Shad Gaspard had a profound effect on the career of KC Navarro.
Speaking with PWMania.com, Navarro, one of the stars of MLW, named Shad Gaspard as one of his mentors. Navarro added that he wasn't okay after Gaspard's tragic passing in May 2020 because everything he did in his career was for Shad.
“Around the time I started hanging out with nZo, one of my mentors passed away, Shad Gaspard. It hurt and I wasn’t okay because everything I did in my career was for Shad,” states Navarro. “I wasn’t able to call him when I got signed to MLW. It hurt."
Navarro would reveal that the first time he met shad was in 2016 when he was only 16 years old, and the former WWE Superstar told him that he was going to make it in the wrestling industry.
“I remember first meeting Shad, I had a shoulder injury in 2016, it was a month before I wrestled Lio Rush. I cut a promo and he was there. I remember him coming to the back after that promo and telling me I was going to make it,” Navarro said.
After getting kicked out of wrestling school for not being humble enough, Gaspard made sure that KC kept his head on straight, and calls him the best person he's ever met.
“He would make sure I stood focused and would keep my head on straight. A lot of guys didn’t want to see my win. At 16 for Shad to say I was going to make it, after being kicked out of wrestling school one year prior for not being humble enough, he was probably the best person I’ve met in my entire life.
Shad cared about his fans, family, and friends. He passed saving his son. For him to give up time to make sure I was motivated to get to the next level, I owe it all to him,' KC said.
Concluding, Navarro stated that without Shad Gaspard, he doesn't; believe he'd be where he is today.
“Sometimes it hurts when I have a big moment and the first thing I want to do is call him, but I can’t. I always make sure to put it out on social media and say that it was for him. Without him, I don’t think I’d be where I’m at today. I was at a point where I just wanted to quit," he said.
Navarro signed with MLW in July 2021. He recently competed at MLW Battle Riot IV. You can find spoiler results from the event by clicking here.
