Big Twan Tucker has been making a name for himself since his debut in at AIW in 2017. He was a student of Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae at the AIW Academy and has proven throughout his career that his heart is just as big as his size. He can stand toe to toe with anyone in the ring and is constantly reminding us to “Stay Woke.” Twan even had an appearance at NXT during the feud between Gargano and Adam Cole. I was able to ask Twan about this along with his career so far and what is next for him.
I asked Big Twan what it was like training with Johnny and Candice and he said that it was nervewracking, but that they put it easy for him. He also did a lot of his training with Dominic Garrini, who took over the AIW training when the Garganos went to NXT. The class that Twan graduated with included such current and future standouts like Tre Lamar, Joshua Bishop, Chase Oliver and Parker Pierce. Twan says that all 3 of his trainers helped them become the people that they are today. Through his relationship with the Garganos, Twan made an appearance on NXT, earning him the nickname “NXTwan”. He said that the experience at NXT was amazing. It was a surprise for him and life changing getting to meet everyone that was there. Recently a lot of stars have come from the Cleveland area. Twan says that this is because they work harder and are the best city on sight. All they need is to be given a chance and they will show what a different breed they are.
Some of my favorite matches of Big Twan that I have seen was him going against Swoggle because of the size difference and him winning the loser leaves AIW match against MJF. I asked Twan about his favorite matches and who he would like to face, and he said that his most memorable match is against The One Called Manders, because Manders pushed him to the limit with the same exact intensity that Twan brings to the ring. He says that Manders fought hard, and they got to show a new light on the big man scene. Another favorite was the MJF match. Twan says that he just wanted to shut MJF’s mouth and knock him out cold. He feels that MJF did not take him seriously, but he got the pin. Twan says that the fans gave him the energy to get the win. Twan goes by the slogan “Stay Woke” and I asked him what it means to him and why he chose to use it. He states that it means a lot in his culture and that it has a lot of power. To him it means not letting bad people run down your life, fight for what you want to do in life and always be yourself. Twan said that someone that he would really like to face is “Calvin Tankman and of course Keith Lee.”
As for what is going on recently with Twan, he said that “ever since the pandemic happened, my whole life changed quick with new responsibilities and challenges. Life outside the ring is taking care of my little brother and the fam.” Recently Twan was part of the AIW Go for Broke tournament. He also tested himself in some hardcore matches against one of his trainers, Dominic Garrini in ICW No Holds Barred, and against Mad Man Pondo at Cosmic Christmas. As for what is next, Twan says, “Big Twan Tucker ain’t going nowhere. I’m always around Absolute Intense Wrestling and when the opportunity comes out of Ohio you will see very soon.”