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Travis Banks has yet to win a title in NXT UK, or indeed in WWE as a whole, and hasn't wrestled in an NXT UK TakeOver show (admittedly there's only been one). This is a surprise, given that he was the runner up in WWE's United Kingdom Championship Tournament and a former Progress world champion.
There's no denying that Banks was one of the bigger stars on the independent circuit thanks to his 318-day reign as Progress' World Champion for which he currently holds the record for most title defenses for that belt as well.
It looked like Banks was going to replicate that success in NXT UK when he progressed swimmingly through the United Kingdom Championship Tournament beating Ligero, Ashton Smith and Joe Coffey to make it through to the final, where he only narrowly lost to Zack Gibson.
So what happened after that? Why has Banks perhaps not managed to emulate the promise he has shown on the indies? Well, he was sidelined with a dislocated shoulder during the start of NXT UK's television tapings, being written off in a backstage attack angle.
When he returned it looked like Banks was rising to the top again and was due to face Jordan Devlin at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool, only to not be cleared to compete due to another injury (unclear if real or kayfabe). Instead, he suffered a 'pre-match beatdown' at the hands of Devlin and was replaced by Finn Balor.
Banks has now gotten over his injury hump and finished his feud with Devlin with a great Falls-Count-Anywhere match and has since gone on to become #1 Contender to the UK Championship, but fail to capitalize on it by recently losing to Walter. Now Banks seems set to finally wrestle at an NXT UK TakeOver with a probable match against Noam Dar.
We caught up with Travis Banks to before the NXT UK Plymouth TV tapings to talk about all of the above, including his injuries, potentially wrestling at an NXT UK TakeOver, wrestling on WWE's other shows and we even talked about the ICC Cricket World Cup Final.
Travis Banks on his feud with Noam Dar and potential TakeOver: Cardiff match
On night one of the NXT UK tapings in Plymouth Noam Dar defeated Ashton Smith and during a post-match in-ring promo arrogantly claimed that he was going to be at NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff.
Later on in the night, Travis Banks picked up a win against Kenny Williams and then had a verbal altercation with Noam Dar, who was on the commentary booth. I asked Banks about this altercation.
Banks: "Well, Noam Dar thinks his spot is guaranteed on TakeOver, but I was speaking to General Manager Johnny Saint and he said that wasn't the case at all and you actually have to earn it in this place, just like everyone else. As you know I got taken off of TakeOver: Blackpool and I've really been working hard to get on TakeOver Cardiff so I had a bit of an issue with Noam Dar just thinking he has a guaranteed spot I guess."
Apologies for the kayfabe question to start things off, but I couldn't hear the altercation between Dar and Banks at the tapings so was genuinely interested in what the build was for the feud between these two.
It also almost guarantees that one of the matches that will be added to the card will be Travis Banks Vs. Noam Dar to go alongside Toni Storm Vs. Kay Lee Ray, Walter Vs. Trent Seven and Grizzled Young Vets Vs. Gallus Vs. South Wales Subculture.
Travis Banks on missing NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool and what it would mean to wrestle at TakeOver: Cardiff
Travis Banks and Jordan Devlin may have had a fantastic Falls-Count-Anywhere match on NXT UK which I'd highly recommend you watch if you missed it. But the pair were supposed to wrestle at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool only for Devlin to injure Banks before the match, leading to him being replaced by Finn Balor.
I asked Travis Banks when he found out he wouldn't be wrestling in Blackpool and how it felt to be on the card and then taken off at the very last minute (albeit for a surprise Finn Balor appearance, which is a pretty good way to go).
Banks: "I was gutted obviously, I've worked, well, I've worked ten years in my career to get to a point where I can wrestle on a platform like that and to be taken off it was a little frustrating. But I knew going forward from that that I would train harder and work harder and make sure that on the next one they didn't take me off it again... Or I wouldn't be off it again, sorry.
I, then asked Banks, what it would mean to him to be a big part of a show like NXT TakeOver: Cardiff in the UK given that he was such a big part of Progress before he joined NXT UKTakeOver.
Banks: "With my career it's always been steps and goals and I think this would probably be, if I was to be on the card, it would probably be the biggest moment of my career and not even just for British wrestling but for New Zealand wrestling as well. I have a country on my back, I'm representing New Zealand as well so it'll be good to get eyes on New Zealand and it's just a good celebration of British wrestling."
Travis Banks on that tense ICC Cricket World Cup final between England and New Zealand
I'm sorry, I couldn't resist asking someone from New Zealand about that amazing Cricket World Cup final, especially after he mentioned having the country of New Zealand on his back.
I asked Travis Banks if he'd had any stick from any of the NXT UK locker room regarding England's tense super-over victory against New Zealand. This was his response,
Banks: *Laughing* No, no, I actually forgot all about it. But I was just in New Zealand and there were a lot of sad faces, particularly my parents.
I then asked Banks if he was a cricket fan.
Banks: "Nah not really, I was really useless at cricket when I was a kid so I didn't invest my time in it."
So there we go folks. Not everyone from New Zealand is mad about cricket. At least one of them is mad about wrestling and has invested their time towards wrestling instead!. Anyway enough about cricket. Let's move on.
Travis Banks on his first injury in NXT UK and how he's doing physically now
Whilst it isn't clear whether or not Banks' second injury was real or not there's certainly no denying that the WWE Superstar was injured at the beginning of NXT UK as he took time off to recover from a dislocated shoulder.
I asked Banks what it was like to have to miss the start of the NXT UK tapings because of this injury and how he's feeling now.
Banks: "Yeah, that sucked man, that was like, I think, September of last year. I dislocated my shoulder so I was out for three months. But, I'm like a maniac when it comes to gym and recovery so I just rehabbed as hard as I could, and I actually came back faster than anticipated. But everything's okay now, no issues or anything like that."
I then asked Banks where he thought he'd be had he not gotten injured or does he not worry about that stuff too much.
Banks: "Nah, I don't worry about that man, I think everything happens for a reason and it gave me a little chance to reassess my goals and train a little bit harder and work on myself so I could come back stronger and be in a better position now"
Travis Banks on what his goals are now - getting on the TakeOver card, winning the UK Championship, wrestling on the main roster?
Given that Banks was a World Champion for so long on the independent circuit with Progress I figured that he'd want a similar level of success in WWE so I asked him what his goals were now he's over the injury hump and better than ever.
Banks: "Obviously TakeOver: Cardiff would be great. I'm always searching for the WWE UK Title. I would love to go back to America and maybe do some NXTs over there. I'm not too sure, I'm not too sure what the future holds but I'm excited about it.
Hopefully, Travis Banks does get to wrestle on the TakeOver: Cardiff card in that probable match against Noam Dar and then after that who knows? Maybe we will get to see him claim that NXT UK Championship and then maybe we will see him more on NXT in America. For those who followed Banks' career in Progress and know how good a wrestler he is, let's certainly hope so!
Bayley gives us a HUGE update on a top Superstar's upcoming return RIGHT HERE.
