Family, farms and Funks helped WWE alum Wesley Blake get his start in pro wrestling
Wesley Blake is a former WWE NXT tag team champion who spent some time on WWE “SmackDown.”
After an eight-year stint with WWE, Blake was released in April.
Now known as Westin Blake, the next phase of his pro wrestling career begins.
In my video interview with Westin Blake, he discusses his new wrestling name, his time in WWE, being released by WWE, teaming with Buddy Murphy and Alexa Bliss to win NXT tag team gold, living on the farm in Texas, his inspiring mom, his dad moving to Ocala in Central Florida and meeting Dory Funk Jr. there, moving to Ocala to train at Funk’s Funking Conservatory, meeting his wife Sara Lee in WWE and more.
Blake, 33, is from San Antonio. He was born in Opelousas, Louisiana, but the family moved to San Antonio, when he was 9-months-old.
At Medina Valley High School in Castroville, Texas, he starred at middle linebacker on the football team. High school football is big in Texas. Blake received a couple of offers to play college football but financial difficulties reared its ugly head, so he opted to hang up the football cleats and work as a strength instructor to pay for schooling at Texas State University in San Marcos.
Blake did not mind hanging up the cleats, because his No. 1 passion is pro wrestling.
Furthermore, he could see through his mom, Susan — who worked two jobs without a college degree and one job with a college degree — the importance of education.
Blake was inspired by his mom, who — after putting her career on hold to raise a family — attended college at age 40 as a single mom to become a nurse. His mom encouraged him to pursue his dreams and also earn a college degree. He did both, earning a bachelor’s degree in extreme sports science and training to become a professional wrestler.
Prior, his mom and dad divorced with his dad moving to Ocala, north of Orlando. Blake’s family lived on a farm in Texas, and his father, Charles, worked in the horse industry, later prompting that move to Ocala, also noted for farms and horses.
While in Ocala, a small town, his father met WWE Hall of Famer Dory Funk Jr., who lived there with his wife, Marti.
Dory Jr. and Marti opened a pro wrestling school, the Funking Conservatory, and conducted shows in the city. Like the Blakes, the Funks are from Texas.
Some things are just meant to be.
Through Blake’s dad, Blake met Dory Jr. and Marti, initiating the move to Ocala to begin his pro wrestling journey.
Blake made his debut in 2011.
Blake signed with WWE in 2013. He teamed with Buddy Murphy to win NXT tag team gold in 2015. Alexa Bliss was their manager.
He later aligned with Steve Cutler and Jaxson Ryker to form The Forgotten Sons, which wrestled in NXT and then WWE “SmackDown.” After some time, Blake and Cutler became bodyguards for King Baron Corbin, while Ryker joined “Raw.”
Blake is married to Sara Lee, who won the women’s division of WWE Tough Enough in 2015. Residing in Orlando, they have three children.
His booking email: bookwestinblake@gmail.com.
Twitter: @TheWestinBlake
WWE bio: https://www.wwe.com/superstars/wesley-blake
https://www.sportskeeda.com/wwe/news-buddy-murphy-wesley-blake-almost-reunited-wwe
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This story was originally published August 30, 2021 at 1:07 PM.
