"He wasn't a wrestler" – Legend explains how Omos joined WWE

Former wrestler and developmental coach Steve Keirn recently explained how he helped Omos get signed by WWE.

The Nigerian Giant, real name Jordan Omogbehin, has been a prominent superstar in WWE since making his main roster debut in 2020. The 28-year-old joined the company in 2019 without having any prior wrestling experience.

In an interview with Maurice Shortall on the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast, Keirn recalled how he approached the seven-foot-three star at a restaurant:

"I found him at a place called First Watch. I was eating breakfast and this monster walks by me. I look at him, and I go, 'There's money, there's money.' And the way I judged that, Maurice, is everybody in that restaurant turned around and looked at him. He wasn't a wrestler." [1:17:38 – 1:18:00]

Keirn ran WWE's former Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) developmental system before the Performance Center training facility opened in 2013. The 71-year-old, who continued working for WWE behind the scenes after FCW was discontinued, asked Omos about his basketball career:

"I walked over to him, and I took my WWE business card and I laid it down on his table, and I said, 'Hey, what do you do?'" Keirn added. "He said, 'I'm a basketball player.' I go, 'Are you a good one? Well, you're about 18-feet tall. You ought to be able to just push the ball in.' And he goes, 'Well…'" [1:18:05 – 1:18:27]

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Omos moved to America at the age of 15. He played basketball for Morgan State University and the University of South Florida.

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Omos contacted Steve Keirn about joining WWE

Three months after their restaurant conversation, Omos got in touch with Steve Keirn and asked him for more information about WWE.

Keirn, also known as Skinner during his wrestling career, immediately contacted WWE's higher-ups and told them to hire the imposing basketball player:

"I go, 'You think you're gonna get rich playing basketball?' 'Well, I don't know.' I said, 'Well, here's my card. If you ever wanna get in the wrestling business, pick up the phone, and I'll make sure somebody gets in touch with you.' And he did, he called me. It was almost three months later, but he called me. I sent somebody to hire him, and they hired him." [1:18:27 – 1:18:48]

Omos recently lost to Brock Lesnar in a high-profile match at WrestleMania 39. He has feuded with some of WWE's biggest names in recent years, including Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman, and The New Day.

What have you made of The Nigerian Giant's WWE career so far? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Please credit the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.