MVP has clarified his absence from the AEW Forbidden Door pay-per-view earlier in the year.
The AEW and NJPW crossover show took place in London, England on August 23, continuing the tradition of having an AEW show in the UK over the bank holiday weekend. At the event, then Tag Team Champions Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin put their titles on the line in a 3-way match against FTR and Brodido [Brody King and Bandido].
MVP was notably absent at the show as he did not accompany The Hurt Syndicate to the ring for their defence, which ultimately saw Brodido walk out of London as the champions. According to MVP, the reason for this was because he was unable to enter the UK due to a previous conviction.
While speaking with Chris Van Vliet, the AEW wrestler and manager was first asked about how close he came to becoming World Champion while in WWE. Responding that there were talks, MVP then admitted that there were reservations due to previous imprisonment, and elaborated on the reason for his incarceration:
“I don’t know this for an absolute fact, because I wasn’t in on the meeting, but I was told by some people that were. As a matter of fact, one of the writers, [said] there was talk about MVP being World Heavyweight Champion, but there was reservations because of my felony conviction. So for those of your viewers who don’t know, when I was a teenager, I was coming up in Miami, rough gang violence. I was an armed robber, and I did a robbery, and I ended up going to prison for several years. Nine and a half years. I served from 16 to 26. [Originally sentenced to] 18 and a half with a mandatory three for the sawed off shotgun, meaning for three years you can’t get time off for good behavior. And consequently, it was as a result of that, when I was at work release, getting out of prison, I met a correctional officer [called] Primetime Daryl D, he was an indie worker, and that’s how I got into the business. Because he would bring in videotapes for us to watch in the morning before they would open up the center to let us go to work. So guys couldn’t leave till seven, so it’d be like, 10 15, minutes, people just kind of milling around. And he’d bring in tapes. And I would be, Hey, man, how do you guys do that without really killing each other? And he’s like, Well, I see you out there playing basketball, working out. You got a good physique. You’re athletic. When you get out, if you want to give it a try, I’ll show you something. So that’s how I broke into wrestling. But going back to my conviction, it was at work release that I met the correctional officer who introduced me to my career. But now I’m a convicted felon.”
MVP Says UK Authorities Prevented AEW Forbidden Door Appearance
Continuing, MVP added that due to the felony, there were certain countries that he would be unable to enter, meaning that him becoming a World Champion would complicate international dates. The AEW star added that although he was able to obtain permits and was granted permission for countries such as Japan, Canada and Australia, the UK would not allow him into the country for the show:
“Because there were potentially countries that I couldn’t get into. So how can you be the World Heavyweight Champion, but you can’t go to this country? Like going to Japan. Japan is very strict about people who [can enter], like James Brown, they wouldn’t let into Japan. But because I went over for a Japanese company, they were able to smooth it over with the visa process. Canada. I couldn’t get into Canada for a long time. I had to go through a process there where people had to write letters of recommendation. It costs 1000s of dollars in legal fees to get something in Canada. They call it a letter of rehabilitation. They said, Okay, you’re rehabilitated. You can come to Canada. You always have to bring this letter with you, because if they ask, ‘Have you been convicted of a felony?’ And I say ‘Yes, but here’s my letter of rehabilitation.’ Then I can get in. Australia, the last time I went to Australia was with Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore. It literally took an act of Congress, and at the 12th hour, some Parliament official, nobody wanted to sign off on my document to let me in. And somebody knew somebody, and some member of parliament or whatever, signed off on it, and I was able to get in Australia. Now England, the United Kingdom, just started the electronic transfer authorization, and they ask the question, ‘Have you been convicted of a felony that required you to have a 12-month stay or longer in a correction?’ Well, yeah, I did nine and a half years, so I answered truthfully, and that’s why I wasn’t allowed in for Forbidden Door. So coming full circle, as it was told to me, there was a conversation about me being a World Champion. But there were reservations because of my convicted felony.”
MVP will return to the ring at All Out as he will team with Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin to take on Ricochet and Gates of Agony.
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Featured image: AEW
