MVP Recalls Leaving WWE For NJPW, Talks Having A Confrontation With A WWE Executive, More

MVP discusses his decision to make the move to Japan.

Montel Vontavious Porter or simply known as “MVP” in the world of professional wrestling is still active in the ring on a sporadic basis. The former two-time WWE United States Champion has been sharing his story of overcoming obstacles to live out a dream that once seemed unattainable. He made it to the WWE after working the independent scene for several years. In 2010, MVP and WWE came to terms on his contract and the following year he was announced to have signed a deal with New Japan Pro Wrestling where he became the first IWGP Intercontinental Champion.

MVP was spotlighted in the series ‘The Wrestlers’ on VICE and to promote his appearance on the show, he chatted with VICE for an exclusive interview and told the story of why he left WWE for New Japan. He attributed his departure to him getting into a back and forth with an executive at a point in his career where he felt he was being primed for a World Title run and after going on a losing streak in the months following that aforementioned incident, he wanted to take control of his career and knew the next stop was Japan.

“Yeah, Japanese wrestling is my favorite wrestling. Wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling at the Tokyo Dome, that was my dream. WrestleMania and the WWE was a goal. After having been at WWE and being somebody who was being groomed to be a world champion, I ran afoul of some politics and spent three months on a losing streak. I had a confrontation with one of the executives.” He continued, “He came out of his mouth to me, sideways. I told him, ‘Man, you don’t talk to me like that.’ He told me to go f*ck myself. At that moment I decided OK, I’m done here. I said, ‘No, you go f*ck yourself.’ He stood up and he stammered, ‘I’m not afraid of you.’ I leaned in and said, ‘Man, do you want to do this here in front of your coworkers or do you want to go outside and do this like men?’ He didn’t want to fight. He wasn’t expecting me to respond that way. Because of his position, he was thinking that I was just going to say ‘OK’ like so many guys do, but I was done. Mentally, I was done. I asked to be released so that I could go follow my dream in Japan. I always wanted to wrestle in Japan, and I expressed that. They said, OK, we’ll give you a release. Come back in a year, two years, and the door is open. You’ll be a bigger star when you come back, and I never made it back.”

Both MVP and Shad Gaspard were brought to tears on April 7th when they watched Kofi Kingston become WWE Champion and to watch MVP and Shad’s video, click here.