Former NRL player turned wrestler Daniel Vidot has broken his silence on his pivot to a new sport and opened up about his exit from the WWE.
The 36-year-old entertainer, who goes by the name Xyon, carved out an impressive footy career before making the switch at 27.
He played 125 matches of top-level rugby league, including a stint at his boyhood club, the Brisbane Broncos.
But at the early peak of his physical abilities in his mid 20s, Vidot decided to make the switch to wrestling and hasn’t looked back since.
The multi-talented sports star has now opened up exclusively to The Daily Mail and spoken publicly about his sporting journey.
‘My dream was to play for the Broncos. That was my dream as a kid,’ Vidot said.
Daniel Vidot (pictured) has exclusively opened up about his sporting journey to The Daily Mail
Vidot (pictured) represented four NRL clubs before making the move to wrestling – and played his 100th game for the Brisbane Broncos
‘I had (Broncos) posters on top of my bed on the wall. When I achieved that dream… I had already envisioned it,’ Vidot continued.
Before signing a developmental contract with WWE in 2018, Vidot had been scouted by the wrestling giant in previous years.
But eventually, the veteran NRL player decided it was time to chase a new challenge.
‘I’ve always been that person. I kind of shoot from the hip,’ he said.
‘I love new challenges. If I start to feel like it’s a bit complacent, I’ll try and get myself into another position where I feel like I’m living again.’
‘I don’t dip my toe in kind of thing. I’m zero or a hundred.’
Vidot’s WWE dream was shaped by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, with the global superstar playing a key role in influencing his pursuit of wrestling.
His journey as a youth was filled with challenges, but during his transition to wrestling, Vidot enjoyed an important meeting with Johnson.
The 36-year-old (pictured) has spoken publicly about his tough exit from the WWE
Vidot (pictured left of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson) saw the global superstar as an idol growing up
‘What I can tell you is that I asked some big questions of him. And he gave me the answers I needed,’ Vidot said early in his wrestling career.
However, his stint in WWE was far from straightforward, with the Brisbane-born athlete seeing his on-screen persona manipulated by the company’s higher-ups.
‘I felt like I was kind of in a box and I wasn’t allowed to spread my wings as much,’ he said.
‘It was different. It wasn’t me anymore. I had Shawn Michaels try and change the script. I was a big fan of his, so I tried to give it a go.
‘But I felt like I was being someone who I wasn’t.’
The former NRL player then chose to relocate to Asia and compete in Japanese Pro Wrestling.
Vidot’s move has turned out to be a masterstroke, with him enjoying widespread success in the Japanese competition.
‘I wanted to go and reinvent my character. I wanted that freedom in WWE, but they didn’t give it to me,’ he said.
Vidot, who goes under the stage name Xyon (pictured), aspires to return to the wrestling titan at some stage in the near future
Vidot (pictured) has enjoyed widespread success during his ongoing stint in Japan
‘Japan is where you become very good at wrestling. Sometimes it’s good to go to a smaller pond and be a bigger fish… and my value’s gone up.’
Despite enjoying success after creating his own faction, Vidot’s spell in Japan has not been without adversity.
After touching down in the country, he became good friends with 21-year-old rookie Taishin Nagao, with the pair forming a strong bond.
Disaster then struck just months after his arrival, with Nagao being killed in a freak car accident.
The heartbreaking tragedy was witnessed by Vidot first-hand, and he now honours his late friend every time he steps into the ring.
‘An unfortunate tragedy happened. He died before my eyes kind of thing,’ he said.
‘He’d never gone out in Tokyo. He’d never gone to Korea. He just hadn’t really lived, and I was able to do that with him.
‘Now I wear a green armband with his name on it. It’s one of those things where I’m like, ‘Man, I was meant to come here.”
The former NRL player (pictured with Taishin Nagao) lost his best wrestling mate in a heartbreaking car accident
Despite his difficult exit from the wrestling powerhouse, Vidot still hopes to make a stunning return to the WWE ring.
‘The dream of going to WWE isn’t finished. I definitely want to come back,’ he said.
‘I’ve been talking to (WWE chief content officer) Triple H, been emailing him. So he knows like I’m on his radar,’ Vidot added.
‘I felt like I didn’t really get to finish my story over there in the States.’
‘I believe that there’s still more to come.’
