Now retired, former WWE wrestler Tucker Knight (real name Levi Cooper) looks back fondly on his time as a pro wrestler.
Cooper was part of the tag team Heavy Machinery in WWE before being released from his contract in 2021. He spent some time on the indies after his release but confirmed last October that he is retired from the ring. His final match took place in 2023.
Following his WWE career, Cooper is now the head wrestling coach at Skyview High School in Vancouver, Washington. Local news station KPTV produced a story on him that aired on Sunday night. Cooper said pro wrestling was a great way to spend his 20s, but the travel became too difficult for him once he had kids.
“Traveling before I had kids was 95 percent fun, but after I had my daughter it became really difficult emotionally. I wasn’t prepared for how difficult that was going to be,” the 34-year-old Cooper said. “It was a cool way to spend my 20s, man. It was a really special thing to get to do. It really is an art form. It encompasses a ton of stuff. You know, you’re like a live-action stunt performer basically that’s trying to tell a story with your body without words. It’s like, the outcome is pre-determined but go fall over outside on a mat that’s this thick [and do it] repeatedly. It takes its toll, it’s a full-on lifestyle.”
Cooper was an amateur wrestler in college before his WWE career. In WWE, he teamed with Otis on NXT and the main roster. The two are still friends with Otis visiting Cooper and the wrestlers at Skyview High last year.
The full news piece from KPTV can be watched below:
