NXT's Imperium star Fabian Aichner living out his childhood dream in WWE

As part of Imperium, Fabian Aichner preaches on the art form and how sacred the mat is – but he grew up as a fan just like anyone else.

The 29-year-old wrestler – who was born in South Tyrol in Italy’s Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region – still remembers the first time he tuned into WWE when he was in his early teens, and the exact moment he realised what he wanted to do with his life.

He exclusively told Metro.co.uk: ‘I just came across wrestling by accident. I was just flipping through the channels and I saw the last five minutes of a SmackDown episode.

‘I was just like, “This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen”. Instantly, as soon as I saw the ring and all the people around it, these big guys – I think it was Undertaker against Brock Lesnar and Big Show in a Triple Threat Match.

‘I was like, “This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!” I just knew instantly, that’s what I want to do with my life.’

The match in question took place on SmackDown in August 2003 – just weeks after Fabian’s 13th birthday – and even now, Aichner is determined to never forget what lit the fire in him.

‘It’s absolutely surreal,’ he reflected on his career to date. ‘Sometimes I can’t wrap my head around it. But for me, I’m that 13-year-old kid living the dream!’

Now as one half of the NXT Tag Team Champions with Imperium stable mate Marcel Barthel – who complete the formidable group alongside Alexander Wolfe and NXT UK Champion WALTER – Fabian is learning from the best with Triple H and Shaw Michaels leading the black and gold brands on both sides of the pond.

He added: ‘To me, it’s unbelievable. I saw SmackDown for the first time when I was 13 years old, so all those people were in their prime.

‘You try to get better, you try to watch matches and see what they’re doing, the little things in the ring. And now obviously coming here, every week we’re sitting down with Shawn Michaels and he’s giving us feedback.’

It’s been almost 17 years since the NXT superstar first laid eyes on WWE, and Undertaker – one of the men who started his passion for the business – has been giving fans unprecedented access into his life and career in The Last Ride docu-series on the WWE Network.

Pondering the Dead Man’s legacy, Aichner said: ‘I think it’s remarkable that he’s still able to do what he’s doing right now.

‘I think it just goes to show his love and passion for the business that he keeps on coming back and tries to put on the best show that he can every time he steps in the ring. I think that speaks volume.’

And although he started his own career in Italy back in 2011 – and is regarded as one half of one of the best tag teams of a generation – the rising star insisted he isn’t close to being at his peak.

‘Oh man, we’re at the tip of the iceberg right now,’ he laughed. ‘These guys have a completely different picture of wrestling compared to us right now, but we’re like a sponge. We’re trying to soak up as much as we possibly can.

‘It doesn’t get any better than Shawn Michaels, Undertaker and Triple H. For us, it’s the time of our lives right now to question those people and learn as much as we can.’

*Watch Imperium on NXT Wednesday nights at 1am.

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