The pair worked their way through the ranks together, starting off in England before joining the NXT brand and eventually SmackDown, one of the leading brands in the WWE.
Last year during a match, Prince suffered a serious neck injury while performing in the ring and hasn’t competed since after undergoing fusion surgery.
That forced Wilson to rebrand himself and forge a solo career, in which he has developed an extravagant persona who is on a mission to eliminate toxic masculinity, with a subsequent surge in popularity.
He started the year with a new, viral walk-on song titled Man Up, while his character wears a large pearl necklace, reads poetry, writes in journals and calls out fellow wrestlers for “toxic masculinity”.
Speaking to the Herald, Wilson says he believes the storyline has struck a chord because it reflects a conversation already happening beyond the wrestling ring, allowing WWE to tackle real-world issues through sport and entertainment.
“The whole fighting against toxic masculinity is a part of my personality,” Wilson said. “I didn’t grow up the – in quotation marks now – manliest man. I had a lot of interests that were girly but I found strength in that whereas others might mock that.
“I’m just enhancing that part of my character on the television show and exploring it. Culturally, whether people are ready for it or not, the world is having that discussion about toxic masculinity.
“Bringing that real life in onto the TV show, I think that’s what WWE can do best. It’s talk about real-life subjects but make it entertainment and make it okay to boo or cheer for the character.”
Wilson said reinventing himself had been both challenging and rewarding, particularly after spending his entire WWE career alongside Prince.
“It is very rewarding because it is very hard to get there,” Wilson said.
“You have ideas to change or to move in a certain direction but WWE is go, go, go. We are a weekly television product so you kind of have to change in real time, for better or for worse.
“Sometimes you might make a mistake or you might miss, but you’ll eventually, if you try and fail, you find what works and then you’ll eventually land on the right thing and that’s when it’s so rewarding.”
Kit Wilson in action in the WWE ring. Photo / WWE
Last time the WWE was in Auckland, the show sold out with more than 12,000 people in attendance and while the storylines can be scripted, the athleticism, physical contact and risk of injury are very real.
It’s a set of skills you can really appreciate seeing in the flesh compared to behind a phone screen, which is how many get their information today.
Given the long time since the WWE was last in New Zealand, there will be a new generation of fans who haven’t yet experienced live wrestling.
Wilson believes it is an exciting opportunity for those who are attending.
“You marry yourself to certain music, movies, moments or wrestling, and you can identify and discover yourself through that,” Wilson said.
“Then to do that again 10 years later with you and your same friends or with you and a family member or you and a child, and you get to have new experiences together and watch that grow, I mean, it is fantastic.”
This will be Wilson’s first visit to New Zealand, and he’s looking forward to experiencing something new.
Wilson did compete in a show in Western Australia last year, which he described as one of the best places he’s been to as a member of the WWE.
He’s hopeful New Zealand can provide a similar experience, saying the sun in this part of the world seems to make people happy.
Despite admitting he doesn’t know a great deal about New Zealand, other than getting a glimpse of the country through some of Taika Waititi’s earlier films, he can’t wait to see what’s on offer.
“It’s always just such a rich experience to go to any place in the world and truly embrace some of the culture,” Wilson said. “To come do that in December in New Zealand, I’m very excited and eager.
“I know a lot of the roster members are all kind of pushing and hedging our bets to try and make it over to make the tour. I don’t think anyone wants to miss this one.”
Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Liv Morgan and LA Knight are among the stars who have been advertised for the Spark Arena show.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.