Talking Points with Leva Bates (Animate! Miami, FSCW), Johnny Damon (A-GAME, MLB), Blake Howard (FAU, WWE NXT)
Here are my latest video interviews, discussing pro wrestling, cosplay, baseball and a natural sports drink.
They start with pro wrestler/entertainer Leva Bates of Fantasy Super Cosplay Wrestling, which will be part of Animate! Miami from Feb. 14-16 at the Miami Airport Convention Center (The MACC). https://galaxycon.com/pages/animate-miami
FSCW, where pro wrestlers combine cosplay with pro wrestling, is very popular at the GalaxyCon-led events throughout the country, i.e. Animate! Miami.
Bates was Blue Pants in WWE NXT and The Librarian in AEW, where she also worked behind the scenes for the upstart company. She was also one-half of The Lucha Sisters with her friend Mia Yim (WWE Superstar Michin).
Originally from Madisonville, Kentucky, Bates is based in Central Florida and competed locally for Coastal Championship Wrestling.
Next is two-time MLB World Series champ Johnny Damon, aka pro wrestling fan Johnny Nitro, who shares his passion for pro wrestling as well as his new natural sports energy drink A-GAME.
Damon, an Orlando Dr. Phillips High School alum, won a historic World Series title with the Boston Red Sox and then another later with the rival New York Yankees.
Damon also guest hosted “WWE Monday Night Raw” on December 21, 2009 from the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, attended a WWE show at Madison Square Garden in NYC to see his friend WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss and was involved in “TNA Impact Wrestling’s Turning Point” PPV at Universal Studios Orlando in 2005.
He is from and based in Central Florida.
The finale is with Blake Howard, a talented find for WWE, who is wearing many hats (and wearing them all very well) mainly with WWE’s NXT brand.
NXT will be featured in South Florida via the Citrus Circuit / the Coconut Loop, when he and NXT bring the fun and excitement to Fort Pierce (near his old stomping grounds) on Friday, Feb. 21 at the Havert L. Fenn Center.
WWE NXT Tickets: https://www.etix.com/ticket/o/6017/world-wrestling-entertainment-nxt
So far, Howard is a ring announcer, backstage interviewer, house show host, merch pitchman and timekeeper for WWE NXT. He is a commentator for “WWE Main Event,” working with Road Dogg Jesse James, JBL, The Miz, Vic Joseph and more on Peacock. He was a commentator along with the WWE fashion plate Byron Saxton for “WWE Level Up” on Peacock. He is a backstage interviewer for “WWE NXT” (8 p.m. Tuesdays on The CW).
Howard has South Florida ties, collegiately (FAU) and professionally (Coastal Championship Wrestling and Gangrel’s Wrestling Asylum). He is now based in Central Florida, home of the WWE Performance Center.
Learn about them -- their past, their present and their future -- with my video interviews above.
This story was originally published February 12, 2025 at 1:49 PM.
