Tag: speak now

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.