Meet Neji Ichiban | Professional Wrestler

We had the good fortune of connecting with Neji Ichiban and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Neji, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I had always enjoyed watching professional wrestling since I was a child. I had fallen off a time or 2 because certain wrestlers would her shafted from being in the spotlight and it crushed me to be unable to see them in that spotlight, until I got back into it heavily around 2014. Fast forward February, 2022, I started my journey in becoming a pro wrestler; it was one of those instances where I felt like I couldn’t do it because of my lack of athletic background. However, I gathered all my strength and courage to pursue and 2 years later “The Prince of Passion” Neji Ichiban displays passion in and out of the ring alongside “The Princess of Passion” Stella Randy.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My entire journey started February, 2022. 24 years old, watching pro wrestling, playing video games, little to no physical activity, and yet still my mind wandered to “I want to be a pro wrestler”. I thought to myself ‘could I do it, would I even be able to keep up’, well, a few live WWA4 shows later and I was in a ring training to live out my dreams. It didn’t take long for me to find out how painful this journey would be. A year later I broke my jaw during a match but I did not stay down. I kept fighting, not just during the match, but after especially. With my hand raised in victory, I spoke to the crowd with my jaw hanging off my face to further prove my passion prevails. However, I was in for a rude awakening; 16 screws, 2 brackets and 2 plates later, I was on the shelf for multiple months as I recovered from my broken jaw. The support I had during and after my recovery was astounding and if it weren’t for my Princess of Passion, I likely wouldn’t be the pro wrestler you see before you. Setbacks happen more often than not and it’s up to us to figure a way to fight through it. I like to think of it like a slingshot, all the bad will pull you back further and further making you believe there’s no way out, until you let go and fling into the good that was waiting for you all along. I want everyone to know to never give up, your passion whatever it may be will prevail and you will succeed the more you allow yourself to let go and fling into success.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The first place I’d take someone would be a WWA4 live show to show them what I am all about and share my experience of it all with the. Besides going to other local independent wrestling shows, I’d recommend going around Little 5 Points first to have fun going to the pop up shops they have, if there’s an event going on, and stop at some of the bars that are around the area. Then an arcade would be next on the list because who doesn’t love one? I mean the joy of going from arcade game to a cabinet to a table, it’s an experience unlike any other and there’s something for everyone. From fighting games, to rhythm games, to VR, to multiplayer games, they all provide a varying degree of fun in all aspects especially when it’s shared moments.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost I want to shoutout AR Fox for training me and helping me gain confidence to truly put myself out there and my best foot forward. Secondly I want to shoutout everyone in Top Team: Jose Manuel, Shoota Gabe, Renegade Enforcer, Dante Darko, Keelin Cole, Jay Lucas, Terry Yaki, Slayer Leake and Mr. Danger, each and everyone one of these guys have helped me in so many ways it would take me a lifetime to repay them for all that they’ve done for me, it will be experiences that I won’t ever forget. Lastly, the entire WWA4 deserves a shoutout not just for being the best wrestling school but for the community within this school, every single person is family. Not “like” family, they are, we check on each other, make sure one another is okay and giving each other an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on. We will give the shirts off our own back to you if you ever feel cold.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neji_ichiban?igsh=bmhpaDh3aHByd28x&utm_source=qr

Twitter: https://x.com/neji_ichiban/status/1740126228739502104?s=46&t=S1XJVmZbP3Frd9RhD29ndQ

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087234671425&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@neji_ichiban?si=0nksR4ui6ua2o93b

Image Credits
Bigrod_photos on INSTAGRAM

X.nova.x115 on INSTAGRAM