Wrestling star Nick Aldis started out in Norfolk but is now seen by millions of people on American television.

Yet the grappler, who is called Magnus in the Total Nonstop Action group, knows he would never have made it to the top without the support of his parents.

Despite his tough guy image, he admits the way his mum and dad raised him was huge in helping him succeed.

"A lot of people probably laughed about me wanting to be a wrestler, I know my school friends did," says Nick, who comes to Braehead Arena next week for the Maximum Lockdown show.

"My parents were dubious and my mum was concerned, just about the safety of it. My dad knew even earlier than my mum that I could do it if I wanted to.

"My parents raised me well, and they won't tell me what I want to hear all the time, but they are never going to dissuade me from doing something I want to do."

He is among an increasing number of British wrestlers who have made an impact in America, with Ayr wrestler Drew McIntyre a regular on World Wrestling Entertainment's TV shows.

Nick was snapped up aged 21 by TNA, America's second biggest wrestling company, following a stint on Sky's revival of Gladiators several years ago.

He has typically played a trash-talking villain in his time with TNA, wrestling both as a singles wrestler and in tag teams.

Yet while his verbal skills on the microphone have earned him attention, he is quick to stress the physical demands of wrestling.

Nick, who was a talented swimmer and tennis player when younger, says: "Sometimes guys who want to be wrestlers turn up to a wrestling school or a seminar and when you ask them about their athletic background, they say 'None'.

"I'm thinking, 'What part of you thinks you can do this, then?' Wrestling needs footwork, balance and being able to experience pain.

"It baffles me and I find it insulting that a lot of people turn up to be wrestlers with no athletic background, as if they think that because it is not a real sport you do not need to be a real athlete. That could not be further from the truth."

Nick has experienced his biggest wrestling fame with TNA, which is based in Florida and aired on Challenge TV in the UK, but his most punishing time came as he toured Japan last year.

The style of Japanese wrestling can often be more physically intense than in America, but Nick adapted quickly to the change and he and fellow American wrestler Samoa Joe were selected to hold the NOAH group's tag team titles for a spell.

"I had a great time – I loved Tokyo and Japan as a whole. The wrestling is very physical and tough there and that is maybe not something I would want to do full-time, but I would like to go over there from time to time."

In typical wrestling fashion, Nick's work with Samoa Joe has seen them team up and square off against each other in equal measure. but outside the ring, Nick says Joe has been a huge help, as have some of the other, more experienced wrestlers.

"As a tag partner first and then as an opponent, Joe has brought out the very best in me and I owe him a lot for that," he adds.

"That's why 2012 was the best year of my career. Kevin Nash (a former WWE champion in the 1990s) spent a lot of time with me outside of work and I will always be grateful for him taking the time to sit with me and tell me a lot of things, and say a lot of kind words.

"The other guy in that category is Sting (a veteran wrestler). He might not have a lot to say about anything specific in matches but instead took time to give me general career advice."

Now Nick is ready for the Maximum Lockdown tour, which will include a steel cage contest each night.

n TNA Wrestling, Braehead Arena, January 23, £35-£45, 7pm.