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I 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 .
By Patricia Rogers | Posted Monday, June 13, 2022
Mystic Meg has been on POINT.
My sun sign is Capricorn, my moon is Cancer and my rising sign is Gemini. To be honest, I have no idea what any of that means, but at the same time I feel like it means everything. Astrology is fun and gives you a fun and light-hearted something to help you make sense of the world.
I have always been into astrology ever since my older sister Nakia introduced my twin sister and me to it when we were in junior high school. I love reading up on the traits of Capricorn women and finding similarities to my own personality. Again, I do not know how much stake to put into it, but it is fun to see how they can match up to what life really is.
Recently my horoscope has been on point. When I used to read my horoscope, every now and then I felt it said something that was just what I was going through in my life. But the past couple of weeks it has been more aligned with what I have been going through in my personal, professional, and love life.
I read,
You are living the dream but it can always be better.
I have to stop saying that I am "lucky" when good things happen to me. I am incredibly blessed and thankful for the people I have in my life, the opportunities I thought I would never have.
I do not go to art museums as much as I want to because I don’t want to go alone, and when I drag my friends, I can not really enjoy myself. I like to look at every single painting and read every description. But I was able to go to the Whitney Museum, which is located in the Meatpacking District, last month for a couple of exhibits I was excited about:
The Whitney Biennial, At the Dawn of the New age: Early Twentieth-Century American Modernism, and The Whitney’s Collection: Selections from 1900 to 1965.
The pieces were thought-evoking, and I found myself stopping at certain ones and even being drawn to paintings when I walked into another room.
Some of my favorites were the pop-culture inspired sculptures, and the pieces by Georgia O'Keeffe. The pastels, vibrancy and details in the exhibits were truly breathtaking.
The day in general was one of those nice Saturdays in New York: A day at the museum, walk to Tribeca to finally enjoy the Harry Potter store, and ending it with drinks at Barcade.
If you are in the NYC area, check out the Whitney Museum.
The Mixed Tag Show was one of the first wrestling podcasts of color I discovered on social media, mainly because I knew ½ of the duo, Blue, from my time in New Jersey. I met Blue through a good friend of mine, Marie David, who I bonded with over our ambition. She worked for him at Hot 97, and Blue was a close friend of the David family. Me and him both missed her brand launch party because we got tickets to go to Wrestlemania 29 which happened to be in New Jersey in 2013 when she launched LadiSav. So me and Blue bonded over being wrestling fans.
Fast forward 5 years later, and he has launched his own wrestling podcast with Jenna Baybee, a Brooklyn-based Sasha Banks fanatic who is beautiful, stylish and knows her wrestling. Their dynamic is that of a big brother and little sister. Their skits in affiliation with the WWE Shop also helped put them on the map as one of the more entertaining wrestling podcasts out there.
Recently, I was asked to be a part of their live stream on Twitch discussing the narrative about former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks and Naomi “walking out” of a May episode of WWE Raw. I also streamed it from Those Wrestling Girls’ Twitch & Youtube, and it is already our most-watched piece of content ever. The title “Black Women Need More Respect” says it all. I thank Blue and Jenna for inviting me on. And also to Doc of Bleacher Report for being a gracious guest.
When it comes to networking horizontally, no one does that better than the black wrestling fan community. Ever since Jobber Slam last summer, an all-black wrestling event presented by Jobber Tear’s Podcast Network, we have been having what we call “family reunions” at events all year long.
After that it was the meet-up after WWE SmackDown at Madison Square Garden, my first live wrestling show since after the pandemic, then our 3rd anniversary event in Midtown Dallas for Wrestlemania 38, and now it’s time for Black Wrestle Fest for Juneteenth weekend in Brooklyn, and Jobber Slam 2. Oh, and we are already planning our 4th anniversary event in October in New York City. So stay tuned for that.
Now, during the pandemic I put a lot of time into the digital side of our brand, cultivating our online community by hosting watch-alongs over Zoom, etc. But when things got back to normal, it was time to make sure we were building community in real life.
So, we are hoping to be a part of more indie wrestling, getting back to the reason why we love wrestling in the first place. Since Dallas, I have joined friends at the Battle Club Pro show in Brooklyn, Invitus Pro, and coming up this summer: Black Wrestle Fest, Black Girl Magik, Jobber Slam and planning our 4th anniversary event in October in New York City.
By Patricia Rogers | Posted Saturday, June 11, 2022
This is a milestone edition! Late, but still here. And I can not help but appreciate that timing… is going to do what it is going to do. And you know what? We should be thankful to even be on this ride called life.
Yes, Patricia the Optimist is back and it feels good. Although I know it is temporary. You can plan. You can prep. You can wish for the best. But sometimes, it is what it is. You take things day by day and roll with the punches.
Roll with the punches — this is absolutely easier said than done. But when you actually can do this when things don’t go as planned, it is life-changing.
I say, ride the wave!
My family always wanted me to go to a Historically Black College/University, but I did not. And I must say that is one of my regrets.
However, I am glad that my choices have led me to where I am now. And I have been blessed to have had so many amazing people in my life that have gone to HBCUs. It has been a pleasure to see the work that my friends have been doing in the community.
I caught up with Doc, a lifelong wrestling fan who hosts a wrestling panel every year for the HBCU Con, and his nephew Corey, who was on this year’s panel.
This year’s HBCU Con took place on April 29 - May 1, 2022.
Doc: It took a dope Black woman in the form of my friend and fellow Blerd (black nerd) named Chauna "CC The Geek" Lawson (who is an HBCU alumni from Bowie State University) to create a convention that mixes pop culture, comics, anime, etc. with an HBCU theme to it. You not only get the feel of expressing your fandom in whatever your interests are but you get the experience of what HBCU campus life could look like for those who could be potential prospective students interested in attending an HBCU. It could open that dialogue and network between those individuals and a variety of HBCU alumni that were a part of this very special convention. Not to mention, what pop culture convention do you know of that has a step show? Dare I say, HBCU Con was indeed "A Different World" than where you come from.
Doc: I am a proud alumni of Coppin State University in Baltimore, MD (since graduating in 2001) in which I am currently 2nd Vice President of our alumni association. Plus, my fellow Coppin alumni named Wendell Smith is the Vice President of HBCU Con.
Doc: Well, other than my wrestling panel (lol), I enjoyed the outdoor Yardfest Performances where a host of great musical talents who blend their mixture of R&B/Hip Hop & Pop with a Blerd feel to it. For instance, the group Mako Girls give you those Destiny Child/TLC vibes, but they blend that with their love for nerdom and it shows in their dope costumes. Another one in which I admit of being bias to is my friend Roquois (pronounced like Iroquois but without the "i") who is a cosplayer extraordinaire and a very polished independent artist that mixes pop with nerdom but also with fashion in which she herself has done many runways throughout the country. Not to mention Roquois co-runs Plus Value Entertainment which puts on so many nerd events in the DMV.
Corey: My favorite part of HBCU Con is honestly seeing everyone enjoying themselves. From the different informational panels and discussions to seeing everyone dressed up as their favorite characters from different movies, comics, TV shows, etc., HBCU Con shows the creativity and passion from everyone involved, and I think that is such a cool thing to see.
Corey: I think what makes HBCU Con special is the camaraderie and unity amongst the fans of a community coming together and enjoying themselves in possibly the most pivotal time of their young adulthood. Making this event available at a time where someone could be looking for some common ground in their life with peers that they may not even have known existed in their same class or dormitory, especially with being away from home, for some, could be just the kind of positive balance they need in their life at this time.
Corey: I attended 2 HBCUs for my educational career. I received my Bachelor’s Degree from University of Maryland Eastern Shore and I received my Master’s Degree from Bowie State University.
I have always been obsessed with my career and what I wanted that to look like. My career ambitions always topped things like wanting to be a mother or be married.
So at various points in my life, there was a “dream job” I was pursuing. And I was so rigid about it and really put myself through the ringer when I felt like the course does not match that.
And then I realized in the past year that maybe your idea of a dream job, is something totally different. You think you want a specific thing, but when you get there it looks nothing like you imagined. Now it is time for something different, because you know what, this ain’t it.
Over the past year I have been presented — no, actually blessed — with a couple of opportunities that I thought was my “big break.” On paper, these roles were perfect for me. I don’t want to mention the roles or companies, but there were jobs that mixed wrestling, media, and more. But it was not aligned with my mission, etc.
Haha yes, I got cancelled. Well, this was the first time where I ever thought, oh shit, did I get my podcast cancelled over a misread tweet?
So y’all know how much I love Twitter. I have been on the platform, I am kind of ashamed to say, since 2009. It is a space where I express myself, and I never want to be in a position where I need to defend anything I tweet. Although I have nearly 3,000 Twitter followers, I still use it for me. So I don’t ever feel the need to stop myself from tweeting whatever the fuck I want or feeling the need to explain myself.
However, when you have a brand that you represent on social media, you kind of have to be mindful of what you say. Anything you post, like, and share on whatever app you are on is a reflection of the brand. This is a lot of pressure especially when it comes to wrestling which is already known to have a passionate fan base.
While watching a wrestling documentary, I tweeted something in my sarcastic tone from our brand page and it got misconstrued. When the documentary aired, I live-tweeted it as I always do and commented on a person’s reaction to Twitter cancelling him for some really fucked up shit he said about woke culture. People took it as me supporting him, when it was me noting that he actually didn’t care about wrestling Twitter “cancelling” him because he is a shitty human being.
When I tweeted it the night of, I muted it because I knew it would get a lot of traction because it was a polarizing topic. However, I did not think that it would get the hate that it got. I only found out when I was on my personal page and came across tweets questioning us and shaming us. We lost followers, people were throwing hate at us from all directions. I tried to explain what I meant in a thread, but most people didn’t give a fuck or chose to hate us even more.
Now, we have had major disagreements with other fans about various things. Especially during the Black Lives Matter times, and just having to defend female athletes’ honour on a daily basis. And Krista B. and I really don’t care if people don’t agree with us because it is fucking wrestling. It is all scripted and really, to each its own. Who cares if you think Becky Lynch is better than Charlotte Flair? Like in the bigger picture, is it really that deep?
However, this particular tweet has a lot to do with the Me Too movement so it was a little deeper than that. And it hurt that people would think that our brand would be anything but being an ally for women. So I had to get off Twitter for a couple of days, which was a first for me, and really detach myself from everything so that I did not take things personally. And that is when I was like, oh shit, is that what it feels like to be cancelled?
For 4 years, TWG has been a beloved brand. In wrestling terms, you would call us “baby faces.” So this was the very first time that I even belied or cared that we might actually get shunned and have to go into obscurity over one fucking tweet.
But I reached out to some of my friends and family in the wrestling media community, and they assured me that everything was going to be fine and to just keep doing my thing. It was such a blessing in disguise to almost get cancelled because it actually showed me who were my real friends and who had my back.
