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Paul Walter Hauser is open to wrestling in WWE, if the circumstances are right.
The Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor – whose diverse filmography ranges from Cruella and Inside Out 2 to Cobra Kai and upcoming roles in The Naked Gun and Fantastic Four – is making waves in the professional wrestling world away from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.
On Thursday, he’ll be making his debut for PROGRESS Wrestling as the UK-based promotion runs a show in Las Vegas during WrestleMania week.
Speaking exclusively to Metro, Paul admitted he’s open to going one step further and wrestling for WWE itself.
‘I guess there’s something there of a bucket list type of a thing,’ he said. ‘I would love to do something with WWE.’
Paul – who primarily wrestles for MLW and Wrestling Revolver – is a big fan of wrestling across the board and he’s keen to explore his options, whether it’s WWE, AEW or beyond.
For WWE specifically, he is adamant that he simply wants ‘mutual respect’.
He explained: ‘There’s such a behemoth, I would just want there to be mutual respect. I want to be reciprocity. I don’t want to come in and just do a cameo and they’ll be like, “We got Stingray [from Cobra Kai] for three minutes”.
‘It’s like, No, I want to give me a give me a proper match. Let me prove what I can do, and let me help make headlines – not because of a cameo, but because I put a couple pounds of flesh and blood on the line.
‘The same way I do with my acting roles, I do with wrestling. I’m not in it for a pleasure cruise or or to take a tour of the backlot. I’m there to make an impact.’
Paul does understand the crossover appeal he brings, which is why he turned to famous friends like Chris Pratt, Teddy Swims, Mario Lopez and fellow actor/wrestler David Arquette to promote his PROGRESS match.
‘PROGRESS has properly put me in a title match in Vegas,’ he said of his Proteus Championship challenge. ‘I’m going to give that as much spotlight and respect as I can.’
Could he see any of the celebrities promoting the show making the jump into wrestling?
‘My buddy Teddy Swims could definitely do a wrestling match. I would love to tag team with him and maybe have DDP as our manager, because we became friends through Diamond Dallas Page,’ he smiled.
‘[And Mario Lopez is] a great physical specific. I gotta drag him in the ring sometime.’
Paul has started to see the attitude to his wrestling career shifting in Hollywood as he continues to grow as a performer in the ring.
”I’m trying to impress on these people that this is no joke. It’s incredibly painful at times, the travel can wear you down,’ he said.
”I think most people are accepting it now that they see it as such a big part of my life. I’m trying to normalise the “reverse Dwayne Johnson“.
‘Also, Dwayne wasn’t necessarily making the best films at the beginning of his career, [and] I’m not having always the best matches.’
He’s constantly improving though, studying tapes of his favourite wrestlers, including technical masters like Kyle O’Reilly and Dean Malenko.
‘I’m probably 80% underdog brawler vibe, and then maybe 20% I try to mix in some technical.’
Looking to the future, Paul isn’t resting on his laurels, whether it’s in front of the camera or in a wrestling ring.
As well as hoping to wrestle more for PROGRESS in the future – especially if he becomes Proteus Champion this week – he’s also working on a ‘very difficult’ independent film project in May and June.
‘I can’t talk about it,’ he said of the upcoming lead role. ‘But it’s a huge task.’
As a father of three, Paul wants to make time for his family too, but wrestling is still a priority as he continues to live out his dream.
He said: ‘It’s about finding those worthwhile matches that I can fit in between my new acting jobs and my family.’
Paul Walter Hauser will wrestle for PROGRESS Wrestling in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 17 at the Pearl Theater at Palms Casino Resort. Fans can tune in via TrillerTV+ or Demand PROGRESS Plus.
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