A former bartender who turned his life around after losing his job during the Covid-19 lockdown and took up work at Alder Hey Children's Hospital has revealed his pro-wrestling alter ego.
By day, Alex Cook, 29, is a finance assistant at the East Prescot Road hospital, but by night, he is known as Chase Alexander, the smug, fur-coated villain of the pro-wrestling ring.
Alex, from Dingle, began training as a wrestler when he was 18, when the form of theatre was still growing in popularity in Britain.
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He said: "I had always been a big fan of wrestling when I was in school. It's a type of performance art. I had great memories of watching it on TV as a kid - The Rock, The Hulk, The Undertaker.
"Through word of mouth and friends of friends, I started training in a tiny gym in Coventry with two trainers and just three trainees.
"There's a degree of danger because there's always the chance you might get hurt. You have to be robust and train so you don't hurt yourself or others. We were trained how to fall correctly without hurting ourselves too much.
"There are a lot of different styles, like the Mexican luchador. When I started I was quite a lot smaller than I am now, and so I used a more agile style with a lot of running around, flips and hand-springs. Now I do a brawling style."
As a pro-wrestler, Alex performs in shows up and down the country, playing the baddie - known as a heel - to the various heroes in the ring.
He said: "I do get those first-time nerves when I step out of the curtain to the music. Once you go out and see everyone cheering and booing, the nerves die down. As soon as you come into the ring you're no longer a civilian, you're the character you play and you don't waver from that.
"I play a martini-drinking bartender; I come out with my martini and fur coat with a lot of snobbery and arrogance.
"The people in the crowd know it's a performance piece, but they want to enjoy the magic and the story of the match. It's a very interactive sport; people feel like they're playing along."
The part-time job is a far cry from his usual role as a finance assistant at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, where he handles the many donations given to the charity for life-saving equipment and research.
He said: "Before I was in finance I worked as a bartender, which was the inspiration for my act, but when Covid-19 hit I lost my job and it made me think about what I really wanted to do with my life.
"I may not be as hands-on as others within the charity but seeing what the charity does and how that affects others, and seeing the amount of support that it gets is quite inspiring."
An Alder Hey Children’s Charity spokesperson said: “Alex is a great member of the team. Day in and day out, he shows great strength and commitment to doing the best for our families at Alder Hey. It must be the wrestler in him!”
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