MVP is a modern-day wrestling renaissance man.
The multi-talented wrestler showed he can carry a tune. On a recent afternoon, he breaks into a quick rendition of country singer Johnny Cash’s 1996 song “I’ve Been Everywhere.”
That song exemplifies MVP’s wrestling career, which has taken him across multiple promotions and countries. He has wrestled for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
His experiences inform his current role as the on-screen manager of All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) The Hurt Syndicate, a wrestling faction, with longtime friends Shelton Benjamin, Bobby Lashley and recently Maxwell Jacob Friedman, better known as MJF. AEW begins its Chicago residency on Wednesday at the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom.
That MVP, who changed his legal name to Hassan Hamid Assad, has been able to sustain a two-decade career is a testament to his adaptability, talent and business acumen.
“I was very fortunate that I had people around me teaching me about the business of pro wrestling,” he told the Sun-Times. “[Young wrestlers] should learn how to produce your segments, learn how to time out TV, learn how to comfortably cut promos and master the psychology of matches.
“There’s so much to a wrestling television show, and if you take the time to learn all aspects of the business, then you have value beyond just being a wrestler.”
When WWE employed MVP, he was part of a stable known as The Hurt Business with Benjamin and Lashley. But during this iteration of the group, MVP remained an active wrestler from its inception in 2020 until 2021 when he tore his meniscus.
Despite his injury, MVP said he avoided surgery because the group was gaining traction and was popular. In a way, the injury birthed the second phase of his career as a mouthpiece for the group.
“I slipped into just a vocal role because I wasn’t wrestling anymore,” he said. “But I cherish it because this has given me a new chapter in my career. My ability to talk, to cut a promo, to be an effective communicator, has given me this longevity.
“I tell young talent that it’s not just about wrestling. You have to have character, charisma and speaking ability if you want to have longevity because your body’s going to break down eventually. You have a limited window for your physical performance as a wrestler. I took time to study other aspects of the business and to polish my ability to speak, and that’s given me a career that’s over 20 years now.”
But before MVP could thrive in his new role as an on-screen manager, the group was brought to an “unceremonious end,” according to MVP. No reason was given for why the group was being split up, and Benjamin was released in 2023. After that, MVP knew that he and Lashley needed to look for a new home with a year left on their contracts.
“I was sitting next to Bobby in catering and said, ‘We got to get out of here,’” MVP said. “[He told Lashley], ‘Don’t re-sign. Let’s get Shelton and go across the street [to AEW]. Our story is not finished.’”
Once MVP and Lashley’s contracts expired in 2024, the three wrestlers signed with AEW and debuted in September of that year. He said the group has enjoyed the freedom given to them by Tony Khan, the CEO and president of AEW, who is also the chief football strategy officer for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.
What makes the group work is its authenticity. MVP has known Benjamin and Lashley since meeting at a WWE event at the Staples Center. MVP walked in when Lashley and Benjamin were shooting balls of tape into a trash can and missing. The trio have been friends since, which makes working together seamless.
“Tony has given us that gift of allowing us to finish telling The Hurt Syndicate Story our way,” MVP said. “We made clear to Tony that we are OGs and we understand it’s time to make new stars, and that’s our goal. We’re not here for a long time and we know how to do business, make money and how to make stars.”
The WWE has largely dominated the mainstream wrestling landscape since the 1980s, despite challenges from high-profile competitors such as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). But both of those companies were fleeting, leaving WWE as the only North American company where, in MVP’s words, “you could make a comfortable seven-figure income.”
When AEW was founded in 2019, it not only gave WWE competition, but it also helped wrestlers raise their value in contract negotiations.
Tribalism exists amongst wrestling fans, and MVP is not a fan of it.
“It’s stupid,” he emphatically said. “The wrestlers, we’re rooting for each other. We want each other to be successful.”
MVP’s sense of the industry started with his mentors Norman Smiley and Soulman Alex G, who trained him in the beginning of his career and explained to him that wrestling is just a small part of the industry.
After heeding their advice, MVP became a student of the game.
He’s attuned to all aspects of professional wrestling, from camera shots to lighting to sound. He communicates with each department because they’re a crucial part of helping wrestlers present themselves in the best possible light.
Now in a role to give back, he wants to use his accumulated 20-plus years of experience to help get other wrestlers over — wrestling parlance for helping a wrestler become bigger.
“At the end of the day, that’s what pro wrestling is about,” MVP said. “Wrestling can be a very selfish business, and let’s be honest, it’s an ego-driven business. If I’m out there and I’m able to help elevate the other talent that I’m working with, then everybody wins.”