SECOND GENERATION STAR Alex Wright became the youngest wrestler to ever signed with World Championship Wrestling in 1994, catching the eye of multiple-time world champion Ric Flair and Eric Bischoff while the promotion was touring Wright's native Germany. The son of professional wrestling legend Steve Wright would go on to become one of WCW’s most consistent talents during his seven-year run.
Former WCW Television, Cruiserweight and Tag Team Championship Alex Wright joined Wrestling Life with Ben Veal for episode 041 of the award-winning show to reflect back on his in-ring career, share memories of his time performing in front of large crowds in the United States and share his passion for helping the next generation as the owner of New European Championship Wrestling and through ‘The Wright Stuff’ wrestling school.
A Second Generation Wrestling Talent
“I grew up on the road,” shares Alex, looking back on his upbringing and learning the ropes from his famous father. “My dad took me to the ring when I was just crawling. It was like my second home and later on it became my playground. I had fun there and it was father and son time whenever we shared the ring together. I was never pressured by my dad but I had a real passion for wrestling and it was all I ever wanted to do.”
“I competed in a lot of sports when I was younger: amateur wrestling tournaments, submission fighting, weightlifting, swimming, and it was all to help me in wrestling. At the age of sixteen, I had my first professional wrestling match for Germany's Catch Wrestling Association. Many stars wrestled for the CWA, including Owen Hart, William Regal, Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger and Terry Funk, and my dad was a sixteen time CWA middleweight champion. I got a lot of media attention in the early nineties.”
Alex Wright on WCW's Johnny B. Badd, Marc Mero
Making the move to the United States from Germany wasn't an easy transition for the young grappler to make, but Alex Wright was quickly taken under the wing of one of WCW's biggest stars.
"When I arrived in the United States, I was a foreigner and German so not a lot of people wanted to help me out. When I started out in WCW, the office just gave me a ticket and told me where to go but not how to get there — and I couldn’t rent a car because I was under 21 so I wasn’t old enough. Marc Mero was the first person who helped me out. He was such a nice guy and the person who I looked up to because Johnny B. Badd was one of the biggest babyface stars in WCW at that time yet he didn’t have a big head. He was like a big brother to me, and still is. He is one of my best friends and we recently met up again at an autograph signing in New York for the first time in ten years. We have so many great memories together from our time on the road.”
WHY DID ALEX WRIGHT DANCE TO THE RING?
Alex Wright quickly earned a reputation as one of World Championship Wrestling's hottest in-ring prospecs, yet it was his distinctive techno entrance theme and iconic dance that really got him noticed by WCW fans.
:“I started going out to the dance clubs in Germany when I was fifteen; I’d get into them underage because I was very tall,” says Wright, looking back fondly on his younger years. “I loved to party with my friends and during that time techno got really popular in Germany. I developed that dance with one focus: to get all the girls!”
“When I got to the States and was put on the road after half a year training at the WCW Power Plant, I went out dancing and some of the office guys saw how I danced. Next thing I knew, they wanted me to do it on TV! I didn’t want to do it as it was private to me, but they insisted so that was what happened. It ended up being a good thing as people really quickly recognised and remembered me. My career skyrocketed because of the dance. It was entertaining and people still know me to this day because of it. But on the other hand, some hardcore fans could never look beyond the dancing and see my wrestling skills. I don’t regret it though: to be a successful wrestler and be remembered in this business, you have to be different and stand out.”
One more match for Alex Wright?
Approaching 50 years of age, Alex Wright remains in great shape and regularly mixes it up inside the squared circle with his students. Could one more match on a big stage still be on the cards for WCW's Das Wunderkind?
“Wrestling will always be in my blood. Even if I’m not active on shows anymore, I still want to be around it. I never officially retired and I still regularly wrestle with my students. As a trainer, it’s incredibly rewarding to see the development of your students in the business: many of my students have gone on to win championships across Germany. Fabian Aichner [WWE’s Giovanni Vinci] is an exceptional talent. I recognised that on the very first day that he came to train with me at nineteen years old. I’m very proud of him and everyone I have trained. They share my philosophy.”
“There is life after wrestling, and I am very blessed to still be together with my wife after all of these years. Wrestling is a great way to live your life, but life is also much bigger than [chasing] fame and money. I take great pride when people tell me that I’m still the same Alex Wright that I was when I was sixteen years old. The business didn’t change me. The most dangerous drug is fame but I’ve always stayed the same and remembered who I am.”
REAL TALK FROM REAL TALENT
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal shines the spotlight brightly and positively on those who shaped wrestling's past, drive its present and influence its future. The show is widely available and features honest, open and inspiring conversations with many of the sport's biggest names, including Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, Mick Foley, Lilian Garcia, Candice Michelle, Marc Mero, Buff Bagwell, Doug Williams, Eric Bischoff and many more.
Subscribe : Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music
About the author: Ben Veal is a writer, content creator, journalist, and host of Wrestling Life and the founder of Second Mountain Comms, a purpose-driven award-winning PR and marketing business that helps good people do good. A Chartered PR professional and passionate fan of the artform of professional wrestling for more than three decades, Ben is committed to sharing the real stories behind wrestling's talented performers.