of me and everyone else ... the other (wrestlers) are like a big family, it’s a great place to be.

“Sometimes I stop, take a step back and realise how good I’ve got it.”

They also star in the show NXT, which screens around the world on stations including Fox 8.

Adams said he and Blake approached WWE with the idea of being a team, basing it on their off-screen friendship.

Before they were famous... Matt Adams at the start of his career. Picture: Mark Stewart.

WWE Superstar Buddy Murphy, aka Australian-born wrestler Matt Adams. Source: WWE.

“Wesley and I came in together on day one and, from day one, we’ve been joined at the hip,” he said.

“We hung around outside of work, we travelled together, we did everything together, so it was very natural for us to perform together in the ring.

“We decided to put the tag-team together and see what opportunities opened up for us and, at the end of the day, it all paid off with something we’ll never forget.”

The ultimate goal of those at the Performance Center is joining the cast of WWE’s main shows — Raw and SmackDown — and touring the world.

Adams is unlikely to join WWE’s Australian tour this August, and so winning a spot on a future tour has become his next goal.

“It would be a dream, an absolute dream, to defend the tag-team championships over there — never say never,” he said.

WWE’s Australian Tour comes to Brisbane on August 6, Melbourne on August 7 and Sydney on August 8. Tickets are available through Ticketek.

Follow @SeanFewster

Originally published as Australian-born wrestler Matt ‘Buddy Murphy’ Adams makes history by winning championship with global leader WWE