It is said the first six years of one’s life are the most formative years. This is especially true for Nick Dennison.
Dennison remembers playing a wrestling game with his stepfather and younger brother on his PlayStation after coming home from school one day as a 6-year-old. Later that night, he watched his first match on television. Dennison remembers the match in detail.
“It just so happened to be the ‘Monday Night Raw’ episode where they returned to USA (Network) in 2005 and the very first match I ever saw was Shawn Michaels versus Kurt Angle in an Iron Man match,” Dennison said, “It just immediately caught my eye. What a first match, right?”
At that point, he was hooked.
Dennison graduated from Portage High School (PHS) in 2017. He started wrestling while he was in elementary school. In high school, Dennison wrestled for PHS coach Leroy Vega.
Now a professional wrestler, Dennison works under the name Nick Diamond in several local and regional federations in Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan. He has worked with Backbreaker Wrestling, Chicago Style Wrestling and Illiana Pro Wrestling among other promotions.
While his ultimate goal is to wrestle in a main event in the WWE, Dennison has worked with Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling periodically over the last three years. He went to Ohio for TNA’s Gut-Check Challenge, the promotion’s tryout. Dennison made the field of 12 prospects out of the 100 who showed up to the tryout. He made the most out of his opportunity in Ohio.
“I got into contact with their referees and other people there,” Dennison said, “Whenever they would come to Chicago, I would pop in and help out. From 2022 until the thing I did with them last year, I think I’ve helped them about seven times.”
“Helping out” means more than being in the ring for a wrestler. Dennison sold tickets and assisted with the catering at first, but he was able to meet other professionals in the business and pick their brains. He did make it into the ring for TNA and has wrestled against Vladimir Kozlov, Fandango, Dolph Ziggler, and Mustafa Ali.
The contacts Dennison has made will be helpful as he moves forward. He thinks a lot of aspiring wrestlers may not realize the importance of networking with others in the business. Dennison believes being successful in professional wrestling is about 60% networking and 40% hard work.
“It’s about your in-ring stuff and how much time you’re willing to put into training,” Dennison said. “I’m in the gym twice a day, every day, seven days a week.”
Dennison said in order to be successful in the business, one must put in the work and enjoy the grind. He suggests a steady exercise regimen, a proper diet, and a commitment to study. Dennison also recommends being yourself.
“My favorite thing to say is you have to go out there be yourself and turn it up to 11,” Dennison said. “I know that's not anything new or anything that no one else has said before, but it's true. I tried for, I think it was 3 ½ years, to be Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels mixed into one, and it just came across as phony. Now I'm just out there being myself, and people are comparing me to Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels in a different way.”