10 Things You Didn't Know About Grado
9. Underdog Gimmick Was Carefully Orchestrated
As the years rolled on, it became clear that something special was happening in Glasgow, Scotland. Fronted by Mark Dallas, ICW began to really make waves, literally hauling a mediocre wrestling scene up into something culturally significant. Suddenly, wrestling was a hot ticket in the city, and everybody wanted a slice of the ICW pie.
Seeking something a little different, Dallas became interested in working with Grado. The wrestler would be cast as a real underdog, someone who desperately wanted to prove that he belonged in a promotion as hardcore as ICW. Promos were shot and a YouTube clip chronicling Grado's story was put together.
People loved it, and a 'Book Grado' campaign was started on social media. This was the exact purpose of the videos, but the whole thing felt organic. As carefully orchestrated as Grado's underdog character was, fans of ICW really did take to the man quickly.
2012 was a breakout year for Grado, he was embraced as the hottest new sensation in Scottish wrestling and that's something that has only increased year on year.