‘These kids are champions’: WWE stars visit Children’s Mercy ahead of KC event
Even bad guys have a soft side. Just ask WWE superstars Austin Theory and Grayson Waller.
The team known as “A-Town Down Under” visited Children’s Mercy Adele Hall campus alongside Women’s World Champion Iyo Sky ahead of Monday Night Raw, where the professional wrestlers will entertain the crowd inside T-Mobile Center on April 28.
They met with children inside the hospital for over an hour, sharing laughs with the kids as they talked about their favorite wrestlers and moments. Sky, who defended her championship on April 20 at WrestleMania 41, said the kids’ eyes grew big when she walked in carrying her championship belt. Another kid smiled big when she walked in because he had an action figure of hers among the pile on his bed.
Waller, born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, felt a special connection with the kids since he was a high school teacher before becoming a professional wrestler. He said he misses teaching, so being able to visit the children and brighten their day is a privilege of being with WWE.
“Yeah, the wrestling’s fun and it’s a dream come true, but I think moments like this humble you a bit and put life into a little more perspective about what really matters,” Waller said.
Not all of the kids knew who the visiting athletes were, but it helped that they were all big personalities, coming in with smiles on their faces and positive attitudes. The kids they visit as they travel to different towns around the United States and worldwide give them the passion and energy to continue performing.
Theory said he didn’t know the extent of the children’s experiences or what they’re going through inside the hospital, but he said it’s much harder than what he goes through every week on TV.
He wanted to be a WWE wrestler since he was 8 years old and while he’s a “heel” when the show goes live on Netflix every week, he just wants to give the kids a great time and something they’ll remember.
“Just to walk into that room with those kids and they light up and they’re like ‘Wow, maybe I don’t know who this guy is, but he’s excited to see me,’” Theory said. “He knows my name, he brought me a championship and called me a champion and it’s real because these kids are champions.”
