Trevor Lee was supposed to be in MLW sooner. Now that he is, he’s establishing himself as a name to be reckoned with. In the return of Fusion last Saturday, the main event was a technical masterpiece between Lee and Austin Aries. Aries scored the win in a back-and-forth contest. This isn’t the first time Lee has wrestled for MLW, though.
“I did some work for them in New York City [in 2024], where I wrestled Mistico. We are fully on board now starting in [January] this year, and ever since it’s been a good time,” he said in a recent interview with SlamWrestling.net.
Lee and MLW have made sure this time will not be a one-off. Lee is looking to get something more than just more reps out of his MLW matches.
“It’s just the opportunity to show everybody that you know I’m more than just the character that screamed to the moon,” perhaps referencing his time as Cameron Grimes in NXT. “I can have good matches as well and really, that’s what I want the crowd to see out of me.”
“MLW gives me exactly what I need to be able to show that they have a talent that I can do that with, and they have production that can make it look good as well. It all goes hand in hand together and that’s the appeal for MLW for me.”
Hailing from North Carolina, Lee grew up around the sport. His father was a pro wrestler and the Lee family grew up as neighbors to another duo of Carolina wrestlers, Matt and Jeff Hardy.
“My father also helped Matt Hardy at the time with Mega Championship Wrestling. I was actually the next-door neighbors to Matt and Jeff Hardy growing up. So they really played a big pivotal role.”
The above three have been understandably massive influences on Lee’s wrestling career. But they were not the only ones he looked up to. AJ Styles, Amazing Red, Bryan Danielson, and Low Ki.
With Styles and Danielson having retired from in-ring competition, Amazing Red and Low Ki would be two dream matches for the 32-year-old Cameron, North Carolina native.
Though he wasn’t satisfied with the end result of his match on the re-debut of Fusion, Lee did focus on the positives.
“We did receive a best bout match. That’s cool to get an extra bonus. I didn’t want to debut in the company losing. But I think we could turn around. That’s the benefit. Every Saturday we’re going to have another opportunity to turn that around.”
Outside of MLW, Lee and a few other MLW wrestlers recently did a tour in Mexico, partnering with CMLL. Lee had previously wrestled in Mexico, but not for CMLL or AAA. The first-time experience was more than eye-opening for Lee.
“To get to see their talent firsthand is absolutely incredible. Not to mention being able to wrestle in Arena Mexico, the cathedral. Just [witnessing] the amount of history that’s ran through there was incredible.”
In terms of luchadores that stood out to him, Lee names Neon, Soberano, Jr., and Mascara Dorada as names to watch. “What a talent they have with [Soberano, Jr]. It was the first time I had ever been in the ring and had to actually cover up my ears, because the crowd was so loud for him. It was incredible. It was 15,000 people and they absolutely loved him … I can’t wait to be able to go back.”
Looking forward to the rest of the year, Lee will be touring Winnipeg at the end of July. As for his favorite independent show, the now-defunct Deadlock Pro Wrestling stood out to the indie veteran.
“Deadlock Pro Wrestling was was my favorite independent company at the time. They were just doing it right. I feel like they had it figured out. They had a great talent, they had great production, and they had even a great fan base. They would run shows in North Carolina, they’d run shows in Texas, they’d run shows in Philadelphia, and the crowd would be aware of what was going on. That’s really hard to do, especially running in different cities on an independent scale.”
As for names he’s crossed paths with on the independents, Lee noted WWEID talent Starboy Charlie, Titus Alexander, Alan Angels, and Adam Priest. Angels will be making MLW appearances and Priest has been featured on AEW and Ring of Honor.
As for the future of Fusion, Lee will have his eyes set on the championship match between champion Killer Kross and his challenger Matt Riddle this Saturday.
