In 2012, Quinn Ojinnaka
had a solid NFL career and a healthy bank account that allowed him the
freedom to do whatever he wanted. While that may be something that most
people only dream of, the man affectionately nicknamed “Moose” simply
wasn’t happy. So he decided to trade in the shoulder pads for a pair of
spandex and live out his childhood fantasy of becoming a professional
wrestler.
It all sounded like a dream come true, but in reality, when he told his wife about his plans, she responded with divorce papers.
“The
first person I told that I was retiring from the NFL to become a pro
wrestler was my ex-wife and her reaction was that she hated it and that I
was being selfish for retiring at a young age,” says Ojinnaka as he
walks through the Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on a
warm February afternoon. “One of the biggest reasons why we split up was
because I was leaving all this money on the table for something that
was just a maybe.”
His dream
is no longer a “maybe” because in 24 hours, the 6-foot-5 former
offensive lineman will step into the ring against the man who just so
happens to be his favorite wrestler, New
Japan
Professional Wrestling’s heavyweight champion Kazuchika Okada, at
independent wrestling promotion Ring Of Honor’s 14th Anniversary show.
Today,
Ojinnaka is one of the brightest stars on the independent wrestling
scene and happier than he’s ever been, which proves the sacrifices he
had to make were all worth it.
“It’s
funny how my ex-wife laughed at me and called me an idiot when I quit
football to become a wrestler,” he says with a pregnant pause and a grin
on his face as he refers to a recent post he made on Facebook. “But who
is the idiot now?”
– – – – – – – –
It’s
hard not to notice Ojinnaka. His presence simply demands attention.
Throughout the conversation, people stop and stare. Some immediately
recognize Ojinnaka and take selfies with him while others unfamiliar
with his background whisper to each other and stare in awe. He exudes
big business and, to many, it’s only a matter of time before “Moose”
heads to the WWE.
“He’s a
thoroughbred,” longtime WWE commentator and talent scout Jim Ross told
Yahoo Sports. “He has that competitive edge from being in the NFL and
you don’t check that at the door. He has a truly fascinating upside with
his agility, physicality and competitive drive to be the best. He has
special skills that you simply cannot replicate and I would be shocked
if he’s not in the WWE in the next few years.”
Ring
of Honor has proven to become one of the premier breeding grounds for
WWE superstars including CM Punk, A.J. Styles, Daniel Bryan, Seth
Rollins, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Cesaro, Samoa Joe and others. And with
this being Ojinnaka’s fourth year as a professional wrestler, there is a
possibility that the 31-year-old could eventually joint the ranks of
some of ROH’s illustrious alumni in the WWE.But in order to
get to where he is today, he had to endure the backlash from his
unpopular decision to walk away from a lucrative career in the NFL.
“My
brothers hated it and didn’t understand how I could give away millions
to do something stupid and fake,” Ojinnaka says. “Other than my mom,
everyone took it the wrong way and said it was stupid. But that made me
work harder to prove them wrong.”
Before football consumed his
life, Ojinnaka was infatuated with professional wrestling. Born and
raised in Maryland, a 7-year-old Ojinnaka happened to stumble across the
1992 WWE Royal Rumble when the consummate showman Ric Flair emerged on
the screen. "I was watching this as a kid and said, 'What the hell is
this?' " Ojinnaka reflects. "I liked what I was watching and this guy
was instantly my favorite wrestler. I told my mom that whatever this
was, I wanted to watch it every single time it is on."
But it
wasn’t until Ojinnaka saw Razor Ramon, a Cuban-American intimidator from
Miami, that he realized he wanted to be a professional wrestler.
“From
watching him I thought I could actually be him,” Ojinnaka says. “I’d
dress, walk and talk like him. It came to a point where I said that I
wanted to be a wrestler so I could be just like him.”
Despite his
love for professional wrestling, Ojinnaka found success as a football
player. After a stellar high school career at DeMatha Catholic High
School in Maryland, Ojinnaka went to Syracuse where he was dominant as
an offensive lineman. His athletic prowess led him to being selected in
the fifth round of the 2006 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons and his
financial future was set. But professional wrestling was still in the
back of his mind.
“All of my teammates in college and the NFL
would tell you that I would be still watching wrestling whenever it came
on,” Ojinnaka says.
No
matter how well he was doing on the field, the idea of becoming a
professional wrestler was gnawing at him. When he was traded to the New
England Patriots in 2010, Ojinnaka began to realize that he wasn’t
getting any younger and if he was going to chase his dream, he needed to
do it sooner than later.“When I got traded to the Patriots
was when I saw the real life of football and that you won’t play for the
same team for the rest of your career and that’s when I got tired of
it,” Ojinnaka says. “I was always in a bad mood and realized that the
only way I could make myself happy was to chase this dream to become a
pro wrestler.”
From 2010-12,
Ojinnaka played for the Patriots, Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams
before getting released after his second stint on the Rams in October
2012. But instead of chasing down another team, Ojinnaka decided go
after his dream. And with a pretty significant amount of money saved up
due to his frugal spending habits, he decided that there would be no
better time than the present to see if he had what it took to become a
professional wrestler.
“When I decided I wanted to become a
wrestler, I knew I could take six months to a year and focus on becoming
a wrestler,” Ojinnaka says when referring to his healthy nest egg. “I
didn’t need to have a backup job. I could wake up and go to wrestling
school and be dedicated.”
Ojinnaka
began his training in 2012 under the tutelage of retired WWE and WCW
star Curtis Hughes at WWA4 Wrestling School in Atlanta. To prove his
dedication, Ojinnaka drove an hour each way to the wrestling school four
times a week from November until his first match in April the following
year.
Transitioning from getting hit on the football field to
taking bumps in a wrestling ring didn’t prove to be too difficult for
Ojinnaka as his natural athleticism allowed him to quickly grasp the
moves and techniques necessary to begin his new career. Ojinnaka had his
first wrestling match against indie talent AR Fox in a match that he
says he hated despite the praise he received by those watching. “I was
more nervous than I was in my first football game,” Ojinnaka says with a
laugh. “I was actually shaking in the ring while I was running my
spots.”
Although he was green, his physical ability, size and determination was undeniable.
There
are those that think that the only reason Ojinnaka was given an
opportunity in Ring of Honor was because of his NFL background. That
couldn’t be further from the truth. He had to chase them down to get
their attention, literally.
“Ring Of Honor told me to keep showing
up even though I wasn’t promised a spot,” Ojinnaka says. With the money
he saved up, he would travel wherever ROH was having a show just to
prove his dedication and determination. “It got to the point where
someone would be hurt or miss their flight and they’d ask me to be in a
match.”
On June 19, 2014, Ojinnaka signed a two-year contract with
Ring Of Honor and officially began his journey to become the greatest
professional wrestler in the world. But life on the road with a bunch of
wrestlers versus the lavish life of traveling with an NFL team would
take some adjusting.
“Financially, it’s definitely an adjustment,”
Ojinnaka says. “In football you’re making hundreds of thousands of
dollars weekly. In wrestling you’re making maybe $500 a week.”
But
despite the financial differences, Ojinnaka says that he enjoys the
camaraderie travelling with fellow wrestlers more than he did the NFL.
– – – – – – – –
Over
the past 18 months, Ojinnaka has showed tremendous growth and become a
fan favorite. A strong showing during a tour in Japan further certified
his growing presence as a future star in this business and led to Ring
of Honor booking him for a match against Okada in their biggest show of
the year.
It’s apparent that Ojinnaka was both nervous and excited
at the opportunity. With several combat sports journalists in
attendance, including lauded pro wrestling reporter Dave Meltzer,
Ojinnaka realized the opportunity to impress.
“It’s
like I’m a kid preparing for the first day of school and I can’t sleep
because I’m excited to see all of my friends,” Ojinnaka said with a wide
smile stretching across his face. “He’s my favorite wrestler in the
world and I’m so excited.“Moose” would end up losing to Okada
but the spirited affair allowed him to show off his athleticism while
telling a story where the up-and-comer may be an extraordinarily talent
but the experienced champion eventually gained the upper hand. Wrestling
is funny that way where the loser can come out as the winner with the
fans for exceeding their expectations. Okada would leave “Moose” alone
in the ring as the arena swelled with chants of “Moose! Moose! Moose!”
A
couple of hours later in his hotel room, Ojinnaka was visibly pleased
with his performance. While his fellow wrestlers are preparing for a
night on the town, Ojinnaka was contemplative and reflective.
“That
was definitely the best match of my career so far but I have a tendency
of saying this after every match,” Ojinnaka said. His phone filled with
text messages from friends who enjoyed his match and echo his
sentiments. “I have people tell me that I’m on a great pace for only
doing this for three years but I don’t want it to mess with my focus. I
just want to continue to get better.”
On June 19, Ojinnaka’s
contract with Ring Of Honor will expire and there’s a distinct
possibility that he could be headed for the big stage in the house that
Vincent K. McMahon built.
Despite the acclaim and fitting the WWE
type (big, strong and athletic), Ojinnaka isn’t concerning himself much
with the future, as he is too busy enjoying the present.
“I
haven’t thought about what’s next yet,” Ojinnaka says. “I love Ring of
Honor and I’m the happiest that I’ve ever been in my life, hands down.”
Ultimately, the sacrifices were all worth it.
“Money
doesn’t make you happy," he says. "I’m way happier doing this than
playing football. Football wasn’t happiness to me. That was a job. This
isn’t a job. This is me doing something I love.”
