Brad Baylor (born November 28, 2004) is an American professional wrestler. He was born in Fairfield, Connecticut. Billing from Fairfield, Connecticut, at only 20 years old, Brad Baylor has begun to make his name known across the Northeast wrestling promotions.
He performs on the independent circuit and is also signed to WWE, where he is part of the WWE ID program and performs on the Evolve brand. Currently he is working for World Wrestling Entertainment and Independent Circuit on the Evolve and WWE ID brand under the ring name of Brad Baylor.
Baylor started his wrestling career in the independent circuit in 2021 and was trained by Paul Roma.
WWE is known for expanding its company into bigger and better things. The announcement of the WWE ID program opened new opportunities for upcoming wrestlers. A handful of young talent was signed to this program, the youngest of whom is Brad Baylor. WWE only signs the best stars with athletic and charismatic potential. These are the company’s next round of upcoming wrestlers. This expansion by WWE will help train and introduce upcoming stars to the WWE style of performance.
Baylor received training from some of the very best in New England, such as Paul Roma at PAPW and Mike Hollow at Elite Pro Wrestling. Through getting in the ring with these very experienced wrestlers, there is no question of how he got so talented. Now, being part of the WWE ID program, it will only progress with their training.
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I had the chance to chat with Baylor about his wrestling career. Getting to know him better and learning what this opportunity means to him was a pleasure.
For Coghlan, the allure of wrestling was more than just the spectacle. “I was a big wrestling fan growing up,” he says. During his senior year of high school, he decided to enter a ring. “[My] introduction to the business was great.
As he learned more in the ring, Coghlan began to shape the wrestling persona of his character Brad Baylor. “You need to be different and bring something new to the table,” he says. “I believe [my style is] unique because my move set is unpredictable.
“My theme song is Bright Lights by Gary Clark Jr.,” he says.
Early Career and Training
It wasn’t until he was in high school that he realized he could be a wrestler. After half-jokingly telling his high school strength and conditioning coach he wanted to be a WWE wrestler, he was introduced to wrestler Lucas Chase. Without wasting time, he began training at Paul Roma’s wrestling school, Paradise Alley Pro Wrestling, at 16. Only six months later, after turning 17, he had his first official match.
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“[Coghlan’s] progression has been faster than some other students, but at the same time there was a learning curve as there is with most,” Roma says.
“My family has been extremely supportive,” he says. “They loved the idea of me becoming a wrestler from the start, and they love it even more now that they see how much I love it and how hard I work at it.
While he spends much of his week, mostly the weekends, wrestling, he also studies communications at Southern Connecticut State University during the week. “It was clear that [Southern] had a strong and useful communication program,” he says. Coghlan’s journey, though, was not without its sacrifices outside of the ring. “I do not have a normal life as a college student,” he says. “I often wrestle on Friday and Saturday nights, which makes me miss out on social events with friends. Outside of wrestling, Coghlan says he would be interested in being a sports commentator.
Even though it’s only been a short time, he has already received coaching to help him through his career. When asked about some of the best advice that he received, Baylor had said that William Regal had told him to ‘wrestle like you’re hungry’ and to make every move mean something. “Making the little things mean the most is something I’ve learned that has stuck with me and that I can apply to everything in wrestling. I think that’s the most valuable piece of information I’ve learned because it’s so broad.
“Handling the pressure from the crowd just comes with reps,” he says. “I barely notice them anymore. It just looks like silhouettes in my peripheral vision.
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Notable Matches and Moments
One of his favorite matches was against former WWE star Matt Riddle at Northeast Wrestling’s Under the Stars event in July 2024. Baylor considered it an excellent experience, considering he used to watch Riddle wrestle before he ever stepped foot in a ring. “That was one of my favorite matches,” he says. “Matt Riddle is an experienced wrestler, and he gave me great advice after the match. Another one of his favorite matches marks an important night in his career. That same night, Baylor got ID’d by WWE.
Tag Team Success with Ricky Smokes
He is one-half of the Wrestling Open Tag Team Champions with fellow WWE ID recruit, Ricky Smokes. “Tagging with Ricky has been great. It’s been just over a year of tagging with him, and we’ve grown together so much. Moving onto possible outcomes of the WWE ID program, Baylor is excited to see what he and Smokes can bring to NXT. He pointed out how many of the tag teams there typically aren’t paired for long, or they are single wrestlers that need to be paired together. Over this time, they have built legitimacy as a tag team that can be brought to NXT.
Swipe Right (Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes) defeated The Church Of Greatness (Ichiban and Tyree Taylor) to win the Wrestling Open tag team titles on November 14, 2024 - Wrestling Open #150.
“I’ve seen [Coghlan] take direction [in what] we’ve been given and become a whole different performer.
Future Aspirations
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Being so young in this industry, Baylor has many goals he wants to accomplish. Regarding independent promotions, Baylor mentioned liking the idea of having a singles match with Ichiban. Moving past NXT and taking it to PLEs, Baylor would love to be part of WWE’s Money in the Bank. Since he was a kid, it has been one of his favorite matches. The youngest WWE World Champion is Randy Orton, who won the title at 24. Now, over twenty years later, WWE has someone confident and young enough to beat the record.
For Coghlan, his dreams have always extended far beyond the indie circuit. “The WWE ID program has been great. It’s giving me more reps along with social media buzz to get me ready for the next step,” he says. “The show schedule requires me to be in Orlando, Florida, every other week [for show tapings],” he says. The recognition of being featured on Evolve is a testament to Coghlan’s hard work and dedication.
Considering that the WWE ID program is meant to find the next potential stars, now is the time to look at the recruits, as some may be one of the next champions.
Match History
- January 14, 2023 - NEW: Greg Baylor was in the over the top rope rumble match won by Kerr.
- January 28, 2023 - PAPW: Buzz Bloodsaw vs. Brad Baylor.
- April 8, 2023 - BST: Brad Baylor defeated Mr. June.
- June 2, 2023 - PAPW: Brad Baylor defeated Mr. November.
- November 9, 2023 - Wrestling Open #97: Brad Baylor vs. ?
- January 27, 2024 - XWA: Wrecking Ball Legursky defeated Brad Baylor.
- February 29, 2024 - Wrestling Open #113: Dezmond Cole and Pedro Dones vs. Brad Baylor.
- June 14, 2024 - NEW: Brad Baylor defeated Jermaine Marbury.
- November 14, 2024 - Wrestling Open #150: Swipe Right (Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes) defeated The Church Of Greatness (Ichiban and Tyree Taylor) to win the Wrestling Open tag team titles.
- January 23, 2025 - Wrestling Open #160: Swipe Right (Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes) vs. Dezmond Cole and Jermaine Marbury ended in a double count-out.
- February 2, 2025 - FL: Waves And Curls (Jaylen Brandyn and Traevon Jordan) vs. Swipe Right (Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes) ended in a draw.
- July 19, 2025 - WWN/HOC ID Showcase: Jack Cartwheel defeated Brad Baylor.
- August 20, 2025 - EVOLVE #25 (Taped): The Vanity Project reacts to Keanu saying that he is coming for the EVOLVE title, while each members blames someone.
- August 26, 2025 - EVOLVE #26 (Taped): Backstage, The Vanity Project was notified by Turner that she’s trying to figure out the next contender for Jackson Drake’s title.