Spike Trivet: The Best Heel in European Wrestling
Spike Trivet: The Best Heel in European Wrestling
How the mini-boss of British Wrestling became the final boss.
Main event time! The lights in the Electric Ballroom dim. Dramatic music begins to play. Then, an endless moment later, the reigning PROGRESS World Heavyweight Champion takes the stage: 'The Sovereign Lord' Spike Trivet. He looks quite dapper in his long black coat, a little too dapper maybe. You’d be forgiven for thinking he was on his way to afternoon tea. His title, the most important title in British wrestling, is slung loosely over his arm. It dangles there like a grossly oversized wrist watch – the ultimate bling. The Sovereign Lord takes his time on the way to the ring. He waves graciously to the fans. The audience answers as if from one mouth. The answer: "Fuck you, Spike!"
After making his debut in 2016, Spike Trivet quickly found his feet on the British wrestling scene, where his tireless efforts soon earned him a reputation as a workhorse. An arrogant 'Britwres Bluebood' in the tradition of William Regal, he was the perfect foil for fan favorites across the country. And Spike didn’t hesitate to leave it all in the ring in order to make his opponents shine. During a 2018 match against Drew Parker, he was thrown through a pane of glass – a bump that left him with a nasty scar and the fans in attendance with a lasting memory.
His unique skillset proved to be both a blessing and a curse for Spike. He was always in demand, but never advanced past the midcard. He became British wrestling's mini-boss: Spike was the villain who could believably challenge just about any rising star, only to believably lose at the end of the feud. For a long time, it seemed like there was nothing more in the cards - until now.
“Do you remember me?”
In the spring of 2022, Spike made waves by attacking British wrestling icon Cara Noir. What started out as a fairly typical beatdown quickly evolved into a bitter rivalry: Spike didn't just want to defeat Cara Noir; he wanted to erase him from PROGRESS. In the eyes of the Sovereign Lord, the acclaimed fan favorite was nothing but an attention-grabbing fraud; a pretender that needed to be removed. Which is exactly what Spike did: In a bloody "I Quit" match, he forced Cara Noir to submit - and leave PROGRESS.
After the match, the fallen hero was sent off with chants of “Thank you, Cara”, while Spike was booed and pelted with (mostly) empty plastic cups. And just like that, the Summer of Spike had begun.
Spike loves hate.
Let's fast forward to the present. Spike now holds the PROGRESS World Heavyweight Championship. He's still a workhorse, defending the title (begrudgingly) against babyface after babyface. 'Death Match Prince' Drew Parker; NXT UK star Eddie Dennis; Man Like Dereiss; Drilla Moloney — none of them could dethrone the Sovereign Lord. He has yet to win a match clean, of course, but what counts is the bottomline. Naturally, this attitude has not done him any favors with the PROGRESS faithful. Chants of “Fuck you, Spike” now greet the champion wherever he goes. When “Stand up if you hate Trivet” was sung at a PROGRESS show, everyone in the sold-out arena jumped to their feet. As for Spike himself, he casually sat down in the middle of the ring.
Most bad guys in wrestling probably would have caved by now. After all, you want to be celebrated after a tough match. You want to make some extra money and sell a few t-shirts after the show. But Spike doesn't do any of that. He's rarely seen at the merchandise table; even more rarely does he take photos with fans. The Sovereign Lord also seems to avoid other wrestlers. He certainly doesn't exchange pleasentries with his opponents, neither before nor after the match, neither online nor offline.
Spike isn't one to reluctantly take on the role of villain. He lives it. In fact, he seems to relish it. He clearly enjoys angering the fans and upstaging their favorites – something he accomplishes without any classic heel promos. Spike doesn't blindly insult fans or belittle opponents. More often than not, it seems like he's just speaking his truth. He certainly has some extreme views and he's not exactly kind about any of them, but he's always credible in what he does. I rarely agree with the the things Spike says in the ring, but I usually understand where he’s coming from. I can believe that he believes it. That is a rare thing in wrestling today.
How can a heel pull off a gimmick so completely in 2022, at the height of the social media age? If Spike is just acting, then he deserves an Oscar. But I don't think that's the case. I don't think Spike sees himself as a villain at all, so he doesn't have to play one. In the movie of his mind, he is the hero who is finally claiming everything he has been unfairly denied. To Spike Trivet, we are the bad guys – and he takes a wicked delight in rubbing it in our faces over and over again.
One thing is certain: Whoever can take the title from Spike Trivet will be a made man afterwards. And until then, many fans will buy many tickets in order to make sure they do not miss this very moment. What more could you ask for from a heel? Spike is our champion. Long may he reign.