EJ Nduka is continuing his training with one of the most decorated tag team wrestlers in history.
EJ Nduka was signed to MLW following his WWE release alongside many other NXT names earlier this year. Prior to that, he was involved in the WWE Performance Center system, having never actually had much of an opportunity to step into the ring and perform In front of a proper crowd before joining MLW.
In order to continue honing his craft, EJ Nduka has been getting more reps at D-Von Dudley's training academy. In an exclusive interview with Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp, EJ details what an honor it is to learn from D-Von Dudley, noting that he grew up looking up to him. Nduka also says that he is training "every day” with names familiar to AEW fans as well as other NXT names that were released recently by WWE.
It is also not lost on EJ that he is getting the opportunity to train with an ECW Legend now that he is regularly wrestling in the former ECW Arena for Major League Wrestling
"I train pretty much every day. I’m with D-Von right now, one of the biggest people I looked up to when I was young. Especially at ECW. ‘Lo and behold, I’m wrestling in Philly in the old ECW arena every day. So even before my first match, I chopped it up with D-Von and he told me, ‘That Philly crowd is a tough crowd, but once you win them over, they love you for life.’ When I went in that Philly crowd, I got chills my first match. Because backstage there’s twenty-one other people before me, and you’re listening to the crowd. I’m like, ‘Damn. Are they gonna know who I am? Are they gonna make any noise? What is it gonna be like?’ As soon as I stepped out there, I took a deep breath and I heard the pop. I got chills. It was that energy because that’s the first match back after COVID for MLW. So that energy was electrifying. I was like, ‘Oh, hell yeah.’ So what you saw me do right there was authentic. From my ten toes down in the ground I was feeling it."
Nduka continued, "I talked to D-Von about it and he’s been great about it. I’ve just learned so much from him. Everybody knows the PC is basically the Harvard of wrestling, but D-Von’s academy is amazing. I’ve learned the little stuff. The in-between stuff. The character stuff. The development. How to tell the story. How to engage the audience. I’ve been learning how to call on the fly and that’s something I’ve really, really been focusing on. He’s just been helping me with that. He’s not gonna just blow smoke up your ass. I love him because he’s as advertised. He’ll tell you when you’re wrong and when you’re right. So after each match, I don’t have thin skin, so I’ll go up to him after a showcase and go, ‘Hey, is there anything I need to work on? Is there anything you suggest?’ He’ll tell you what you need to work on and also what you did well at. I think one of the worst things to do is to parade this industry not being able to be coached or being able to get better. You don’t want to be stagnant because the only thing that’s constant in this world is change and you’ve gotta be able to adapt. So being at D-Von’s school has been amazing. The people there are amazing. I’m training with other NXT guys that have been released, other AEW guys. So it’s been tremendous."
Nduka will once again perform in the former ECW Arena as he steps up on Team Hammerstone to go against CONTRA inside War Chamber when Major League wrestling returns to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Saturday, November 6.
Elsewhere in the interview, EJ discusses MLW signing him without ever having seen him in the ring. Learn more here.
