William Regal Says Wrestling Owes You Nothing, Why Wrestlers Should Put Their Family First

On what turned out to be his final episode of the Gentleman Villain podcast, William Regal discussed what wrestling “owes” you, giving family first advice to an AEW talent, being present for the birth of his son Bailey AKA NXT Wrestler Charlie Dempsey, and more. Read on for the highlights. Read the following quotes in Regal’s voice, and try not to choke up. VILLAIN~!

On wrestling owing you nothing: “I’ve said this before, you come into this job with nothing. You leave it with nothing. You gonna be crippled up, and don’t forget: the job owes you nothing, and you’re in a completely bent business. But the job’s everything.”

On being there when his son Bailey was born: “Now I look back and I’m somewhat ashamed of the fact that I shouldn’t have even gone away that summer. My wife was pregnant, what was I doing going to England. I should have stayed in America so I could be with her. The one good thing I can say about 1996 was that I was with [my wife] when our Bailey [Charlie Dempsey] was born. It is what it is. It was the way it was.”

On recently giving family first advice to An AEW wrestler: “I’ve just recently given that [advice], I won’t say who because he’s somebody I think the world of. That his dad wasn’t well, and this was on a Wednesday night at Dynamite. He said, ‘My dad’s not well and I’m not sure if I’m even doing anything on Rampage, but I can be back the next week.’ I said, you need to go and talk to Tony, and you need to go home. And he went, and he came back for the following Wednesday. And he thanked me for talking him into that. So I’ve done a complete one-eighty on the way I think. Your family comes first.”

On his youngest child getting more of his time: “Once I got to the WWE, my youngest son got the most of me, unless I was on European or foreign tours of some type. I always had that two and a half days a week at home. Before that, there was times in England when I was away for nine months. It’s not good for your children. My wife, bless her, has had to bring up my children when I’ve just been away because “the job.” And in one way, you have to, because otherwise you didn’t get paid. It’s like working when you’re hurt. But it was just… priorities. And now, I look at things in a different priority.

On how sorry he is for not putting family first: “My family should have come first. I’m greatly sorry to my wife and my children, especially my eldest, that I wasn’t there a lot because I always put work first. Because that was the way I was brought into the job. And I think it’s not the best attitude.”

If you use any of the above quotations, please credit Gentleman Villain h/t 411mania for the transcription.