When I took on this job as editor-in-chief for Nu Metal Agenda, I made it my goal to highlight more LGBTQ+ talent, especially given the world we're in today. As such, I interviewed Kidd Bandit (she/her) ahead of her European tour. Kidd Bandit is an independent pro wrestler with experience in DPW, AEW, and more, and is known as "The Protagonist of Pro Wrestling." As a Filipina trans woman who grew up with anime and video games abound, her style throughout her relatively short tenure has reflected that of a main character, though as you'll soon figure out, you cannot accuse of her having "main character syndrome."
In this conversation, we talk about her biggest moments to date, including rental chairs in DPW, wrestling current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr at Effy's Big Gay Brunch, and the importance of music in pro wrestling. Having followed her since her humble beginnings, this one meant so much to me personally, and I am thrilled to have summoned Kidd Bandit to The Nu Metal Agenda. - LZL
Lucia Z. Liner: Let’s start with something that was just announced today: your rematch with Commander Sterling. I saw that announcement drop today.
Kidd Bandit: Yeah, I did too! Fun fact: sometimes I find out the exact same time as everybody else. Don’t you love how fucking punk rock it is?
LZL: Sometimes it’s on the fly and it’s like “ok, this is a thing! Sure!”
KB: Not to sidetrack right away, but when I found out I was wrestling Zack Sabre Jr [at Effy’s Big Gay Brunch], I found out the same time as everybody else. Like 70-80% of the matches I have, I found out who I’m facing when they release the flyer. And I’m like “OK, so that’s what’s going on!”
LZL: I can’t imagine it being like that, like finding out with the rest of us.
KB: I'm very excited for the Sterling rematch, though. The first time we locked horns was in Sovereign Pro Wrestling, and I came out on top. The second time, it was in True Grit Wrestling in Leeds, and I got injured during that match.
LZL: Oh god, I saw that.
KB: So in that match, you can see I have tape over my one eye. I got a massive concussion, you can see the scar on my face, I couldn’t really see out of my left eye. But that match won awards and it went viral, so it wasn’t a bad temporary swan song for me. And now, it’s not Kidd Bandit that was a zombie, half-dead like in that match. I’m back, I have a different wrestling style, I just wrestled Zack Sabre Jr. This is a Kidd Bandit that just did Japan. It’s a different Kidd Bandit this time, I’ve been grinding and getting those EXP points and getting to a higher level now.
LZL: The first time I remember seeing you was in Deadlock [Pro Wrestling, based in North Carolina]. It was the first Deadlock show, you and Lucky Ali [now known as Shaquon Shugars in WWE NXT].
KB: I remember watching it and being like “hey, I look different here… oh, that’s right.” And Lucky is different too, he’s doing big things in NXT. I can’t really root for him because he used to beat the shit out of me, but he looks like he’s enjoying himself right now.
LZL: Also from that match came a meme with the rental chairs.
[Note: the clip below will start with the meme, though this is the full episode on which Kidd Bandit appeared.]
KB: It’s not a meme to me! It hurt! laughs It is pretty funny that a lot of the stuff that I’ve been through in my career has been ingrained into… normalcy, in terms of indie stuff? I mean, if you look at indie wrestling, it’s kind of a product of post-COVID, the formation of AEW, WWE picking up a lot of talent, and the #SpeakingOut movement [during which, a wave of wrestlers and fans came forward about abuse they had suffered at the hands of other talent, leading to several wrestlers being blacklisted from major companies or leaving the business altogether]. So the landscape by the time I debuted had hit a reset button, and there was a shift towards a certain type of wrestling that I was able to mold. That Deadlock match happened about three months into my career.
All of those experiences were all new, all novelty to me. Seeing the rental chairs bit, the Keyblade bit, the memey stuff I was able to help throw into indie wrestling humor feels like “yeah, I’m leaving my mark.” I’m glad to be a part of history and create moments that resonated with fans long after the match itself. At the end of the day, matches don’t always have a long shelf life. They take over socials for a couple of weeks, then people move on to the next big thing. But if you can create a moment that transcends time and something that people share around as reaction GIFs or memes, that’s the kind of stuff I’ve learned to cultivate. I may not make you care a lot about the entire match, but I can make you care about one moment. And hopefully that will be enough to make you feel a certain way.
LZL: That moment has stuck with me, with the commentators saying “well, we’re not getting the deposit back.” Especially in the independents, we’re seeing this surge of LGBTQ+ wrestlers like yourself, Effy, Dark Sheik, Nyla Rose. What does it mean to you given your background? Cuz you’ve developed in front of the camera, not just as a character, but as a person with your transition.
KB: I might come off a little bit sappy here, but in times like these where there’s overwhelming hardships inside and outside of wrestling, I have the wonderful opportunity to represent my community in my own way. For the longest time, I didn’t understand why people liked me. I think my life would have taken a very different trajectory if I hadn’t transitioned, if I had just stayed living as a cis male. Sometimes I have feelings that maybe I’d be further along in my journey if I hadn’t transitioned. But also, no regrets, no fucking regrets! I am fulfilled. I am much more comfortable in my skin. I would rather suffer every day as myself than live every day as something I’m not. I already have to worry about kayfabe, I don’t wanna kayfabe in real life.
LZL: Damn, that’s a great way to put it.
KB: I want to be genuine. That’s why I put myself out there and showcased all of the ups and the downs - shoutout to Simon Miller - because the journey isn’t supposed to be perfect. It’s supposed to resonate with people cuz I stumble a lot. I had an interview where someone described my career as “when an indie garage band has a one-hit wonder and now they’re international.” They can’t just ride the wave of that one hit, they have to have another one, and another one, and another one. That Deadlock match, then being on AEW Dark a couple months later, then when Cody [Rhodes] posted that picture, I immediately got memed as a Yu-Gi-Oh! protagonist. I’ve been fortunate enough and privileged enough to draw the attention that people spend years trying to cultivate. But I’ve also never understood what it’s like to have to scrape by, cuz I’ve been so fortunate, yet at the same time, I’ve had so many unique struggles that only someone walking my path could face. Like what happens when you take someone as inexperienced as me and put them on a national stage. I definitely choked.
I had moments where I was like “I’m not good enough for this yet.” I have had crippling self-doubt, and I still do. When they announced Zack for the Brunch, I was like “that’s awesome, I wanna ask him what he thinks of my match after.” And then I learned I was facing him and I was like “what the fuck?” And this is me coming back from injury. It took me a while to get into the mindset to be like “as difficult as it all is, there’s nothing you can really do, you gotta say ‘fuck it, we ball’ and go for it.” These opportunities aren’t gonna be there forever, you gotta get lightning in a bottle and catch it.
LZL: Fuck it, we ball, indeed.
KB: It doesn’t matter if I’m ready or not, it’s gonna happen. That’s how it is. For the community, it’s me showing that I’m not made for this. I’m five foot five. I’m short, I’m fucking trans, I’m a minority on top of being a minority on top of being trans, on top of being new, on top of navigating the intricacies of being a public figure. And I don’t want to come off as an entitled brat and step on anyone’s toes. So how can I help people resonate with my story while also fulfilling my goals and my obligations? I’m not perfect, I’m never gonna be perfect, but I’m gonna do everything I can do. And not a lot of people are willing to show their struggles in such a public setting. No one wants to see you at your lowest point. But that’s part of the journey, and what is wrestling but letting fans live vicariously through the people that they cheer for and generate emotions from people?
LZL: Especially with social media, there’s this tendency for folks to be front-facing and it’s all of the positive, all of the good. I have to remind myself “what you’re seeing online is just one facet,” and you’ve shown the good and the bad, a little bit of everything, and it’s refreshing to see.
KB: I mean, mine’s really well-curated. You think I’m gonna post a picture where I look ugly? Hell no! [laughs] I use filters, I edit my photos. This cool move I do? Yeah, I’ve fucked it up a lot. I like to think that it makes me look more approachable and more human. The other day, Kenny Omega was singing my praises, and that’s fucking awesome, like it’s fucking Kenny Omega saying I’m cool and I’m special. That’s the best wrestler in the world saying I’m special, what the fuck? I don’t fucking know why people like me, but I know that they do and it’s important for them, and I recognize it. I understand the weight of the responsibility I have, as a trans person in times like these where people like us are being painted as vile and monstrous. So if I show that I’m being genuine and being good, then you can’t paint me as the monster that you want me to be. Actions speak louder than words.
LZL: You have this opportunity and you’re making the most of it, good, bad, and otherwise. There’s that human aspect, which is incredible to see. You’re the “Protagonist of Pro Wrestling,” you’ve had this anime arc. And I’ve followed you for years so I’ve seen “season one, season two,” all that. This transformation and this development. Can I ask where that comes from?
KB: Fun fact: it was never anime. It became anime because people saw it like that. It was supposed to be video games. When I said “protagonist,” I meant like a JRPG character. Even the Deadlock promo I did was supposed to be like a JRPG character. But who am I to not give the people what they want? So when people started screaming “anime,” I was like “well I like anime too, so alright.” I definitely hide more video game references in my matches and my promos, like in the Zack Sabre Jr match, I dressed up like Johnny Silverhand from Cyberpunk 2077. I wore his vest, I wore my own dog tags from my time in the Army.
I feel like the overlap between gamers and anime fans is so similar that I can get away with a lot. My taste in anime is so outdated. I don’t watch a lot of anime past like, 2010. And when the isekai boom hit the anime world and everything was like “oh, reborn into another world,” I was like “I’m so sick of that shit.” I think Sword Art Online did it great, then season one went out of left field and I was like “what the fuck is this shit?” I’m sure there are some really good ones out there, but at the same time, my interest was all in the older stuff.
So it all came from the fans. They told me “this is what you are now!” and I wasn’t gonna say no. They compared me to Yu-Gi-Oh!, and I was a fan of GX and 5Gs and all that, so I can work with it. And a lot of that is what wrestling is, something becoming the big thing that you didn’t intend to be the big thing. Like Joe Hendry. He’s a very serious competitor, but he took off because of his theme song and his pose. Or Danhausen, when he started out, he was this scary, Nosferatu character, and then he became like this campy Sixties horror character, which I think is fucking amazing. I don’t know if he meant for that to happen, but it got him to the big dance.
LZL: I can remember a friend of mine in school saying that wrestling was just anime but in real life, so I get it, I think. So where did it all begin?
KB: I was training in the Nightmare Factory with Cody Rhodes, QT [Marshall], and Glacier, and one of them, Baron Black, said “you look like a protagonist.” I was like “oh, I like that, I’m gonna stick with that.” I was treating it like a video game, like I was leveling up when I wrestled a match, gaining experience points, then putting skill points into my moves. That’s still how I approach pro wrestling today. But since the fans kinda pushed me towards anime, it became that. I like to think that some of the formulas for anime TV shows are about overcoming tragedy, and I have been through so much. So the parallels are there for an anime story. People ask me what I do and I’m like “I put on tights and I fight people.” That’s anime as fuck! I kick them in the face, they kick me in the face, that’s like Street Fighter but in real life.
this is easily one of my favorite cosplays i’ve done!
— kidd bandit キッド・バンディット (@kiddbanditpro) August 14, 2025
i’m excited to get back to it soon! pic.twitter.com/FuCqryZBFl
LZL: I’ve seen a lot of your videos of you perfecting your kicks, and the Street Fighter and Tekken influence there. It adds this level of reality to it.
KB: Yeah, cuz I feel like kayfabe is kind of on its way out. I’m glad that it’s still there every once in a while, don’t get me wrong. But as much as it’s about suspension of disbelief, when a moment feels genuine and real, it really resonates with people. That’s what wrestling is.
LZL: Previously we covered you for a show you wrestled at where you used “The Hand That Feeds” by Nine Inch Nails for your entrance music.
KB: Well, I like to keep it in step, you know?
LZL: There you go! [laughs] What do you see as the importance of music in pro wrestling?
KB: I mean, we talked about Joe Hendry earlier, look at him! His theme song got a lot of traction and look at how he’s doing now. Now we’re getting wrestling-themed raves, with people dancing to theme songs. If we look at pro wrestling in a performative aspect, it’s always been a spectacle. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to travel around the world, and in the West, it’s more of a spectacle than a demonstration of skill. Presentation is key. To quote Megamind, what is the difference between a villain and a supervillain? It’s presentation. It’s a big part of pro wrestling and music is so integral to that. Something I’ve learned is that people react to visuals as much as they do to sound. When you have a song that captures who you are, what they expect from you during a match, the energy you bring to the match, it primes them for the kind of action they’re about to get. Your theme song defines a lot about you without even seeing you. You come out to the Imperial March from Star Wars, and you’re like “this person’s a bad dude, but also this motherfucker’s a dork!” The theme you choose, at least at my level right now, it’s there to enhance expectations for the fans. And it’s not overlooked, a lot of wrestlers are able to use a theme song that captures who they are. It’s so integral for the fans to resonate with you, and not just through visuals, but music as well.
LZL: So what led to you using that song in particular, besides wanting to keep in step?
KB: I’ve bounced around different songs. Wrestling to me is a form of creative expression. In the case of “The Hand That Feeds,” I mean, I go to a lot of goth clubs and I love industrial music and electronic music with that darker edge. Nine Inch Nails has always been one of my top ten bands, and like it’s not necessarily rock or metal. A lot of entrance songs are heavy metal, in your face rap songs, or whatever is trendy right now, at that moment.
Got your chin held high and you feel just fine cause you do what you're told
— kidd bandit キッド・バンディット (@kiddbanditpro) April 30, 2025
But inside your heart it is black and it's hollow and it's cold#POWBrilliant pic.twitter.com/WQ8yQ9qgNO
A big lesson I’ve learned is that I’m already different, so I shouldn’t try to conform to a standard. So choosing to deviate from the norm is a big reason why I step out. So I’m gonna choose a dancey song that’s electronic, it’s industrial, it’s different from everybody else, but people will still recognize it. And no one else is using it! I was surprised to see that. Out of all of the theme songs I’ve used in the past, and I’ve used a lot. I’ve had “Sugar, We’re Going Down,” I’ve had “Misery Business,” I’ve had a bunch of anime themes, I can’t even remember them all right now. But as the most recognizable tune, it’d be “The Hand That Feeds.” It’s something that I can do my entrance routine to, cuz I do some crazy crackhead shit during my entrance. I approach it like drag.
LZL: You say that and I’m reminded of a tweet or a Tumblr post or something that said “pro wrestling is just drag for straight guys” and there is a kernel of truth there.
KB: I’m certain that there are a lot of people who are in the closet and watch wrestling. And it’s OK, it’s not gay, cuz they’re fighting, you know? [laughs] But yeah, they’re half-naked and oily, and it’s totally not homoerotic. And like. You can see it, but it’s really not that homoerotic. I try to separate that and not bring sexual elements into my matches. That’s not the kind of wrestler I am. I don’t wanna sexualize a roundhouse kick, man, that’s weird. [The interviewer proceeds to lose her shit laughing.] Nothing against talent who are like that, that’s OK. Whatever makes you feel that way, that’s your intimate relationship with the craft.
LZL: For sure, and there’s a lot of that in queer representation in wrestling already. In the mainstream scope, a lot of folks would see Goldust [Dustin Rhodes], where the character was homoerotic, even though he had to look up what “androgynous” meant in the dictionary after he was pitched that character from creative. But like you said, just normalizing things and making it a facet of the character but not making it your whole character.
KB: Dustin was actually one of the few people who reached out to me when I was going through hard times, during what I like to call the “indie gamer” days. Dustin was very supportive, and that’s big coming from him. I know he has a trans child or stepchild and he’s very much an ally. But as far as sexuality in wrestling, I don’t know that I’m the one to talk about it. I only post my thirst traps so that you guys give a shit about my wrestling. When I get signed to a major company, say goodbye to that shit and to my time on Twitter.
LZL: Enjoy it while you can! [laughs]
KB: Enjoy it while you can, cuz once there’s a social media manager promoting my appearances, I’m fucking gone from social media, I fucking hate social media. I tolerate it so I can make a career out of this. I fucking hate it, but it does help me secure bookings and get my name out there. It’s a neverending climb to the top. This is part of the grind, part of the sacrifices you have to make. You can ask anyone who knows me personally, I am really an introvert. If I’m not at the club with the goth baddies, I’m definitely at home playing video games or working out. And I’m very content with that lifestyle.
So the sexuality in wrestling is very foreign to me, I keep it separate from my style. I try to cultivate more of a martial arts style to my personality. Cuz I’m not - what’s the word… I’m not raunchy. I mean I am, but Kidd Bandit isn’t. Let’s go with that.
LZL: Fair enough, I think the point that I was trying to make was with characters like Goldust being some form of queer representation, good, bad, or otherwise. We can have that debate till we’re blue in the fucking face, but nowadays, we have folks like you, Effy with Big Gay Brunch, Dark Sheik with Hoodslam, Abadon, who was just with AEW…
KB: Speedball Mike Bailey!
LZL: God, I love Speedball.
KB: I think we all do. If you don’t like Speedball, there’s something wrong with you.
LZL: Agreed. So going back to the music, as this is for the Nu Metal Agenda, what would you consider the biggest queer and trans anthems?
KB: I dunno, cuz like, sometimes when I think nu metal, I think of drinking Monster and punching drywall. I mean, as Limp Bizkit once said, sometimes it’s just one of those days. But I do think it’s important to have music like that, cuz that’s how people feel sometimes. Sometimes it’s just one of those days. Growing up, the most flamboyant one I can think of is like Marilyn Manson, but we don’t talk about him anymore. But as far as what I think of the best trans music, it’d have to be Against Me!, like Laura Jane Grace. She’s one of the first trans public figures I ever encountered besides like Caitlyn Jenner. And that happened over a decade ago. I didn’t think negatively at that time, I just thought it was strange. And now, when I’m getting gender dysphoria and getting the courage to act upon it, now I’m like “oh I get it now.”
[Editor’s Note: this interview was conducted before the allegations of Laura Jane Grace’s abusive behavior came out.]
I always thought some of the best music has catchy melodies, but what makes it your favorite is when the lyrics resonate with you. When you understand why they sing the song that way. I feel like with rock music and alternative music, the lyrics are very poignant and not so surface-level. A lot of the lyrics are what carry the songs through time. Something like nu metal, like Linkin Park, the lyrics as a child were kinda “first world problems.” Like as a child I would have math homework and be upset about it, so I’d go put on “Crawling.” But by the time you turn 25, you’ve had so many things happen to you and then it’s like “shit, I get it now,” and now you understand why in the end, it doesn’t even matter. You go through grief, you go through suffering, and that’s when these lyrics start to resonate. I didn’t get it back then, but I get it now.
Also shout out 100 gecs, and there’s a rapper named DAMAG3.
LZL: Oh, I love DAMAG3.
KB: She’s so great.
LZL: So what is next for you?
KB: Unfortunately, I can’t talk about all of it. I know what’s next, but the companies I’m working for have asked me to keep a lid on it till they announce it. I’m very excited, it’s all about riding the wave and seeing how long it’ll take you. And the wave is still going. There is a lot of hesitation on my part, given the current sociopolitical climate and what I have to navigate because of it. But there are things out of my control. The goal remains the same: go have fun, and hope others have fun with you. And make some money, even though I fucking hate capitalism. But also I need that shit to live.
The moments I create that resonate with people, that’s what matters. You can spend money, you can’t spend moments. When they think of something like that, they get to enjoy their passion and live vicariously through the stuff that they see, and I want to give that as much as I can. I used to say that I wanted to be a legend, but now I’m like “fuck that shit.” I’m not gonna look too far ahead, I wanna live in the now. Go where the wind takes me.
engagement bait pic.twitter.com/XHNEEgbPv6
— kidd bandit キッド・バンディット (@kiddbanditpro) September 9, 2025
Follow Kidd Bandit on her socials to see where she is summoned next.
