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King Mo on Growing Up as a Fan of NWA & WCW, How Wrestlers Don’t Cut Promos Like They Used To

December 23, 2020 | Posted by Jeffrey Harris

– During the latest episode of Brisco and Big Ace on VOC Nation, Wes Brisco interviewed MMA star and MLW wrestler King Mo, aka Muhammed Lawal, who discussed various topics and growing up as a wrestling fan. Below are some highlights.

King Mo on getting recruited by Gerald Brisco: “(Gerald Brisco) recruited me. He called me and got me my flight to Louisville, Kentucky with a guy named Brandon Eggum. At that time Brandon Eggum was one of Brock Lesnar’s coaches and teammates.”

On growing up an NWA and WCW fan: “When I came (to camp), Jim Cornette was asking us questions. I’m an NWA/WCW guy; you see WWE was cool, but I grew up watching NWA (and) WCW. I grew up in a Muslim household. Once my daddy left, we were struggling. So my Momma went to the church, and the church took us in; they taught us about prayer and all this other stuff.”

On his reaction to Sting vs. Ric Flair at Clash of the Champions: “I remember when Sting was going to wrestle Ric Flair at Clash of Champions, I prayed on that – that Sting would win. I prayed hard. Sting didn’t win; it was a Broadway, a draw. So I was like maybe God didn’t want Sting to win, but he didn’t want him to lose either… Then there was another feud, I think it was the Powers of Pain and the Legion of Doom. Warlord and Barbarian, that was my team; it got no better than that. Well when that match happened, it was a squash match. I was praying, I was crying, and my mom (told me) ‘wrestling’s not real’. And I (was thinking that) I prayed to God about it; if wrestling isn’t real, I guess God doesn’t exist either. That was my rationale when I was young, and I still run with it.”

His thoughts on promos lacking authenticity in today’s business: “I remember when I was young, Ric Flair was (expletive) believable. Now I’m watching his old promos and I’m like (damn) this guy really believed what he was saying. This guy is really believable. You don’t see the same promos now that you used to see back then… Nick Aldis cuts a mean promo, I like his promos; he can cut a mean promo. MJF is good too. “

King Mo on when he started boxing: “(I didn’t box) until I started in MMA. I sparred with pro Boxers. I sparred with Luis Ortiz, Bryan James, Eddie Chambers, I sparred with plenty of pro boxers… I used to give these guys work on a weekly basis… When I was wrestling, I looked at wrestling as a legal fight – I was like, that’s fun. But then MMA is the next step because now I can actually throw punches and not get penalized… I just like to punch. I’m going to beat you into submission, that’s what I like to do.”

On society having a shorter attention span: “Look at the music. When I was coming up, songs were about five minutes long (or) four minutes long; short was about three and a half. Now, songs are about two minutes, no hooks, rushed, maybe one hook if you’re lucky… The whole album is 13 songs and 26 minutes long.”

His views on the COVID-19 pandemic: “I thought it was a joke, just like SARS and MERS (or) Zika…I didn’t wear a mask…I wasn’t worried about this (stuff). But then, people started dying, and (I was still like) (expletive) a mask, those people are weak. Then my Mama hit me up, she’s a nurse. She was like ‘wear a mask because people are dying, and mainly a lot of black folks are dying.’ Something about the white blood cell count, and a lot of us aren’t in good places that have access to have top notch healthcare… (then my sister – a nurse in Orlando – told me) ‘wear a mask because there are people getting pneumonia quick and fast and I’m incubating them.’ She told me that when they’re done, they have scarred lungs and have to be on oxygen for the rest of their life…(scarred lungs) can cost you a fight… I wear my mask, I’ve been tested over 40 times.”

article topics :

King Mo Lawal, Jeffrey Harris