A Purbeck sheep farmer who spent years supporting his son’s unlikely dream of becoming a World Wrestling Entertainment superstar says he couldn’t be prouder to see him wrestling in front of millions of viewers around the world.
For Julian Cranton of Steeple, near Kimmeridge, whose family has farmed for generations, his son’s journey from sheep pens and lambing sheds to the bright lights of professional wrestling in the US has been a remarkable one.
Nat Cranton’s alter ego Tristan Angels (left) has broken into the WWE circuit in America
Performs as Tristan Angels
Nathaniel Cranton now performs under the ring name Tristan Angels for WWE’s NXT brand in Orlando, Florida, having risen through the ranks of British wrestling in just a few years.
His aim is to move up to the top level of World Wrestling Entertainment as quickly as possible, and beyond that, the sky’s the limit – some of the brand’s biggest stars like Hulk Hogan, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and John Cena have all moved into hugely successful acting careers.
Nat grew up around Steeple Leaze Farm, a sheep and cattle farm, and while many youngsters dream of becoming footballers or pop stars, he had his sights set on wrestling from an early age.
Nat attended St George’s School in Langton Matravers, before moving on to Castle Court and later Canford School. After leaving school at 18, he worked full time on the family farm while deciding how to pursue his ambitions.
Nat Cranton and sheepdog on the family farm in Steeple, near Kimmeridge
“Nat is passionate about wrestling”
Julian Cranton said:
“When he was growing up, most kids wanted to be David Beckham or whatever, but Nat wanted to be a wrestler. He’s always liked fitness and was very disciplined with his training, and long before I realised how serious he was, he already had a mind to become a wrestler.
“Farming has been both sides of my family for several generations, and I’m the second generation to work on this farm.
“Nat is not going to be a farmer like me, though he does value the space and actually likes the work, he loves working with sheepdogs, likes seeing the lambs and was especially proud of shearing 100 sheep in a day when he was 16.
“But you need to be passionate about what you are doing, and he is passionate about wrestling. I think he would not have been the best farmer if he wanted in his heart to do something different, he needed to follow his dreams.”
Nat is hoping to break through into the top flight of WWE and become a household name
“The proper money is in USA”
Julian added:
“While he was working on the farm, my niece bought him tickets to watch the wrestling at the Pavilion in Bournemouth, and he went round the back afterwards to chat to the wrestlers.
“It turned out there was a training centre for wrestlers in Salisbury which is one of the best in the country, which tied in well with his farming – he worked on the farm by day and trained and got experience with wrestling in the evenings and at weekends.
“He used to help them set the rings up, then he became a referee, and as he got more proficient he got a job at Butlins and also went all over the country wrestling, but there was no money in it.
“He wrestled in seven different countries in Europe trying to earn a bit more money, including in an open colosseum in Italy, but although that paid more than here, the extra got taken up with all the travel.
“All the serious wrestlers want to get to the USA – there is a bit of wrestling in Mexico and some in Japan, but the proper money is in WWE, so that is what they all aspire to.”
Nat came to the attention of the WWE as a Mr England pageant star and a sheep farmer
Won a three year training contract
Nat, by then wrestling under the stage name of Nathan Angel, competed in the Mr. England 2024 pageant, finishing as the runner up and earning the title of Mr International England.
The plan was then for him to compete in the Mister International 2024 pageant in Bangkok, Thailand, for a TV documentary with another fighter called Paddy the Baddy, and although that fell through, the exposure helped to get him noticed.
He was officially spotted at a trial at the O2 and won a three year training contract with the WWE at their training centre in Orlando, Florida, with around 140 other wrestlers.
Nat, who had to change his stage name to Tristan Angels to avoid image rights, started in the Evolve series, the third tier in the WWE setup, in October 2025, but within two months had made his debut in the NXT brand, the second tier.
Nat, second from right, with other Mr England finalists and the presenters of ITV’s This Morning in 2024
“I chose to chase the dream”
Now living and training in Florida, Nat Cranton said:
“I think when you’re born on a farm, you never officially start work – you just slowly graduate from opening gates for your dad as a toddler to shearing sheep and driving tractors. It’s more of a lifestyle than a job.
“But I knew that I was going to be a WWE superstar from the age of 10, I can vividly remember pitching it to my father. He was understandably doubtful at first, but later became my biggest supporter!
“I started training at 12 years old and imagined myself holding the WWE Championship above my head. I chose to bet on myself and chase the dream.
“My mother suggested I enter Mr England, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Being Mr International England was a once in a lifetime experience – I was incredibly proud to represent England and it helped me tremendously to stand out in my pro wrestling career.”
Success in the Mr England and Mr International pageants allowed Nat to take up charity work, becoming the face of We Do Ethical
“The magic of farm life”
Nat added:
“Farming is hard, and not for everyone, but being able to experience lambing season and the magic of farm life is something I wish more people could enjoy.
“I’ve always said wrestling a man is not that different to shearing a sheep, both take a lot of hard work, determination and grit.
“Living in Orlando now and working for the biggest sports entertainment company in the world is a dream come true, but it is also a lot of hard work.
“I took part in more than 200 matches in a single year before making the move to America and my life revolves around constant training and preparation – if it were easy to be a WWE superstar, everyone would do it!”
Julian Cranton at the family farmhouse in Steeple
“The training is hard”
Julian Cranton said:
“Wrestling is showbiz really, but it’s physically very demanding, the training is hard and they work them hard, one weekend Nat was in three different States for matches.
“He has done amazingly well in such a short space of time. He only went to the USA last October last year and to get on to NXT in short time, like Nat has, is quite an achievement.
“A lot of the wrestlers are former Olympians or ex American footballers, but there are quite a few English over there, and being a Mr England and a sheep farmer really helps him stand out!
“I can’t do social media, but the NXT matches are on Netflix every Tuesday night, so I watch it on Wednesday morning and WhatsApp him at weekends. I’m very proud of him!
“He wants to break into WWE and earn enough money to come back here and buy the farm, and if he does come back at some stage, he will be a better farmer for having followed his dreams.”
Where wrestling and farming come together, Nat in the farmyard at Steeple Leaze
There’s always an opportunity for a spot of training
Helping with the sheep down on Steeple Leaze Farm
Working with the animals was always one of Nat’s favourite jobs
Further information
- Follow Tristan Angels on his Instagram account
