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Six months ago, I was sick with COVID. Six months ago was my 32nd birthday. I was always one of the people that have looked at the pandemic as a blessing and a curse because there are times where you need to pause. And as an ambitious New Yorker, that did not seem possible. I, thank God, came out on the other side of COVID because it really set things off…
Read moreI am not sure when I declared it in the last couple of years, but I felt like we were in the middle of a Black Wrestling Renaissance. Everyone knows about WWE, but there are actually about 100 independent wrestling promotions filled with stars, who are putting on great shows on a local level. The definition of a Renaissance is a revival of or renewed interest in something…
Read moreBy Patricia Rogers | Posted Friday, June 17, 2022
I am happy to finally be recapping the time I had at last month’s Invictus Pro Wrestling show in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. It was one of the first big wrestling shows that would bring my favorite people in black wrestling together again since Wrestlemania 38 in Dallas. However, this one was special because it indeed was a family affair.
If you listen to my wrestling podcast, you have heard me talk about how my Dad got us all into wrestling. When I was growing up in the 90’s, it was all about watching Monday Night RAW. The weekly program during the “Attitude Era” was must-watch television. This was before streaming, YouTube, etc. So you had to make sure that you watched it when it aired or you would miss out. It was truly an exciting time, and I feel lucky to have experienced this with my family.
The monthly pay-per-views though is when the entire family got together. I have always been blessed to live down the hall from my God family. My Godmother, sister, and brothers were always close enough so that we can share our lives together. And wrestling, there was no exception. On those Sunday nights, they would come down the hall to watch the shows with us. My mom would cook a big meal, and it was the one Sunday a month where we could all stay up past my bedtime.
My Dad is surprised that we all still love wrestling the way that we do. But I think the most surprising part for him and me is the impact it had on my Godbrother, who is now a wrestler named J Boujii.
When I got back into wrestling around 2015, I was in love with it all over again. But it was the history and what goes on outside of the ring that fascinated me the most. This led to creating the podcast. However, when I talked to my Godbrother, it was all about what was inside the ring. He told me that he was working towards the goal of the Best Wrestler in the World.
You know at first, I was kind of worried and also like, are you sure you want to do this? The more I learned about the wrestling business, especially breaking into it, the more I was concerned that he was in way over his head. J Boujii, real name John Ruebel, was born in 1997 and was really close to my twin sister Letty and I. Letty and I were the youngest, so when John was born it was the first time we had someone younger to be around. So from the day he was born, we were protective of him.
He assured me that he knew what he was doing and was training with the best. I was able to watch him in some of his first matches and at the gym he was training with. Going to Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn where he trained with WWE Hall of Famer Johnny Rodz, my concern eased greatly when I was able to see what a leader John was. He was smart, mature, and determined to make it and for the wrestling business to work for him.
So after having a couple of years of the wrestling podcast under my belt, I was able to reconnect with John to see how we can work together in wrestling because we exist on completely different sides of things — him being the athlete in the ring telling stories, and me commenting on wrestling outside of the ring. Earlier this year, I noticed that he was going to be in the biggest match of his career thus far.
J Boujii and the other three members of his faction, Takeover, were facing one of the most popular and successful factions on the independent wrestling scene, Shane Taylor Promotions. I was so excited because we all knew that this was the moment that would put J. Boujii on the map. This match was going to be a game-changer.
In the months leading up to the Invictus Takeover vs STP show, my Godbrother went into overdrive promoting the show all over social media. And his opponent Rev Ron Hunt of STP, did all that he could to hype the match. After an eventful Instagram Live, the hype was tangible as it became a Croc vs Ring light debate, which brought wrestling podcast producer Brian H. Waters into the storyline. So, the most anticipated match for the Takeover vs STP show was now a Bodega Street Fight having J. Boujii facing Rev Ron Hunt with Brian H. Waters serving as the guest referee.
Brian, also a lifelong wrestling fan, lived a dream that night in Ridgefield Park, NJ:
“Refereeing at Invictus Pro was an experience of a lifetime. As a pro wrestling fan, for my entire life I never thought that I would have an opportunity to do such a job.
Being in the ring, you could feel the electricity of the moment as both J. Boujii and Rev Ron Hunt entered the ring. ‘Big fight feel’ would be the best way to describe it.
During the match, I was doing my best not to mess up. I didn’t want to draw attention to myself or get in the way. Both men are professionals and knew that this was my first time being a referee, so they were patient with me.
The stipulation was if J. Boujii won, I would have to wear Crocs. He did get in my face one time, so my hands may have hit the surface a little quickly when Ron pinned him the first time. But in the end, I did count to three and unfortunately wear those Crocs. But one thing I can say… I was fair.
This is def something I would love to do it again… if the storyline dictates it.”
You can watch the full match here.
I could not be more proud of my Godbrother and his crew that came up in Gleason’s Gym. It was a night that showed me that I had nothing to worry about when it came to John. If anything, I became the biggest J. Boujii fan and can not wait to see how far he goes in this business. And what made that show the most memorable wrestling event I have ever been to, is that it was truly a family affair.
My Godsister Ivory (John’s mother) was there, my twin sister Letty took phenomenal photos of the event, and my closest friends Krista B., Seindole, Justin, Janelle and Dre of Jobber Tears Podcast were there. Brian H. Waters, one of my favorite people in the wrestling space, traveled from Baltimore, Maryland to guest referee, bringing along his Wrestling Wrealm brother Hugh.
The funniest part though is that during the Bodega Street Fight, I was so happy to be there I pretty much cheered for everyone. Much to my Godsister’s chagrin, who hated that I cheered for Ron. But I am also a Shane Taylor Promotions fan. I was just so happy about both Takeover and the STP factions getting more recognition. And then to have Brian, Hugh, and Letty a part of it, and my friends sitting front row, I was just soo happy to be there.
This show emphasized that it is important to support your friends and family at any level. And everything is more special when there are loved ones around. I can not wait to do more in the independent wrestling space that will continue to uplift the black community.
I met Stephen in Dallas, Texas through Brian who was his mentor when they were at Morgan State together. He shared that he also worked in media, recently moved to New Jersey from Maryland, and wanted to do more with his business, SZN Media.
Stephen: My goals with SZN Media is to bring seasons to life! This can be anything a client may need from a media standpoint in order to propel them in their purpose. Overall, my goal for SZN Media is to grow it to a successful marketing agency with a full staff and office environment.
Stephen: The best piece of advice I heard was “Impact”. Impact is an abbreviation that my grandfather used and it means “I must personally act.” This means that within life, I am in many situations and it’s up to me to make change and provide action when necessary.
In 2022, nothing matters in life if you do not create media content surrounding it. Think about it, do we do anything without documenting it on social media? Whether its checking in on Facebook, posting photos on Instagram, or creating TikToks, we all feel the compulsion to capture moments and curate them for the world for your followers to see. Your social media presence, depending on what you do for a living, is the snapshot of who you are as a person. That is a lot of pressure, but it is important to make sure that it is the highest quality.
So make sure that when you do capture these moments, like when I wanted to get good memories of J. Bouji’’s big match, take the time to have professional photographers, videographers, etc. Investing in your brand is the best thing you can do .
