Before joining WWE in 2023, Je'Von Evans began earning attention on the independent scene at a young age with standout performances in Deadlock Pro-Wrestling, GCW, and other promotions. These days, he's turning heads on "WWE Raw," having been called up from NXT at the age of 21. It turns out that fans can thank one late ECW star, at least in part, for helping develop Evans as a pro wrestler."Fun fact: New Jack is one of my trainers," Evans said while speaking to MuscleManMalcolm for the Sportster. "He's one of the people who trained me he's kind of like an uncle. Uncle New Jack in ECW."Evans brought up New Jack after being asked to identify someone from the industry's past that he wishes he could wrestle today. Sadly, the match can no longer happen, as New Jack died in 2021 at the age of 58.Beginning his wrestling career in the early 1990s, New Jack rose to prominence in ECW, initially continuing his tag team with Mustafa Saed known as The Gangstas. While continuing to stay involved in the tag division, New Jack also found success as a singles star, developing a reputation for being a genuine fighter and having a willingness to push boundaries, which the ECW fanbase adored.In his later years, New Jack served as a guest trainer at Firestar Pro Wrestling, where the future Evans would begin his own career. Though Evans did not elaborate, the two evidently crossed paths there, and Evans would later go on to pay tribute to the late ECW star when "NXT" visited the 2300 Arena, long associated with Paul Heyman's defunct promotion.If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Sportster and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
