Kilkenny wrestler revving up for 'Clash in Castlecomer' this weekend!

No Limit Wrestling (NLW) is bringing its ‘Clash in Castlecomer’ event to Castlecomer Community Hall on Sunday, April 6.

An event of this type is new to Castlecomer, and it’s going to be an extra special evening for Kilkenny’s ‘Chainsaw’ Luke Frehill, who will to take the ring in his first big event in his home county.

Frehill, who hails from Paulstown, is a rising star in Irish wrestling, and he is looking forward to flexing his tremendous talent in front of a raucous and supportive home crowd.

READ NEXT: Kilkenny pilot George O'Hara reflects on his storied career in Ryanair

“I’ve always liked wrestling since I was a young lad,” Luke explains. “I saw an ad on Instagram one time, just after Covid, for the School of Irish Wrestling in Dublin. They were doing an open day.

“Funnily enough, it was actually on my birthday — my 19th birthday. So I said I’d go down and give it a go, especially seeing as it was free. I fell in love with it then and haven’t stopped since.”

Luke is committed to a routine training schedule in a bid to hone his skills and fitness, with a view to hopefully getting a big breakthrough.

“Training is on in the school four times a week so I try to get down as much as I can. I like it as well, even though it can be tough enough on the body. I started training in wrestling about three years ago. I’ve been wrestling in shows for about a year and a half.

“I’m wrestling at the moment for No Limits Wrestling, who usually run shows out of Naas.

“I think this is the first time in a long time that they’re running a show somewhere else.”

‘Clash in Castlecomer’ is going to be an extra special event for Luke, who is delighted to see the county embracing wrestling.

“It will be the first big wrestling event in Kilkenny in a long time and it’ll be the first time I’ll ever be wrestling in Kilkenny,” he said.

“It’s great to have the opportunity to be able to do one of these events at home, on home soil.

“All my family and friends will be there too, so that will make it a bit extra special.”

Getting a suitable venue for an event like this can be difficult, and Luke gave special mention to Maurice Shortall, local independent councillor, for playing his part in making it happen.

So how did the nickname ‘Chainsaw’ come about? Like most nicknames, Luke explains that it just popped out in discussion one day during training and stuck.

“One time I was just messing around at training and I just revved up like a chainsaw before I hit a move called the clothesline,” he laughs.

“I tried it [the nickname] then at an event and the crowd really seemed to enjoy it, so I decided to keep it up, and since then it’s become part of my persona.”

Looking to the future, Luke is determined to try his hardest to break into wrestling for some of the world’s biggest wrestling organisations.

“I’d like to make a full-time living out of it,” he said. “Get signed by a company like WWE or someone like that. That’s the dream.”

FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS, CLICK HERE