A former carer from Motherwell who once lived in his car with his dog is now body slamming his way to stardom in the United States. In a few short years Luke Scouler, better known to fans as Crixus, has gone from sleeping in a gym car park to cage fights and casket matches in the same wrestling promotion that launched the careers of John Cena and Batista.
The “Scottish War Machine” is now one of the breakout stars at Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), the cult American brand featured in the hit Netflix documentary Wrestlers. Luke was the first ever Scottish OVW champion.
Luke had previously been a fitness instructor before working in residential care with young people at Inspire Scotland, a social care organisation that supports children and young people. The 33-year-old said: “I really loved that job. But it was tough emotionally. I’ve always had a bit of a Batman complex – I thought I was going to save everybody. I was in a bad place with it. I knew it wasn’t for me and I was burned out. I was in a bad place and I remember sitting in my house in Newmains watching TV with my dog, Odin, when wrestling came on and I just thought: ‘Screw it. Let’s go. Scots have made it big in this business – why couldn’t I?”
That night, he jumped in his car to enroll in a wrestling academy in London run by former WWE star and current OVW head trainer Al Snow. The ‘Scottish War Machine’ continued: “I drove through the night with no plan and no place to stay. Me and the dog slept in the car for a bit. Eventually the guy who ran it asked if I was serious. I told him I’d already quit my job and left my house. That was it. We moved into the gym and didn’t go back.”
Battle-ready
He first landed a place at OVW in 2019, after placing first at a 300-person wrestling combine. But just as things were taking off, COVID hit and he was stuck in the UK for two years. Now based in Kentucky full-time, he’s one of the promotion’s biggest stars – something which he thinks his upbringing prepared him well for. Luke commented “We’ve got thicker skin, especially in Glasgow. You’re battle-ready by the time you leave primary school, so wrestling comes naturally to us. I’m cheeky, and the accent helps too. Over here in the States, people already think we’re mental which helps. I just turned my personality up to 11. I wasn’t pretending to be someone else- just the version of me you probably wouldn’t want to sit next to in a pub. I get to act up and they still love me. They boo you, but they’re cheering underneath.”
His rise comes as Scots are “having a moment” in the world of wrestling according to Al Snow, who has shared a ring with the Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Edinburgh’s Joe Hendry made his WrestleMania debut this year while Ayrshire’s Drew McIntyre – an OVW alumnus – became Scotland’s first WWE Champion in 2020.
Former WWE Hardcore and European champion Al Snow, who made his wrestling debut in 1982 against Kerry Von Erich, the wrestler portrayed by Zac Efron in the Hollywood movie The Iron Claw, commented: “With the success of Joe Hendry and Drew McIntyre, Scotland is increasingly a potential source of talent. ICW did amazing things. I know Grado – though don’t tell him I said this – but he’s incredibly charismatic and doing so well across TV, radio and stage. With Crixus, we may have another superstar on our hands. His dedication has been incredible. To make it in this business, you have to sacrifice and do things out of the ordinary. And that’s why I think he’s got what it takes.”
Crixus appears weekly on OVW TV. You can follow him at @war.crixus.
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