Though AEW star and ROH champion Wheeler Yuta runs with William Regal’s Blackpool Combat Club these days and is fitting in perfectly, he was presented as the mentee of Orange Cassidy and Chuck Taylor when he first arrived.
Turns out that wasn’t just something cooked up for creative purposes.
When Yuta was still making a name for himself on the independent circuit, the first person to really show him the ropes was Drew Gulak. But when Gulak moved on (he’s now a member of the WWE roster), it was two of the Best Friends crew who took him under their ring, as Yuta explained on the latest episode of the Under the Ring podcast with Phil Strum.
“They’ve always been really good to me,” Yuta said. “They would take me around to shows and stuff. I would drive them around a lot. … They would always really take care of me.
“There’s a point that’s been mentioned a few times in interviews when I was in-between places, and they let me sleep on their couch for a while. So they’ve always really looked out for me, in and out of the ring.”
Yuta also recalled fondly that when AEW first decided to bring him in, it was Cassidy who called to let him know … while he was hanging out with Taylor.
You can listen to the entire wide-ranging interview above, where the ROH Pure Champion also touches on:
- His upcoming title defense against Daniel Garcia at the Death Before Dishonor PPV
- How Pure Rules matches present a different but enjoyable challenge
- How being a member of Blackpool Combat Club has helped him “immensely”
New episodes of Under the Ring drop every Monday, and each one features Strum having a one-on-one conversation from a fascinating personality from the world of pro wrestling. Recent guests have included legendary announcer David Crockett, indie star Vik Dalishus, and WWE superstar Damian Priest.
To make sure you don’t miss an episode, subscribe to Under the Ring on Apple Podcasts or your podcast provider of choice, or check out the Under the Ring YouTube channel to see all of the interviews in video form.