Interviews with WWE’s LA Knight, NXT’s Oba Femi, MLW’s AJ Francis, WOW’s Genesis. Plus CCW 20
WWE WrestleMania 40 is Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7 on Peacock from Lincoln Financial Field, home of the NFL Philadelphia Eagles.
WWE NXT is Friday, March 29 at the Havert L. Fenn Center in (South Florida) Fort Pierce.
MLW War Chamber is Friday, March 29 at the historic Coliseum in (Central West Florida) St. Petersburg/Tampa.
WOW - Women of Wrestling, which is celebrating Women’s History Month, can been seen weekly on TV throughout Florida.
Coastal Championship Wrestling’s 20th anniversary show is Friday, April 19 at the MIDFLORIDA Event Center in (South Florida) Port St. Lucie.
I conducted audio and video interviews, featured below, with pro wrestling talent, i.e. the toast of the town (Hagerstown, Yeah!), a standout from Nigeria, one from Australia and a former NFL player turned pro wrestler from the nation’s capital.
WWE’s LA Knight, Yeah!
Whose Game Is It?
LA Knight vs. AJ Styles during WWE WrestleMania 40 Weekend in Philadelphia. The two-night event is April 6 and 7 on Peacock from Lincoln Financial Field, home of the NFL Philadelphia Eagles.
Here is my video interview with WWE Superstar LA Knight. Yeah!
He needed a second chance in WWE to make his first WrestleMania impression. Just goes to prove perseverance personified can pay off.
And what a year (2024) thus far for LA Knight. proving hard work, dues paid, determination and a catchy catch phrase can go a long way. Yeah!
LA Knight main evented the Royal Rumble, standing in the ring with three future Hall of Famers -- Champ Roman Reigns, Randy Orton and AJ Styles. A phenomenal fatal four-way for the title at Tropicana Field, home of the MLB Tampa Bay Rays.
LA Knight is currently preparing for his first WrestleMania, quite the achievement, after many years climbing the ladder. During his long journey, he could have given up; others told him to do so, but that fueled his fire even more.
Making his pro wrestling debut in 2003, he wrestled for Heartland Wrestling Association and NWA Championship Wrestling from Hollywood, He did sign with WWE in 2013, training at the then new WWE Performance Center in Orlando and wrestling for NXT as Slate Randall, before being released in 2014.
He wrestled for Full Impact Pro and Carlos Colon’s WWC in Puerto Rico, before inking a deal with TNA Wrestling/Impact Wrestling. He began making an impact, which led to the NWA. He then signed with WWE, a second chance in early 2021 and has made the most of it and then some.
Outside of pro wrestling, he appeared as a cast member on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s 2013 reality show “The Hero” and had a small role in a 2015 episode of the comedy series “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”
Back to wrestling, he provided the motion capture for other WWE superstars in many of the WWE 2K series of video games. Quite the task.
LA Knight, 41, is from Hagerstown, Maryland, and with WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia, many family and friends will be in attendance. Hagerstown is a special place for him, and the town held a special ceremony in his honor, with the mayor presenting him the key to the city.
He currently resides in Central Florida, and his dogs have their own Instagram account.
WWE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Web: https://www.wwe.com/
X/Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/WWE
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wwe/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ5v_MCY6GNUBTO8-D3XoAg
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WrestleMania
WWE NXT’s Oba Femi
My video interview with NXT North American Champion Oba Femi, who is originally from Lagos, Nigeria.
The athletic 6-foot-4, 270-pound Femi began to make his mark in WWE by winning the NXT Breakout Tournament in January. He quickly cashed-in, beating Dragon Lee one week later for the NXT North American title.
Femi, a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama, starred in the shot put for the Crimson Tide, winning an SEC title. Prior, he excelled for Middle Tennessee State University, capturing a Conference USA title.
Femi, 22, signed with WWE’s NIL (Name, Imaging & Likeness) Program (for select college athletes who are also interested in WWE) in December 2021 but instead of joining WWE, he completed his education, earning a degree in visual arts from the University of Alabama in May 2022. He is an accomplished painter.
Femi then traveled to Orlando, receiving outstanding training at the WWE Performance Center, under the direction of Matt Bloom and Sara Amato. His athleticism, coachability/teachability and ability to transition to the in-ring action and in-ring psychology put him on the fast track (pun intended).
Femi credits his success in sports -- and his opportunity with WWE -- to his schooling and sports training in Nigeria at Proper Arsenal College.
Femi had Olympic aspiration, but he has hung up the track & field footwear for good and is 110-percent committed to pro wrestling boots.
So far, so good.
WWE NXT in Fort Pierce
WWE NXT is 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 29 at the Havert L. Fenn Center in (South Florida) Fort Pierce. See current NXT superstars and future NXT superstars (developmental talent).
Tickets $10 and $20 at etix. Go to https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/26360/havert-lfenn-center-nxt.
NXT is live on the USA network at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. To find out more information on how to attend NXT free at the WWE PC, visit wwe.com/nxtlive.
MLW’s AJ Franci$
WWE alum AJ Francis, 33, of Severn, Maryland excelled in football, starring at defensive tackle and offensive tackle at Gonzaga College High School, a prestigious Catholic private preparatory school for boys in Washington D.C.
The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Francis received major college scholarship offers from Boston College, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Virginia, Wake Forest, Maryland and FSU. His favorite FSU because of Heisman winner Charlie Ward and star running back Warrick Dunn, but he chose the University of Maryland, and explains why in this video interview I conducted with him.
Francis, who was born at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, earned a bachelor’s degree in Government & Politics with a minor in Leadership from the University of Maryland. After going un-drafted in the 2013 NFL Draft, he signed with the Miami Dolphins in April 2013.
The NFL offered a program to pay for college, and Francis took advantage, obtaining his master’s degree in Public Policy with a concentration in International Security & Economic Policy.
Francis also spent time on the gridiron with the New England Patriots, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington (Generals). When his football career ended, he began his foray into professional wrestling.
Francis thanks fellow University of Maryland football alum Mojo Rawley for opening the door to WWE for him. Rawley was a senior at Maryland, when Francis was a freshman. Rawley transitioned successfully to pro wrestling, becoming a WWE superstar. He trained at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando and wrestled for NXT, Raw and SmackDown.
Francis later trained there, too, and wrestled for NXT and SmackDown. He was known as Top Dolla in the faction Hit Row. After being released from WWE, Francis has been wrestling for MLW, Game Changer, TNA Wrestling and Coastal Championship Wrestling.
Francis wrestled for CCW, prior to joining WWE. CCW, with a training center based in Pompano Beach, near Fort Lauderdale, is the longest running indie promotion in Florida and one of the longest running indie promotions in North America.
MLW War Chamber
Major League Wrestling announced AJ Franci$ vs. Alex Kane (cornered by Mr. Thomas) at MLW WAR CHAMBER, live on TrillerTV+ from the historic Coliseum in Tampa-St. Petersburg on Friday, March 29.
Get tickets at MLWgo.com and Eventbrite.
See Kane and AJ Francis collide for the first time live and exclusively on Triller TV+. Sign up for your Triller TV+ subscription and enjoy a free 7-day trial.
Following intense negotiations involving legendary promoter Don King, Mister Saint Laurent and MLW officials, the bout sheet is officially signed, paving the way for an epic showdown between AJ Franci$ and Alex Kane.
The two fighters have been ready to throw down ever since AJ Franci$ disrupted a powerful moment between Alex Kane and Mr. Thomas on The Burning CRUSH, leading to a feud that is already full of bad blood.
Franci$ and Kane have been relentless in their verbal sparring, both on the microphone and across social media platforms, promising a showdown of epic proportions. Alex Kane, revered for his mastery of over 100 suplexes and his impeccable grappling game, is a former MLW World Heavyweight Champion, and perhaps, a man at a crossroads.
Meanwhile, AJ Franci$, a former NFL player turned influencer and entertainer in the world of sports entertainment, has been making waves with his charisma and unapologetic bravado. Franci$ has claimed that members of the Bomaye Fight Club are defecting to join his ranks, adding fuel to the fire of this heated rivalry.
Don’t miss the action as AJ Franci$ and Alex Kane step into the ring looking to backup their trash talking with a big win… but who will be the victor?
Watch live on TrillerTV+.
Follow @MLW on all socials.
MLW ON THE NET AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Website: https://mlw.com/
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/MLW
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/majorleaguewrestling
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/majorleaguewrestling
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/majorleaguewrestling
WOW Genesis
Here is my video interview with WOW-Women of Wrestling’s Genesis on Friday, March 15, 2024 during Women’s History Month.
Genesis is part of the faction Exile along with Ice Cold and Exodus. Ice Cold is the newest member with the departure of veteran pro wrestler Malia Hosaka.
WOW - Women Of Wrestling, under the direction of GLOW founder and creator David McLane and NBA Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, can be seen weekly on TV. Check local listings.
About Genesis
Born and raised in Australia, Genesis ventured to America (California), where she did some work as a stuntwoman. Having a martial arts background helped in that endeavor.
While in California, an opportunity to try out for WOW occurred in Los Angeles, and she pursued it. The training, intense, she persevered, landing a role on the show.
WOW can bee seen locally in South Florida on MY33 TV at 11 p.m. Saturdays. The 1-hour program features wrestling matches, of course, but also delves into the real lives of WOW’s talent.
Fans can learn more about their favorite WOW superheroes and where to watch WOW in their area by going to the WOW website www.wowe.com. For WOW’s social media platforms, check out Facebook/X-Twitter/Instagram/TikTok: @wowsuperheroes.
By the way, all episodes of WOW season 1 are available for free on Pluto TV at 7p.m. ET daily and On Demand and at CW Seed on The CW App.
CCW’s 20th anniversary show
Congrats Nelio Cuomo Costa, WWE alum Gangrel David Heath, CCW OG Dan Evans and everyone involved in CCW (past and present).
Coastal Championship Wrestling’s historic 20th anniversary show (with some surprises) is Friday, April 19 at the MIDFLORIDA Event Center in (South Florida) Port St. Lucie, spring training city of the MLB New York Mets.
CCW, which also has a training facility in Pompano - near Fort Lauderdale, is the longest running indie pro wrestling promotion in Florida and one of the longest running in North America.
CCW expanded, consistently running shows each month throughout Florida and into Tennessee. A solid talent pool with alum, who have made it to the next level (most recently NXT’s Lola Vice, WWE Main Event and LevelUp Commentator Blake Howard, AEW Spanish Commentator Ariel Levy, WOW-Women of Wrestling’s Penelope Pink), CCW also includes some established, well-known talent on various shows.
For the 20th anniversary show, surprise, WWE alum Matt Riddle makes his CCW debut, while WWE alum Billy Gunn of AEW is set to make his CCW return.
The stellar card also includes CCW Champ and AEW VP QT Marshall, WWE alum “The Vampire Warrior” Gangrel, AEW star Brian Cage, CCW Women’s Champ and NWA star Ruthie Jay, ECW legend Bill “Fonzie” Alfonso, “South American Superstar” and AEW Commentator Ariel Levy, CCW Tag Team Champs The Qrown (Leonis & Maximus), Indie star Amber Nova, Indie star Cha Cha Charlie, Indie star Jackal Stevens and more.
Fans are close to the action, have fun and the price is right. Check it out.
CCW Info & Tickets: ClickThisLink
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/CCWAliveTV
My Pro Wrestling & MMA Talk on the Web and Social Media
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/fighting/
Twitter: @jimmyv3
YouTube: jim varsallone (jimmyv3 channel)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProWrestlingSouthFlorida/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WWE-WrestleMania-28-Miami-241160769255279/
This story was originally published March 27, 2024 at 12:14 PM.
