Last February, Ford released his first musical effort, a mixtape titled “LMTYO.”
It’s shaping up to be a big year when it comes to out of the ring efforts for the Street Profits team member. A newly-announced Hulu series focusing on he and wife Bianca Belair is expected to debut this year.
Ford and Angelo Dawkins have been feuding with The Judgement Day on Raw as of late while they have been wrestling against Alpha Academy on house shows.
After holding tag team gold in 2019 (NXT), Raw (2020) and SmackDown (2020-2021), the duo went without any title reigns in 2022.
The 32-year-old started with WWE in 2015 as Kenneth Crawford and was immediately paired up with Dawkins, eventually getting his new name in December 2016.
During an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show, Montez Ford gave an update on an injury he’s been dealing with.
Ford and his wife Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair were guests on Tuesday’s edition of the “Today” show. When asked about a calf injury he’s been recovering from, Ford said he’s feeling 100 percent and should be back in the ring soon.
“100 percent now,” Ford said when asked how he’s feeling. “Should be back pretty soon. Just picking my spots and making sure when I arrive, the mission is still at hand, which is with my right-hand man, 100 grand, Angelo Dawkins. That’s winning the Undisputed Tag Team Championships.”
The Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles are currently held by The Usos.
Ford has been out of action since September due to the injury.
Days ahead of WWE WrestleMania 38, I talked with Montez Ford, one half of the Street Profits, as he and Angelo Dawkins will be participating in the triple threat Raw Tag Team Championship match against Alpha Academy and champions RK-Bro.
The team was drafted to the main roster in the 2019 WWE Draft with their first WrestleMania match ever taking place in 2020. However, that was the Mania that was impacted by COVID-19 and instead of being held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, it happened in the WWE Performance Center with no audience.
The following year, WrestleMania 37 returned with an audience but the team was left off both nights of the show and instead competed on the SmackDown prior in a four-way for that brand’s Tag Team titles.
Therefore, WrestleMania 38 will mark their first Mania match in front of a crowd.
“I am excited, I am ecstatic, I am everything that’s up, everything that up because we already know that when it’s up, it up. But I am very excited,” he said.
I asked Ford what it means to him getting to share this moment with Dawkins since they made their way up together from their early NXT days back in 2016.
“What you see on camera is the same thing you see in real life. Off-camera, he was my best man at my wedding, so it’s a real life relationship. So just to go through this journey with him, have our moms there witnessing everything, they be so proud of their boys and everything, it’s just a great, great, great journey to share with someone,” he said, latter adding their friendship is a “blessing” and that they are supportive of each other when they need it.
Ford also teased that their entrance is going to be a little “extra.”
WrestleMania memories
Ford shared a story about how his first WrestleMania that he got to watch was in 2000 and that he plans on paying homage to that match this year.
“So what’s so crazy is my favorite WrestleMania moment was the actual first one my mom got us on pay-per-view, which was WrestleMania 2000. I remember the classic TLC match from there with all the tag teams, so it’s crazy that now it’s full circle that my first WrestleMania (with fans) is in a tag match with multiple tag teams.
So just to see it come full circle like that, I think that’s wild. I would say that is my first actual imprinted WrestleMania moment and for me to now be part of a moment that I cherished as a kid is mind-blowing.”
Supporting Bianca Belair
Not only is this going to be a big night for Ford, but also for his wife, Bianca Belair, who is yet again having another big match. Last year, Belair made history along with Sasha Banks as both women main evented night one. Fast forward to this year and Belair is again in a highly-anticipated match with Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch.
Ford spoke about what is has been like to see her rise to superstardom.
“It’s amazing. The person you love is actually going out there and fulfilling her dreams. And you’re there to not only be a support system, but just to be there and witness it with her is like a blessing, man. I feel like it makes all of us even more motivated to be intrigued to do these things and do more things and be successful. You always want to be there as a support group. You never know what may be going through her head, or that person’s head that you share this life with, and so you always want to be there and remind them like ‘Hey, go out there and show the world what I already know which is you are that girl. You are that woman.’
So it’s always good to not only be part of her support group but to see her be successful in these moments and just be happy. I be more nervous for her events and matches than mine, because I just want to see her do so well, and she does every time. I am so happy and proud of her like all the time. I can’t express it enough. Nothing I can do can show the gratitude I have for her. I just love being there as a support group and as her husband, as her tag team partner to make sure that not only she does well but she knows she can do well,” he said.
WrestleMania 38 takes place this Saturday and Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Peacock and WWE Network.
The first six participants have been confirmed for this year’s men’s Royal Rumble match.
During tonight’s episode of Raw, WWE confirmed five more entrants for the men’s Rumble. They are: The Street Profits’ Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford, Rey Mysterio, Dominik Mysterio, and Austin Theory. “Jackass” star Johnny Knoxville will also be taking part in the match.
The Street Profits and The Mysterios each cut promos on Raw tonight declaring that they’ll be in the Royal Rumble. Theory was informed that he’d be in the match by Vince McMahon.
The Royal Rumble is taking place at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis on Saturday, January 29. WWE hasn’t yet announced any of the participants for the women’s Royal Rumble match.
Here’s the updated card for the Royal Rumble:
Men’s Royal Rumble match
Women’s Royal Rumble match
WWE Champion Brock Lesnar defends against Bobby Lashley
Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch defends against either Liv Morgan, Bianca Belair, or Doudrop (Morgan, Belair, and Doudrop will face off in a triple threat match on Raw next week to determine Lynch’s Royal Rumble challenger)
Mixed tag match: Edge & Beth Phoenix vs. The Miz & Maryse
Monetz Ford returned to TV on tonight’s SmackDown after briefly being out of action due to injury.
Ford teamed with Angelo Dawkins tonight to defeat the team of Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler, with Ford getting the win with a frog splash.
It was reported on June 25th that Ford had undergone surgery. Dave Meltzer reported that it was surgery that was voluntary and not related to an injury, and something that should not keep Ford out of action for a long period of time. Ford was written off TV briefly following an attack from Otis that took place on the June 11th edition of SmackDown.
WWE later issued a storyline update. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, the wife of Ford, said on an episode of The Bump that he was at home recovering from rib injuries.
In the month of July, Angelo Dawkins wrestled two singles matches, one where he lost to Otis on July 2 and another match on July 23 where he defeated Chad Gable.
The Street Profits’ Montez Ford has undergone surgery but isn’t expected to be out of action for long.
On his social media accounts this Thursday, Ford posted a picture indicating that he was having surgery. Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that it was a voluntary surgery that’s not related to an injury. Meltzer wrote that it’s not something that should keep Ford out of action for any significant length of time:
It appears the injuries Ford suffered in the Otis beating on the 6/11 SmackDown were a cover story as he posted photos of him in a hospital appearing like he was getting ready for surgery on 6/24. He did get legitimate surgery, a voluntary surgery not related to an injury and not something that should keep him out of action for any significant length of time.
There was an angle on SmackDown two weeks ago where Ford was attacked by Otis and given two splashes from the middle rope. In a storyline injury update after the attack, WWE claimed that Ford “suffered a partial rib fracture and torn intercostal cartilage.”
WWE later issued another storyline update where SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair said on WWE’s The Bump that her husband Ford did not suffer a collapsed lung and that he was at home recovering from the rib injuries.
Ford’s tag team partner Angelo Dawkins vs. Otis had been announced for last Friday’s SmackDown, but Dawkins was instead attacked and beaten down by Otis before the match could get started. Otis’ partner Chad Gable goaded Dawkins into the attack when he slapped Dawkins as they were in the ring.
Two matches involving champions have been announced for this week’s episode of SmackDown.
Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn will face Big E in a non-title match on SmackDown this Friday night. Montez Ford, who is one half of the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, will also face Dolph Ziggler in singles action on the show.
Big E, Zayn, and Ziggler all took part in a Pat Patterson tribute match on SmackDown last week. Daniel Bryan, Big E & Rey Mysterio defeated Zayn, Ziggler & Shinsuke Nakamura when Bryan pinned Zayn with an inside cradle.
On SmackDown two weeks ago, Big E and Zayn had a tense interaction backstage after Zayn defeated Bryan by countout in a non-title match. Big E spoke about the way Zayn has been winning matches and said Zayn has no margin for error. Big E gave Zayn an intense handshake where he wouldn’t let his hand go for 10 seconds.
Ziggler & Robert Roode defeated The Street Profits in a non-title match on SmackDown two weeks ago. Roode and Cesaro then both interrupted The Street Profits in a backstage segment last week. Roode wanted him and Ziggler to get the next SmackDown Tag Team title shot and Cesaro wanted him and Nakamura to get the next shot.
WWE has also announced that there will be a contract signing on this Friday’s SmackDown. SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks and Carmella will take part in the contract signing ahead of Banks defending her title against Carmella at TLC. That pay-per-view is taking place on Sunday, December 20.
Four more wrestlers have signed multi-year extensions with WWE.
On last night’s WWE Backstage, it was announced that Big E, Xavier Woods, and The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) have signed new multi-year deals with WWE. WWE noted that all three members of The New Day “solidified a pact of identical length and compensation on their contracts to maintain equal status among the team.”
Kofi Kingston had revealed on this week’s episode of The New Day’s Feel the Power podcast that he recently signed a new five-year contract with WWE.
Kingston & Big E are the current SmackDown Tag Team Champions. They retained their titles against The Revival in a ladder match at Sunday’s TLC pay-per-view.
Woods is out of action after suffering a torn Achilles tendon at a WWE house show in October.
Former NXT Tag Team Champions Dawkins & Ford lost to The Viking Raiders after answering their open challenge on Raw’s go-home show for TLC last week. Dawkins & Ford also hosted a “Monday after Weekend Update” segment where they parodied Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update and looked ahead to TLC.
Wale posted a tweet today announcing that he’ll be appearing with The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) tomorrow: “breaking news I’ll be on @WWENXT tmrw on @USA_Network at 8pm … we gettin to it .. wit @AngeloDawkins an @MontezFordWWE. Please believe we want all the smoke!!!”
The Street Profits are getting their rematch for Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish’s NXT Tag Team titles on the episode.
Wale is a rapper and professional wrestling fan who has appeared on WWE programming in the past. He hosted a rap battle between The New Day and The Usos on an episode of SmackDown in 2017 and did commentary on a 205 Live episode last year.
Wale has also hosted WaleMania events during WrestleMania weekend and has been a guest on Wrestling Observer Live.
The NXT appearance comes in advance of Wale’s next album being released on October 11.
Tomorrow’s NXT is going head-to-head with the premiere of AEW Dynamite. NXT will have “limited commercial interruption.” Here’s what’s been announced for the episode:
NXT Champion Adam Cole defending against Matt Riddle
NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler defending against Candice LeRae
NXT Tag Team Champions Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish defending against The Street Profits
A second title rematch has been made official for the October 2 episode of NXT.
WWE announced today that NXT Tag Team Champions The Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish) will defend their titles against The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) on Wednesday, October 2. Candice LeRae will also challenge for Shayna Baszler’s NXT Women’s Championship on that episode.
O’Reilly & Fish won the NXT Tag Team titles by defeating The Street Profits last month.
October 2 is the first time that NXT will air live on USA Network for the full two hours. Due to the final two episodes of the USA Network series “Suits,” last week’s and this week’s NXT have been split across the USA Network and WWE Network.
October 2 is also the night that AEW Dynamite premieres on TNT.
LeRae challenging for the NXT Women’s title was set up by her defeating Mia Yim, Bianca Belair, and Io Shirai in a fatal four-way number one contender’s match last week.
A segment with The Street Profits and Maria Kanellis is set for tonight’s post-Clash of Champions episode of Raw.
WWE.com has announced that The Street Profits will host the gender reveal party for Maria’s child tonight: “RSVP now because you do not want to miss it when Maria Kanellis reveals her child’s gender at a special Gender Reveal party tonight, hosted by The Street Profits. Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford invite you to be a part of the festivities live tonight on Raw.”
Maria revealed her pregnancy on the July 1 episode of Raw, with her beginning a storyline where she’s been demeaning her husband, Mike Kanellis. The pregnancy is legitimate and this will be Maria and Mike’s second child.
The Street Profits also made their main roster debut on that July 1 Raw episode. They’ve been featured in backstage segments but have yet to wrestle on the main roster.
Tonight’s Raw is taking place at the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. The show will feature fallout from Clash of Champions, along with Chad Gable facing Baron Corbin in the King of the Ring tournament finals.
This week’s episode of Raw saw the NXT Tag Team Champions make their main roster debut.
The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) made multiple appearances on tonight’s episode. After a camera shot briefly showed that they were there at the start of the show, Dawkins & Ford did a backstage interview later and announced that they’re on Raw.
Dawkins & Ford didn’t wrestle on tonight’s show, but they appeared in another backstage segment where they interrupted an interview with Paul Heyman. They had their NXT Tag Team titles with them in their segments.
The Street Profits became the NXT Tag Team Champions by defeating The Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish), Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch, and The Forgotten Sons (Wesley Blake & Steve Cutler) in a four-way ladder match at TakeOver XXV last month. The titles had been vacated by The Viking Raiders after they were called up to Raw in the Superstar Shake-up.
After becoming champions at EVOLVE 114, NXT’s Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) and Fabian Aichner had their first title defenses this weekend.
The Street Profits retained their EVOLVE Tag Team titles against JD Drake & Anthony Henry at EVOLVE 115 in Livonia, Michigan on Friday. They also retained against AR Fox & Leon Ruff at EVOLVE 116 in Oak Lawn, Illinois on Saturday.
Aichner defended the EVOLVE Championship for the first time in Livonia, defeating fellow NXT wrestler Kassius Ohno.
Another WWE wrestler was also in action at the events, with Mustafa Ali defeating DJZ in Livonia and Darby Allin in Oak Lawn.
Here are the full results:
EVOLVE 115 —
– Barrett Brown defeated BSHP KNG
– Mike Fierro defeated Juntai
– Harlem Bravado defeated Leon Ruff, Adrian Alanis, and Jason Kincaid in a four-way match
Bravado stole the win by hitting his Straight Cash Homie finisher on Ruff.
AR Fox and The Skulk (Fox’s students) came out after, Fox said he was proud of Ruff and Alanis, and they were then interrupted by Austin Theory and Priscilla Kelly.
Kelly said that Theory is Fox’s most successful student. Theory said he should be The Skulk’s role model and coach and that Fox feeds off the careers of his students.
– Austin Theory defeated AR Fox
Theory stole the quick win with a roll-up after Kelly knocked down Ayla Fox on the outside and Fox was checking on her.
As Theory and Kelly were heading to the back, Fox asked for one more match. Fox said it would be an unsanctioned fight. If Theory wins, Theory gets The Skulk and Fox’s wrestling school. If Fox wins, Theory has to show them respect. Theory accepted the challenge.
– Mustafa Ali defeated DJZ
Ali countered the ZDT into a sunset flip to get the win. DJZ got a WWE Cruiserweight title belt from a fan after the match, handed it to Ali, and Ali held it ahead of his match against Buddy Murphy at Survivor Series.
– Josh Briggs defeated Cody Vance
Briggs, who dealt with flight issues to get to the show, won quickly with the M5 (chokeslam into double knees). Briggs then attacked Vance and gave him another M5.
– SHINE Champion Allysin Kay defeated Shotzi Blackheart to retain her title
Kay retained with a discus lariat. She helped Blackheart up after the match but then pushed her.
– EVOLVE Tag Team Champions The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) defeated WWN Champion JD Drake & Anthony Henry to retain their titles
Drake and Henry attacked The Street Profits as they were trying to get in the ring, but The Street Profits ended up retaining with their spinebuster/frog splash combo.
Ford got the pin on Drake and seemed to set up a future WWN Championship match against him as they got in a face off after the match.
– EVOLVE Champion Fabian Aichner defeated Kassius Ohno to retain his title
Aichner survived Ohno’s strikes and hit a sit-out powerbomb to retain after struggling to get Ohno up.
Anthony Henry came out, clapped for Ohno and Aichner, and called the match amazing. Henry said he’s sick and tired of being unappreciated and guys like Aichner coming in and taking spots. Ohno tried to talk to Henry, but Henry said he wants Aichner to go back to where he came from. Henry insulted Ohno and shoved him.
Ohno went to leave but got back into the ring to show Aichner respect.
– AR Fox defeated Austin Theory in an unsanctioned match
Ayla Fox brawled to the back with Priscilla Kelly near the end and AR Fox hit the Foxcatcher on Theory to retain control of his wrestling school and The Skulk.
EVOLVE 116 —
– Jake Lander defeated Joey O’Riley in a Zero1 USA World Junior Heavyweight Championship number one contender’s match
– Adrian Alanis defeated Barrett Brown
– Josh Briggs defeated Jason Kincaid
Kincaid had Briggs on the top turnbuckle, but Briggs hit the M5 from the top rope for the victory.
– Freelance Wrestling Champion Isaias Velazquez defeated GPA to retain his title
Velazquez is the champion of the local Freelance Wrestling indie promotion and retained with a superkick and DDT.
– EVOLVE Champion Fabian Aichner defeated Anthony Henry by DQ
This was a non-title match. Henry thought he got the win with a double stomp, but Aichner got his foot on the ropes during the count. Henry argued with the referee and shoved him down for the disqualification.
JD Drake, Henry’s tag team partner, came out to talk sense into Henry and get him away from the referee.
Austin Theory and Priscilla Kelly made their way down, staring at Aichner as he left. Theory said he’s embarrassed Drake is WWN Champion because Drake doesn’t look like him.
Drake called Theory an entitled millennial and called out Theory’s lack of experience. Drake said he’s been busting his ass in the ring almost as long as Theory has been alive. Drake talked about all he’s sacrificed for the business to pave the way for people like Theory.
Drake told Harlem Bravado to come out for their triple threat WWN title match.
– WWN Champion JD Drake defeated Harlem Bravado and Austin Theory in a triple threat match to retain his title
After Theory had prevented him from getting the win earlier, Drake pinned Bravado by hitting his Drill Bit slam for the second time and a moonsault from the top rope. Drake and Theory teased fighting after the match before Theory left.
– Matt Knicks defeated Cyrus Satin, BSHP KNG, and Mike Fierro in a four-way match
Knicks stole the win by hitting Satin with a Michinoku driver after giving Fierro a superkick.
– Kassius Ohno defeated Shane Strickland
Ohno missed a moonsault off the top near the finish but got the better of a striking exchange by hitting the high-tension elbow for the win.
Anthony Henry came out after and said he’s frustrated. He said he’s been in the business for 15 years and new guys keep taking his opportunity. Henry called Ohno one of the greatest wrestlers he’s ever seen and said he wants to wrestle him.
Henry asked Ohno to accept his apology, but Ohno said he hasn’t heard one yet. Henry said he’s very sorry for what he did to Ohno, Aichner, and the referee from his match earlier. He again asked Ohno for a match.
Ohno said he accepted Henry’s apology, that he’d talk to some people, and that maybe they’d see each other in the ring sooner rather than later.
– EVOLVE Tag Team Champions The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) defeated AR Fox & Leon Ruff to retain their titles
The Street Profits retained with their spinebuster/frog splash combo on Ruff after Dawkins ducked and Ruff accidentally took out Fox and The Skulk with a dive to the outside.
Ford cut a promo praising Fox, Ruff, and The Skulk and talked about returning home to Chicago. The Street Profits then partied in the ring with their opponents and The Skulk.
– Mustafa Ali defeated Darby Allin
This was also a homecoming for Ali. Allin refused to stay down despite the punishment he was taking from Ali. Allin got a couple of two counts, Ali countered into the Koji Clutch, and Allin lost after passing out in the move.
Ali cut a post-match promo saying he respects Allin because Allin has heart. Ali said he’s going to win the Cruiserweight Championship from Murphy at Survivor Series and wants to come back to EVOLVE in Chicago and give Allin a shot at the title.
Ali said Allin is on a long and difficult road, but if he stays on the path — he’ll get to where he wants to be. Allin was still disappointed over the loss and left the ring.
After thanking everyone for coming to the show, Ali pointed out that his wife and daughter were in the crowd, brought his daughter into the ring, and talked about what can happen if you work hard.
