EJ Nduka isn’t afraid of hard work.
And as it has throughout his life, that hard work is paying off handsomely.
Nduka is a star wrestler for Major League Wrestling, but it wasn’t that long ago when he was given bad news that his contract with World Wrestling Entertainment was being terminated due to cutbacks during the early stages of the pandemic.
“It blindsided me and the coaches, but the last thing my coach told me was go out and be the star that you are,” Nduka said. “Don’t change anything about yourself. When people see EJ, the rest will be history.”
It was back to the drawing board. He linked up with hall of fame wrestler Devon Hughs, better known as D-Von Dudley, and he went back to school. He’s obviously a quick learner.
“D-Von is tremendous. Literally, two days after I got released, I was looking to start training again, I needed to get back on it. I would be more upset giving up than continuing trying. He knew me from the performance center, we met, started training and we’ve been together since. He was really there for me.”
Sure it helps that he was working with a great trainer, but since arriving at MLW, Nduka has been one of the top wrestlers in the company. He’s worked himself into the main event picture and on Saturday night at the 2300 Arena, he’ll be in the main event when he enters the war chamber, “a carbon steel chamber with the perimeter of the top fortified with barbed wire.” He’ll team up with MLW heavyweight champion Alex Hammerstone, Richard Holiday and a mystery partner to take on Contra, a team led by former MLW champion Jacob Fatu.
Also on the card will be a ladder match for the National Openweight Championship with Alex Shelley, Myron Reed, Zenshi, Alex Kane and a mystery opponent competing for the crown. Homicide will take on La Park in another exciting bout.
It’s a huge step for Nduka, who has steadily climbed the ranks of the promotion, and he’s excited to step in there with the top guys in MLW.
“Nov. 6, War Chamber match, I’m with the Hammerheads,” he said. “I didn’t agree on that name, but I’m happy to be part of it. It’s going to be a great main event. Eight men in the chamber, a bunch of titans. Contra has been running wild, interfering, so we are going to do something about it.
“It is a huge blessing, especially how in that ring, I’m the newest person in the industry. To be in this type of match already, I still have friends in WWE and AEW, a lot have never had a cage match. So early in my career. I’m really excited to be part of it.”
Wrestling is the latest venture for Nduka, but he’s excelled at other sports growing up, especially football.
The former defensive lineman started his football career at Jacksonville University before transferring to Sam Houston State, where he made his name for himself as an edge rusher with the Bearkats.
“Football has helped me with everything in my life,” Nduka said. “Time management, determination, perseverance, being an overall well-rounded person, dealing with people. I was a team captain since sophomore year, that was one of the foundations of my athletic career.”
Growing up, Nduka played some running back and linebacker, but he found his home on the defensive line. And if you watch him wrestle, you know he loves to be where all the action is.
“In some positions, like if you’re a wide receiver, there are some plays where you just run and don’t have any contact, but when you’re in the trenches, it’s a battle every single play,” Nduka said. “I love playing on the line because you knew you were going to hit someone on every play. You never took a play off.”
Like most football players, Nduka hit the weights hard when he wasn’t playing. That means spending a lot of time in the weight room, and that’s where he built the body that has helped make him a star in wrestling. He’s certainly got the look.
“I’ve always had this physique, and when I was in high school, my weightlifting coach said I look like an Adonis, so I better not play like Jane,” Nduka said. “I didn’t know what he meant, but he was saying I look like Tarzan. I always had that dog-eat-dog mentality. And I had a big growth spurt in high school, maybe my junior year. I was 5 foot 4, 128 pounds and I graduated 6 foot 6, 225 pounds.”
In the past few years, Nduka has grown quite a bit as a wrestler.
He’s also grown as a person and a lot of that can be attributed to his son, Exodus. His wife Bethany also gets some credit for that.
“I met her playing professional football, right after I was released from Toronto, so she’s used to my traveling lifestyle,” Nduka said. “She’s great, and being a father is the No. 1 thing in my life. I wish someone would have told me how awesome it is. It’s amazing. I want him to be the best version of himself. It’s great, though, even the little things. When I eat something and it’s good, I hum. He’s doing that already. I never met anyone who did that other than my dad, and now him.”
Nduka definitely gets high marks for being a family man, but he’s approaching those heights as a professional wrestler. He’s so good that even the tough crowds in Philly love him, and he’s expecting more love on Saturday night.
“Philly is amazing, I’ve always loved it,” Nduka said. “It’s incredible how warm Philly has been to me. I’m a huge ECW fan, the Dudley Boys. I’m training with D-Von. Before I had my first match, I sat down with him and we reminisced. It’s a tough crowd but when you win them over, they’ll love you forever.
“My first TV match, my biggest fear was will they know who I am. Fresh off WWE, but didn’t have big matches. But the pop was so great. I could see their faces. My son was there, my wife was there. Philly is my second home. They loved the energy I brought. And they bring it for me, too.”
For tickets to Saturday’s show, visit www.MLWLive.com.
