April 15, 2026 • 19 mins
WWE Superstar Je'Von Evans joins Battle ahead of WrestleMania to talk about his first WrestleMania ladder match, getting praised by John Cena, being F5’d by Brock Lesnar in the Royal Rumble, and learning from legends like Randy Orton and Shawn Michaels.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to the battle Ground Battles.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Let the hold what's up you guys?
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Welcome back into iHeartRadio's official wrestling podcast, the Battleground Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
It is battle of course.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
We are on the road to WrestleMania, which is a
big thing happening very very soon. But after WrestleMania, another
big thing is happening Monday Night Raw, May eighteenth, Greensboro Coliseum.
Tickets still available at ticketmaster dot com and joining us
on the show today. It's gonna be more of a
homecoming for this guy. Monday Night Rawl is about to
get bouncy at Greensboro Coliseum.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Give it up for the young og.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Himself, Give it up for Javon Evans. Everybody makes him none.
That's our Instagram audience there.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Yeah, yeah, I hear him, I hear him.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
We got We paid all three people to cheer for
you over here in our in our studio, for sure.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
That's really I heard all three.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
I'm just gonna get even louder come this weekend. We'll
talk about WrestleMania, But first I want to go back.
You had your first match in front of a crowd
at fourteen years old. Crazy to think about that. What
is one thing fourteen year old Javan would hear about
your life right now and be like, nah, you're lying.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Probably that he got f filed by brock Lesner and
Roy Rumble.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
And I'm sure that as a kid, you probably with
your friends you took that move, you did that move,
and then you get to kind of relive that. Yeah,
you gotta try to not fangirl out for that, right.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Oh yeah, most of it's all all honesty. I try
not to feel girl a lot, you know what I mean.
I work with people that I grew up watching, you know,
so even at like even at Menia, I know there's
gonna be somebody that haven't seen yet, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
And I'm like, yo, like that stone cold you know
what I mean? Like what right?
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Absolutely for sure you talk about growing up watching people,
and then you get to work beside him, one of
those people being John Cena. You got to be a
part of that final match night, and of course John
Cena praising you, saying he's for real. How do you
stay cool in that moment? Or is your inner fan
losing his mind? The second John Cena walks away after
(02:19):
saying something like that.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Oh literally, you know the second he walks away, Deacon,
you know, but but you know, you.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Guys stay cool.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
You feel me because you know you don't want to
seem just like a finger, you know. But in the
same Tom, like I look at him as a mentor,
you feel me. So I feel like we kind of
have a relationship to where I can't kind a finger
in front of him.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
But you know, I still don't. I still don't.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
I still don't, right, I mean I probably would do
the exact same thing if I was in your situation
and be like, oh, there's John Cena.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
There's still Coold. What is happening with my life right now?
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Another legend who you've shared the ring with, Randy Orton,
and you have said that that match was your first,
made your test. What did that night teach you about
yourself that nobody could have explained to you beforehand?
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Damn?
Speaker 4 (03:08):
I feel like I learned and this I actually learned
this from uh oprah Randy, that it's okay to be nervous,
you know. I feel like like when I was watching
it back, that was my main thing, Like, dang, like
I look nervous, bro, Like I don't really look confident,
(03:30):
and I told him that.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
He was like, bro, like you should look nervous.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
You know, it's okay to it's okay to be nervous,
like you're you're going against you know, a former world.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Champion, you know, like you know you're going against a legend.
You know what I mean? You should, you should, you know,
show that emotion.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
And ever since then, I was like, dang, like it
made sense to be nervous in certain situations you feel mean,
So I feel like that's that's something that like always
take on me now, you know what I mean, Like
in Wrestlemandia, I know that I'm gonna be nervous, natural,
but also like it's my first mania, you feel me
first lader matching WWE, Like I should be nervous, you know,
(04:07):
I should show you all that I'm nervous. But that's
that's really like something that I learned by myself within
that night for Shore right.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Absolutely, And it's also a cool thing that you have
all these guys like Randy Sina HBK in your corner.
And of course you said Sean has been very brutally
honest with you, which is exactly what you wanted. What
is one piece of HBK feedback that hit you like, yeah,
I needed to hear that, oh man.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
Honestly, just when I first got there, and this is,
you know, just a simple answer. But when I first
got there, I told him like, hey, like like I
want to be the best here. You know, I know
it's gonna take some time, but at the end of
the day, I want to I want to be the
best here and I want to be like a column
for for NXC. And uh he was like he was okay,
(04:58):
he was like, well, of course, you know it's gonna
take work. But main thing I can tell you is
just to be yourself. And I feel like that's so
different because usually when people get to WWE, they try
to change themselves. So they try to, you know what
I mean, try to be something that they're not trying
to be different.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
You know.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
I feel like that's like something that I just knew
that I didn't want to do. But hearing hearing it
come from you know, the man's mouth, you feel mean like, hey,
be yourself, have fun, and.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
It's like, oh, okay, I'm good.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
You know. I feel like that really just carried me,
you know, like like like now I'm just myself all
the time, and now I feel like that's that's what
makes the crowd like me a little bit.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Of course that crowd is going to be bouncy for sure.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Monday Night Raw.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
May you know Greenboroughs Coliseum, Take it still available ticketmaster
dot com.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
You you mentioned.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
About the crowd feeling you and you're just out there
having fun. I want to go over three names you
got Kid Black America and Javan Evans. Three names, three
different chapters, every single one of those journeys. You seem
like you're always having a blast out there. Has that
feeling changed at all? Or is it still that same
kid and you're just having fun?
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Oh, it's still that same person, you know what I mean?
Still that same kid. I'm always having fun, you feel me.
I'm just I think it's just more of me, just
you know, being blessed that I have another opportunity to
walk out there, you know, in general, not even wrestle,
just being blessed to have another opportunity to to maybe
(06:33):
my presence known with the wrestling crowd, you feel me
and being able to go out there and wrestle and
make other people happy, you know, I feel like that
just that makes me happy in general even yeah, absolute, yeah, yeah, yeah,
So it's still that little kid in the you know. Now,
maybe I feel like now I take it more seriously,
(06:57):
you feel me, because there's just accomplished. Is that I
want to accomplishments. I want to accomplish you know, in aw,
especially in like a short amount of time. But Bro,
I'm always having fun. Bro always. You got to the
moment you take it too seriously, it starts becoming a
(07:18):
job and then you're like stressing, and you know, like
everything starts to become not really bad energy, but you're
like worried a lot.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
You feel me. I don't want to do that, especially
here my dream job.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
You feel me right absolutely?
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Now.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I do gotta ask though, because I briefly talked.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
About those names.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Any any chance that maybe one night only you bring
the mask back out from the early days, just just
for fun for the OG fans.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Honestly, I feel like I feel like if there was
or if I could, I would do it for one
night only for sure.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Maybe it's far Greensboro, call s a May eighteenth, Monday
night row.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Maybe your hometown.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
Maybe hometown appears with the kid like American masks they
wouldn't even be ready for it.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Honestly, I don't even know would. I don't think I would.
I would probably pop on team, did it.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
You know, you've been very clear that you want to
be the first Javon Evans, not the next anybody. What
is one comparison people keep making that you would love
to just kind of retire forever.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Man, probably the.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Either the Kobe Kingston comparison or the Jeff Hardy comparison.
You know, I feel, honestly, I feel like any comparison,
I would love to just be.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Like, hey, like all right, yeah, you know, you know, yeah, YEA.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
Can see me as the next you know, Jeff Hardy
or KOFE. But like I've said before, man, they got
their own, their own legacy, you know, their own footsteps.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
I don't want to. I don't wanna, you know, step
in those.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
Footsteps, you feel me, Let me, let me have my
own trail, let me have my own road, you know.
But you know I get it, you for, I do
a lot of similar things. I have to have a
lot of you know, similar energy. But at the end
of the day, we all have driven careers, you know.
So so as though any comparison I'm kind of just like, like,
(09:09):
I'm grateful that y'all comparing me to to legends, you know, icons,
future Hall of famers. H But I want to be
a legend of icon and a Hall of Famer myself,
you know.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
And yeah, for sure, for sure, I mean super excited.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
I know my nine year old is a big fan
of yours as well, so uh yeah, he is always
jumping off of stuff and.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
I'm like, dude, what are you doing.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
He's like I saw that, I saw Javon do this,
and I was like, dude, you can't do this. There's
a reason why. There's a disclaimer so you do not
try this at home.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
But we never listened to that.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Now I did, got to talk about it because it's awesome.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
You won the Iron Survivor, you were in the Royal
Rumble and said that there was a moment where it
felt like, oh, I'm really in WW for real. Now
what was that exact moment for you that changed in
your head?
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (10:00):
I remember getting him beat up, of course in the
rub and and I remember like laying on the ground
and then I heard brock Lessens theme song, and I know,
so when I was younger, I wasn't a fan of Brock,
you know what I mean, he was because at the
(10:21):
time we returned, but he was He had everybody in
the comoraw like he was breaking everybody's arm.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
You feel me, Like he broke seeing the TRIPLEA Sean,
I'm like, yo, what's going on? So I remember like
hearing his theme song and like him coming out and
I was looking. I was like, dang, like I'm really here,
you know.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
And after that, like Rumman's interest came out, and then
like Randy and it was just crazy. It was like
and I was like, dang, like I'm steal in the ring,
Takesperence on this.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
So sitting in the corner like trying not to, you know,
geek out of it, but literally I got to snap
back into this and figure out what's next, you.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Know, exactly exactly.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I don't think I could do that, And I applaud
you for that because I probably would have been like,
oh my god, I'm in the ring with all these
guys and I grew up watching and now I'm waiting
to get thrown out by one of these guys potentially
right for so, so now we're talking about it because
we're on the road to WrestleMania. Of course, you're heading
into your first WRESTLEMANI whatch you talked about? And you've
already posted about being the youngest on the car, becoming
(11:21):
the youngest Intercontinental champion. How are you feeling heading into
this big match because obviously ladder matches are a big thing,
and you are with the who's who of this company
in a ladder's match at WrestleMania.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
Yeah, yeah, uh honestly I am. I feel like the
closer we get to the date, the the more nervous
I get. You know, I feel like there's such a
great opportunity in.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Recreating history. You feel me.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
That is kind of like I have like a little
chip on my shoulder, you feel me.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
I feel like I I'm.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
So young that I can I can break like a
lot of records in WWE, you know. So I feel
like starting off with the IC championship record that would
be tough, and then walk it into my hometown Greensboro,
you know what I mean? The eighteenth on my shoulder,
I feel like that'd be fired, that'd be fire.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
It would be incredible.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
And then you have the mask too, so the mask
everything Greensboro, have your tickets tackingmaster dot com. Now, when
you look at who all is involved in this Mania
Ladder match, one name that really stands out Ray Mysterio. Now,
when we think about it, he made his WrestleMania debut.
You literally weren't even born yet, and now you're sharing
a Mania Ladder match with him.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
How crazy is that?
Speaker 1 (12:48):
It is wild?
Speaker 4 (12:49):
And actually somebody picked up on this not too long ago,
or actually a couple of days ago. Uh, but somebody
asked me an interview like, hey, like, who would you're
the first WRESTLEMINGI opponent B And I was like, I
feel like we started off calm.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
I feel like, you know, Raymond.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
Seiro would be fired, and now Raymond Siro is in
my first WrestleMania match.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
So it's kind of like kind of ironic. It's pretty crazy.
It's pretty crazy.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
But I'm I'm so blessed to honored to be in
the same match as him, especially with my with it
being my first medium match.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Bro is insane for sure.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Now, I love the fact that everybody on the wrestling
community is big fans and they always like the fantasy book.
Of course, we already got that dream match that we
were wanting for between Javon and Leon Slater, which was incredible.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Give it to me again at a main event at WrestleMania.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Down the line, there's somebody out there now that you've
had this match with Leon, is there somebody out there
that's the next dream opponent for you?
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (13:52):
Trump thing. I feel like there's such like so much
good talent that fly. I can just have bangers with you.
Of course, aside from me wrestling my best friend in WrestleMania, like, uh,
that's like a dream match. I feel like once I
wrestled Jackson Drake and wrestle Meandia, I'm you feel me out,
I'm good, I'm good. But outside of that now I'm sorry.
(14:19):
This is like very like home based. But hey, Greensboro enough,
come out the main team.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
What's up with it? You know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (14:25):
I feel like I feel like my my trainer, my trainer,
Lebron cos On, you feel me. I feel like if
I could have like a and he's such under he's
so underrated, you know, like like he he got me
and Jackson to where we're at now, you feel me?
So if I can like pay it back soon with
having a WrestleMania match, I feel like that would be
a great, like dream opponent for me for sure.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Yeah, that would be incredible.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
Because I was sitting here as we were doing research
for this interview, I was watching h It's on YouTube.
It was you and Jackson wrestling, and you look like
I think you were like fourteen at the time or whatever.
It is like back room and it's just you two
going at it.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
And and I think that the story's there and it's
definitely gonna be a mania moment for sure when you
and Jackson step in the ring. Oh yeah for the
ww uh Universal Championship, world title whatever.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
We were all right for sure.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
W Championship is gonna be online for sure.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Yeah. Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Now I want to go back earlier, you had mentioned
KOFE Kingston, and recently we saw him trying to kind
of recruit you a New Day. Was there maybe like
one percent of you that thought.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Maybe I should join them?
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Yeah, he was trying to recruit it.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Yeah for sure.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
I mean we're talking about a future Hall of Famer,
you know what I mean, We're talking about Kobe.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
Key's a former world champion, you know. Uh.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
But like I said earlier than one, like I don't
want to follow on somebody else's footsteps.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
And number two you just like, we know how KOFE is.
You feel me?
Speaker 4 (15:55):
And Xavier is not a picture right now, but when
he comes back and he sees somebody else in the group,
then it's like.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
Like who is this kid? You know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (16:06):
And also bro like they they treated Biggie so disrespectfully,
you know, like they got mad at him because he
was hurting.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
He couldn't do anything, so then you know they couldn't
even me.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
So I was I was avoiding a lot of drama,
and I thought I was just looking out for myself.
You feel me, But he keeps looking at my matches
and keep studying me, So I guess I guess he
doesn't take no for answer when it comes this damnit.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
I mean when when when you're the young o G,
everybody wants a piece for sure.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Nad Chill, chill, chill.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Now, this is something funny because we're coming up towards
the end of this. Uh you shouted out one of
the newest members of WW Dan Housen, and basically said,
hopefully he don't curse my ass. I just want to
avoid getting cursed by Dan Housen.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
I don't know, but I just tried to steal his
good side.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
You know, every time I see him, I tap him
up all that, And I mean, luckily he has it
appeared on camera with me yet, you feel me. But
I feel like whenever he appears on camera, somebody ends
up getting cursed. So so so hopefully, hopefully I'm not
(17:17):
in that radar. Yet he says I'm good ever since,
man and I keep talking to him, He's like, hey,
you're good, You're good.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
I'm okay, all right?
Speaker 3 (17:24):
Straight, if you could send Dan Housen to curse somebody,
is there anybody you would send at the top of
your list to happen?
Speaker 1 (17:31):
First?
Speaker 4 (17:33):
Well, I feel like there's there's a lot of uh,
there's a couple of people, you know, But there's one
person that comes to mind. Okay, one person that comes
to mind, Ethan Page.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
And him and him and Ethan have history together.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
They do have a lot of history together.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
But I feel like when Ethan Page broke about jahn NXT,
of course, like I got the I got the w back,
you feel me, But I feel like I wasn't able
to give him like an official receipt, you know. So
I feel like Dan Housing can do that for me.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Yeah, I think it could happen. I down Housing. He's
like Beatle Juice. If we say his name multiple times,
he's gonna show up somewhere.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
I don't know. We all look around like, yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Make sure he's not here.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Javan Evans is joining us on the show Monday Night Raw,
May eighteenth, Greensboro Coliseum. Tickets still available ticketmaster dot com. Homecoming,
Baby Homecoming, bring it. Everybody needs to be in the building.
It's gonna get bounty for sure before we let you go.
Anything you want to say to the fans watching or
listening to this right now?
Speaker 4 (18:41):
Manh Number one, I appreciate y'all for the support.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
Thank y'all for tuning into his interview. You know what
I mean.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
I hope y'all had a good time. And number two, Hey,
we're on the road to Rustlemania. Tune in all right
night one night to your boy the Yago. She's gonna
be on ninety two May eighteenth. We got Greensboro Conseum,
we got Monday Night Raw in Greensboro in the borough.
All right, young o Gee Homecoming and then hopefully I'll
(19:08):
walk into my homecoming.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Want a little tired on my shoulder. You feel me,
and uh yeah, you already know.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
There's only one thing you can do when you see
your boy on TV, and that's get balance you straight
like that
Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to the battle Ground Battles.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Let the hold what's up you guys?
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Welcome back into iHeartRadio's official wrestling podcast, the Battleground Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
It is battle of course.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
We are on the road to WrestleMania, which is a
big thing happening very very soon. But after WrestleMania, another
big thing is happening Monday Night Raw, May eighteenth, Greensboro Coliseum.
Tickets still available at ticketmaster dot com and joining us
on the show today. It's gonna be more of a
homecoming for this guy. Monday Night Rawl is about to
get bouncy at Greensboro Coliseum.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Give it up for the young og.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Himself, Give it up for Javon Evans. Everybody makes him none.
That's our Instagram audience there.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Yeah, yeah, I hear him, I hear him.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
We got We paid all three people to cheer for
you over here in our in our studio, for sure.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
That's really I heard all three.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
I'm just gonna get even louder come this weekend. We'll
talk about WrestleMania, But first I want to go back.
You had your first match in front of a crowd
at fourteen years old. Crazy to think about that. What
is one thing fourteen year old Javan would hear about
your life right now and be like, nah, you're lying.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Probably that he got f filed by brock Lesner and
Roy Rumble.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
And I'm sure that as a kid, you probably with
your friends you took that move, you did that move,
and then you get to kind of relive that. Yeah,
you gotta try to not fangirl out for that, right.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Oh yeah, most of it's all all honesty. I try
not to feel girl a lot, you know what I mean.
I work with people that I grew up watching, you know,
so even at like even at Menia, I know there's
gonna be somebody that haven't seen yet, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
And I'm like, yo, like that stone cold you know
what I mean? Like what right?
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Absolutely for sure you talk about growing up watching people,
and then you get to work beside him, one of
those people being John Cena. You got to be a
part of that final match night, and of course John
Cena praising you, saying he's for real. How do you
stay cool in that moment? Or is your inner fan
losing his mind? The second John Cena walks away after
(02:19):
saying something like that.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Oh literally, you know the second he walks away, Deacon,
you know, but but you know, you.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Guys stay cool.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
You feel me because you know you don't want to
seem just like a finger, you know. But in the
same Tom, like I look at him as a mentor,
you feel me. So I feel like we kind of
have a relationship to where I can't kind a finger
in front of him.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
But you know, I still don't. I still don't.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
I still don't, right, I mean I probably would do
the exact same thing if I was in your situation
and be like, oh, there's John Cena.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
There's still Coold. What is happening with my life right now?
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Another legend who you've shared the ring with, Randy Orton,
and you have said that that match was your first,
made your test. What did that night teach you about
yourself that nobody could have explained to you beforehand?
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Damn?
Speaker 4 (03:08):
I feel like I learned and this I actually learned
this from uh oprah Randy, that it's okay to be nervous,
you know. I feel like like when I was watching
it back, that was my main thing, Like, dang, like
I look nervous, bro, Like I don't really look confident,
(03:30):
and I told him that.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
He was like, bro, like you should look nervous.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
You know, it's okay to it's okay to be nervous,
like you're you're going against you know, a former world.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Champion, you know, like you know you're going against a legend.
You know what I mean? You should, you should, you know,
show that emotion.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
And ever since then, I was like, dang, like it
made sense to be nervous in certain situations you feel mean,
So I feel like that's that's something that like always
take on me now, you know what I mean, Like
in Wrestlemandia, I know that I'm gonna be nervous, natural,
but also like it's my first mania, you feel me
first lader matching WWE, Like I should be nervous, you know,
(04:07):
I should show you all that I'm nervous. But that's
that's really like something that I learned by myself within
that night for Shore right.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Absolutely, And it's also a cool thing that you have
all these guys like Randy Sina HBK in your corner.
And of course you said Sean has been very brutally
honest with you, which is exactly what you wanted. What
is one piece of HBK feedback that hit you like, yeah,
I needed to hear that, oh man.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
Honestly, just when I first got there, and this is,
you know, just a simple answer. But when I first
got there, I told him like, hey, like like I
want to be the best here. You know, I know
it's gonna take some time, but at the end of
the day, I want to I want to be the
best here and I want to be like a column
for for NXC. And uh he was like he was okay,
(04:58):
he was like, well, of course, you know it's gonna
take work. But main thing I can tell you is
just to be yourself. And I feel like that's so
different because usually when people get to WWE, they try
to change themselves. So they try to, you know what
I mean, try to be something that they're not trying
to be different.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
You know.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
I feel like that's like something that I just knew
that I didn't want to do. But hearing hearing it
come from you know, the man's mouth, you feel mean like, hey,
be yourself, have fun, and.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
It's like, oh, okay, I'm good.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
You know. I feel like that really just carried me,
you know, like like like now I'm just myself all
the time, and now I feel like that's that's what
makes the crowd like me a little bit.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Of course that crowd is going to be bouncy for sure.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
Monday Night Raw.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
May you know Greenboroughs Coliseum, Take it still available ticketmaster
dot com.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
You you mentioned.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
About the crowd feeling you and you're just out there
having fun. I want to go over three names you
got Kid Black America and Javan Evans. Three names, three
different chapters, every single one of those journeys. You seem
like you're always having a blast out there. Has that
feeling changed at all? Or is it still that same
kid and you're just having fun?
Speaker 4 (06:12):
Oh, it's still that same person, you know what I mean?
Still that same kid. I'm always having fun, you feel me.
I'm just I think it's just more of me, just
you know, being blessed that I have another opportunity to
walk out there, you know, in general, not even wrestle,
just being blessed to have another opportunity to to maybe
(06:33):
my presence known with the wrestling crowd, you feel me
and being able to go out there and wrestle and
make other people happy, you know, I feel like that
just that makes me happy in general even yeah, absolute, yeah, yeah, yeah,
So it's still that little kid in the you know. Now,
maybe I feel like now I take it more seriously,
(06:57):
you feel me, because there's just accomplished. Is that I
want to accomplishments. I want to accomplish you know, in aw,
especially in like a short amount of time. But Bro,
I'm always having fun. Bro always. You got to the
moment you take it too seriously, it starts becoming a
(07:18):
job and then you're like stressing, and you know, like
everything starts to become not really bad energy, but you're
like worried a lot.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
You feel me. I don't want to do that, especially
here my dream job.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
You feel me right absolutely?
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Now.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
I do gotta ask though, because I briefly talked.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
About those names.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Any any chance that maybe one night only you bring
the mask back out from the early days, just just
for fun for the OG fans.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Honestly, I feel like I feel like if there was
or if I could, I would do it for one
night only for sure.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Maybe it's far Greensboro, call s a May eighteenth, Monday
night row.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Maybe your hometown.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
Maybe hometown appears with the kid like American masks they
wouldn't even be ready for it.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Honestly, I don't even know would. I don't think I would.
I would probably pop on team, did it.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
You know, you've been very clear that you want to
be the first Javon Evans, not the next anybody. What
is one comparison people keep making that you would love
to just kind of retire forever.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Man, probably the.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Either the Kobe Kingston comparison or the Jeff Hardy comparison.
You know, I feel, honestly, I feel like any comparison,
I would love to just be.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Like, hey, like all right, yeah, you know, you know, yeah, YEA.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
Can see me as the next you know, Jeff Hardy
or KOFE. But like I've said before, man, they got
their own, their own legacy, you know, their own footsteps.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
I don't want to. I don't wanna, you know, step
in those.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
Footsteps, you feel me, Let me, let me have my
own trail, let me have my own road, you know.
But you know I get it, you for, I do
a lot of similar things. I have to have a
lot of you know, similar energy. But at the end
of the day, we all have driven careers, you know.
So so as though any comparison I'm kind of just like, like,
(09:09):
I'm grateful that y'all comparing me to to legends, you know, icons,
future Hall of famers. H But I want to be
a legend of icon and a Hall of Famer myself,
you know.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
And yeah, for sure, for sure, I mean super excited.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
I know my nine year old is a big fan
of yours as well, so uh yeah, he is always
jumping off of stuff and.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
I'm like, dude, what are you doing.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
He's like I saw that, I saw Javon do this,
and I was like, dude, you can't do this. There's
a reason why. There's a disclaimer so you do not
try this at home.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
But we never listened to that.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Now I did, got to talk about it because it's awesome.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
You won the Iron Survivor, you were in the Royal
Rumble and said that there was a moment where it
felt like, oh, I'm really in WW for real. Now
what was that exact moment for you that changed in
your head?
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (10:00):
I remember getting him beat up, of course in the
rub and and I remember like laying on the ground
and then I heard brock Lessens theme song, and I know,
so when I was younger, I wasn't a fan of Brock,
you know what I mean, he was because at the
(10:21):
time we returned, but he was He had everybody in
the comoraw like he was breaking everybody's arm.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
You feel me, Like he broke seeing the TRIPLEA Sean,
I'm like, yo, what's going on? So I remember like
hearing his theme song and like him coming out and
I was looking. I was like, dang, like I'm really here,
you know.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
And after that, like Rumman's interest came out, and then
like Randy and it was just crazy. It was like
and I was like, dang, like I'm steal in the ring,
Takesperence on this.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
So sitting in the corner like trying not to, you know,
geek out of it, but literally I got to snap
back into this and figure out what's next, you.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Know, exactly exactly.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I don't think I could do that, And I applaud
you for that because I probably would have been like,
oh my god, I'm in the ring with all these
guys and I grew up watching and now I'm waiting
to get thrown out by one of these guys potentially
right for so, so now we're talking about it because
we're on the road to WrestleMania. Of course, you're heading
into your first WRESTLEMANI whatch you talked about? And you've
already posted about being the youngest on the car, becoming
(11:21):
the youngest Intercontinental champion. How are you feeling heading into
this big match because obviously ladder matches are a big thing,
and you are with the who's who of this company
in a ladder's match at WrestleMania.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
Yeah, yeah, uh honestly I am. I feel like the
closer we get to the date, the the more nervous
I get. You know, I feel like there's such a
great opportunity in.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Recreating history. You feel me.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
That is kind of like I have like a little
chip on my shoulder, you feel me.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
I feel like I I'm.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
So young that I can I can break like a
lot of records in WWE, you know. So I feel
like starting off with the IC championship record that would
be tough, and then walk it into my hometown Greensboro,
you know what I mean? The eighteenth on my shoulder,
I feel like that'd be fired, that'd be fire.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
It would be incredible.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
And then you have the mask too, so the mask
everything Greensboro, have your tickets tackingmaster dot com. Now, when
you look at who all is involved in this Mania
Ladder match, one name that really stands out Ray Mysterio. Now,
when we think about it, he made his WrestleMania debut.
You literally weren't even born yet, and now you're sharing
a Mania Ladder match with him.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
How crazy is that?
Speaker 1 (12:48):
It is wild?
Speaker 4 (12:49):
And actually somebody picked up on this not too long ago,
or actually a couple of days ago. Uh, but somebody
asked me an interview like, hey, like, who would you're
the first WRESTLEMINGI opponent B And I was like, I
feel like we started off calm.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
I feel like, you know, Raymond.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
Seiro would be fired, and now Raymond Siro is in
my first WrestleMania match.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
So it's kind of like kind of ironic. It's pretty crazy.
It's pretty crazy.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
But I'm I'm so blessed to honored to be in
the same match as him, especially with my with it
being my first medium match.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Bro is insane for sure.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Now, I love the fact that everybody on the wrestling
community is big fans and they always like the fantasy book.
Of course, we already got that dream match that we
were wanting for between Javon and Leon Slater, which was incredible.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Give it to me again at a main event at WrestleMania.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Down the line, there's somebody out there now that you've
had this match with Leon, is there somebody out there
that's the next dream opponent for you?
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (13:52):
Trump thing. I feel like there's such like so much
good talent that fly. I can just have bangers with you.
Of course, aside from me wrestling my best friend in WrestleMania, like, uh,
that's like a dream match. I feel like once I
wrestled Jackson Drake and wrestle Meandia, I'm you feel me out,
I'm good, I'm good. But outside of that now I'm sorry.
(14:19):
This is like very like home based. But hey, Greensboro enough,
come out the main team.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
What's up with it? You know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (14:25):
I feel like I feel like my my trainer, my trainer,
Lebron cos On, you feel me. I feel like if
I could have like a and he's such under he's
so underrated, you know, like like he he got me
and Jackson to where we're at now, you feel me?
So if I can like pay it back soon with
having a WrestleMania match, I feel like that would be
a great, like dream opponent for me for sure.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Yeah, that would be incredible.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
Because I was sitting here as we were doing research
for this interview, I was watching h It's on YouTube.
It was you and Jackson wrestling, and you look like
I think you were like fourteen at the time or whatever.
It is like back room and it's just you two
going at it.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
And and I think that the story's there and it's
definitely gonna be a mania moment for sure when you
and Jackson step in the ring. Oh yeah for the
ww uh Universal Championship, world title whatever.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
We were all right for sure.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
W Championship is gonna be online for sure.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Yeah. Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Now I want to go back earlier, you had mentioned
KOFE Kingston, and recently we saw him trying to kind
of recruit you a New Day. Was there maybe like
one percent of you that thought.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Maybe I should join them?
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Yeah, he was trying to recruit it.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Yeah for sure.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
I mean we're talking about a future Hall of Famer,
you know what I mean, We're talking about Kobe.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
Key's a former world champion, you know. Uh.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
But like I said earlier than one, like I don't
want to follow on somebody else's footsteps.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
And number two you just like, we know how KOFE is.
You feel me?
Speaker 4 (15:55):
And Xavier is not a picture right now, but when
he comes back and he sees somebody else in the group,
then it's like.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
Like who is this kid? You know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (16:06):
And also bro like they they treated Biggie so disrespectfully,
you know, like they got mad at him because he
was hurting.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
He couldn't do anything, so then you know they couldn't
even me.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
So I was I was avoiding a lot of drama,
and I thought I was just looking out for myself.
You feel me, But he keeps looking at my matches
and keep studying me, So I guess I guess he
doesn't take no for answer when it comes this damnit.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
I mean when when when you're the young o G,
everybody wants a piece for sure.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Nad Chill, chill, chill.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Now, this is something funny because we're coming up towards
the end of this. Uh you shouted out one of
the newest members of WW Dan Housen, and basically said,
hopefully he don't curse my ass. I just want to
avoid getting cursed by Dan Housen.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
I don't know, but I just tried to steal his
good side.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
You know, every time I see him, I tap him
up all that, And I mean, luckily he has it
appeared on camera with me yet, you feel me. But
I feel like whenever he appears on camera, somebody ends
up getting cursed. So so so hopefully, hopefully I'm not
(17:17):
in that radar. Yet he says I'm good ever since,
man and I keep talking to him, He's like, hey,
you're good, You're good.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
I'm okay, all right?
Speaker 3 (17:24):
Straight, if you could send Dan Housen to curse somebody,
is there anybody you would send at the top of
your list to happen?
Speaker 1 (17:31):
First?
Speaker 4 (17:33):
Well, I feel like there's there's a lot of uh,
there's a couple of people, you know, But there's one
person that comes to mind. Okay, one person that comes
to mind, Ethan Page.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
And him and him and Ethan have history together.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
They do have a lot of history together.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
But I feel like when Ethan Page broke about jahn NXT,
of course, like I got the I got the w back,
you feel me, But I feel like I wasn't able
to give him like an official receipt, you know. So
I feel like Dan Housing can do that for me.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Yeah, I think it could happen. I down Housing. He's
like Beatle Juice. If we say his name multiple times,
he's gonna show up somewhere.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
I don't know. We all look around like, yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Make sure he's not here.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Javan Evans is joining us on the show Monday Night Raw,
May eighteenth, Greensboro Coliseum. Tickets still available ticketmaster dot com. Homecoming,
Baby Homecoming, bring it. Everybody needs to be in the building.
It's gonna get bounty for sure before we let you go.
Anything you want to say to the fans watching or
listening to this right now?
Speaker 4 (18:41):
Manh Number one, I appreciate y'all for the support.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
Thank y'all for tuning into his interview. You know what
I mean.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
I hope y'all had a good time. And number two, Hey,
we're on the road to Rustlemania. Tune in all right
night one night to your boy the Yago. She's gonna
be on ninety two May eighteenth. We got Greensboro Conseum,
we got Monday Night Raw in Greensboro in the borough.
All right, young o Gee Homecoming and then hopefully I'll
(19:08):
walk into my homecoming.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Want a little tired on my shoulder. You feel me,
and uh yeah, you already know.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
There's only one thing you can do when you see
your boy on TV, and that's get balance you straight
like that
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