LAFAYETTE, La. – His day job is operations manager at the Lafayette Regional Airport, but Byron Wilcott has an alter ego: the "Angel of Sin," who gets to show off his wrestling prowess this week on a national cable television network.
He'll be featured on The Bussey Bunch, a new reality show at 8 p.m. Tuesday on TLC. The show follows a mom-and-pop wrestling organization in Texas that's working to reach the big time.
Wilcott said he has wanted to be a wrestler since he was a child. "When I was 4 or 5 years old, I remember watching wrestling at my grandmother's house and playing it in the backyard, even though they told us not to," said Wilcott, a Shreveport native. "My grandma was always like, 'Don't do that, you're going to break your neck.'
"But it's something I always wanted to do. But you're parents are like, 'No, you have to go to college to be an astronaut.' "
On weekends, Wilcott travels from El Paso to Atlanta, working as a professional wrestler.
Wilcott, who is fresh ring talent recruited by the Bussey family, was in Arlington last weekend filming the episode that's airing Tuesday.
A four-year veteran of the ring, the 6-foot-5, 260-pound Wilcott earns roughly $250 a match, pay that's quickly eaten by gas, costumes and other expenses.
But Wilcott is determined to make it to the big time.
"I want to make a living at this," said Wilcott. "It all depends on how much hustle and commitment you have. You train for years to get to a level to where you can perform.
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