“Walking to the sound of my favourite tune, tomorrow never knows what it doesn’t know too soon. Need a little time to wake up…”

At a time when more UK wrestlers than ever before are making a name for themselves on a global stage, it was in the bar of my old university that I discovered a young man who is, without a doubt, set for a very bright future in the world of wrestling. With Oasis’ ‘Morning Glory’ ringing through the bar, through the curtain stepped a breath of fresh air. It may have been the cheap pints of Carling, or just my enjoyment of the show (Read: “Marking”) that lead me to turn to my pal and proclaim “Who is he? He is my new favourite”. Having grown up with a strong appreciation for the Manchester based music scene, and the style that comes with this, it was refreshing to see this embraced in the squared circle. Noam Dar, with his Adidas tracksuit top, shredded physique, Manchester-esque swagger and mod haircut, is every bit the modern day British wrestler. Picture a young Ian Brown, kneeing people in the face, and you will have a rough idea of where I’m coming from.

Now let me set a bit of context on this article. This is only my 3rd “One to Watch” article and my 1st since 2006. The first 2 looked at Sheamus O’Shaunessy and Drew Galloway, when they were still on the UK circuit, who have since went on to have success in the WWE as Sheamus and Drew McIntyre. Noam was kind enough to take some time out of his schedule to sit down with us a WrestlingRambles to talk about his influences, aspirations and the wrestling landscape.

At just 18 years of age, Noam Dar certainly didn’t wait around before getting into the ring having already appeared on 2 tours with Japanese promotion Dragon Gate: UK, the first of which just 2 years after he debuted at the tender age of just 14. Even at this young age, Noam was of firm belief that becoming a wrestler was nothing more than a teenage fantasy of his, but soon started tagging along with a friend to work out with the wrestlers of a small Scottish promotion. This begun as a novel way to stay in shape but in no time at all Noam’s outlook was starting to change and he became focused on making his fantasy a reality.

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In less than 2 years Noam was starting to make such an impression on the UK scene that DG: UK had Noam work on their European tour aged just 16. “I was still very new and the show came about by chance rather than my dedication to achieving a spot” Noam commented, discussing his debut for the promotion. “Looking back now I realise that I didn’t fully grasp the surroundings and was very naive to it all”. This experience would light a fire in Noam’s belly, with the end goal being to get another shot at Dragon Gate once he had more experience under his belt. “The thing I find most beautiful about the Dragon Gate promotion is the overwhelming professionalism it oozes. It’s a tight knit team that display the utmost respect to their business and everything they do is first class from how they carry themselves to how they orchestrate a show. I hope to be in those surroundings again soon.” Noam would indeed get another bite at the cherry, returning to DG: UK in 2011, having a very solid outing with Daniel Roberts. Noam recommends this match as an introduction to his work so I have posted a link at the end of this blog. Wait for it mind!

For a wrestler still very early in his career, Noam has a surprisingly cultured in ring style and a strong grasp of psychology. His body language and facial expressions suit his gimmick perfectly as well as having the ability to be able to change this to be able to work as either a cocky heel or modern, fun, baby face. Between the ropes, Noam works a very snug matt based style and has a tendency to wrap his opponents in holds that you would sooner expect to see from a worldly veteran than a young up-and-comer. Having watched him work it came as no surprise when Noam listed Kurt Angle, AJ Styles, Bryan Danielson and Eddie Guerrero as some of his dream opponents.

When we sat down with Noam, we got to ask him about his view on the current state of the image and how he adapts to the current wrestling climate. “I try to keep my product unique, in a sense that I mix my youth with realism. I don’t try to do things that seem unnatural to me or unrealistic. I try to stand out by mixing my passions from different styles, musical icons and other interests into one wrestling product. I hope this will keep me fresh and people won’t be able to categorise me under a specific banner. I have a great appreciation and admiration for a specific group of people within the British circuit. I guess that is the youthfulness in me idolising people who have helped and/or influenced me, much like children have for their favourite primary teacher. That being said I’m not easily influenced by anyone. It’s not a person’s level of success that I admire, it’s more their attitude towards wrestling, their peers and if I can connect or relate to them. I have a close circle of friends and each of them have characteristics that I idolise and in a sense wish to ‘follow’.”

Noam’s passion for the business shines through his in-ring performance. For such a young man, with his whole career still ahead of him, he is already grabbing the attention of fans and promoters on a global level and deservedly so. I wanted to give our readers the chance to be introduced to Noam Dar, however I really recommend checking him out yourself on YouTube or, if you live in the UK, keep your eyes opened for him working the UK circuit. I wish Noam the best of luck in pursuing his dream and look forward to seeing more of him in the future.

You can follow Noam on Twitter @NoamDar, or even order a ‘Dar Wars’ t-shirt. “Thanks for doing this article on me and I’m very excited to see its response”

As always – Thanks for reading peeps.

Leave me some feedback and follow me @CallingSpots

Much Love – Rich

Noam Dar –vs- Daniel Roberts for Dragon Gate: UK

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=noam+dar&oq=noam+dar&aq=f&aqi=g4&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=313l1077l0l1266l8l6l0l0l0l0l319l1159l0.2.2.1l5l0