'Burke Will Always be Home' for WWE Superstar Byron Saxton

At 6'1" and 230 pounds of muscle, Byron Saxton is making his mark on the world as a wrestler. The native Burkeite is currently on WWE NXT Redemption—his second appearance on the wrestling reality television show.

“Burke will always be home for Byron Saxton,” Saxton said. “Whenever I do get the chance to go back–which hopefully will be soon–it’s that same warm feeling. It’s knowing this is where it started for me.”

Back in the day, he was known as Bryan Jesus Kelly, a student at Fairview Elementary and Robinson Secondary School. In a WWE interview, Saxton described his childhood as “privileged,” saying he didn’t have to do dishes or laundry, but that he always followed the rules and never missed a day of class. Even then, he knew he wanted to be in wrestling.

“I guess you could say my plan started when I was four years old,” Saxton said. “I grew up a fan of WWE. I always wanted to grow up and be a superstar someday. I knew somehow I would get there.”

Saxton’s family left Burke for Florida when he was 13, where he finished out his high school years. He went on to work in radio at University of Florida, becoming a TV news reporter after graduation.

“Simultaneously I was doing indie shows and small spot shows- trying to get experience – trying to make connections and move up the ladder,” Saxton said. “I was eventually able to transition from being a broadcast journalist in the news world to the WWE.”

In 2007, Saxton signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment and began performing in Florida Championship Wrestling.  The next few years, he juggled wrestling, commentating and managing. He commentated on Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from October 2009 to February 2010, after a shuffling of on-air talent.

He appeared on the fourth season of WWE NXT, a reality television show which follows wrestlers in the FCW, known as “rookies,” paired with “Pros” from WWE’s Raw and SmackDown. Weekly challenges help determine how the votes of the “Pros” and fans, determining which “rookies” keep going in the competition. Saxton made it to the 10^th week of the competition.

“It was just one of those things where you work hard,” Saxton said. “You train hard down here—constantly doing shows—it’s a great learning experience.”

He was then chosen for the fifth season of the show, termed NXT Redemption, competing with pro Yoshi Tatsu. Redemption brought back six Rookies from seasons 1, 2 and 4 of NXT, competing for a spot in the sixth season.

“Hopefully I can go to win NXT redemption and move on to a position on either smackdown or RAW,” Saxton said. “I believe that dream’s always worth pursuing–you drive for it—and you push for it and as hard as you can. That’s what I plan to do.”

Saxton has had several ring names through his career, but settled on Byron Saxton in September 2008.

“Byron Saxton is an extension of who I am—just the volume turned up just a slight bit,” Saxton said. “I have to turn it down around my parents.”

Saxton’s parents had differing reactions to his decision to pursue professional wrestling.

“When I told them that I was going to be leaving television news to pursue [wrestling]- my dad wanted ABC—he wanted the details of how are you going to do this, where are you going to move,” Saxton said. “My mom was receptive. They’ve always been supportive, but being a mom, she wanted something that would prevent her son from receiving any hurt to his body.”

Saxton said that bumps and bruises comes with the territory of wrestling, but he prepares for it with stretching, working on his overall health and strength, and recovers with the help of massage.

He said he is excited to serve as someone for children to look up to.

“It’s one of those things where you have to sit back and take a deep breath,” Saxton said. “I have the opportunity to really impact people and be a role model. That’s one of those things that I really wanted to do this- I always wanted to be a good guy and cheer on the good guy.  I can influence a child whether it’s in Burke or somewhere else to stand up for what’s right and pursue their dreams and work hard.”

Some of his favorite childhood memories date back to his time in Burke.

“[I was] out in the front yard, making my own little outfits and take my pajamas, get a little sharpie and color different designs,” Saxton reminisced. “My sister would think I was crazy and yell at me and go home and tell my mom.”

Saxton said his sister, now a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, appreciates what her little brother has become.

“This is my way of getting back to her,” he chuckled. “All the years she’s made fun of me for doing this and now all the soldiers around her are just like, ‘Wow, your brother’s on NXT—that’s so cool.’”

Lori Craddock also contributed to this story.