"I've loved wrestling ever since I was in diapers," Pha'Nesse recalls. "My mom and brothers and grandmother would gather around the TV for RAW and Smackdown. I especially loved the divas like Trish and Lita."
In his teens Pha'Nesse lost interest in wrestling. Then three years ago his mother passed away. "I was depressed, flipping channels, and I came across wrestling. A lightbulb just clicked in my head: why am I not doing this with my life?"
There were a few reasons to think maybe pro wrestling wasn't for Pha'Nesse. He's naturally shy and introverted. He's not particularly tall or built, and he's an openly gay black man. But those same obstacles would also make him a lovable outsider underdog.
"When I first started training I tried to tone it down. I didn't know how I'd be perceived being a gay black man in the South who is kind of flamboyant. At first I was trying to run away from it. But to be a wrestler, you have to be yourself times a hundred."
He admits, there have been some encounters with racism and homophobia along the way. "There are some cities that I'll never visit again. But Chattanooga has one of the best wrestling scenes in the world. Everybody is welcome here at TWE, and you're family the moment you walk through the door."
TWE (Total Wrestling Entertainment) is run by Jaden Newman, who like Pha'Nesse also fell in love with wrestling at a young age. "When I was 8 my grandfather took me to the flea market, and I found a collection of wrestling DVDs," he recalls. "I saw Halloween Havoc 97, and I was hooked. I knew I wanted to be a professional wrestler."
Frustrated by the obstacles that stood in young Jaden's way, his grandfather decided to open their own wrestling venue. "He was an electrician for 50 years and knew nothing about wrestling," Jaden laughs. "But he was a fan and a good businessman, and he wanted to do something so younger talent like me could have a place to learn and grow."
Now 25, Jaden runs TWE with help of talent booker Dylan Hells and jack-of-all-trades Dan Wilson. Over the last 11 years, they've grown bigger than they'd ever imagined, hosting regular live shows that are broadcast worldwide on IWTV (Independent Wrestling TV). "We have viewers in Japan, Germany, England and all around the world," Jaden says. "I'm proud to help put Chattanooga wrestling on the map."
He attributes much of TWE's success to their caliber of talent, including local favorites like Jameson Shook, Erron Wade, Jayke Murphy, and Big Dave.
And then of course there's Tank, the elder statesman of Chattanooga wrestling. "I grew up watching Tank," Jaden remembers. "He was one of the first local wrestlers I had the chance to work with, and over the years we've become friends."
TWE is also a favorite stop for touring performers. "Over the years we've hosted so many great wrestlers like Austin Theory, Nathan Frazer, Anthony Henry, and A.C. Mack, the first openly gay world champion."
"It was never intentional to make a gay friendly space," Jaden admits. "It was just something that naturally happened. We have a lot of talented people, and the fact that they've been such a catalyst for change throughout the Southeast makes us incredibly proud."
Life as a professional wrestler has its ups and downs for Pha'Nesse. "There are some practices where I know I'm going to be sore the next day," he says, "but I want to keep going. I can see myself being a part of this in some way when I'm 60 or 70."
Pha'Nesse and Jaden Newman will both wrestle at TWE's Consequences event this Saturday February 24th. TWE's venue is located at 4825 Dayton Blvd. Tickets can be purchased in advance over their website.
Learn more about TWE at twechattanooga.square.site