The dream of going from a developmental talent to a main roster call-up is what every Superstar in the making strives for in their eventual WWE career. And for former pro wrestler David Otunga, his came inevitably fast – less than two years after signing with the company. In an interview on “Developmentally Speaking,” the former and original Nexus member describes the adrenaline rush he felt after getting the call that he was going to be featured on the main roster.
“My call-up was so fast. I was just trying to get a handle on wrestling,” the former two-time WWE Tag Team Champion recalled. “I wasn’t even really on FCW TV that much. I’d just gotten on there. I think I may have had one match on there before they called me up to ‘WWE NXT.’ I’m not sure. One or two…I was like, ‘Wait, what? I wasn’t ready for this yet. But awesome.'”
Of course, mentally, Otunga did not feel he was ready, as he mentioned later on in his interview that he still was being led through matches, and the pressure to be confident in front of a live audience and millions watching from home, despite not having enough maneuvers in his arsenal, was extremely intimidating. His last televised match was as a participant in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 30 in 2014. Luckily for him, surviving the fear of a potential firing after the formation of Nexus, the former lawyer turned wrestler got to fulfill his in-ring dreams up until his release in 2020.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Developmentally Speaking with Bryan Asbury,” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
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