The Street Profits’ Montez Ford before he, Angelo Dawkins and Bobby Lashley face the LWO at WWE Fastlane on Saturday (8 p.m., Peacock) took time for some Q&A with The Post’s Joseph Staszewski
(Edited for clarity and length)
Q: What’s it been like for you and Angelo to get out of your comfort zone a little bit and have some new elements to play with creatively now?
A: I feel like it’s not really us getting out of our comfort zone. I think it’s the ongoing turmoil of us being stagnant and not having too much success for a very, very long time and getting frustrated and the hunger for more. It’s just starting to reach this boiling point now and it’s just starting to surface.
Q: Is Bobby Lashley someone you guys looked up to coming up in your career and looked at and said, ‘It would be great at some point to work with’?
A: I’ve been watching him for the past two decades. I remember Bobby Lashley when he first came in and how he worked when he first came in and knowing his background and how we have similar backgrounds (with the military). And now that we’re working together is like a full circle. We have similar backgrounds, having been doing this for a very, very long time, the ins and outs, the peaks and valleys. I always wanted to be a part of what he was doing. Didn’t know how and it just so happens now we are a part of this faction together. But didn’t know how, but the fact that it is happening is just to show things take time and they will happen. Things take time and it’s good to see everything come around full circle and actually happen for someone that I idolize growing up like Bobby Lashley.
Q: How important is this match at Fastlane, just for establishing the group? This is the first time the three of you will wrestle together.
A: It’s very important. It sets the tone. For the past few weeks and months we have been showing you a lot. We have had a couple of hiccups here and there, but like you said (this is) the first time we are actually officially paired together as a unit. I think it’s very very important we not only show dominance, but show what’s gonna be the tone? What should you expect from us going forward and I think that’s why this weekend is so important. For a very long time, people haven’t seen or (been) shown a certain tone from us. I think this weekend that all changes.
Q: Do you see this as a heel faction, a babyface faction, one the audience might decide by what opponent you have? Do you have an idea of what it is and what you want it to be?
A: I feel like it’s gonna be whatever the viewer decides it to be. We are gonna have similar situations to individuals in life, things that they go through, certain decisions they have to make. And whatever we decide to do, whatever motive we have, I think they are gonna decide whether they like it or not based on the decision we make. It’s at the point right now where I don’t think we are really searching for approval. It’s more toward success.
What we have been doing for a very long time has been stagnant and not too much has been added to our accolades for a very long time because we have been doing it a certain way. I feel like now by reasserting ourselves, letting ourselves know and letting the world know what the tone is, that’s what we’re taking it as. Whatever they’re taking it as, whether it’s good or bad they’ll know what the tone is, what our motive is. It’s up to them whether they like it or not.
Q: You made some changes to your ring gear and became more aggressive and assertive, but a lot stayed. Your music stayed, the solo cup has stayed. Was that important for you to keep that or is that something that could gradually change over time as you figure out what this group is?
A: You can’t necessarily change all the things that come with The Street Profits. From day one we have always come out in unison and let everyone know the solo cups is what we do. We switched a few things but that doesn’t mean you switch entirely. If you decide to do a new program, you’re not just gonna change your whole motive of life and how you handle the day-to-day functions. You’re gonna have a few adjustments here and there but everything about you isn’t going to completely change, but they will know there’s something different, there’s something changed. Something is not the same here. Then those changes start to grow on top of more changes on top of more changes as the adjustment in the evolution continues. So as of right now, I be thirsty when I go out there. So I don’t see that cup going no dam where.
Q: Was it important in your mind that this wasn’t labeled The Hurt Bussiness 2 or the new Hurt Business? Fans can make it what they want, but this was allowed to be separate from that.
A: I feel like fans are gonna make comparisons to whatever is common to them or can make the best comparison to them. I didn’t feel like we’re a new Hurt Business. I don’t feel like we’re a new anything. We’re just something different. We’re not an evolution of what was. We are a new version of what is and what’s going to be. It’s three different people that’s never been paired together. That in itself should make it automatically different. You don’t see one person that’s still the same in a new group, but it’s called the old group’s name. It just doesn’t work that way.
Q: Where did the idea for your new finisher come from and did you play with a bunch of different things before you got to this one?
We did play with a bunch of ones. We did have a few already in the chamber. We knew we had a few that we hadn’t tried. I wanted something that could come out of nowhere, easily done to anyone that’s very quick and that’s in unison. It’s something that makes both of us collectively do something. We had the combo before with the Sky High Frog Splash but this is more menacing doing an actual double-team move. The name is fitting. It is called The Revelation because as we all know Revelation means the end. Love it so much. It’s so fun to set up. I think it’s getting to the point where the crowd can see where it’s about to happen.
Q: Bobby commented this week that he sees Jade Cargill as someone who could fit right in with this group. What do you think adding her could mean for the dynamic and do you agree with him?
A: Everything has to be like, you see what happens. The motive and the mindset that myself, Dawkins and Bobby have now is going along a certain way to get to a certain spot, an opportunity or a certain goal or a certain championship. All these things are now focused in our mind, if that brings along people along the way who have the same motive, who have the same mindset and are trying to build each other up and succeed and win and go forward. If that does bring other people along the way that have that great mindset, you kind of just have to see what happens. You have to be open to everything. I would just say you have to keep your options open and see what happens.
Q: Jade and your wife Bianca Belair is talked about as a dream match and now it’s possible. What would that match mean for women’s wrestling and the representation of black athletes in the sport to have those two together on a big stage?
A: It just shows the true testament of how both of these women are because I don’t even think they’ve physically greeted each other yet. The fact that they’re both been talked about in such a high regard lets you know the importance of both of these women. So I don’t even have to tell you about the importance to women’s wrestling.
The fact that it’s been so talked about already lets you know the foundation and the hard work and time that they both put in that everyone is still clamoring over something that has a huge possibility of happening, but that they want to happen. They should get a round of applause for that itself because you have all these people talking and you guys haven’t even said too much to each other yet. That time will come. I’m pretty sure it will. But I think the level of importance of it is, not only is it looked at in high regard, but it gives more women’s wrestlers, women of culture this motivation to do this same thing as well and at such a very, very, high level, both of them, specifically my wife as well.
My wife has done so much, not just for herself and women’s wrestling but just the culture as well. I feel like all that motivation and accolades just keep spreading, so I feel like it’s very important. It will continue to be important and I’m glad to see that it’s still elevating to new heights because my wife wrestled in the first African Americans (women’s main event) at WrestleMania. Now, she has a chance to have the heights even more elevated by getting with Jade. It just shows how everything’s growing, everything’s evolving and the possibilities are gonna keep growing after after that who knows we are gonna keep talking about more dream matches because someone was inspired by them. We are just gonna have to see what happens when that monumental match does happen.