AEW's Nick Wayne Talks Legacy, Blood Loss & Big Moves in the Ring on Back2Besa
When Back2Besa host Besa Gordon first saw Nick Wayne wrestle at DEFY, she didn’t expect it to reignite her love for wrestling. But the moment stuck. So when Nick came back to Seattle last May, sitting down with the AEW star was a no-brainer. At just 18 years old, Nick Wayne already has close to a decade in the ring. He started training at 9, debuted in Canada at 12, and hasn’t slowed down since. The interview gave a full-circle look at how far he’s come—and what’s still ahead.
“I started training with my dad’s students when I was nine,” Nick shared. “Washington wouldn’t let me wrestle until I was 18, so Canada became the place where I could really get going.” The interview also highlighted how Nick helped change the game for young wrestlers. “You basically opened the door for younger wrestlers to get licensed,” Besa pointed out. “Now promotions are willing to take that chance because you showed it’s possible.” “It’s surreal,” Nick said. “There are kids who say they want to be the next Nick Wayne. I’m 18! But if it makes them believe they can do it too, that’s what matters.”
They also talked about the unmatched energy at DEFY and what it meant for Nick to finally wrestle there after years of sneaking into shows as a fan. “That first night, I wasn’t even a big name yet, but the crowd went crazy,” he said. “It felt like walking into open arms.” “That DEFY crowd is different,” Besa added. “When they start stomping, it’s like the whole building shakes.”
From his 36-minute bloodbath with Swerve Strickland to his AEW debut, Nick hasn’t backed down from any moment. “Swerve left me in a pool of my own blood,” he said. “But I walked out with the DEFY World Championship.” “I was there that night,” Besa said. “Posted the photo and everyone was like, ‘What happened!?’ You had to be there.”
Nick also opened up about the emotional weight of carrying his father’s legacy—Buddy Wayne was a legend in the PNW scene—and what it means to honor that every time he steps in the ring. “I hope I’m making him proud,” he said. “He passed before he ever saw me wrestle in front of a crowd, but I feel like he’s with me for every match.”
And while Nick may have made headlines for turning on longtime ally Darby Allin, there’s one person he’s staying loyal to—Christian Cage. When asked if he’d ever betray Christian for a title shot, Nick didn’t hesitate. “No, never,” he said. “A title can be gone tomorrow. Friendship and loyalty—that’s way more important. He’s done too much for me.”
The conversation covered everything from in-ring injuries to mentorship from veterans to wrestling in front of 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium. “There’s only one first time,” Nick said. “I had to stop and take it all in. That was my moment.”
Whether it’s DEFY, AEW, or an Iron Man match that nearly knocks him out, Nick Wayne is proving he’s not just a prodigy—he’s a movement. And as Besa made clear, he’s putting on for Seattle every time he steps between the ropes.
Photos by Susan Fried on behalf of Converge Media
