Rycklon Stephens, formerly known as WWE Superstar Ezekiel Jackson, is gearing up for a return to the squared circle.
The former ECW Champion appeared on ‘The Wednesday Hang’ podcast with fellow former WWE Superstar and member of The Nexus, David Otunga, for his rapidly growing official YouTube channel (@DDOtunga).
Pro Wrestling Press sent along the following notes and highlights from the interview. Also embedded below is a complete video archive of the discussion.
FORMER WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION EZEKIEL JACKSON REVEALS UNTOLD VINCE MCMAHON STORIES AND DETAILS HIS RETURN TO THE RING ON DAVID OTUNGA’S PODCAST
LAS VEGAS, NV — In a revealing new interview, former WWE Intercontinental and ECW Champion Ezekiel Jackson (Rycklon Stephens) sat down with former colleague and friend David Otunga to pull back the curtain on his WWE tenure. The wide-ranging conversation dives deep into previously untold backstage stories involving Vince McMahon, the drastic shift in wrestling locker room culture, and Jackson’s journey to reclaim his narrative inside the squared circle.
The episode highlights several incredible behind-the-scenes moments from the height of Jackson and Otunga’s WWE runs. Jackson confirmed a legendary, highly-debated story regarding McMahon’s infamous double-quad tear. Otunga recounted waiting for a SmackDown production meeting to start when producers literally carried McMahon into the room by his legs and neck. Despite the catastrophic injury, McMahon refused to sell the pain, insisting on attending the meeting before going to the hospital—a testament to the surreal backstage environment of the era.
Jackson also detailed another quintessentially Vince McMahon moment involving a private jet. During a rare day off following a pay-per-view, McMahon dispatched his personal plane to fly Jackson into Rockford, Illinois, for a very specific televised purpose: to put Otunga over in Otunga’s hometown.
Reflecting on the evolution of the business, Jackson noted a massive cultural shift from the toxic, “walking on eggshells” atmosphere of the past to today’s supportive locker room. “If you want successful people, you’ve got to give them a platform for success. And I think that’s what they’re doing now,” Jackson noted. “Being backstage now, everybody’s comfortable. Everybody’s just enjoying themselves. I think it’s easier now that the contracts are set up differently… that is one less stress.”
Despite the highlight-reel moments and championship gold, Jackson admitted that a loss of creative direction and a series of devastating injuries derailed his momentum, eventually leading to his unceremonious departure from the company. However, finding creative freedom in promotions like Lucha Underground reignited his passion and inspired him to step back into the ring recently.
“I wanted to end this on my own terms,” Jackson stated. “It may not be there on the big stage. It may just be something I put on for myself, like my own retirement match or whatever. But I want to end this on my own.”
Looking back at a career that took him from a childhood in Guyana to the grandest stage in sports entertainment, Jackson remains overwhelmingly grateful.
“I never regret my career. I never regret when it ended or how it ended. I just feel like God blessed me from [when] I saw wrestling through a window as an eight-year-old kid in Guyana to the chance to be able to travel the world, wrestling in front of 84,000 people.”
