During an appearance on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, wrestler and coach QT Marshall talked about which up-and-coming stars have the most potential:
“One would be Preston Vance, ‘10’. I met him when he first signed up at The Monster Factory. When he found out that I opened a facility, he moved right to Georgia. He actually moved in with me. He’s somebody, because of his build, it’s usually rare that someone with a build like him is going to be good in the ring. The fact that he ended up doing as well as he’s done, I’m very proud of that. Anna Jay, for instance, when she walked in, I remember telling her brother who was there with her, ‘As long as she does this, meaning just puts in a little bit of work, she’ll be ok, because she has that ‘It Factor.’ It is what it is. She’s been performing dance recitals and such since she was a little kid.
Then you have what I call, the really hard workers, which are like the Alan Angels, and the Lee Johnsons that literally are there all the time grinding, and trying to get better. Like Alan for instance, he’s not the biggest guy, but his work is really good. That’s why when he got in there with Kenny Omega on Dynamite, they had a banger as they say. It turned into Tony saying, ‘I think I have an idea for this guy.’ He texted me when Lee Johnson had his first match. He said, ‘Is Lee your guy?’ I said, ‘He is.’ He said, ‘Wow, I think you have something really special with this kid. Keep doing whatever you’re doing with him.’ Then, literally three months later, he signs like, and I don’t want to go into his business, but I think a six-year contract.
I’m like, wait a minute. That’s my student. I don’t even have a three-year contract. He’s someone I’m very proud of as well. There’s a whole bunch that I’m proud of, but also, I love bringing them to TV, and letting them have the opportunity to work Dark or Elevation, or whatever it is, just so they can see how real it is. Some of them get turned off by it, like, ‘Oh my God, I’m not ready for this.’, which as bad as it sounds, I want them to see that because I’ll tell them, ‘Hey, if you think you’re ready, and I’m telling you you’re not, no problem. You want to come to TV? I’ll open the door, but if you walk through that curtain after your match is over, and we don’t sign you, you’re not coming back.’ So, it’s like a loser leaves town match. If you’re willing to put your career on the line, we can do it. Then they’re like, ‘No, I’m good.’ I tell them, ‘You’ll get a chance one day. Get gear that looks presentable. I’m not saying everyone has to have six-packs. Hell, I don’t have a six-pack, but your character has to match your look, or your look has to match your character. That’s why I’m not out there calling myself Mr. Olympia with not having a six pack. I’m very big on those things, and checking as many boxes as possible when it comes to being a pro wrestler. I feel like if you treat it like a report card, the more A’s you have, the better chance you have of getting a full-time job.”
