A city-based wrestling academy that puts mental health at the heart of its mission and has sent a number of its graduates onto a professional career, celebrates its 15th anniversary this year.
Nottingham’s House of Pain is renowned for developing some of the most promising talents in the British wrestling scene and takes strides in challenging mental health.
With over 20 years of professional wrestling training, the club offers a rewarding journey to those with an ambition for the sport.
Throughout the year, House of Pain frequently hosts shows featuring both emerging talent and well-known wrestlers from around the United Kingdom.
Paul Grint, 42, from Nottingham, referred to mainly by his ring name Stixx, was a professional performing wrestler for 22 years and started setting up his own academy in 2005, establishing House of Pain in 2010.
Stixx said: “Fifteen years ago, we didn’t have our own place, we just had our own area and were running one show every month and a half. Now, we have our own facilities, two rings, two mounted areas, a well-equipped gym, classes everyday and over a hundred students.
“On the show side of it, which is where they get their real practice, next month we’ve got nine shows.”
Over the years, House of Pain has built bridges with local charities, fundraising groups and mental health and physical organisations. It’s clear that the main quality of the academy is helping people come out of their shell and boost their mental health.
Stixx, who speaks with great passion about the wrestling community he has helped foster, said: “If they’re scared to do something and they do it, you can see the proudness on their faces. It makes me feel proud to help people overcome stuff like worry and anxiety.
“Even deeper things like depression, a lad messaged me the other day saying that he’s finally been able to come off his anti-depressants, because being here for a year has changed his life.”
The heart of the academy’s commitment lies in fostering local talent, with the school offering training for those pursuing a wrestling career, beginners and hobbyists.
Stixx emphasised the importance of putting yourself out there and expressing yourself with the sense of belonging that the academy offers its students.
“People realise slowly through the course of that first session that the people they’re training with are just like them,” said Stixx, whose House of Pain also runs holiday clubs for children. “They love wrestling, and the chances are they don’t have many friends that do like wrestling.”
“You don’t have to hide your passion.”
Stixx, owner of house of pain
A bright star who has risen from House of Pain is Gabe Kidd.
Kidd, now 27, joined the academy when he was 12 and has since ascended to the big stage with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) which is the Japanese equivalent to the WWE.
Stixx said of Kidd: “He flew to Japan and the pandemic hit and was only supposed to be there for three months, he didn’t speak the language, and had to figure it out, all whilst being away from his family and his friends.
“To see what he went through and the hurdles he has faced, a couple of weeks ago he walks out in the Tokyo Dome, the biggest venue in Japan.
“I spoke with him the day after his fight with Kenny Omega and other than being a little sore, he could not be prouder.
“And something that warms my heart, he said, I will always, always consider myself one of your boys, I will always consider myself a House of Pain guy.”
At the academy, Stixx has a wall that highlights all the people that have come out of the school over the years and made some sort of impact.
“It’s getting quite full,” said Stixx, who welcomed back Kidd in 2022 to conduct a session. “But when you’ve been around for 15 years, even longer than that, if you couldn’t put up a wall like that, that would be a problem.”
House of Pain is organising additional performances and events to involve the Nottingham community and beyond as it undertakes 15th anniversary celebrations.
Weekly shows are held at Beeston Youth and Community Centre, and St Anns with Emmanuel Church, and other locations. The academy has four shows scheduled for February and is eager to accept new students as part of its continuous growth within Nottingham’s vibrant sports culture.
Due to growing demand and the academy’s ongoing attempts to enhance the fan experience, House of Pain events will start charging £7 for tickets in 2025. Stixx says this is due to the commitment in making wrestling accessible to everyone and offering reasonably priced family entertainment.
When asked about the ideal vision for the next 15 years, Stixx said: “We’ve always been very proud of being Nottingham based and don’t envision going outside of Nottinghamshire.
“We want to keep expanding and keep empowering people.”
For more information: www.houseofpainwrestling.wordpress.com
