Pro Wrestler Takes the Fall in Bank Robbery

Rugged pro wrestler Nicholas W. Wilson finally met his match: the law. 

Wilson, who wrestled under the name Nick Gage, is scheduled to be sentenced April 29 for robbing a PNC Bank branch in Collingswood three days before Christmas 2010.  

He pleaded guilty March 15 in state Superior Court in Camden to one second-degree count of bank robbery, according to court records. A second-degree charge carries a sentence of 10 to 20 years in state prison. 

Jason Laughlin, a spokesman for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, said Thursday afternoon that he was unsure if Wilson had entered into a plea agreement, under which Wilson would receive a lesser sentence in exchange for admitting his guilt. 

Before he turned himself in to Collingswood police around noon on New Year's Eve, Wilson, 30, was a big draw for Combat Zone Wrestling, a Philadelphia-based independent wrestling operation known for its ultraviolent matches. 

He grew up in National Park, Gloucester County. 

In a January at the Camden County  Jail, Wilson said he's been battling an addiction to Oxycontin and other prescription painkillers for at least 10 years. 

He was high on Oxy, homeless and penniless when he walked into the bank that afternoon and handed the teller a note, he said. He added that he'd spent most of his earnings from wrestling on drugs. 

Wilson walked out  of the bank with about $3,000, police said.

Police released a clear PNC surveillance photo of the bank robber—and almost immediately, tips started pouring in from wrestling fans who noticed the striking resemblance between him and fan-favorite Nick Gage. 

"I guess I didn't realize how popular I was until the photos came out," Wilson said. 

With the heat on, he decided to give himself up to police.

He said during the jailhouse interview that he regretted the robbery, and that he wanted to have the case against him resolved quickly so he could accept his punishment and move on with his life. 

Wilson remains in the Camden County Jail, awaiting sentencing. 

Although his ring career is over for the time being, Wilson said in January he was ready to win his biggest battle of all: overcoming addiction.