MLW star EJ Nduka recently joined Wrestling Inc. for a conversation about his career, which included the one-time MLW tag champion discussing his release from WWE, how much he’s learned in that time, and how his hard work and perseverance will help him stand out in a very talented and competitive industry. Highlights from the interview can be found below.
What he’s learned about himself in MLW:
I learned a lot about myself. I learned that if you honestly set aside and focus on what you’ve set to accomplish, you can do it. I always say, “Yo, no one’s going to believe in you until you believe in yourself.” And during the pandemic, it was a shaky time for a lot of us. People lost jobs, loved ones, family members, and everything was just in limbo. It was almost seems like we’re just living in limbo, and people were just waiting for some sort of normalcy. And during that time, I had my son, Exodus, my amazing son. And obviously I lost my job with the WWE. And I was in a position, and I was in a point in my life where I was like, “Yo, what the hell am I going to do?” Because it wasn’t like I can just get up and go get a job, because everything was shut the hell down.
How hard work always beats talent:
And so I told myself, “If you can’t get over in three months, you’re done. That’s it.” And then rightfully so, at the Battle Riot, they popped and everything just skyrocketed. So immediately I was like, “Alright, I can do this. I’m onto something. Let me just keep getting better. Let me stay humble. Let me keep doing what I was doing to be successful.” Because some guys, you get something, and a reaction like that, and things start going well, you lose that drive. But me, I got hungrier. I was like, “Okay, I got a little taste of it. Now I want the whole entree.” You know what I’m saying? And I want dessert too. And so I just locked in and continued training, continued watching film, learning more as much as I could. And good things just kept happening. Just kept happening, because like I said, planting those seeds, and life is all about the decisions you make. You just continue making good decision after good decision, inevitably good things are going to happen. Because I’m a strong believer, hard work always beats talent. You can be the most talented person in the room, but if you ain’t doing nothing, I’m on your heels and I’m coming.