Paul Walter Hauser has Emmy and Golden Globe awards. Can he also become a wrestling star?

Plenty of wrestlers have transitioned into the acting world. Some have even found considerable success, like Dwayne Johnson, John Cena and Dave Bautista.

Yet it’s not often a Golden Globe- and Emmy Award-winning actor makes the jump to professional wrestling, let alone finds success in it. But for Paul Walter Hauser, the journey keeps on getting better.

After making his in-ring debut in November 2023, Hauser took off when he faced former WWE-star Matt Cardona in a no disqualification match at Wrestling Revolver: Ready or Not in March. The match, which included a special appearance from WWE Hall of Famer Bubba Ray Dudley, was chaotic but the crowd and fans reveled in it.

Now, Hauser will take his perfect 4-0 record and make another leap in the professional wrestling world by joining Major League Wrestling for one of its biggest events, “Battle Riot IV.” The 40-person match, with the winner earning an immediate shot at the MLW World Heavyweight Championship, will take place June 1 in Atlanta. The match will also be streamed live for free for the first time on YouTube.

“It's pretty cool to have this, both under my belt and as a platform for me to get to wrestle,” Hauser told USA TODAY Sports.

How did Paul Walter Hauser get into wrestling?

Like most fans, Hauser has been in love with wrestling for most of his life.

He got an extraordinary opportunity to fuse his wrestling love and career together when preparing for his role as convicted serial killer Larry Hall in the series “Black Bird,” which he won a Golden Globe and Emmy Award for. During his winning speech, Hauser made several wrestling references, but in his written thanks, he mentioned Dallas “DDP” Page.

Page played a vital part in Hauser’s preparation for the role. The WWE Hall of Famer has become a fitness instructor and helped Hauser lose 40 pounds in eight weeks. The two quickly became friends. As a reward for the dedication it took to lose the weight, Page took Hauser to see wrestling icon Sting’s first All Elite Wrestling match in 2021.

The experience was phenomenal, but before leaving, Page said Hauser should take a bump in the ring. (A bump is basically just falling on your back.) Hauser was hesitant, but Page insisted he do it. Hauser did, and it awakened something for him.

"Something kind of magical happened," Hauser said. "I know this sounds silly, but I'm being as serious as I can. In describing the sound of the ring that I had heard my entire life for 30 years, all of a sudden that sound coalesced with my back feeling the ring. Something clicked and I immediately said 'I'm doing this. I'm going to find a way to do this.'"

Hauser has received training and wisdom from several wrestlers, but the person he credits all his growth in the ring to is former WWE star Paul London. Hauser has trained at London’s camp in Los Angeles for the past year, trying to get a few hours a month in the ring to continue to grow his skill set. He hopes that by the end of the year, they’ll be able to share the ring as tag team partners in an official match.

What Paul Walter Hauser has learned managing acting and wrestling

Professional wrestling has long had celebrities make guest appearances and even compete in matches, but rarely are they seen as legitimate stars. Bad Bunny and current WWE United States Champion Logan Paul have set the bar for celebrity excellence in the ring, and that’s thanks to the dedication they spent on their craft. Hauser is pretty much the same. While he is taking part in a dream, he’s training and studying as much as he can.

“I'm just trying to work my way up and learn the craft as best I can,” Hauser said.

People are taking notice, too.

“Paul is building something special with a two-track career driven by his passion and an unrelenting quality that separates the pretenders from the contenders,” MLW founder and CEO Court Bauer said in a statement.

There are elements of acting in wrestling, like being able to speak profoundly in promos and draw the crowd in during matches. Hauser said the best acting is “when you're thinking through everything, and you've got a reason behind everything you're doing,” and he’s taking the same approach in wanting to be a great performer in the ring.

A big focus for Hauser has been getting the crowd involved in his matches. He wants the crowd to be part of his presentation and story in the match. That’s why he believes his match with Cardona was such a pivotal moment in his young career; the exhilarating match solidified him as an up-and-coming wrestler with plenty of potential, rather than someone getting their 15 minutes of fame.

“I think we played to the crowd really well, and I felt like they were with us the whole time,” Hauser said. “It's OK to be booed. It's OK to be beloved and cheered for, but if there's no sound whatsoever, you did something wrong. So I'm always trying to make some noise out there.”

Finding time to focus on wrestling is becoming a rare opportunity for someone racking up acting roles like Hauser. The 37-year-old will have a role in the upcoming “Fantastic Four” movie and will star in the “Naked Gun” reboot. A busy life for a man trying to up his game in the ring.

“I wish I had more time, but between my family, my career and everything else, it's been really difficult to get my reps,” he said.

What Hauser can do, though, is make sure he is staying fit. He isn’t at the 246 pounds he was at when filming “Black Bird,” so his goal is to get back down to that weight by the time he does “Battle Riot IV.” He said he doesn't have delusions that he could get abs like Finn Bálor's, but he knows he “can get in better shape.”

So, when “Battle Riot IV” comes, Hauser will be ready.

One piece of advice he remembers Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes saying is to slow down in the ring and understand the situation. In a match where up to 40 people could be in the ring, Hauser knows it’s best to get out of harm’s way after getting hit rather than continuing to take thump after thump.

A possible championship match for Hauser in the near future would be monumental for his career. He doesn't want to just be in "Battle Riot IV," he wants to win. But with the odds stacked against him, he’s fine if he doesn’t emerge on top. As long as he’s improving, it’s a step in the right direction.

“That's the goal: just get 1% better every day,” Hauser said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Actor Paul Walter Hauser taking another step in wrestling career