A former Ely College student from Littleport has proved his doubters wrong and is now living his dream as a championship-winning wrestler.
Martin ‘Marty’ Scurll returned from America yesterday, having won the Ring of Honor World Television Championship during his debut weekend, at ROH’s biggest pay-per-view event, Final Battle 2016.
Better known to his competitors as ‘The Villain’, the 28-year-old will be a regular feature on stateside sport television having secured a one-year contract with ROH.
“I was a massive fan of wrestling as a child,” he said, adding that WWE supserstars Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart, The Rock and Rey Mysterio influenced him as a child.
“I liked the good v evil aspect of it and there’s nothing else quite like it in the world.
“I was one of the kids that just never grew out of it. As a child, it was definitely my dream job.
“I used to train every weekend and just stuck at it to make it into a career.”
Having gone from wrestling at holiday camps in the UK to the prestigious Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhatten, New York, his big break was defeating rivals from all around the world to win the Battle of LA wrestling tournament in September.
‘Marty’ did come across his fair share of doubters, though, including his old teachers who said he wasn’t big enough and told him to pick a proper career.
“I was told ‘you might want to think of something more realistic; you should be a builder or a carpenter’. But I didn’t want to do that.
“The chances were against me, but I took it as a challenge to make it in spite of everything else.
“It seems a bit crazy to think how far I have come, especially from such a quiet place like Ely.”
Martin’s mum Lorraine Scurll, of Littleport, said: “I think it’s quite unbelievable. Some of his old teachers may have thought it was just a pipe dream, but he’s really living it.
“He has always wanted to be a wrestler; ever since he was a young boy.
“I used to work at Hampden House care home in Littleport and at the weekends I would take him to work with me and he’d watch wrestling videos on the television with residents.”
The single mother supported Martin’s ambitions whilst he grew up, taking him to a wrestling school near Essex every Sunday.
“He could never sit still,” she added. “Wrestling was good way to challenge his energy.
“He was a hyperactive child and there were definitely a few broken beds along the way – he would even try wrestling moves with me in the early days.
“It’s quite an unusual profession but he worked hard; I never believed it would go this far, I’m awfully proud.”
To follow Martin’s journey follow him on Twitter @martyscurll
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here