There was a time when Thom Latimer’s wrestling career seemed like it was inevitably headed for an episode of “Dark Side of the Ring.” An immense talent that quickly caught the attention of WWE’s NXT brand and the legendary Arn Anderson, Latimer’s drinking troubles had him ping-ponging from promotion to promotion trying to find his place. But before he settled into the NWA and the FXE Wrestling Training and Performance Academy, he had to find himself first.
“Well, that lightbulb moment probably went off about 100 times,” Latimer said. “When I got fired by WWE in 2012, I was very close to getting on the road and The Ascension being something really cool and big. And I’m 24. I’m an idiot. I’m still young. I’m thinking I got loads of time, everything’s fine, and there’s nothing wrong with me. Even then they said, ‘You’ve obviously got a problem.’”
For years, Latimer didn’t think there was an issue. “It was also a form of protection,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about who you’re upsetting. You don’t have to look at yourself in the mirror. You don’t have to deal with any of your emotions. And then with failed relationships and arrests, it was all sort of toxic. It was feeding itself.”
From WWE, Latimer wrestled on the independent circuit, TNA, Impact and ICW before landing in Billy Corgan’s NWA as part of the Strictly Business faction. Latimer regularly appears on the promotion’s NWA Powerrr and NWAUSA shows on FiteTv and YouTube.
The moment he truly realized he needed to be sober wasn’t from any major dust up or legal incident. Latimer lost a relationship with a friend during a trip to Las Vegas. After a conversation with his fiancee, NWA World Women’s Champion Kailey “Kamille” Farmer, his drinking days were over. “I ended up losing a friend there who I have not spoken to since,” Latimer said. “And I just said, ‘I can’t keep doing that.’ And Kailey, she’d sort of been around it a little bit, and I’d spent the last couple years trying to quit, but I would sort of dip back in and out. We just had a conversation with it, and she said, ‘This can’t go on anymore.’ It wasn’t this massive thing. There’s a million other things that happened that should’ve been the wake up call, but I went, ’No, you’re right. It’s time to be done.’ And it’s amazing how smooth life is when you’re not an addict. The chances of me being arrested or being in any sort of altercation or even getting in an argument, is slim to none. I just think, ‘I could’ve lived a blissful 10 years of existence up to this point.’ It is what it is, but life is so much more easier and sustainable and loving and everything without that. I always thought I needed it. I didn’t.”
MORE FROM THE NWA: An interview with NWA World Women’s Champion Kamille
Latimer certainly hasn’t needed any help in the ring. A bruising talent, his persona is perfect for the old-school feel of NWA, and his knowledge of the business has him giving back at FXE in Hendersonville, Tenn. Latimer has learned from a stable of wrestling icons including Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, Dr. Tom Prichard, and the “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, among others.
“I’ve burnt a lot of my bridges, but at least I can help other people get to where they want to be and get to places that I can’t,” Latimer said of teaching at FXE. “Throughout all the people I’ve worked with, you take a little of what they show you and what they give you. So there’s so much information, it’s a waste for me trying not to give it. Why hold on to it when I can share it with other people and guide them in the right way, so they don’t make the same mistakes I did.”
The very affable Chesterfield, England native talked about his wrestling school, wrestling career and wrestling future in this Web Is Jericho exclusive. Here’s Latimer on …
Joining the NWA: “When I worked in Impact a few years back, that’s where I met Billy (Corgan), and it sort of evolved into a pretty good relationship between the two of us. Of course, once he got there, I didn’t last much longer, and I asked for my release and went back to the UK to wrestle full time, because I didn’t feel I was being utilized there, and I really wasn’t. Part of that is on me, as I wasn’t in the right state of mind for it. It was kind of an amicable split. So Billy did his thing there, and that didn’t go according to plan. When I was in the UK, (former NWA Champion) Nick (Aldis) had gotten with Billy, and Billy had bought the NWA brand. And Nick sort of took it upon himself to put his boots to the ground and get this thing rolling going around everywhere defending the NWA title to sort of regain that buzz that was lost many years ago. So we crossed paths then. When it was finally time for me to come back to the States, I had worn out my welcome in the UK (laughs). I had to get back to the States, but I needed something to come back to. So when I went back, I ended up opening a wrestling school, which is the reason I came to Tennessee. At the same time, Billy did the NWA70 show. As soon as I came back, it was sort of a no-brainer to jump on board and get started with them.”
What it’s like working for Billy Corgan: “He does know his stuff. He knows far more than I do. He also likes the old school approach — big guys telling a simple story. It’s kind of the stuff that’s sort of left out in wrestling now. As a kid, I wasn’t really a big fan of that kind of wrestling. I was an “Attitude Era” kid. But the older I got, the more I learned about the profession and the more involved I was with (peers), I sort of gravitated towards more of that style. I can’t do a triple lindy to the floor, and nor would I. Not that I’m saying that’s not incredibly talented, but it’s not where I fit. NWA is kind of built — besides legacy and tradition — it’s built on men fighting men and women fighting women and two people looking like they can beat each other up. It’s telling a simple story that everyone can follow — good vs. evil. We’ve kind of gotten away from that in wrestling a little bit. So for me, that’s why NWA is so special and why I want to work there. Working for Billy, it’s always been good anyway, just because of the relationship we had. He’s my boss, obviously, but there’s a level there of friendship. It makes a working relationship easy.”
Getting engaged to Kamille: “I proposed to her onstage at a bodybuilding competition she did, which was kind of nerve-racking, and I was gonna pull out. But I told the parents about it, so I thought, ‘They’ll murder me if I don’t do it!’ So I forced myself to go on the stage and do it. And thankfully, she said ‘yes,’ because it would have been rather embarrassing for me in front of 1,000 people if she told me to piss off. (laughs).” Funny enough, as soon as I got back to the States, a few days later there was a pop-up event with Tried-N-True (Wrestling Academy) and NWA, and that was the first time I met her. So it literally was the second day I got to the States, and that was 3 1/2 years ago. We practically moved in together, and that was that. We didn’t waste much time.”
Working at FXE Wrestling: “We had just moved to Hendersonville, Tenn. which is where this new school was built. It’s like a billion dollar building. It’s got two rings. It’s just a step below what you’d get at the (WWE) Performance Center. It’s really mind-blowing. One of the boys in the NWA was at the school, and he saw it for the first time and said, ‘Oh, this is far too classy for a wrestling school.’ And it really is. I learned in a dirty gym in Leeds on thin mats on a concrete floor. This place is luxury compared to that. It’s called FXE Wrestling Academy, and Jerry Lynn is part owner and is one of the coaches. There’s another gentleman, AJ Gallant, he was in the first class of the Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy. Between the three of us, we’ve come up with a great team. Originally when I came back to America, it was to run the Tried-N-True school, which is no longer running. It was something I wanted to get involved in, because I’m getting old and you can’t do this forever. I’m 35. As soon as I hit 30, that’s when my body went, ‘I don’t like this anymore’ (laughs). So you know time’s a ticking. With that being said, it was something I didn’t really imagine myself doing. But I always want to stay involved in pro wrestling somehow, and I did seminars around Europe, and I just got a real passion for it. When I stared doing that, and I see people evolve and change and grow, it just made me feel sort of alive and it’s a way to give back.”
His goals for 2022 and beyond: “I really want to stay in shape, and it’s something I’ve always struggled with. Everybody does. Looking back in the day, guys like HHH, these guys had a sustainable, fantastic looking figure all year round. They always looked good. The one thing for me is trying to find a sustainable way to stay in shape all year round, because obviously we have TV tapings. After the TV tapings, I might go bananas for a week and gain 40 pounds, only to spend the entire time after getting back into shape, only to destroy it right after TV again. So my goal this year is to limit the cheat days to a cheat meal, not a cheat week. Career wise, Nick (Aldis) lost the championship to Trevor (Murdoch), and everything was smooth between Strictly Business. Then Nick, once he’d lost that championship, and he had a hell of a run, the fact is he ended up getting soft and feeling guilty for the way he treated everyone, and he ran around trying to right his wrongs and sort of go on an apology tour. With Strictly Business, he had to go. It’s strictly business for a reason, and he wasn’t doing business. We ended up turning on him, and me and Nick had a grudge match at “Hard Times 2,” and he squeaked out the victory. So I ended up saying OK, I threw out an ‘I Quit’ match, he accepted it, and that’s what we’re doing at PowerrrTrip in Kentucky (filmed on Feb. 12, and will air on a later episode of NWA Powerrr). An ‘I Quit’ match should be my forte. I’ve spent lot of time doing matches where I’m hitting people with stuff, and making people bleed and giving them a terrible time. So the money’s on me when it comes to being able to torture him. If I can’t get it done at this show coming up, then I’m all about walking away. But the last thing you’ll ever hear come out of my mouth is ‘I quit.’ So once I’ve put Nick behind me and I’ve moved on, then of course the NWA title is in the crosshairs.”
For more information on the FXE Wrestling Academy visit fxewrestlingnetwork.com.
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