In PWPonderings latest exclusive interview, Kwesi Asante (@TheKwesiAsante) sits down with PWPonderings’ own Scott Mitchell (@scott44mitchell) to open up about his Blitzkrieg! Pro Tag Team Championship reign with Joseph Alexander, including their upcoming match with Miracle Generation, and working with the likes of Dolphin Funeral and The Verdict. He also opened up about Die-Spora, BST Wrestling, Constant Wrestling, his goals, and more. Watch the interview in its entirety down below.
Let’s jump right into it. On Saturday, August 8th, you will be teaming up with Joseph Alexander, collectively known as the Ancestral City Shooters, to put your Blitzkrieg! Pro Tag Team Championships are on the line against Miracle Generation. What is your mindset heading into this one?
“So honestly… They are known everywhere. They were the DPW Tag Team Champions, PWJ Tag Champions, I believe, still. They’ve done everything under the sun. They were Blitzkrieg! Tag Champions at one point, and we fought them like two years ago. For this opportunity for us to finally have our match, we’re going to define, put our line in the sand, like no. We are that. Yes, winning the tag championships was great, and it was a moment for Joe like our hard work has paid off, but this is now like a ‘Hey, we put in enough work. We beat enough ass to show everybody that we are THE tag team now. Y’all had your moment in the sun, fantastic. Love that. We’re here. We’re here. We’re like the Sinner & Saint of the Northeast. You can’t play with us.”
You and Alexander have held the titles now for 144 days and counting. What has this reign meant to you?
“It means a lot. I’m only four years in. Joe and Angelo are five or six years old. They have done a great job paving the way for us, specifically me, to be able to be next to them. If that makes any sense. Joe has done so much in his illustrious career. For me to tie to that, like we did this. You and I did this specifically at the same time. Not a ‘Oh, I brought you in, and you’re learning how to do this.’ No. We had been together on the road for so long at this point, and now we’re doing this. Joe and I barely have to talk about what we’re going to do because we’ve already done that. Cool. We just go about it. So, when we won it in a four-way against people whom we, I think, we faced everybody in that match literally. We beat East Coast Bastard Crew. We beat Dolphin Funeral. We beat Delta Force. That was our swan song, and it felt really good. It felt like our endgame, like we did it. We beat Thanos. Do you know how real that is? And nobody had to die. That’s how it felt for us. But for me, I really appreciate the love everybody gave to us. Like, Bear, giving us that five-minute speech. And, I can’t hold my emotions in. I will cry in the ring every single time that I have to. Bear was talking straight facts and also encouraging us and showing us that, nah, y’all are here, and telling us we’ll be where he’s at in not that long, and just to keep pushing. We were like, ‘What?’ So, it meant so much to me. That day couldn’t have gone any more perfectly.”
Joseph Alexander has had a match of the year contender with J Boujii at ETU, as well as appeared in the Scenic City Invitational Tournament recently. What has it been like for you to see all he’s been accomplishing?
“I’ll be real with you. When I first met Joe, I think he had just gotten back from his first injury, his knee injury. We’d train at the school, he still lived in the city at that point, and he’d come in, and he and I with chain. I was like, there’s something weird here. There’s something here with me and you. It’s like a tether for some reason. Then, we started driving up to Maine for Mojo at the Dojo tapings, and with that, I got to know Joe as a person, and we’d chill. We’d purposely hang and stuff like that. I’ve seen him progress so much alongside me and also by himself. From someone who’s constantly exploring his options, he’s a multi-faceted martial artist, so he has multiple techniques. To see him incorporate all that self, while also paying homage to all the things he loves about wrestling, it’s the coolest thing in the world. I think what this last match at ETU did, especially after his very last injury with his labrum, I talked to him about this, like ‘Bro, there’s this fire that I miss seeing you have.’ He used to want to kill everybody. I was there with him, like, yeah, let’s kill everybody. That’s me, 100% time, regardless of what I’m going through, I go out there like, ‘You’re going to die.’ He and J Boujii, it was like, I was so, ‘Oh yeah, he’s back. He’s back.’ When he threw Boujii into the stairs and popped off, I was like ‘Oh yeah, that’s him. He’s back. Let’s go.’ He’s been on that timing since he came back. It just took me a while to see it. Now that he lives down south, I don’t see him as much. But we still talk all the time. But like, he’s also grown as a person. He’s a beautiful soul, and I love him very much and very deeply. It’s been crazy to see his accomplishments. I’ve been there when he’s fallen, and I’ve tried to help him back up, as much as you can as a friend, without it being like, ‘Get the f**k away from me, dawg, I need space.’ But no, I’m an avid supporter of A game. I want him to go to Japan. I want all of us to go to Japan. They’d love us out there. So like, for him to be this pivotal wrestler in my career in general. It’s been great to see him succeed. I always want to see him succeed.”
How did Die-Spora come to be with Angelo Carter and Joseph Alexander?
“I believe Angelo has stated that I made this come to be. I just want that to be stated on the internet. We were driving up to Mojo at the Dojo, and this time it was just us three. We’d usually have a carload of like five, but this time it was just us three. I’m asleep in the back, as I usually do. They’re talking up front. I wake up and tell a funny joke. We all laugh. We go chill. It’s a great time. It really feels like brothers in a car, even though I’m the younger brother. I’m the younger brother, even though I’m older than Joe by months. So, I remember, I woke up, and I’m looking around, thinking this energy I’m feeling in this car, there’s something about this. There’s something I was feeling in my heart like, no, we have to do this. Something about this we have to do. Something about this we have to do. I brought it up to the I was like, ‘Yo, wouldn’t it be crazy?’ Like Angelo and Joe were already tagging, Pretty Boy Dragons. It wasn’t like, they didn’t take off, but they were already tagging, it’s something they already did. I was like, ‘I’m in the car with you all the time. I’m the third person in the car. Cool, whatever.’ I was like, ‘No, we have to do something about this. I think the three should start a faction.’ They shot that shit down immediately. Joe was like ‘Nah, I’m trying to focus on my singles career.’ Angelo was like, ‘Nah, I’m trying to focus on my singles career.’ I was like, ‘Alright, cool, I just hope you know we would be cool. It would be some shit like Die-Spora or some shit. We’re the Diaspora.’ They were like, everyone looked around and was like, wait a minute, hold on. Let’s see how this plays out. Joe gets injured again. Goes away, comes back. When he comes back, it’s like, ‘I think we need to do this, son. I think we need to do this.’ Luckily, we started doing it at BST. Joe brought me because he was already at BST, and we beat up The Haven. We stole their belts and then won their belts with the help of Angelo. Now, we’re this faction with a 501-day reign with the Tag Team Champions at BST. I’m assuming people all across the country are seeing us. We did our own things, and now we’re this faction that people like. I was trying to, as per usual, I was like, ‘Hey, how do we capitalize as us as a brand or as a faction?’ I always believed Bullet Club should have had more black members. I was like, ‘How do we make ourselves Bullet Club- esque, in the sense of a worldwide phenomenon?’ We have to stand for something. What does DIE stand for? I brought up the idea of “Destroying Injustice Everywhere. They liked it. I’m not sure if it’s official. But, DIE is not just death; it also stands for Destroying Injustice Everywhere. That’s something we all stand for anyway. Corruption from promoters, corruption, and we’re like f**k all of that. We’re not the Nation, like yes, we’re pro-black as f**k, but we’re also for gay rights, trans rights, human rights, and just making shit shake. For us to be a unit that embodies that, it was the biggest thing for me. Especially because I just came out around the time that Die-Spora was created. So, I was like, ‘Yeah, this trio we got in this car is something special.’”
Your first successful title defense came against RULLO & JuleZee, collectively known as Dolphin Funeral, in a two-out-of-three falls match. This match was insane, and a great coming-out party for both of your teams. What did this match mean to you?
“It was so interesting because we had seen Dolphin Funeral about three times at that point. Two or three times. They beat us once. They beat us. We had to eat that, especially since that was like their fourth or fifth tag match in total. They’re brand new. Every time we see them, they get better. Every time we face them, we help them get better. We push them to a point where they have to start thinking outside the box, but that’s what you’re supposed to do. Pave the way. It may not be your time right now. But pave the way. They’re sick as shit. I love them so much. They hit really hard. They hit really hard. I’ll hit you harder. But, okay. Alright. This is what we’re going to do. I think they’ve grown so much. I’m proud of both of them for the path they’re on right now. Like JuleZee’s on Open, Rullo’s doing his own thing. They’re doing their thing together still. They’re tag champs at Focus Pro. They’re doing a lot. They’re doing a lot. I’m proud of them for being able to do that in such a short time, too… They can go. That two-out-of-three falls match was my first two-out-of-three falls match. We got to it. We were fighting like our lives depended on it. I got kicked right in the mouth several times. I still remember that boot. It’s still imprinted on my face from Rullo. Rullo gave me that as I’m climbing up the rope. My entire face disappeared. I was like, ‘Oh shit.’ But no. They’re sick. They’re sick.”
Then, at the 8th Annual Luau in June, you put the Tag Team Championships on the line against The Verdict in what may have been your toughest challenge to date. You guys got the win here, but what did this match mean to you?
“These are two guys whom I look up to, Bryce. Bryce, when he was a part of the Shook Crew. He was there for my first Blitzkrieg! Pro match against Dante Drago. We’re coming from the back, and he’s like, ‘Dude, you’re not going to leave some for us? What the hell.’ I always admired him. Then he got ID’d, and he’s running town. Running shop. VSK is someone who’s been around for years and is killing it. For those two to be a tag team now and be assholes, it was like, ‘God, these two. Noooooo.’ But, no, it was a very fun match. We had to pull out some moves we don’t usually do to get the win. They tried to cheat. Then we did what we had to do, and we beat them. I really liked that match. It was a fun time. It was a very odd show. It was a fun show, but very odd show at the time. Luau is always a fun time. When we got there, we were also grieving our friend JoJo Collins, JoJo Saint, who just recently passed away. I tagged with him at Mojo at the Dojo, and I was like, ‘Okay, I have to do this for him.’ I had to honor my friend who lost his life way too early. That match meant more to us than you think. So, for us to come away with the win, it meant everything.”
Now, your reign doesn’t get any easier as you and Alexander will be going up against arguably one of the best tag teams the independent scene has ever seen, Miracle Generation. What has it been like to see all that they’ve accomplished so far?
“I’ve seen them in passing. We’ve shared some locker rooms. I always thought they were sick as a tag team. Two different guys, doing two different things, but it still works. So, to get to see them on GCW and DPW, and do all the things that I want to do. I hope DPW comes back. I hope DPW comes back. I want to work there. That’s a place where I want to work. But, to be able to see how much work they got done in the last five to seven years is really sick. I think we can pave a different path while still walking the same footsteps as them. So, this match is a test. Not because we’re going to lose, but it’s a test to see how badly we can beat them and how badly we can cement our legacy, as we are the guys. We are the guys. Just like Spy Kids 3D, we are the guys. We’re those guys on the independents. We’re on top of the tag team division, at least. We beat almost, even without Blitzkrieg to propel us, we’ve beaten almost every known tag team in the world. We fought the Batiri. We fought legends. We beat Sinner & Saint. I don’t know if Miracle Gen beat Sinner & Saint, or if they even fought. But that’s something we have a little ‘dip in our ship’ from. That’s what I’m going into Saturday with. Alright, cool. I’m going to be the best that I can be. We’re going to do this. We’re going to beat each other’s ass. We’re going to make it super fun, super great. I can’t wait to work with Dustin because I do the same shit he does. I hit springboards, handstands, and shooting star presses. You’re not going to be the only person doing that in this match, buddy. I can also catch you out of midair. Don’t play with me. I’m strong as hell. I’m really excited to go about this. It feels like it’s a clash of styles, but it’s not. I feel like we’re just, I don’t want to say it’s the past, but they are. This is the present. It’s time to knuck up or shut up.”
What are your goals for your future at Blitzkrieg! Pro?
“My specific ones? For Blitzkrieg. I really want people to see us a lot more. I want people to know how much fun you can have at a Blitzkrieg! Pro show. Our matches are usually really, really, really, really, really good. The people and the community that we built are the best part about Blitzkrieg, for me. It’s probably one of my safe havens when it comes to wrestling. We’ve become so close to the promoters and the family that comes with the promoters, and everyone. We’re cool with the camera guys. We’re cool with the sound people. We’re cool with everybody. I’m really happy that my coach, Logan Black, even though he did what he did and we beat his ass for it, really brought me there, and he really took me under his wing when I started coming around. He’s the reason I got my very first match at Blitzkrieg because Ryan Mooney was supposed to fight Dante Drago, but he had to pull out of the show. And he was like, yeah, this guy. I was like, ‘Me?’”
Then, the following weekend, you will be taking part in The Big Jym Rumble at BST Wrestling. What is your mindset heading into this match?
“My main goal is to preserve what Die-Spora is about. Recently at BST, a lot of things haven’t been going our way. Angelo is at odds with Joe, and Joe put his entire career in the northeast on the line if he doesn’t win this, and I just want to remind them that we’re still brothers in this. There’s no need to disrespect each other, there’s no need to fight each other when we can still talk about this. Especially because we’re trying to hear everyone’s side. I think I am. So, my goal is to preserve that but also still win. I think after winning my championship at Constant, it gave me a boost of confidence that I never had. I can do this thing by myself as a single star. But I’d rather do this with my brothers. Of course, I’m going to make sure, like a, let’s get there, let’s do it. Hopefully they’ll help me because they remember, yeah, you’re my brother, let’s do it. Hopefully, it’s not blind ignorance, and I can trust my brothers to make sure we’re good. That’s how I’m going into it. Regardless, I’m still the champion.”
Then, on August 22nd, you will be defending your Constant Wrestling Title against Corey Dillinger. What is your mindset heading into this one?
“So, I have my own problems with Corey. Corey has called me out by name several times. He’s said my name incorrectly several times, on purpose. This is someone I used to chill out in the locker room. This was big bro. He decided to call me out by name and say he needs my championship more than I do. I was like, ‘Okay, whatever, bro.’ I beat him. I told him when I cut my promo, ‘I’m going to beat you and then laugh in your face.’ That’s what you get. If you disrespect me, I’ll disrespect you in that way. That’s my way of disrespecting you. I did it, and then he snuffed me. Like he didn’t know what was about to happen. I ended up hurting a ref, and I got suspended for a month. I missed the last Constant show because of his actions. But I apologized and said I can’t wait to be back. I can’t wait to be back and put this man in the dirt. I already beat him once. I don’t know what he thinks he’s about to change up to beat me, because he’s not going to. I have the backing of the entire Constant Wrestling committee, locker room, and the fans. The fans laughed at you with me. What are we talking about? On August 22nd, I’m going to show him something. I have a lot of pent-up anger from this. I can’t wait to get my hands on the guy. And I’m not hurt anymore. You gave me a month off. I’m going to beat his ass bad, Scott, it’s going to be bad. Hopefully you watch this show too, it’s going to be fun. If you can’t make it, it’s probably going to be posted on YouTube. If you can make it, that would be sick. South River, New Jersey. Right next to Sayreville. Very cool. Please come.”
Looking ahead, what are your future goals?
“My main goal, the biggest goal, is to get to Japan. Wrestle in Japan, train in Japan, learn from the greats. I love Japanese-style wrestling. Kobashi is my favorite wrestler of all time. It’s really a mixture of Kobashi, Muta, and Tanahashi. I started rewatching Tanahashi stuff and going, ‘Broooooo, what the f**k.’ But I just want to be there. So, if there’s anything I do that can help me get to Japan, or if someone sees me from overseas and goes, ‘we have to have him.’ I’d be more than happy to go. That’s where I want to be. I want to be the first black IWGP Heavyweight Champion holder since Bob Sapp. I want to do it, and I think I can. I think I can. In my heart of hearts, I think I can. It’s just about getting there. The process may take longer than it needs to be, or it may take shorter, I don’t know. But I want to be in Japan. I want to be able to cement my legacy as a wrestler. So, that’s my biggest goal. That’s the goal I have to get to. Everything in between would be really sick. If I could get a singles spot at ETU. If I could tag with Joe at ETU. If I can tag with Angelo at ETU, that’d be fine. Blitzkrieg, if they see something in me singles-wise as well, sick. BST already sees something in me, so it’s just about being able to cement my legacy as a wrestler. I want to be everywhere. Why would I not want to be everywhere? West Coast Pro, I want to be able to do all of that. I want people to go, ‘Oh, he’s sick.’ I want to go to ASE. You think the African guy doesn’t want to go to ASE? That makes no sense. Of course, I want to go to ASE. I want to win the Pan-African Die Spora Championship. That was the title that was made for me. That title was made before I even came to wrestling. That championship will be mine. I promise you in the next two years I’ll have that championship.”
Do you have any future opponents you’d like to share the ring with?
“I got two lists. Bryan Keith, singles. Eddie Kingston is my dream match. I feel like Eddie and I, just based on how our energies are, would go stupid. If I could ever, when I’m ready, fight Hangman Adam Page, Ospreay, Kenny, or the super megastars of AEW, that would be sick. Even if it’s one match, five minutes, and I get my ass handed to me. Be fantastic. Tag, Motor City Machine Guns. There was a tag team in Japan I was watching, and I was like, ‘What is this? This is so sick.’ I have one more person from my singles, O-MENZ from DDT. He’s a break dancer. He does break dancing, and that’s his thing. I’m like, that match wouldn’t be fun, guys. TME. Both Main Events, actually. The Mane Event and TME. There was another tag team I was like, ‘Yo, I want to work these guys again.’ The Batiri, I want to work them again. I just want to work with people better than us. The Expected, ATR. You telling me right now any combination of Die-Spora vs. ATR wouldn’t be nuts? People’s jaws would be on the floor. I want to work on MSP. Those are our uncles and aunties. We’d stay with them at their crib in Maine until we passed out. We literally stole one of their moves. We stole the Bing Bang Boom from them. We stole that. So, yeah. There are more people. Yahya, Kaun, and Kofi, if he ever starts wrestling again. If I could wrestle Kofi Kingston, you’d have no idea what I’d do in that moment. I’d cry getting our names announced. That’s exactly what would happen to me. But anyone who thinks I’m at that level to wrestle anybody, any one of these big names, I can do it. If you believe that, I can do it. Swann, Ali, anybody. If they genuinely believe Kwesi Asante can do that shit, I’ll do it. I will do it. If I lose, I lose. I don’t care about losses. I really don’t. At the end of the day, I’m getting better. I won’t lose again, I can promise you that. But that’s my list.”