Tyler Bate On When He Gets Bored, How He's Dealing With The COVID-19 Outbreak, Winning And Losing
WWE NXT UK Superstar Tyler Bate recently spoke with the UK Mirror and said he gets bored with himself when he's doing a lot of singles work. Bate was asked if he prefers to switch back to singles wrestling for a while or if he would prefer to continue tagging with "Moustache Mountain" partner Trent Seven.
"I think it depends on the time as to what my preference is," Bate said. "Having a lot of singles matches puts a lot of pressure on you and another person. As much as people say they don't get nervous, they do. I feel as though I have a lot to live up to now, because I've been consistently having quite highly-regarded matches, I don't want to let people down.
"It can be a bit stressful, and that's when I quite like to do tag team wrestling, because it is a new project and something to sink my creative mind into. I don't want people to get bored of me, because I get bored of me when I'm doing a lot of singles stuff!"
Bate believes professional wrestling isn't for someone who really cares about winning and losing. He made these comments when asked if he felt disappointment when he dropped the NXT UK Title to Pete Dunne back at NXT "Takeover: Chicago" in May 2017. Bate said the bigger picture and the entertainment side of things is what really matters as pro wrestling is about everybody, not just one person.
"No, not at all," Bate answered. "If you really care about winning and losing, then professional wrestling isn't for you! You should probably go and be a mixed martial artist or something, where winning and losing actually matters. In what we do, it is about the bigger picture and the entertainment side of things. I understand, and I've seen people be very disheartened when it comes to losses, and for the most part that is just a very egotistical way of thinking. Professional wrestling isn't about you, it's about everybody."
Bate isn't bothered by people who don't share that viewpoint. He said a lot of people who don't share that mindset might be caught up with being the most famous or whatever else.
"That's just because people haven't been made aware that this is a way of thinking," Bate continued. "People get caught up with being the most famous, with being the best wrestler and whatever else. They get so caught up with this that they forget that it is about how it made you feel when you were a fan. It's about telling stories, and telling the most captivating and scintillating stories possible."
Bate was asked how he and his family are doing during the coronavirus pandemic. The NXT UK brand has been essentially paused and the wrestlers are out of work for the most part until restrictions ease up. Bate said he feels lucky because he's on the more privileged side of the economy.
"Yeah, I feel really lucky to be on what I guess is the more privileged side of the economy, so I don't have to struggle as much as I know a lot of other people are at the moment. Plus, I have a lot of 'toys' in my house to keep me busy, and to keep my mind and body active," Bate said of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Bate acknowledged that pro wrestling pauses and the break has given him some time to reflect on the past few years. He said the long period of downtime has allowed his brain to almost play catch-up, and he's ready for more craziness.
"I guess, yeah. I've done a lot of reflecting two years, and more so looking towards the next few years," Bate said. "I have been thinking about all the fun, crazy stuff I've been able to do through wrestling. Having such a long period of downtime has allowed my brain to almost play catch-up, letting all of the memories and experiences settle in. Now, my mind is ready for a new bunch of craziness!"