Babatunde Aiyegbusi (26 May 1988) is a Polish professional wrestler, football player, a Polish representative in this sport, a three-time champion and two-time runner-Polish, bronze medalist of the Czech Republic. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment where he appears on NXT. He is half-Nigerian and half-Polish.
Early career
Aiyegbusi began his basketball career, which is practiced by about 4 years. In 2005 won the Polish junior basketball playing in the team of Slask Wroclaw. In the 2005/2006 season he played one match for the reserves Silesia competition Division II, also winning the championship as a point guard.
Because of frequent problems with gaining fouls and infractions he decided to end his basketball career and began to pursue a career in football. Aiyegbusi began playing American football in 2005 as an offensive lineman. He played in the Polish American Football League for The Crew Wrocław, Giants Wrocław and Warsaw Eagles and in the German Football League for Dresden Monarchs. In 2015, Ayegbusi was signed by Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League and he participated in their preseason program, playing three preseason games before being released as part of roster cuts prior to the 2015 NFL season.
Professional wrestling career
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
NXT (2015-present)
In 2015, he began his career wrestling in the WWE. In 2016 he signed a developmental contract with the federation.
Aiyegbusi made his debut in 2016 during a 30 September NXT Live event, participating in a Battle Royal match won by NXT rookie Dan Matha. The following year in 2017 on the 14 January NXT Live event, Aiyegbusi won his first singles match, defeating Australian wrestler Chris Atkins. His next victory came on 24 March, when he defeated Demitrius Bronson. By June 2017 he compiled a 5-1 win-loss record in singles matches, losing his first match on a 2 June NXT Live event to Sawyer Fulton before rebounding with two consecutive victories in their rematches. Throughout the remaining course of 2017, Aiyegbusi wrestled against other NXT opponents including Buddy Murphy, Demitrius Bronson, Jeet Rama and Kassius Ohno. He finished the year with a victory on 16 December, defeating Brazilian wrestler Cezar Bononi.
Returning during February 2018, Aiyegbusi went on to continue wrestling in singles matches, against opponents including Lars Sullivan, Cheng Yuxiang, Chad Lail, Raul Mendoza, Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel. On 27 April, Aiyegbusi entered the 50-man battle royal promoted as the WWE Greatest Royal Rumble that was eventually won by Braun Strowman. During a 4 May NXT Live event, Aiyegbusi began the month with a victory over Chad Lail. During the 12 May and 19 May NXT Live events, Aiyegbusi teamed with Lio Rush to defeat Brennan Williams & Christopher Dijak in tag matches. His final singles match for the May month was during the 18 May NXT Live event, defeating fellow NXT rookie Big Boa. He ended the month teaming with Lio Rush once more in a tag match that was lost to Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan. The following month Aiyegbusi competed on the 2 June NXT Live event in a No.1 Contendership Battle Royal for the NXT North American Championship. He wrestled twice more during the month's string of NXT Live events, defeating singles opponents Fabian Aichner and Rinku Singh. During the July month, Aiyegbusi was undefeated in singles matches during the July NXT Live events, defeating opponents including, Rocky, Dan Matha, Jaxson Ryker and Dominik Dijakovic. During August, Aiyegbusi competed twice in singles matches at NXT Live events against Marcel Barthel and The Velveteen Dream. During September, Aiyegbusi was undefeated in singles matches, defeating Luke Menzies, Rocky, Brennan Williams and Dan Matha. During a 27 October NXT Live event, Aiyegbusi competed in a No.1 Contendership match for the NXT North American Championship. During the month of November between singles matches at the November NXT Live events, Aiyegbusi wrestled singles opponents Dan Matha and Marcel Barthel, Aiyegbusi wrestled new opponents in Mansoor Al-Shehail and Lars Sullivan. Aiyegbusi lost against Sullivan during the 8 November NXT Live event. Aiyegbusi finished out the year with Live events, teaming with the War Raiders at the 6 December NXT Live event, in a tag match defeating The Forgotten Sons. He finished the year undefeated in both tag matches and singles, defeating singles opponents Punishment Martinez and Fabian Aichner.
In 2019, simply using the name Babatunde, he returned during a 7 February NXT Live event, winning his match defeating Luke Menzies. During the March NXT Live events, Babatunde defeated recent recruit Nick Comoroto. During the April Live events, Babatunde entered the ring wrestling against recent recruits including Jermaine Haley and Samuel Shaw. He also teamed with recruits Jeff Parker & Matt Lee in a tag match defeating Mansoor Al-Shehail, Rinku Singh & Saurav Gurjar. During the May NXT Live events, Babatunde wrestled twice, defeating Samuel Shaw in a singles match. He later in the month teamed with 3.0 in a tag match defeating Fabian Aichner, Marcel Barthel & Trevor Lee. The following month during the June NXT Live events, Babatunde won his only two matches, defeating opponents Nick Comoroto and Ridge Holland. On the July NXT Live events, Babatunde teamed with Cezar Bononi in a tag match won by The Outliers. He also wrestled matches against Mohamed Fahim and Killian Dain. Returning in September, Babatunde teamed with recent recruit Bronson Reed and rookie Boa in a tag match lost to The Forgotten Sons. He also wrestled a match against Kassius Ohno.
EVOLVE Wrestling (2019-present)
Between NXT Live events, Babatunde appeared in EVOLVE, due to WWE's business relationship. On 10 May, Babatunde debuted in EVOLVE 127, where he defeated Adrian Alanis. The following night at EVOLVE 128 Babatunde returned for his second match, defeating Liam Gray. The following month, Babatunde returned at EVOLVE 129, during which he defeated Harlem Bravado. The following night at EVOLVE 130, Babatunde competed against James Drake for the World Wrestling Network Championship, but ended in a No Contest finish. Babatunde returned at EVOLVE 131 during which he won a singles match against Colby Corino. Returning at EVOLVE 132, Babatunde defeated Joe Gacy. Two months later, Babatunde returned at EVOLVE 135, wrestling against Austin Theory in a match that ended in No Contest.
In wrestling
- Finishers
- Spinebuster
- Big Splash