Bram has been one of the breakout stars for TNA. Earlier this year, the company tore up the initial one-year contract he had signed with them in order to negotiate a multi-year deal, citing his potential as a top star. Despite media interest in his personal life, Bram has kept his head down and the fans thoroughly entertained. The Bram we met as part of his most recent visit to the UK, was relaxed and charming, happy to discuss his future plans and more. You can see Bram in person as he'll be back on these shores in January for TNA's Maximum Impact 8 tour for which tickets are available here. For now, read on!
You've travelled the world but are in Britain for some appearances and will be back with TNA in January - are you enjoying yourself?
It's always great to be back here. I'm even thinking about coming back here full time to be honest! There's so much wrestling here, you can spend all and every weekend wrestling whereas back in the States, there's not that much going on. I've spent all my life trying to get out of England but now it seems like the scene is here!
Is this because TNA has been subjected to, perhaps unfair, internet criticism?
I don't think TNA's in any trouble. There's always rumours but TNA isn't going anywhere. They just won't and I think if they ever did it would be the worst thing for professional wrestling because there has to be an alternative. There has to be a place where the boys and girls can work. So it would be absolutely terrible but they're not going away.
Have you had your dream match yet?
Yeah, I kind of want to say I have. Growing up, two of my heroes were the Hardy Boys and I've had a chance to get in the ring and wrestle them, so that's cool. There's a million guys I'd like to work and a million great guys I have worked. Gunner, Ken Anderson, people like that. On the UK scene there's plenty of good guys that I've already had the chance to wrestle. Grado, Jack Jester, Noam Dar and there's a bunch of other guys as well. Any time I can get in the ring with the up and coming guys over here, it's always good for me I hope it's good for them. There's so much talent that any night of the week I can be wrestling someone great, so it makes my job a lot easier.
You're known for a hardcore, aggressive style but you've got a depth of talent!, you can wrestle!
Well I think I still can! I've forgotten it now, I just punch and kick - I need to go back to school myself! I mean, I can do if push comes to shove but I kind of like doing this style. Bill Demott is the guy that brought that style out in me and made me more aggressive. I'm not that kind of a person in real life but in the ring it's a lot of fun to play that character. A lot of people think I'm like that but if you've met me, you know I'm not.
Has coming back to the UK helped you feel some love for Bram?
I think so. It's been very positive. It's always good to get positive feedback from people and have people come and see me in a positive way. It's easy to get swamped by the media, so it's always good to come home, know that people have your back and don't listen to nonsense. Like I say, the character that I play is aggressive and angry, so some people are surprised that I'm a normal guy but coming back, everybody's always happy to see and meet me. I did a show in my hometown of Chesterfield and everybody loved it. It was really good to see the people that live in the town where I grew up come and support me, so that was really nice.
Whats the best rib [practical joke] you have played or been the victim of?
I think most of the ribs have been on me! One time I had to go and ride a cow which I did a terrible job of. I won't tell you what happened to the cow! I'm alright but the cow? Not so much...well, as long as the farmer doesn't find out, I'm OK.
What are your future plans?
I'd like to pursue acting a lot more. I just did a film recently with Bill Goldberg. It's a lot like wrestling except for you don't actually get hurt. It's fun and you're still in front of the camera, so I'd like to pursue that. It's taken this long for wrestling to get me to this point, so it would be starting a whole new endeavour but I'd like to do that. I'd like to get into - whether it's setting up my own personal training business or a food supplement company - something like that. As for now, I want to keep wrestling and see how far I can go with that.
Fans can see Bram doing what he does best live with TNA in Manchester (29 January, 2016), London (30 January) and Birmingham (31 January) early next year. Meanwhile, follow him on @BramTNA to hear the latest from the man himself.
