When it comes to wrestling today, WWE’s NXT division is easily one of the most exciting in the business worldwide today. With indy legends like Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Finn Balor on the roster, NXT puts on an incredible show week in and week out.
Yesterday, WWE announced that 11 new wrestlers had been added to their Performance Center, which is the first step towards joining NXT and eventually WWE. The most interesting name among them was Uhaa Nation, a freakish athlete who has a legit shot at being a WWE Champion one day.
A known star on the indy scene, Nation says that he didn’t even think about joining the WWE until an unlikely source helped set things in motion for him. That source? None other than rapper and wrestling superfan Wale.
“This rapper Wale was following me on Twitter and he sent me a direct message and the first thing he said to me was, ‘how can we get you into WWE?’” Uhaa remembers.
In one of those it’s-who-you-know-stories, Wale had a friend who knew WWE star Mark Henry. Messages were exchanged and the next thing he knew, Uhaa was invited in for a WWE tryout.
“I’m 27, I’ve been back and forth to Japan, I’ve wrestled in five other countries and I figured it was just that time to make that move. And when I got that opportunity it definitely wasn’t something I was going to turn down.”
When Nation is one of the biggest names in the company a few years from now, let’s all remember that it was Wale who opened the door for the young star.
If you haven’t seen Nation in action, check out the clip below highlighting his incredibly unique moveset. Nation has a blend of strength and agility that has rarely been seen before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWqA3yqrW6M