"I am super excited but super nervous as well" Portsmouth teen wrestler earns place at prestigious NOAH Dojo in Japan

Archie Martin, 18, bested 40 of the most promising wrestlers in the country to earn a two month stay at the NOAH Dojo in Japan. The “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity will see him live on his own in Japan as he trains everyday with one of the biggest wrestling companies in the world.

He has had a rapid rise in the sport having only started four years ago. Archie, who goes by the wrestling name The Nightmare Kid, said: “I used to watch wrestling as a kid but I didn't even know you could do wrestling in Portsmouth or England.

“My mum knew a trainer at Quality Wrestling Academy in Havant and the coaches were great, it was so welcoming. It made me fall in love with it even more and want to do it for the rest of my life.”

Archie was put forward for the “Chosen One” trials by Solent Wrestling Federation (SWF) and KAPOW, who he was performed for with shows across the country. His performance in the try-out in Manchester saw him come out on top and get the chance to train alongside some of the best wrestlers in the world.

It is an opportunity he can’t wait to start as he heads to Japan on May 20. Archie, who is the son of Labour North MP Amanda Martin, said: “I am super excited but super nervous as well. I will be going out by myself so I'm excited to adapt to Japanese culture and life.

“It is two months of training in the NOAH Dojo everyday which will be lots of drills and hard work. Then I will be appearing in shows at the weekend.”

While Archie has saved money for the adventure and the accommodation and flights are covered, he has started a fundraiser to help cover the cost of expensive training gear and create a custom stage outfit to represent the UK with pride.

He said: “I have saved a lot of money for this myself but prices of the wrestling gear is expensive.”

Having set a target of £750, he has already raised £560 and he is grateful for everyone that has helped him on his journey so far. He said: “Thank you to the people that have supported me already I will do my best to do well for everyone that has helped me on the way.”

Archie has big dreams but he is not looking too far ahead, preferring to focus on the next match and take it one step at a time. He does hope that he be able to prove himself and extend his stay at NOAH dojo though.

He said: “To put it in perspective, the biggest company is WWE, but the NOAH Dojo is probably one of the biggest company in the world and has some of the biggest stars wrestling for them and put on some of the biggest shows worldwide. It is a fantastic opportunity.”

In achieving this opportunity, Archie is also hoping that he can inspire other young people to take part in wrestling having initially kept his involvement quiet, fearing he would be picked on.

He said: “When I first started wrestling I was very quiet about it. I was in year 10 at school and I didn't want to get bullied or picked on. It ended up getting out there and it has turned into one of the best decisions I ever made. It has changed from not wanting to tell anyone, to wanting to tell the world that I do it.

“If anyone is nervous about doing it, if they want to keep it quiet they can, but it is one of the best things I have have done and people shouldn't worry about what other people think”

To donate to Archie’s GoFundMe page click here.

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