Former WWE star Apollo Crews (now wrestling as Uhaa Nation) has never shied away from an opportunity, especially if it calls for a fresh start. Although he was mainly featured as a face in the Stamford-based promotion during his tenure, one day he got the idea to give up his good behavior for bad. Posing as members of the Nigerian royal family, Crews wasn’t sure how far he would have to go to play the role.
“So I pitched the idea at the time, and apparently the first thing Vince (McMahon) said at the time was, It wasn’t something I planned to do. The idea I had was not to portray it that way,” Crews said in an interview. “Insight”. “And I remember being adamantly against it at first because it didn’t make sense to me. I had a lot of Nigerian-American friends growing up, so we imitated our parents and did that accent a lot as kids…
Later, in an interview, Crews added that when he complained that he felt uncomfortable imitating the accent, McMahon found a way to get Crews to do it. Still unsure after that, Crews did as he was told and thus a new star was born.
Although his run at WWE’s ThunderDome in 2021 only lasted eight to nine months, Crews secured his first Men’s Intercontinental Championship capture in the Iron Roads in the company’s first match against then-champion Big E. The Nigerian Drummer Duel at WrestleMania 37! Crews held the championship until the August 13, 2021 edition of “WWE SmackDown”, ending his 123-day reign over Shinsuke Nakamura.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, credit Insight with Chris Van Vliet ah/t Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.