Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Raylen Albey. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Raylen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

In the short time I’ve been in this business, I’ve had the luxury of being able to learn from so many incredibly talented people. People who have been on TV, people who have been able to perform and compete all over the world, people who I’ve looked up to for a long time. However, I never would have learned those lessons, or met all of those incredible people, had it not been for Ethan Case and the Palmetto Wrestling Academy. I was a part of the school’s second graduating class, starting in January 2019, and debuting in January the following year. A lot of people, including other people in the business, will hear that the training lasted for a year and think that that’s crazy and that it shouldn’t have taken that long because theirs didn’t. But honestly, I am so thankful that it did. The training program at the academy is so thorough because the goal is to have students debut as the complete package. There is a lot involved in what we do, and if not taught with the care and respect it deserves, it can be incredibly dangerous. On top of that, everyone learns differently and at different speeds. So it doesn’t matter how long it takes, our students graduate when they’re ready. You just have to trust the process, give it your all, and get out of your own way, which is more often than not, the hardest part.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Raylen Albey, and I am 28 years old. Four to five of those have been spent as a professional wrestler. I’m a theatre nerd with a background in music, martial arts, and video production. A lot of things needed to line up perfectly for me to end up at the PWA, and you can only turn a blind eye to so many coincidences. It’s something I had always wanted to pursue but had never thought was a real possibility. I came into it with no knowledge of any kind of local independent scene, just what I had grown up watching on TV. So when I found the school I knew it would be something I’d always regret not trying. I was already working three jobs when I began training. So needless to say, nothing about this time in my life was easy. There were plenty of times throughout the process that I considered giving up. But it was just one of those things where you have to look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, “How badly do you actually want this?”. So you make time, push through, work hard, and find a way to make it work. Dreams aren’t worth anything if you aren’t willing to work for them. And the work doesn’t stop once you graduate and have your first debut. That’s where the work really begins. This is a business that constantly evolves and changes. One that, if you don’t learn to evolve and grow with it, will leave you behind in the dust without a second thought. But one that has also taken me up and down the country, given me some of my best friends, memories that I will treasure forever, and new and exciting challenges that have made me an overall better person. Not to mention experiences I wouldn’t trade for anything. Every time you step through that curtain and hear that bell, there’s a feeling that rushes over you. One that you could spend the rest of your life trying to replicate. It’s a lot of stress, long drives, and sleepless nights. But thanks to this business, I’ve also been able to work with people and companies that I used to only know as a fan.

I work, in what I’d refer to as, a very technical brawler style. One that’s been very heavily influenced by guys like Bryan Danielson, Jonathan Gresham, and Zack Sabre Jr., the latter two of whom I’ve had the pleasure of working with and learning from. I’ve been able to use my production background, and the connections I’ve made through the school, to earn positions working for several larger companies, including New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

In the modern day, I can’t tell you enough how important social media is in this business. It’s something that I never really used or cared much about before, but am very quickly learning how necessary it is if you are trying to make it.

Also never be afraid to ask for help. Be willing to hear people out and always be willing to learn. Use the people and resources you have at your disposal. No one that’s ever made it, got to where they are all by themselves.

Use your unique background in any way that you can. It’s what will make you different from other people fighting for that same spot

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The goal is the same as it’s been since day one: to make it. To be able to make a full-time career out of this. To travel the world doing what I love more than anything else in this world. To earn a contract, to wrestle on TV every week, to be the type of performer that hopefully one day inspires the next generation, or the next person working three jobs wishing they could chase their dreams.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raylenalbey/profilecard/?igsh=MXFqZTRheWt2Nmx5ZQ==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raylen.albey.1?mibextid=JRoKGi
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@raylenalbey?si=xYB2k9Aog3_Uyzxr
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@lordraylenalbey?_t=8rs5gWQa6dW&_r=1

  https://x.com/LordRaylenAlbey?t=YuYf0UMTPZn6QMdS8hZxwQ&s=09

  https://bsky.app/profile/raylenalbey.bsky.social

Image Credits

CJ Downey Photos

Muree’ Photography