Getting fired is never easy, especially when the pink slip comes by surprise.
But, in a perfect world, you’ve built a reputation that precedes you. Your peers rally behind you. And other employers begin ringing your phone off the hook.
That’s exactly what happened to Dallas native Ezekwesiri “EJ” Nduka Jr. when he was released by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in May of last year. Wrestling promotions far and wide came calling, wanting his services.
Maybe even more so, they wanted to know: What the heck happened?
How could a talent that reminded the WWE brass of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson be axed so suddenly?
How could company chairman Vince McMahon — known for promoting wrestlers with great physiques like Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, Lex Luger and Dave Bautista — drop a 6-8, 280-pound Adonis that finished on the podium at the Lou Ferrigno?
How could the industry leader pass on a man with all the intangibles to be a pro-wrestling superstar?
According to Nduka, some suitors could only guess that a behavioral issue or disagreement led to his separation with WWE. Because the release didn’t make sense otherwise.
The reasoning given to Nduka was more simple.
“It’s just budget cuts,” he was told in the moment.
And the start of those cuts, Nduka says, began with anyone over the age of 30 who hadn’t yet appeared on WWE television.
Nduka, 33, wasn’t alone. He was one of approximately 80 contracted wrestlers released by WWE throughout 2021, just one year removed from the company achieving record revenue and profit despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The releases came from everywhere on WWE’s roster and included former champions, pay-per-view headliners, talents with ties to the Dallas-area like Keith Lee and Ember Moon, along with yet-to-be-established wrestlers training at WWE’s Performance Center in Orlando.
Nduka, who went by the ring name Ezra Judge while with WWE, was in the latter group and had spent his entire career in the company’s talent pipeline. He had no pro-wrestling training before his first WWE tryout in 2018. The former Sam Houston State defensive end and professional bodybuilder, who watched wrestling as a kid, had only given the business a serious thought at the suggestion of a family friend. Once he realized that pro wrestling could be the perfect outlet for an athlete with gas left in the tank, Nduka dove in, knowing this could be his “second coming.”
Dwelling on the reasoning behind his release — whether it be budget cuts, a clerical foul-up, or WWE just not knowing what they had — did little to dampen his shock.
Now released, was the wrestling dream dead?
Ring ring.
It was Major League Wrestling (MLW) on the phone, a promotion founded by former WWE writer Court Bauer.
“MLW was actually the last promotion that contacted me,” Nduka told The News. “The reason why I went with MLW, they were the only ones that did not ask me what happened.”
Bauer was looking forward, and MLW came to Nduka with plans.
“I was not trying to keep doing interviews and talking about why I got fired. I wanted to become a star.”
And he certainly started on the right foot.
This story continues below the following video.
Now billed as EJ “The Judge” Nduka, he made his MLW and television debut in Philadelphia last July as a participant in a 41-man battle royale. He eliminated nearly half of the predetermined melee’s entrants and received a thunderous response from the crowd.
It was a reaction that Nduka had always dreamed of getting — a reaction that felt like a long time coming, even for a wrestler only three years in the game.
Nduka should expect an even bigger reaction when he makes his hometown debut at Gilley’s Dallas on Friday, January 21. The television taping entitled “Blood & Thunder” will be MLW’s first show in North Texas since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nduka will wrestle one-on-one in a match with an “open contract,” meaning his opponent will be a complete surprise to fans in attendance.
MLW has become a popular destination for wrestlers who don’t fit the mold of larger promotions like WWE. Maybe because their in-ring style is exotic. Maybe because their look isn’t mainstream. Or, as has been true for MLW wrestlers Ross and Marshall Von Erich, maybe because their lifestyle goals and definition of success don’t necessarily align.
Nduka says that he loves the hunger of MLW’s roster, which reminds him of being in a college football locker room.
Nduka also knew that by signing with Bauer, he wouldn’t be forced to the back of the line.
“I didn’t want to end up back in a system,” Nduka said. “Nothing against the bigger promotions, but after being in the WWE, I know how this machine works. If you’re not one of their guys, then you’ve got to work from the bottom up. ... I’m 33 years old now. I don’t have four or five years to start from the bottom again and earn my stripes. I want to go somewhere where they believe in me as much as I believe in myself, and then let the fans and the world decide if I’m a star or not.
“I knew once I got on TV, it was a wrap. I knew it.”
And of course he did. After all, his release was a surprise to everyone, including established WWE performers. Nduka says that many reached out to him upon his release, including wrestlers he never trained with closely.
The consensus?
We know a star when we see one. Don’t quit.
Besides, it’s difficult for a wrestler to fly under the radar when he benches 455 pounds, squats 580 and deadlifts 665, along with a 900-pound leg press personal best.
“I’m entering my prime right now. … It’s really not about age. It’s not about all the decoration. It’s about ‘want to’ in this industry. Who wants it the most?”
Though he seems destined for championships, Nduka says financial stability, job security and the happiness of his wife Bethany and son Exodus are the only motivators he needs.
MLW is currently pursuing litigation against Nduka’s former employer, though not for reasons related to his termination.
Per a Jan. 11 press release, MLW has filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against WWE, alleging that the company “pressured third parties to abandon contracts and prospective relationships with MLW” resulting in the loss of a streaming deal that would have been “transformative.”
Regardless of the lawsuit’s result, the signing of Nduka could eventually be seen as a significant talent coup for the much smaller MLW — if he becomes the tent-pole attraction that Bauer pictures.
Nduka’s 2021 was a whirlwind. His new year begins with a show back home, which Nduka says is a “huge blessing.”
The wave of text messages he received following his release may soon feel like a distant memory, but those encouraging words will stick with him.
MLW has given Nduka a platform to become a star.
“Believe me,” Nduka said, “that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”
Reece Kelley Graham is a digital producer, staff writer and pro-wrestling contributor for The Dallas Morning News.
Details
MLW: Blood & Thunder (“Fusion” TV taping)
When: Friday, Jan. 21, 7:30 p.m. Bell Time
Where: Gilley’s Dallas, 1135 Botham Jean Boulevard
Tickets: Tickets start at $10, and can be purchased online at eventbrite.com.
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