It's Friday night at a friend's house. Steaks are being grilled, beers and various other alcoholic drinks are flowing, and I'm among a crowd of people—old and new acquaintances. Some I've just met, others have been friends of mine for over a decade. One of these people is Luke Hawx, New Orleans resident and up-and-coming professional wrestler and entertainer. In other "squared circles," people may dismiss him as amateur, but if you know him, his struggles, and the hours he's put in over the years, you'd be remiss to call him anything but professional.
For starters, his drive is insane and off-the-charts. First off, his body and his strength are a crucial part of his draw and success. "At least two to three hours every day" is spent on just run-of-the-mill (for Hawx) exercises. So, while you and I might feel great about ourselves after, say, an hour on a treadmill, Luke's exercises are intense stuff. Extensive weight training, as well as acting classes, stunt training, and whatever else needs to be done for his company, WildKat Sports, fill every day as his climb to the top continues.
His love for wrestling runs deep in his body and soul, and when you hear not only his passion, but also how hard he had to fight to get to where he is, his genuine, hardworking nature becomes quickly apparent. Growing up was a mess for Hawx, with an unstable home life that included drugs, fights, and various other unsuitable interactions for a child to witness and deal with. Through the sport of wrestling, as well as motivators in the ring like the Ultimate Warrior, Luke found enough incentive to dream of getting out of the darkness and making a name for himself.
But to get to where he wanted to be took skill and a furious approach to brand-building. Thus, after plenty of hours spent busting ass and making things happen, Wildkat Sports was founded. The objective started out simple enough: Hawx wanted to bring his passion to a local environment. But to do that, he also needed wrestlers to join him on a local surface. So, calls were made, connections born, and with that, WildKat burst upon the scene. If you've been to one of these events (often held at local amusement center The Shamrock), you know it's accurate to say burst. They recently held one of those events, and let me tell you, even as a person not really into wrestling anymore, I can say that these nights are fun, full of action, and they bring the typical debauchery that comes with not only high-quality wrestling, but also just NOLA in general.
Now, even if you haven't attended a wrestling match, you very well may have seen Luke Hawx before. Whether it be in small roles in movies or shows like AMC's Preacher, Spike Lee's Oldboy reboot, or in the excellent film Logan, Luke is branching out and looking at the big picture. On the topic of type-casting, Hawx isn't fazed. "As far as the tough guy roles go, that's what fits my character, so it's easy for me to play those roles. I get type-casted, and I don't mind," Hawx told me during our recent interview. This isn't to say that he's only interested in playing the generic "Thug No.1" or the like, but getting your foot in the door is all part of the process.
At the end of the day, Luke is not only proud of his heritage as a local New Orleanian, but also in his approach to business. He's a straight shooter with whom you may not always agree, but open and honest communication is always the key to getting your point across. And by the looks of his success so far, he seems to be doing a decent job in this area. This all comes from hard work and the experience needed to attain his goals.
If you meet Hawx, he's friendly and approachable. In the ring, however, the persona completely takes over, and he's on a collision course to victory. Sometimes in the ring, he's the winner, sometimes not so much. One thing remains promising, though. With Hawx's drive and commitment to good entertainment, he's sure to accomplish every goal he sets for himself, or at least to get as close as humanly possible to his hopes and dreams.
