A NEW generation of British Professional Wrestling is being launched in the heart of Glasgow.

Long gone are the days of 1970s wrestling royalty Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks squeezing into the spandex.

There is a new crop of British wrestling talent arriving at the Hydro with company Total Non-stop Action, and current TNA Heavyweight champion Magnus leading the charge.

The one-time star of TV show Gladiators is the first world champion from the country in 108 years.

Alongside Magnus, fellow Brit James Curtin, who goes by the ring name Spud, has found his feet.

James, originally from Birmingham, jumped to the forefront of the UK wrestling scene after taking Challenge TV's show 'British Boot Camp' and winning a TNA contract.

He said: "TNA has given a great boost to British Wrestling. With the current champion Magnus we have a great ambassador for British Wrestling.

"It just shows for British Wrestlers like me and Magnus there is no glass ceiling."

TNA is one of the largest wrestling companies in the world and features some of the biggest names in sports entertainment - Kurt Angle, Sting, and Bully Ray will all be arriving in Glasgow's premier venue.

TNA Wrestling also announced that their show on January 30 will be broadcast live on television to the rest of the world.

Glasgow will be the first city outside the US with which TNA has taken this step.

James said: "It's great to have this coming live from Glasgow. It's a great city with great wrestling fans."

Scottish wrestling is also undergoing a revival, with Scottish wrestler Graeme Stevely, known as 'Grado', an internet sensation for his comedic antics within the wrestling ring, and set to appear in upcoming BBC documentary Insane Fight Club.

James has a lot of respects for Grado. He said: "I know Grado pretty well - we've wrestled each other a good few times.

"When he was in that online Vice documentary I think everyone thought it would be making a joke of British wrestling.

"But in the end it showed him as an unsung hero."

JAMES admits he may not fit the conventional image of a professional wrestler.

Most of the public will picture a massive man covered in fake tan, rather than a smaller guy in a bow tie.

However, James feels like his on-screen persona fits his look perfectly. He currently appears as the fan aggravating Chief of Staff.

He said: "I feel like this role works because of my diminutive size. Spud is just a little guy who wants the attention of his peers.

"Even when he is obnoxious, you feel sorry for him, but you still want to give him a slap.

"When I got my wrestling name people were just like 'he's small so let's give him something that sounds small'. So I got Spud."

The industry is dominated by WWE. However, in the UK, TNA has more viewers on a weekly basis than Vince McMahon's company.

In the latest figures, TNA has more than 30,000 more viewers than WWE.

He said: "In WWE, they have their way of doing things, and we have ours. We are what we are, Total Non-stop Action.

"If you watch our show for two hours a week there will be nothing but constant action."