Today is Kris Travis Day, in honour of British wrestler Kris Travis who passed away earlier this year and I wanted to put down some thoughts and memories of him, I apologise for the rambling nature of this. I first met Kris on the second show I ever worked on, in a working mans club in Swinton. On that show he proceeded to break one of the microphones I had loaned to the promoter with the PA system we used on the night. Great start. As I started working on more shows I got to see him perform almost weekly, and it was pretty clear that he was unbelievably talented, so much that by the time bigger UK companies like Preston City Wrestling and Progress opened their doors, booking him was a no-brainer because for me, he was probably the best wrestler in the country. I had the pleasure of seeing him work with some of the best talent in the U.K, Ex WWE and TNA guys, and also trainees just learning their way in the ring, some even from his own school. Each match would have something special. He could go up against Kevin Thorn and have a bloody hardcore brawl, he could face the BWO with his long time tag partner Martin Kirby and have the funniest match you would see, He could wrestle a trainee with 1 match under their belt and make a story compelling enough you believed the trainee was at his level. He became a must watch guy and it seemed like his opportunity was just around the corner. Sadly that wasn’t to be. On the flip side to this, I got to know him as a person. In the many car rides I shared traveling to and from shows, as well as the post show nights out, I got to know him, not as well as many others I will admit, but I got to see the person behind the bravado. Kris was a good guy who would always be there for a friend, if you were loyal to him he would pay it back double. He was kind and funny, the type of guy you would want on your side. I lost touch with Kris for a few years after leaving my production roles in order to focus on my education and personal life, however a few years later I decided to go to a show in Wath-upon-dearne where Kris was wrestling. I hadn’t seen him in 2 or 3 years, but it was like we hadn’t missed a beat, we talked about the show, how things had been and just had a good time. Much like Kevin Owens tweeted when the news hit, you could have just met him and he made you feel like his closest friend. It was a few weeks after that that Kris would discover he was ill. I followed his battle with cancer with concern and hope that he would be back in the ring, like I said earlier it felt like he was on the verge of something great when this horrible illness had hit him. Kris hit back and eventually was able to step back in the ring. I was so proud to see him get back in the ring and do what he loved, you could see the passion in his eyes, it wouldn’t be long before he was back to his usual show stealing self. Then he announced his cancer had returned. We all know how the story ended, and it still hits me hard that this amazingly talented individual who had the world at his feet was taken from us, not just as someone who knew him, but as a fan of his work, the fact that he was gone devastated me. At the time I found it hard to put into words just how I was feeling, and it still is. Seeing Kris battle with everything he had, while continuing to live his life the best he could was so inspiring to me, his death came just a few months after my uncle was taken by the same illness, and seeing how the both of them battled and refused to give in is a constant reminder to me that life is precious and I shouldn’t waste time. I am not a religious person, but I do believe in immortality. We achieve immortality through the memory we leave behind. I can’t claim to be that close to this ideal, but Kris’s memory continues on, his matches are celebrated, his passing mourned, and his huge personality and his friendship is held close and celebrated. Kris Travis may no longer be wowing crowds every week in venues up and down the country, but he truly is immortal through the fans, friends, and family who hold his memory and celebrate him. That is why today, I am donating to Cavendish Cancer Care, the charity that helped him through his toughest times, and that he was also an ambassador for. You can do this too by texting TRAV01 £3 (or whatever amount you want) to 70070 Rest in peace Kris. Dan.
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