UK Kid Thomas Jones is a British professional wrestler and promoter better known by his ring name The UK Kid . As well as founding his own promotion Varsity Pro Wrestling , Jones has competed in various other professional wrestling promotions in the United Kingdom including All Star Wrestling , LDN Wrestling , Pro Wrestling Guerrilla , Real Quality Wrestling and Catch Wrestling Council . Career . Thomas Jones began training at the age of 16 under Kris Kay in Gosport , England . At the age of 18 he moved to San Antonio , Texas to train at the Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy ( later Texas Wrestling Academy ) under Shawn Michaels . He later went on to train at the Dory Funk ' s Funking Conservatory . Following his training he went on to make his professional wrestling debut in August 1999 , and later would make his debut in the United States against Kris Krugar in San Antonio , Texas . Varsity Pro Wrestling . In 2006 , Jones began running the Varsity Pro Wrestling ( VPW ) promotion and School of Excellence , performing throughout England as he trained future British stars Chris Andrews , Rob Holte , Robbie Everest , Sam Andrews and others . He also began the training process for WWE superstar , Sheamus . [ 8 ] The school runs regular sessions several times per week and features guest trainers such as Bob Holly , Kip James and The Road Dogg several times per year . Jones ' VPW wrestling events have received wide acclaim as the best on the British wrestling circuit , with many former WWE wrestlers on the roster including Bob ' Hardcore ' Holly , former D - Generation X member The Road Dogg , D ' Lo Brown , Chris Masters , Kip James ( AKA Billy Gunn ) , Shawn Daivari and Al Snow . In 2007 , Jones made an unsuccessful pitch for investment in VPW on the BBC Two show Dragon ' s Den . In February 2008 , Jones , as the UK Kid , worked an angle on a VPW event in Portsmouth with Billy Gunn , interfering after Gunn ' s match , beating him with a chair and leaving him bleeding . Gunn vowed revenge on the next VPW Portsmouth show , though it came at the hands of another individual . When a change to Gunn ' s contractual status with TNA made him incapable of attending the VPW show in May , he sent long - time friend Bob Holly to " teach the UK Kid a lesson " , something that Holly accomplished in a tables , ladders and chairs match held in front of over 600 rabid fans . This highly successful event was followed up with a return to the Portsmouth Guildhall in August , an event that began with the UK Kid revealing that he had arranged for a 15 foot steel cage to be provided and challenged Holly to a rematch . Holly declined , saying that he had already beaten the Kid in a TLC match , so felt it would be unfair to prevent others on the roster getting a chance to humble Jones ' arrogant alter - ego . Holly backed " The Devon Powerhouse " Chris Andrews for the match and offered him support in a backstage interview before the match . In the main event of the show , the UK Kid and Andrews wrestled in the cage for over 20 minutes with Andrews obtaining a large gash on his forehead as a result of the intense action . The resourceful UK Kid eventually managed to fight off Andrews ' onslaught long enough to retrieve a roll of electrical tape he had sneaked into the cage before the match , and used it to secure Andrews to the ring ropes . With Andrews immobilised , the UK Kid brought a chair into the ring and began pounding his opponent . Bob Holly , who had defeated Matt Vaughn earlier in the evening and was watching backstage , returned to ringside , entered the cage and snatched the chair away from the UK Kid . A tense moment followed before Holly , to the shock of the audience , began beating the defenceless Andrews . Andy Boy Simmonz , Jason Dunce , Jake McCluskey and a host of VPW officials all attempted to come to Andrews ' rescue but were prevented from entering the cage by both Holly and the UK Kid . Eventually the beat - down subsided and Andrews - now a bloody mess - was helped backstage and to a local medical facility . In October , on the next VPW Guildhall show , The UK Kid and Holly revealed their " International Alliance " , explaining that Chris Andrews needed to be put in his place , as he was not an International Superstar like either of them . Andrews brought backup in the form of Billy Gunn ' s long time tag team partner , The Road Dogg [ 11 ] and they issued challenges to Holly and the UK Kid respectively . Later that night , UK Kid defeated The Road Dogg by pinfall , following interference by Bob Holly . Come February 2010 and the promotion ' s return to Portsmouth , the evening started badly and just got worse for the UK Kid . During an interview segment , he and Bob Holly belittled teenage sensation " Mr . Moonsault " Jake McCluskey , who had just picked up first VPW victory . An impromptu match followed where McCluskey took advantage of the UK Kid ' s overconfidence , wrapping him up in a small package for his second victory of the night . In the main event of the evening , Holly and the Kid teamed up in a losing effort against Chris Andrews and Billy Gunn . The following evening in Basingstoke saw the UK Kid gain a measure of revenge , pinning Billy Gunn in a singles match but later being on the losing team in a six man tag match between himself , Bob Holly and Rob Holte facing Gunn , Jake McCluskey and Chris Andrews . Work for other promotions . In August 2006 The UK Kid teamed with Charlie Rage to lose to The Big Show in a handicap match at Wembley Arena , London for WWE . On August 28 , 2008 at Scottish School of Wrestling ' s " Tainted Tradition " event The UK Kid won the SPWO UK Championship after defeating 9 other men in a 10 - man Battle royal . On April 17 , 2012 , the UK Kid wrestled a dark match for WWE at the London tapings of SmackDown , losing to Antonio Cesaro .