Noam Dar may be the first Israeli-born wrestler to perform in the WWE, but he has found other ways to stand out among the WWE Cruiserweight Classic competitors that go well beyond his lineage and his heritage.
Dar, 23, moved with his family from Tel Aviv to Ayr, Scotland at age five -- hence his accent, and his representing Scotland in the tournament. He's a veteran of the UK independent wrestling scene despite his young age, traveling those roads along with Zack Sabre Jr. and their fellow British Cruiserweight Classic competitor, Jack Gallagher.
As Sabre joked to ESPN, "Noam's still so young -- it depresses me how young and beautiful he is, and talented, and handsome."
The comment elicited a laugh from Dar when ESPN repeated it to him in a later interview.
"I paid him money to say that!" said Dar. "He's such a great person to be around. He's also talented, wonderful and handsome and whatever he said about me, I'll reciprocate that."
There is clearly a deep friendship between the trio, and they didn't reach the shores of the United States for the Cruiserweight Classic by sheer luck, or a favor. British wrestling legend Robbie Brookside, now a trainer at the WWE Performance Center, reserved special praise for this group of competitors.
@WWENXT UK Very proud of these 3 young men. @NoamDar @GentlemanJackG and@zacksabrejr #kentwaltonwouldbeproud pic.twitter.com/0MloLE1Ei0
— Robby Brookside (@RobbyBrookside) July 15, 2016
The presence of these three UK natives, and their success to this point in the tournament, is part of a growing British presence within the WWE.
Dar, Sabre Jr and Gallagher have been made to feel incredibly comfortable in the presence of NXT trainers Brookside and William Regal -- another of British wrestling's most famous exports -- at Full Sail University and the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
"It almost feels like we have a home-field advantage, in a sense," Dar told ESPN. "They're two guys that me, Zack and Jack look up to massively. They also came from the same scene we came from. They know what's required to make the transition from the British wrestling scene into the international market."
Despite the experience all three men had long before they entered the Cruiserweight Classic, a chance to step through the ropes of the Performance Center ring and train under the watchful eyes of two British wrestling legends has been an invaluable experience.
"We feel like we've got a wee bit of an upper hand [in the Cruiserweight Classic]," continued Dar. "The British support and coaching staff has been fantastic."
Sabre agrees wholeheartedly, as the advice he has received from Regal and Brookside has made his trip to the States "100 percent" worth it.
"To have that validation, support and advice, their outlook ... Who better to inspire you?" Sabre told ESPN. "Robbie had such an incredible, long career. Regal has taken over America. He's such an incredible wrestler but he was able to create such a great character for himself, he transcended both approaches to pro wrestling. He's a big idol of mine."
The WWE Cruiserweight Classic represents a seismic shift in the way the WWE presents content. The vast majority of talent brought in for this event is not under a WWE contract, and wrestlers have been brought in from all over the world in an effort to fully represent as many different styles as possible in the ring.
It's served as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all involved -- especially Dar, Sabre and Gallagher.
"Now is the time for international presence to be felt in WWE," said Dar. The UK scene would be one of the first ports of call to show off. The UK scene back here wrestlingwise is fantastic. Hopefully me, Zack and Jack can be a good advertisement for it, and represent the UK in WWE."
"It's the first Cruiserweight Classic," Sabre added. "There are three Brits in there, and I feel we're all showcasing British wrestling in a positive light -- modern British wrestling, but we're all indebted to our history. I feel very proud to be part of that team."