Reality of Wrestling star AQA talks training with Booker T and more!

PC: What led you to choose Booker T’s school? 

AQA: I wanted to get the very best experience that I could. I was looking for schools, and it never popped into my head that maybe I should look in Texas because I have family up here, like immediate family. So I searched for wrestling schools in Texas, and Booker T’s name popped up.

I was like, that’s it. I’m going there. Why would I not want to learn from a WWE Hall of Famer? And I made the absolute best decision of my life. Like, he is so full of knowledge. There are things that he tells us that you don’t even think about thinking about, and it’ll just blow your mind.

PC: Is it still surreal to be training and working with a WWE Hall of Famer like Booker T?

AQA: It really is. I’ll tell you, it’s some days where like, you go there—cause I’ve been doing it for like two years now. So, some days you’re kinda like, ‘okay, I’m going to training.’ But then there will also be some days where we’re training, and then you just turn around and he’s like right there. He’s like in your face. He moves like the wind.

Like, you don’t know when he’s there, then you turn around and he’s like, ‘boom, do this, work on that.’ Or you’ll be doing a move, and then you’ll just hear someone yell out, ‘now, freeze that, do it this way.’ And you’ll just turn around like, ‘oh my god, Booker’s here.’ You know? So, some days it’s like, ‘oh, this is really cool.’ And some days it’s like, ‘this is really cool.’ You don’t think about it sometimes.

PC: I’ve gotten the impression Booker T has been very supportive of you. What has it been like hearing from him how much potential he sees in you?

AQA: Every time that he says something like that, or any time he gives me a little bit of advice to get better, it goes back to when you first asked what it’s like to train under him. Some days it’s like, ‘is Booker T really giving me advice right now? Like, the guy I grew up watching on TV? Is he really standing in front of me giving me advice?’

But also, it gives me more confidence each time because I know he wants me to do better. Because if he didn’t care, he would just say ‘good match’ or he would be like, ‘oh, work on this,’ and walk away. But he takes his time. He’ll pull you aside and he’ll go step by step. ‘You did this. You shoulda did that. You did this really well, but this is how you could do it better.’

It just makes me want to make him even prouder. It just makes me want to do better for my trainer so they’ll know that I’m listening to them as well. It just overall gives me a huge confidence boost and makes me want to keep going and see where this is going to take me one day.

PC: What has your experience been like working with other trainers at Reality of Wrestling? 

AQA: The best thing about working with the other wrestlers there is that everyone brings something different. Everyone teaches a different way. So, the best thing about this school is everyone can teach you how to do something a different way, and it’s not just one way. Because a lot of schools, it’s like, ‘okay, we’re gonna do it this way, and that’s it.

But Gino has a different way to teach you. Ryan [Davidson] has a different way to teach you. Rex Andrews has a different way to teach you. Booker has a different way to teach you. So if Gino’s running training one day, and he’s like, ‘okay, we’re gonna do this.’ If I don’t understand it his way, I can just go to Ryan Davidson and say, ‘hey, Ryan, Gino said this, how do I do it?’

He can put it in other words, or vice versa, and it works out perfectly. And that’s the best part about it. And Gino helps me out a lot with a lot of the stuff you guys see me doing. Like if I’m flying in the air or if there’s any lucha spots, he’s very hands-on with that. It’s great.