TNA’s Kenny King has one of the most unique resumes in entertainment beyond pro wrestling.
He has been a child actor, college football player, reality star on WWE’s Tough Enough show, and yes, even a Chippendales’ dancer. Every opportunity has made the 33-year-old who he is today.
These days King has found success on Impact Wrestling in the Beat Down Clan, a faction that also includes MVP and Low Ki, Lashley, Homicide and Samoa Joe were members of the BDC in the past.
“All of us are legitimate friends,” King said. “We travel together, drink together and text message each other. That’s one of the things that don’t make us your typical wrestling group. We aren’t just a group of guys who are thrown together left to find some type of organic chemistry. The origins of this team are built on existing friendships and relationships.”
For King, there are more layers to the trio than just outspoken miscreants who beat people up.
“We are heavily influenced by Japanese culture and hip hop,” he says. “You can tell by the onie masks and the war banners and even in the name. We are a war clan. It’s heavily Japanese influenced. Just some of the promos, you can tell there is a hip hop tone. It’s really just a celebration of who we are as people. That may sound funny when you consider the content and the mission we have on television. There is this whole swagger about these guys who have seen and experienced things elsewhere and then you bring it back to pro wrestling.”
Aside from participating in BDC battles against rivals such as The Rising, King is a prominent contender the X Division. The former champion will be among others who push the boundaries of what’s possible in the six-sided ring. The X Division takes center stage for the 10th Destination X event, airing for the first time Wednesday on Destination America.
“It’s an absolute honor to be part of it,” King said. “If you look at the origins of TNA and where TNA came from and how it made its name, it’s made on the X Division. If you look at the old logo, it was built on the X. That is a testament to how important the X Division is in TNA. Then to be able to work with in a division where guys like Jerry Lynn, AJ Styles, Low Ki, Frankie Kazarian and Joe, it’s an honor.
“I’m a historian and student of the game, so that means a whole lot to me,” he continues. “Then you have all these new guys who came in. A guy I’m really looking forward to working with in the X Division is Eddie Edwards. He is a phenomenal singles wrestler. When we lock up, it’s something to watch. So it’s really exciting right now with the kind of matchups we have.”
King’s entrance into the business was on the second season of “Tough Enough.” Even though he wasn’t awarded a WWE contract, the experience opened doors. He didn’t just want to be some reality show star on MTV, but a legitimate professional wrestler. “Tough Enough” was the launching pad.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for anyone who wants it,” he said. “To get trained by people who were successful in WWE. That exposure is invaluable to anyone who wants to be successful in this industry. I think what happens though, and you see it in some instances, is people don’t realize what it takes to be a successful professional wrestler.
“A lot of people just see the 10 weeks of cameras in your face and the glamour of what ‘Tough Enough’ actually is,” he continues. “If you do or don’t win, you still have to put in the time and hours and put that wear and tear on your body. A lot of people don’t really understand what they got themselves into.
“Any time you have experience in television and you see how things work, it puts you ahead of the game. It becomes where a director looks and says, ‘Oh, you already know.’ That’s always a leg up over someone who is still learning which way to turn for the camera and things like that. So it helped,”
A few years ago King unexpectedly found himself in the world of Chippendales in Las Vegas. The new occupation was a nice financial accompaniment to his wrestling appearances.
“My Chippendales career has been over for a while now,” he said. “It was an awesome thing. It’s one of those things where for a while I wasn’t even sure if I should mention it. I thought it was this weird crossover with the audience. The bottom line is that I was a headliner at a show for multiple years. I was part of one of the top-selling national and international calendars in the world for multiple years. So it’s all part of Kenny King and part of who you see Wednesday nights on Impact Wrestling.”
Believe it or not there some parallels between what he does inside the ring and the routines he did on stage.
“It’s all about showmanship,” King said.
“It’s no different when there are a thousand women in a theater compared to a thousand wrestling fans in an arena. They came to see what they came to see, so it’s your job as an entertainer to be sharp and always be ever-progressing with your skills. That is why you see Hollywood actors go back to Broadway or theater because there is nothing like live theater to sharpen your skills.”
It’s never a dull moment in the life of King. This goes back to the days when he was doing commercials, as well as spots on “My Brother and Me,” “Welcome Freshmen and “Clarissa Explains It All.” He hopes to revisit acting, but TNA is his top priority. He looks forward to Destination X and the company’s next pay-per-view Slammiversary on June 28.
“Slammivesary is always super important, not just to me, but the entire TNA locker room,” King said.
“It’s another year of ‘Hey, we made it!’ Despite what people say — and would like to think — about what we do, it’s another anniversary. It’s another reason to celebrate. I think it’s a testament to the guys and girls in the locker room. If we weren’t working on all cylinders and if the product wasn’t up to par, we wouldn’t be here for another Slammiversary. So for the people in that locker room and the people in the back busting their tails to make the show as good as it is, that’s really where the power lies. We have people who refuse to have a show that isn’t anything but excellent.”
Impact Wrestling airs Wednesday nights at 9/8/CT on Destination America. Follow me on Twitter @smFISHMAN.
