From shy kid to 'Killa Kye': Shellharbour wrestler takes on his US dream

Shellharbour’s Kye “Killa Kye” Cooper is flipping his childhood dreams into reality by heading to Texas to train under WWE legend Booker T.

Overcoming childhood shyness and social stigma, the 24-year-old wrestler and disability worker has found confidence, community, and a stage in Wollongong’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Wrestling Australia, and now he’s ready to chase his dream of making it big in a major US wrestling promotion.

For Cooper, wrestling has given him more than he ever anticipated since starting just a year ago, but mostly it’s given him self belief.

“When I was younger it was very hard for me to branch out and talk to people,” he said.

“To where I am now, I wouldn’t have imagined it.

“I was just talking to my dad earlier, and he was like, ‘When you were a kid, you were too scared to go into the baker and get me a loaf of bread’ and now I’m putting Instagram videos up and wrestling in front of 500 people. That’s crazy.”

Now, he’s taking his talents to the next level, securing a training opportunity with WWE Hall of Famer Booker T’s Reality of Wrestling company in Texas from mid-March for one month. It’s what he hopes will be the first of many trips.

Joined by his close friend and fellow wrestler Connor “The Bachelor” Smith of Albion Park, he is determined to earn a spot in a major US wrestling promotion, inspired by childhood heroes like John Cena and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

“It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid to eventually make it into a major company. WWE is the top one and that would be amazing,” Cooper said.

“I’m 24 now, but when I was a bit younger and being that weird age, socially it wasn’t acceptable in Australia.

“During high school, I loved watching wrestling, but it wasn’t popular.

“So if you watched wrestling, it was considered a bit weird and it sort of pushed me away from it.”

Returning to it a year ago, he is now part of Rock ‘n’ Roll Wrestling Australia, a company which hosts shows in Wollongong and other NSW locations, often attracting up to 500 people per show.

He chose the character of party animal “Killa Kye”, despite his social issues as a child.

“I stole a finishing move from one of my favourite wrestlers when I was growing up, Jeff Hardy,” he said.

“So the move is called a Swanton Bomb. It’s doing a big front flip off the top rope and landing on your opponent.

“Look, if you miss, it doesn’t tickle.”

Smith, on the other hand, chose “The Bachelor”, complete with roses.

“The way to branch out is to go overseas and get your name out there,” he said.

“The training school in Texas we are training at, called Reality of Wrestling, has just partnered with the WWE and formed a program called WWE ID – World Wrestling Entertainment Independent Development.

“It’s just a matter of if they like the talent we bring and if they’re interested, then they’ll be like, let’s put you on a show.

“So we’ve just gone all in, we’re not taking no for an answer, and we’re going to go over there and give it our all.”

Cooper said the trip was also an opportunity to network to build connections for future visits.

He said the pair drew inspiration from successful Australian wrestlers leading the charge in the US, such as current Women’s World Champion and South Australian Rhea Ripley and Sydney’s Grayson Waller.

“He’s [Grayson’s] actually been on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Wrestling shows in the past and he’s also been in many shows around Australia,” he said.

“He’s just got that charisma. He was a bit of an inspiration to be honest. I thought, “If he can do it, why can’t I do it?’”

Cooper and Smith balance their wrestling career with a day job in disability care, where they often find themselves talking wrestling.

And not just to each other, with their disability clients among their most supportive followers.

“We work in disability care, so it’s really rewarding,” he said.

“They love it. They get into it. They come to the shows, and they’re probably the biggest fans we have at the moment.

“It’s so fun to see.”

He said the promoter of Rock ‘n’ Roll Wrestling had his own disability company, which was how they ended up in disability care.

“We’ve got a very tight bond, we’re all mates, so it’s just lovely to be around,” he said.

Wrestlers travelled from Sydney to Ulladulla to train in Unanderra three times a week, with Cooper also travelling to Sydney for additional training.

While they were initially hesitant to create GoFundMe pages, the pair took the leap to help support their Texas trip, while promoting wrestling.

You can donate and follow their journeys via Cooper’s Instagram and Smith’s Instagram.