Worthing wrestler ready for half-term homecoming bout

David Lovejoy, who has become a cult hero on shows presented by top UK matchmakers Premier Promotions, will be fighting for the PWF lightweight championship at The Venue on Sunday, February 19.

The bout, in which he will come up against Matt MG, from Southampton, is evidence of David’s meteoric rise to stardom, just three years and a bit after he started training and less than a year since he made his Premier Wrestling Federation debut.

How does David see the match? “It’s massive for me,” he said. “A really big deal. To win the title, especially in my home town in front of all my fans, would be fantastic.”

The Worthing high-flyer has already picked up one major honour, the Rumblemania Trophy, on the Christmas show at Rustington. But can he take the wrestling world by storm by becoming a British title-holder?

David has met Matt MG twice before – and lost on both occasions. “He is a tough opponent, and there has been a real edge and rivalry about our previous meetings,” he said.

Although David’s wrestling engagements have taken him to other locations, it is his bouts in and around Worthing, where he appears exclusively for Premier Promotions, that have had the biggest impact on his career so far.

He said: “I’ve learned a huge amount from being on the shows. For instance, I hardly ever do tag matches anywhere else, and I’ve only ever wrestled a rounds match once away from Premier.

“The support I get is amazing. There are the extra things as well that make it special, like a little girl in Rustington, who is one of my biggest fans. I’m her idol, and it was her seventh birthday recently, so I sent her a video message.”

Away from the ring, David is a guitar teacher. “Playing guitar has always been my thing, and I’ve been teaching for five years now,” he said. “It’s my living. But the thing I am most passionate about is wrestling.”

David, a product of the Quality Wrestling training academy in Havant, run by Rishi Ghosh – a well-known figure in Sussex grappling circles – admits he has never set himself any targets. “It’s more a case of seeing where it leads me,” he said. That journey could soon take him to a British championship.

The Sunday afternoon spectacular, which starts at 3.30pm, will also feature appearances by international stars Barnstorming Bullit and Danny Duggan, The Beards, Maddog Quinn and Karl Atlas, and another PWF title match between Hove’s Jordon Breaks and Tate Mayfairs.

Tickets, at pre-inflation prices and with discounts for advance bookings, are available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/premier-promotions or by calling 0333 666 3366.