'Jobcentre grant' for US wrestler

Adam Brown (right) went to the US two weeks ago

A wrestler has won a government grant to help him become a professional wrestler in the US.

Adam Brown - known as Wild Thing - flew from Tyneside to Maryland only two weeks ago after getting the £350 grant.

And on Saturday Mr Brown was preparing to defend his newly acquired National Wrestling League (NWL) Cruiserweight champion title in Pennsylvania.

The Jobcentre Plus and New Deal grant meant Mr Brown, 23, could pursue his dream with the NWL and House of Pain promotions.

Wrestling is massive in America... being here is exactly how I dreamt it would be

Adam Brown

Mr Brown, of South Shields, South Tyneside, had just 10 days to raise enough money to fly to the US to take up a place with NWL.

NWL boss John Rambo offered Mr Brown a place after he replied to an internet advert.

With time running out, Mr Brown visited a team of advisers that targets unemployment hotspots and gives jobless people extra money to help them find work.

The South Tyneside Action Team for Jobs referred him on to the Jobcentre Plus where he got the grant.

Mr Brown - who has also enjoyed success as a bodybuilder - said he did not expect them to give him financial help.

Intensive training

Speaking from the US, he told BBC News Online: "When they told me they could help I felt pretty damn good.

"It's always been a dream of mine to be a wrestler since I was seven-years-old, I love it.

"I wrestled for the International Wresting Federation (IWF) in England, but I always wanted to come over to America.

"When I got the place, it was a last minute thing and with a week to go, I went to the jobcentre, not expecting them to be able to help, but they did."

Mr Brown said he had spent the last year training intensively for to achieve his dream.

Unusual request

"Wrestling is massive in America... being here is exactly how I dreamt it would be.

"We do two shows a week in leisure centres and stadiums.

"In August I'm also wrestling Gangrel from World Wrestling Entertainment (formally World Wrestling Federation).

"I'm looking forward to that a lot... I'm pretty confident I can beat him, I think."

Mr Brown is due to return from America in August.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: "This is one of the more unusual requests for help, but it demonstrates how flexible and innovative the action teams for jobs can be."