Male WWE Superstar competes at non-WWE show ahead of WrestleMania 40
Shayna Baszler wasn't the only WWE Superstar who appeared at a wrestling show ahead of WrestleMania 40. NXT sensation Charlie Dempsey made an appearance and competed at GCW Bloodsport X.
Dempsey is the son of professional wrestling legend William Regal. He is currently signed to the NXT brand, where he is a member of No Quarter Catch Crew. The 27-year-old is also in his first reign as the NXT Heritage Cup Champion.
At GCW Bloodsport X, Dempsey was victorious over Matt Makowski. The NXT star secured the win via submission after locking in a double wrist lock.
Watch Dempsey's entrance from GCW Bloodsport X:
Dempsey made his professional wrestling debut in 2018 for All Star Wrestling. Over the next couple of years, he competed under Progress Wrestling, Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw), and Evolve.
In 2020, Dempsey joined New Japan Pro Wrestling as a young lion but never appeared for the promotion as he left for the Stamford-based company. In 2024, Dempsey also competed for All Japan Pro Wrestling, where he unsuccessfully challenged Katsuhiko Nakajima for the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship.
Charlie Dempsey wants to bridge the gap between WWE and AJPW
Charlie Dempsey has expressed his desire to bridge the gap between WWE and All Japan Pro Wrestling.
Ahead of his title match against Katsuhiko Nakajima, Dempsey spoke to Tokyo Sports and revealed William Regal's advice. The up-and-coming superstar was confident in his chances of winning the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, but unfortunately for him, that wasn't the case. Dempsey said:
"Trust your senses and go out there and fight," Dempsey said of his father’s advice. "If I win, I will become the first WWE athlete to win the Triple Crown. So I will definitely win, bring the belt home, and show it off in the NXT ring. I will be the bridge between the two organizations." [H/T: EWrestling News]
Dempsey had recently defeated Noam Dar to win the NXT Heritage Cup. This was his first championship victory.