Rugby to the WWE – The former viral sensation who’s ready to swap the field for the ring and join Triple H and other legends in superstardom
tyrese johnson-fisher aims for wwe glory
Tyrese Johnson-Fisher, once hailed as rugby’s first viral wonderkid, has his sights set on yet another top level sport. This time, WWE.
With five years of American football behind him, Planet Rugby recently caught up with him to discuss his life after rugby and what the future holds for the 25-year-old.
As we sat in the quiet of the Crystal Palace National Sports Arena, the late spring sun catching the rows of empty seats, he reflected on the early decisions that shaped his future — and the woman who made them.
The end of the beginning
“I grew up with a single mom,” Johnson-Fisher explained. “She got to that realisation that where we were growing up wasn’t going to allow me to have many opportunities. The path that I could have gone down wouldn’t have been a place that she would have wanted me to.
“She made the sacrifice to move us to Dubai, which was just the most awesome experience ever. It was humbling being able to go from living in South London to then living in Dubai and seeing a life that I never knew was possible.
“Then getting an opportunity to use my sporting talents to go to a boarding school in the UK was probably the best thing that could have happened to me. None of my family went to boarding school, most of my family could never dream of boarding school.
“To have those experiences because my mum was willing to make those sacrifices – that means I have the best mom in the world.”
Tyrese’s first sense of fame
His first experience of fame came at just 15 when he was filmed scoring four magical tries in a school match. This footage inevitably went viral, with Johnson-Fisher being dubbed as a future superstar of the sport.
Despite his undeniable talent, his superstardom did not necessarily mean happiness. As his talent grew, so did the level of expectation, leading to conflicts, jealousy and frustration among those around him.
While his relationships were struggling off the field, his enjoyment on the pitch was also taking a toll.
“I enjoyed outside centre. When I went viral I was playing 13, but I was told if I was ever going to make it I’ll have to play wing, so I got stuck on the wing,” he said.
“Imagine what does to you as a kid. When you want to learn something, but now you’re being restricted to a perception and a stereotype, and instead of nurturing the talent, they restrict it.”
After youth and academy stints at Leicester Tigers and a professional contract at Bristol Bears, Johnson-Fisher eventually found himself truly out of love with the game, and isolated in an environment that simply did not suit him.
“I needed more brothers,” he said reflecting upon his time ostracised in the West Country – noting the cultural differences from South London to Bristol that had a major effect on his ability to express himself.
What had once been an exciting future for the young man, had since become a journey he no longer wanted to be a part of.
Rugby evolving to the pace of society
As history tells us, rugby was not able to keep ahold of Johnson-Fisher, a disaster for a game already slated for not evolving with the times. So what does rugby need to do to keep people like Tyrese?
“Create more entertainers,” he said as we chatted about Maro Itoje’s appointment as the British and Irish Lions captain.
“Itoje being the captain has shown just how far rugby has come. Fans appreciate him because he is such an awesome guy and such an awesome rugby player.
“If you were a young black kid seeing that Itoje is a British and Irish Lions captain, you’re gonna say, ‘this is something that I could aspire to be, in the future I could get a pair of rugby boots, I could try it because a brother did it’.
“People become a lot more comfortable in places where we’re not necessarily always the minority, or for the simple fact that something is possible. Seeing Itoje in that position is awesome and it’s not just only testament to his quality and his talent, but also rugby really trying to grow.”
So how does rugby find more entertainers?
“You probably need to start looking into the track world, maybe you need to start looking in some of the ethnic minority background households and areas,” continued.
“But to get them we need to let them know that they can be themselves and they can be appreciated for who they are. That you will develop them and you won’t just stick them on the wing. Give them a chance to play other positions.”
Explaining that he used to watch highlights of Christian Wade before every rugby match, Johnson-Fisher says these characters need building up, not stripping down.
“Rugby needs to be a lot more accepting and open to trying different things. You need to have songs that are going to attract people, you need to have collaborations with certain companies that a lot of people grew up supporting and enjoying, you need to be able to have levels of entertainment.
“People want to see really cool things like big hits and a lot of really fast people doing crazy things, making crazy catches.
“Rugby has the big hits, but not enough people doing really cool things and running around people.”
So what happened after Tyrese left rugby?
It’s a bit of an up-and-down story since he left rugby. In a sense he has achieved his dream of playing American football to a high standard, but sadly he never quite met the NFL criteria at the right time.
Having enjoyed much of his early life as a sprinter Johnson-Fisher boasts some incredibly impressive times, but sadly every time an NFL scout came to watch, the conditions just weren’t right.
“I had an NFL combine with a couple of NFL teams, but it’s 10° and raining in New York, and I’m just like ‘come on I need to get an opportunity to be able to show what I can do’, but I can’t show them because it’s raining,” he explained.
“And then I get injured in my first game of the season, and when I have another try-out it’s that same 10° and raining, but this time it’s actually on the grass.
“At this point I’m just thinking to myself, ‘I need to make one more last drive’. I don’t want to look back at 40 and say to myself ‘I wish I did this, I wish I tried that, I wish I had made the sacrifices that most people wouldn’t end up making’.
“I decided that the best thing for me was to sacrifice making money, sacrifice time. I drive for four hours a day, training with Olympic sprinters everyday, being humbled with some of the fastest people in the world.
“You realise that actually you’re really slow, but when I get the opportunity in front of an NFL team, I’ll be so fast that you can never deny me. But the problem was, the opportunity never came.”
But like Johnson-Fisher says: “Rejection is god’s protection” – claiming that although he was never granted his his NFL wish, he has something greater to explore if he’s humble enough to accept.
The WWE slide into his DMs
It was an Instagram message that was initially thought to be fake, but one that has changed all perceptions for Johnson-Fisher. First approached back in 2019, the World Wrestling Entertainment has been keeping an eye on his talents for many years – but this time he’s ready.
“At 25, I feel like I’ve given so much physically and mentally to my sports, so to finally be seen by the biggest entertainment company in the world, was the most humbling thing.”
Having spent the past six months sprint training with Olympic athletes on the track in front of us, Johnson-Fisher was in top condition when he attended the WWE trials earlier this month.
Being taught and conditioned by some of the greatest superstars in the wrestling entertainment industry was the “best experience” of his life. In a room with the likes of Triple H and many other wrestling legends, Johnson-Fisher felt that he finally found his calling.
“I’ve finally got somebody who is willing to look at me and potentially help me progress in my career and in my life, why wouldn’t I go in try and take the opportunity?
“You see Triple H, all of these legends in and around you, how has this kid from South London ended up being around all of these legends in a building that you never knew existed?”
The happiest moments of the last five years
“Wrestling for me, in the last two months, has been some of the happiest moments of the last five years.
“I’m finally in a place where I can kind of use my creativity and it’s never going to be looked down upon in a bad way, because there’s always going to be someone that likes it.
“My training is going to consist of muay thai, gymnastics, lucha libre wrestling, normal wrestling and acting,” he enthused before running me through his costume and character design.
“Imagine seeing that person that’s come from all of these professional sports, performing this character, how enjoyable is that going to be to watch as a spectator, and how enjoyable will it be for the athlete to perform this cool stuff.”
Listening to his wrestling outfit designs and character development plans, the passion is there to see. This is not a man that can be squashed down to just a number. Expression is at the height of all that makes Johnson-Fisher tick.
How Tyrese is perceived by the outside world
Tyrese is cool. He’s a very friendly guy to be around. He talks a lot about being humble and respecting the way of god. But, he’s not always gotten on the right side of people. He talks about people branding him as ‘arrogant’, because he gets the attention that others may not, and friendships have fallen apart as a result.
“I’m not very good at Maths, it was my worst subject,” Johnson-Fisher says – right before he admits that he ‘only’ got a B. With this intelligence, all these talents and skills, at what stage does it stop becoming arrogance, and just become true?
He’s clearly got a drive to achieve greatness that does not come naturally to everyone. But he doesn’t lord it over others, rather he simply wants to be free to express himself.
What about a return to rugby?
As we wander towards the exit, past the beach volleyball, past the indoor sprinting track where he would have spent much of his younger years, we share some stories about Bath – Johnson-Fisher’s favourite city and my home town.
Although he’s no longer a part of the rugby environment, he still very much has friendships and relationships that have been built up from his younger years. He regularly keeps in contact with Cameron Redpath, Ollie Lawrence and Max Ojomoh – all good friends of his.
Although he says that he is not tempted to return to rugby, if Bath were to offer him a shot he would find it very hard to turn it down.
Final reflections
“A marriage, not designed to last,” was the statement made by Johnson-Fisher when reflecting on his rugby career. A very poignant point.
Marriages, even when they don’t last, often leave both parties wiser. They have a better idea of what to do, and what not to do in future.
Johnson-Fisher has his sights set on a career that has a future, does not stifle him, and allows him to be himself. Rugby is changing, becoming more inclusive and allowing those in the public view to show some personality.
There is a long way to go for both parties, but the future is looking…entertaining.