Actor Paul Walter Hauser is ready to give his ‘pound of flesh’ when he wrestles at Philly’s 2300 Arena

Actor Paul Walter Hauser got his start with a guest appearance in a 2010 episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. In the years since, he has made a jump to the big screen and has played a number of varying movie roles — from the titular security guard in the Richard Jewell biopic to the villain Mole Man in the latest Fantastic Four film.

In both instances, Hauser displayed superhero tendencies on the big screen.

Now, he’s channeling that inner-superhero in the wrestling ring.

“Wrestling kind of felt like it was superheroes coming to life, like they existed in real life,” Hauser told The Inquirer. “And in our weird, dark time that we’re historically in right now, it’s still enticing and nice to check out and believe that there are real superheroes who can dole out justice with a microphone or their fists.”

Hauser, 38, will put his skills to the test Friday night when he wrestles AEW heel QT Marshall at the 2300 Arena for Ring of Honor: Death Before Dishonor.

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Hauser loved wrestling as a kid. But sometime about 15 years ago, he stopped watching. He got back into the sport when he watched the emergence of Bryan Danielson, previously known as Daniel Bryan.

Danielson was already well-respected on the independent scene, but had to prove himself all over again when he made his way up to the big leagues. And measuring in at 5-foot-10 and 210 pounds, he didn’t look like most other wrestlers at the time. Watching his journey inspired Hauser.

“We didn’t care that [his] move set wasn’t like the people we’ve seen come before us, like Hulk Hogan or The Rock,” Hauser said. “We really liked [him] for who [he was]. His individuality was being celebrated. And I thought it was a really big moment where suddenly wrestling was about the individual rather than sort of keeping up with the Joneses and having to look like some steroid superhero type.”

Eventually, Hauser went down a rabbit hole — finding different promotions to watch, including Ring of Honor, which got its start in the same South Philly arena where Hauser will wrestle Friday. He enjoyed watching the independent scene, discovering more wrestlers who weren’t as accepted on the mainstream level, like Sami Callihan, Sami Zayn (known as El Generico), Kevin Owens, and the Briscoe Brothers.

“There’s something punk rock about the independent scene,” Hauser said. “They’re acknowledged as being talented, but they don’t fit the mold of what people are looking for in the mainstream.

“[Ring of Honor] was such a breeding ground for the future of wrestling, whether it was Seth Rollins or Brian Danielson or Hangman Adam Page, all these people came out of there. So to be some small part of that this Friday in Philadelphia, to get to partake under the banner of Ring of Honor is a crazy cool thing for somebody like me.”

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Friday night’s match won’t be Hauser’s first. He started training in the spring of 2021, working with indie wrestler Darian Bengston and former WWE wrestler Paul London. He made his pro wrestling debut for Pro Wrestling Revolver in Los Angeles in November 2023.

“Wrestling is just really seen as an outlet for me,” Hauser said. “I think for most men, they would take up something like golf and fantasy football and, you know, some other thing like grilling. For me, it happened to be this other childhood dream of mine.”

Hauser isn’t in the gym every month due to his acting schedule and being a father of three. However, he does credit that career for making it an easier transition into the world of pro wrestling.

“I’ve certainly been embraced quicker by the companies because of the acting career, but I’ve also shown that I’m doing the work,” Hauser said. “If you look at Dave Bautista’s filmography, you can tell he has only gotten better since his debut in the early 2010s, I think it was. He’s only gotten better and better and better. And I’m trying to prove the same with my wrestling.”

His match against Marshall will be Hauser’s second at the 2300 Arena. In 2024, he defeated Callihan, one of his favorite wrestlers, in a “Philly street fight” match during WrestleCon at the former home of ECW.

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Hauser put his body on the line, taking bumps through tables, falling on thumb tacks, and walking out with a bloody face.

“It was a little long-winded, but it was intense and it was fun,” Hauser said. “I think the fans saw me go further than they thought I was going to go in a match with him.

“But at the 2300 Arena, it’s a very legendary venue. People really tested their fortitude and their strength and their skin in a place like that. So, I’m willing to kind of give my pound of flesh when I walk in there. I would say [fans] can expect a little better conditioning [this time], a little better technique, but certainly the same caution-to-the-wind fearlessness that I displayed in the first one.”

After his appearance on Always Sunny, Hauser’s breakout role came in 2019’s Richard Jewell. He has appeared in recent films like Fantastic Four and The Naked Gun, showcasing his wide range, whether it’s winning an Emmy for his role as convicted serial killer Larry Hall on Apple TV’s Black Bird or stealing his scene in Tim Robinson’s popular I Think You Should Leave Netflix series.

When celebrities make their crossovers into pro wrestling, it’s typically short-lived. They’ll have one-off matches and make quick appearances here and there. But, Hauser has fully immersed himself into the sport.

He won his first title in wrestling by capturing the Progress Wrestling Proteus Title in April. He is an executive producer for Major League Wrestling and continues to make appearances with AEW and other independent circuits.

Hauser is also merging wrestling into his acting career — mentioning wrestler Matt Cardona in his Emmy speech, bringing his Golden Globe to an AEW taping, and more recently wearing his title belt to the Fantastic Four premiere.

“It’s not that different from Billy Bob Thornton showing up to a screening of one of his movies wearing a sleeveless T-shirt and a guitar pick between his teeth,” Hauser said. “I just think sometimes you want to wear your truest self in those different places.

“But it’s also just shining a light. I would really love it if Hollywood gave wrestling more of a chance and an opportunity to be a more viable piece of ongoing entertainment. … Wrestling is going more mainstream by the week. So, I’ve just been ahead of the curve trying to support that and trying to find new opportunities for the two to cross paths.”