What’s the story?
Luke Gallows and Joey Mercury announced today that they are opening a pro wrestling school in Georgia, which will be called the Bullet Proof Dojo.
The two stars have more than 30 years of combined experience in the wrestling industry, and are now looking to give back to the business by shaping some of its future talent.
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In case you didn’t know...
Luke Gallows is a current WWE Superstar wrestling for the Monday Night Raw brand as one half of The Club, alongside Karl Anderson.
He began his career in 2005 and is currently in his second stint with WWE. Gallows has worked for TNA and New Japan Pro Wrestling in the past, where he was a part of the infamous Bullet Club faction. Gallows is also a former three-time IWGP Tag Team Champion.
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Joey Mercury began wrestling in 1996, and was already somewhat of a veteran by the time he found his way to WWE in 2004.
He is a three-time WWE Tag Team Champion alongside John Morrison (who now wrestles as Johnny Mundo for Lucha Underground), and has been one of the most well-respected backstage agents, producers and trainers in the company for many years.
The heart of the matter
Gallows and Mercury announced the opening of their wrestling school, Bullet Proof Dojo, on Thursday morning through the Georgia independent wrestling promotion Wrestlemerica.
Mercury will be holding the school’s first camp from February 7th to 9th, with special guests to be announced soon, and a second camp will take place from February 28th to March 2nd.
Before any of that gets started, Mercury will be holding an open seminar to offer his wisdom and advice on the wrestling business to prospective trainees, and will be evaluating talent for their upcoming camps.
Since the announcement, there has been an outpouring of support across social media from people within the industry. WWE referee Jason Ayers praised the initiative saying:
“This is an amazing opportunity for anyone truly serious about making a serious at success in our industry. DO. NOT. MISS. THIS.”
What’s next?
Those interested in being a trainee at Bullet Proof Dojo should email their information to [email protected]. They have also opened an official Facebook page for future events and more information.
Sportskeeda’s Take
For those in the Georgia area, this is an excellent opportunity, as the head of the school Joey Mercury is one of the best technical minds in the business from all different aspects of the craft.
He’s spent years working with wrestlers backstage on promos, writing segments, training in the ring and working through matches. While Gallows won’t be able to dedicate as much time to the school, being a full-time member of the WWE roster, he will bring a global perspective and some needed star power to the facility.
It will be interesting to see who comes out of the school in the coming years. With the connections that Gallows and Mercury have within the industry, surely the students will have a much easier time making their way to the WWE Performance Center and NXT.
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