Shining a Spotlight on the North – Seth Tylors

The Queensland Wrestling Alliance:
Shining a Spotlight on the North – Seth Tylors
By Trent O’Day

Name: Seth Tylors
Height: 5’11” / 182cm
Weight: 182lbs / 83kg
Signature/Finishing Manoeuvre: “Sexy” Spiral (Spiral Tap) / “Imperfection” (Cobra clutch/elbow drop)

Championships/Achievements:

Former 3x QWA United Heavyweight Champion
Former 3x QWA Tag Team Champion
QWA Match of the Year recipient (2019, 2020)

Companies Worked For:

Queensland Wrestling Alliance (QLD)
Queensland Championship Wrestling (QLD)
Queensland Championship Wrestling: Sunshine Coast (QLD)
Wrestling Allegiance Rockhampton (formerly Queensland Wrestling Alliance Rockhampton) (QLD)
WideBay Pro Wrestling (QLD)
Venom Pro Wrestling (QLD)
Unified Pro Wrestling (formerly Aftershock Pro Wrestling) (NZ)
Explosive Pro-Wrestling: School of Pro Wrestling (WA)

Ladies and gentlemen, we’re back again with another instalment of ‘Spotlight on the North’, and today our focus turns to yet another of North Queensland’s unsung heroes – Seth Tylors. Now anyone that has been to a Queensland Wrestling Alliance (QWA) show will have no doubt heard the name ‘Seth Tylors’, as he is currently the longest serving QWA roster member, and somewhat of a wrestling talisman in Townsville. This article will hopefully shed a bit of light on his storied career so far and maybe even earn a few new fans for a man that is (in my opinion) the MOST underutilised performer in Queensland wrestling – and it’s not even close.

Seth’s journey into the world of professional wrestling began when he happened across a Queensland Championship Wrestling (QCW) poster in late 2012. After attending a live event and meeting then-owner “Island Boy” Simon Tokoroa, Seth took his first steps toward becoming a professional wrestler. Unfortunately for Seth, no one told him that those steps included learning to roll and bump in a backyard atop a concrete patio. “Island Boy” Si (as he was affectionately known) ran a tight ship and Seth figured out quickly that if he really wanted to pursue a life in pro-wrestling, he was going to have to learn the hard way. However, after months of intense training, Seth finally stepped into a ring for the very first time in front of a live crowd… As a referee.

Yes, a little fun fact about Seth Tylors, is that he made his debut as a referee (which lasted approximately 3 months) before eventually debuting as an in-ring competitor under the moniker ‘Rufio’. Rufio was a skinny, young lad, roughly 18 years old and sported one of the most outrageous crimson-red hairstyles in recent memory – but his in ring talent was obvious. Even from the ripe young age of 18, Rufio had the confidence to perform both daring, high flying moves, as well as step to his opponents with a technically proficient ground game. Couple these attributes with his ability to captivate a crowd with his diverse range of facial expressions, and inexplicable charisma – Townsville wrestling had found it’s new poster boy.

Now, those who’ve been following along with the QWA and Spotlight on the North series will note that QCW closed it’s doors in 2014 before rebranding and reopening as the Queensland Wrestling Alliance. This brief shutdown period provided Rufio with the perfect opportunity to reinvent himself and return with a character and persona that was entirely his own. Thus, Seth Tylors was born. A cocky, arrogant and braggadocios heel – Seth was moving from the crowd’s favourite underdog to a company carrying juggernaut. This move, of course, didn’t happen without its trials and challenges – in fact it was during this time that Seth attributes most of his professional growth. Many difficult and questionable decisions being made behind the scenes meant that Seth was made to work large portions of matches on the fly, or simply had to react to unplanned segments as they were happening (usually TO him). It is because of this that Seth has such a calm, measured approach to his matches and why his work inside the ropes is so responsive to both the crowd and his opponent. Eventually, Seth would be placed at the tippy top of the mountain and become entrusted with the QWA United Heavyweight Championship on three separate occasions. His notable feuds included his battles with The Choff, Stitches the Clown, Marcus Adonis, and Zakk Gardener – where he dropped a wonderful “bad guys always win” promo – before moving on to matches with myself, and my then-stable ‘Destiny’ as a part of Mad Dog Club: Australia.

Nowadays, Seth finds himself firmly etched into QWA folklore. He is an incredibly respected, trusted, and knowledgeable member of the roster, as well as a head trainer for the QWA team. His near-on decade of experience transfers onto everyone he has a chance to talk to, and despite his fantastically over-the-top heelish tendencies – he is one of the nicest men you will ever have the opportunity of meeting. I’ve worked with Seth on numerous occasions in a variety of different match types, and when it comes to working with Seth there are three things that are certain: 1. He is the most unselfish performer that you’ll ever come across. 2. He is as safe as houses between those ropes. 3. You will have a blast being across from him in the ring. I could not express in one article how much respect and admiration I have for someone that (despite only being in his mid-late twenties) is so wrestling-intelligent and passionate about the business that we love so much. I highly recommend that you check him out and, if you’re looking for someone of high quality, book him on your shows. Look, I know I’m biased, and cliché as it may be, it’s almost legitimately criminal that he’s not more well-known.

You can follow him on Facebook: Seth Tylors-Professional Wrestler, Twitter: @SethTylors and Instagram: @seth_tylors