Wrestler Adam Bolt on coming out as bisexual: 'If I can give one person that to relate to, that's great'

Forget his opponents. The toughest thing that Adam Bolt has ever had to wrestle with is his sexuality.

Not that you'd know it if you met him today.

Perched on the ring apron at the House of Pain Wrestling Academy in Nottingham, the 27-year-old is decked out in a rhinestoned ring jacket and a pair of green trunks that twinkle like tinsel whenever the spotlight hits them.

It's the sartorial embodiment of Bolt's cocky, tongue-in-cheek wrestling persona, where everything he does between the ropes is dictated by a need to "make it look good".

"I won't go anywhere without my hair done or nice clothes on," Bolt says with a laugh.

"So the perfect outfit in wrestling is anything that sets me away from the pack. Anything shiny with a good colour scheme, you'll catch me wearing it."

It's that sort of confidence that has made Bolt a sought-after name on the British scene, with matches under his belt for promotions such as Wrestle Carnival, TNT Extreme Wrestling and WAW in Norwich.

But while the brash high-flyer shows no fear inside the ring, life away from the squared circle has rarely been that simple.

'I was hitting a point where I was holding something back'

Bolt has worked with a series of promotions, including Wrestle Carnival and TNT Extreme Wrestling

In June 2021, Bolt typed out on social media what he still calls "the scariest thing I've ever posted".

In an industry where the LGBTQ+ community has often been ridiculed, the Doncaster-based grappler was ready to reveal that Adam the man - as opposed to Bolt the character - was bisexual.

"It was hard, but I felt like I was hitting a point with my wrestling career where I was holding something back," he says.

"I knew I'd go out there giving it 80%, or be sat backstage with a group of people thinking all the time: 'Oh, is it OK to say this? I don't want people to think that.'

"My fear wasn't about how people would react, but within myself. I knew what I was, but I hated it. I didn't want to be that. No matter what I thought, I couldn't change it - and everyone else could give me the support, but if I didn't learn to accept that's who I am, then I was always going to be fighting myself.

"But once I'd posted it and saw the reaction, it was the best thing ever."

'As a friend, I was in absolute awe to see it'

Adam Bolt projects a confident persona for wrestling but called the social media post in which he revealed his sexuality "the scariest thing I've ever posted"

The praise for Bolt's decision to open up about his sexuality came from all corners of the wrestling world, including from some of the out grapplers who had paved the way for him to share his truth.

There were messages from AC Mack - the US wrestler widely acknowledged as the first out gay world champion - and NWA and All-Japan star Parrow, who came out in 2017.

Britain's Brad Slayer - the first out gay man to challenge for the prestigious NWA World Heavyweight Championship - was there for Bolt throughout his journey, after helping him find the confidence to share his story in the first place.

But arguably nothing meant more than the support of Jackie T - Bolt's tag-team partner and 'personal security' inside the ring, and one of his closest friends away from it.

"To say I'm proud of Adam is an absolute understatement," he says.

"The fact he was brave enough to tell the world when he didn't have to, so he could be him without pretending to be someone he was not… as a friend and as someone that I absolutely cherish, I was in awe to see it. It was absolutely amazing.

"He's not very good at expressing that sort of stuff, but for him to know I was on his side… I hope he knew that anyway, because I know that will have meant the absolute world to him."

'Hearing Adam talk about it has pushed me to be more open'

Jackie T (left) has spoken of his pride at Bolt's decision to come out, which inspired fellow wrestler ZiZi (right) to announce her sexuality publicly

Bolt's decision to speak publicly about his sexuality is still having an impact in the business.

Standing outside the Academy in Nottingham is ZiZi - a young professional wrestler at the start of her journey in the industry.

"I still haven't really come out in a sense publicly… I guess this is it, really," she laughs.

"I have been openly gay since I was about 15 years old, and had a feeling for quite a long time before that. But hearing Adam talk about it and seeing the reaction that he got has pushed me to be a bit more open and express myself in that way.

"Being part of the LGBTQ+ community and joining a new sport, it's always at the back of your head about how people are going to react - because you always get the odd time where people aren't so accepting.

"So having people like Adam and the loads of people out there who are like me is just incredible. It's almost become like in wrestling, your uniqueness is what elevates you and makes you successful."

'This was something that I once needed to hear'

And that is why Bolt decided to share his truth.

"It's not a coincidence that, since I've been my authentic self, I've taken off in many ways in wrestling," he says.

"Talking about this and being vulnerable isn't for me, but for the people who need it - and it's something I needed to hear at one point.

"The sad fact is that there are people who think being dead is a better option than being who they are, and that's why I do it. If I can give one person that thing to relate to, where they can think 'if Adam can do it, I can do it', then that's great.

"The wrestling side is for me, because it's what I wanted to do as a kid. But now I'm mixing my biggest positive in life with what I once thought was my biggest negative, and making it the best experience I possibly can."

And making it look good at the same time?

"Yeah," Bolt laughs. "That too!"

Adam Bolt was talking to presenter Jack Murley on the BBC's LGBT Sport Podcast. You can hear new episodes every Wednesday on BBC Sounds.

• Is it time more of us bought an electric car?: Panorama investigates why there are so few electric cars on the UK's roads

• Is it a good idea to fix your mortgage and energy bills?: Martin Lewis explains