Rapper and professional wrestler Hassan Hamin Assad was formerly associated with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). His ring moniker Montel Vontavious Porter and its acronym MVP are more widely known. Assad had a difficult upbringing; at the age of 12, he joined a gang and eventually spent repeated prison terms for theft and kidnapping. Following his release, he started working out with Norman Smiley and Soulman Alex G, two former professional wrestlers. He debuted in wrestling in the independent circuit in 2002. Early in his career, he worked for a number of lesser promotions, such as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and Full Impact Pro (FIP) (TNA). Assad joined WWE in 2005, and his debut appearance on SmackDown took place in October 2006. He enjoyed a relatively successful career with the promotion for the following four years, taking home several trophies. After his release in 2010, he returned to the independent circuit. He had also competed in matches for Lucha Underground and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). In addition to his legendary professional wrestling career, Assad has been in a few movies and put out a number of hip-hop songs.
Early Childhood & Life
Alvin Antonio Burke Jr. and Lynne Magruder welcomed Montel Vontavious Porter into the world on October 28, 1973 in Liberty City, a neighborhood of Miami, Florida. Magruder worked at a call center, while Burke Sr. was a police officer.
In Florida’s impoverished Opa-locka neighborhood, his mother reared him alone. Alvin acted as the father figure for his two younger brothers, Brad and Justin, while their father was away.
He joined a group that he subsequently referred to as a graffiti gang when he was 12 years old. They quickly evolved into a street gang, though, and he was involved in some serious crime. When he was still a teenager, he was arrested for robbery and spent six months in a juvenile correctional facility.
Burke and two other people held up the casino on the Discovery I cruise ship on January 14, 1990, for $81,470. Burke eluded capture although his accomplices were apprehended right away. Finally, he received a call from his father telling him to give up. He was given an 18-and-a-half-year prison term after entering a guilty plea to the charges of robbery and kidnapping.
In the prison, he suffered a significant shift. He changed his name to Hassan Hamin Assad after converting to Islam. After serving his nine and a half year term, he was freed.
At the Opa-locka Work Release Center, Daryl Davis, a corrections officer, and Assad met. After Assad was released from prison, Davis, who performed under the alias “Primetime” Daryl D on the independent circuit, introduced him to professional wrestling and provided him with his initial training.
Work and Later Life of Montel Vontavious Porter
Assad’s first experienced coaches were Norman Smiley and Soulman Alex G. In 2002, he made his debut in the independent circuit as Antonio Banks. He worked for FIP, TNA, Future of Wrestling (FOW), and Ring of Honor in the first three years of his career. He and Punisher won the FOW Tag Team Championship there, giving him his first professional championship win.
He started competing in WWE live events and dark matches in 2005. He subsequently agreed to a developmental contract with the promotion and was sent to Deep South Wrestling, one of their developing venues, to polish his abilities. As he built the in-ring persona of Montel Vontavious Porter, also known as MVP, into a fully-fledged professional wrestling presence, he stopped using Antonio Banks as his ring name. A portion of MVP’s brash and selfish personality was inspired by Rod Tidwell, played by Cuba Gooding Jr. in “Jerry Maguire” (1996).
On August 4, 2006, he made his MVP debut on the WWE SmackDown brand. He was advertised as a sought-after free agent. At the 2006 No Mercy event, he faced off against Marty Garner in his maiden bout for the organization and prevailed. MVP flourished in his role as a villain, playing a parody of all overpaid, haughty, and egotistical players.
He soon began a feud with Kane and defeated the veteran wrestler in street fights, steel-cage matches, and tag team matches with Mr. Kennedy as his partner and Kane’s partner being The Undertaker from the storyline until falling to him in an inferno battle at the 2006 Armageddon.
One of the pinnacles of his career was the plot he had with Chris Benoit. On April 1, 2007, he competed for the first time at WrestleMania, and he lost to Benoit. He also lost at the 2007 Backlash. At the 2007 Great American Bash, he eventually defeated the Canadian wrestler in a two-out-of-three-falls match to win and claim the title of WWE Tag Team Champion.
He joined the Raw brand in 2009 after the conflict with Matt Hardy. He had brief disagreements with The Miz and Dolph Ziggler. His final WWE match, against Ziggler and Drew McIntyre, aired on December 3 and was a tag team contest. He would lose the fight while teaming up with Kaval, and as a result, the promotion terminated him from his contract.
MVP has since enjoyed a prosperous career in NJPW, TNA, and Lucha Underground. He is still active right now in the independent circuit.
He appeared in the 2010 action comedy “MacGruber” as a cast member. He was joined in the movie by Chris Jericho, The Great Khali, Big Show, Kane, and Mark Henry.
In June 2011, the hip-hop song “Holla to the World,” his debut, was made available. Carlito and Hernandez, two more professional wrestlers, made appearances in the song’s music video. On March 18, 2013, he released his second single, “Tokyo,” and on January 30, 2014, he released his third single, “Return of the Ronin.” Since then, he has made “Return of the Ronin” the theme for his TNA entrance.
Bigger Works of Montel Vontavious Porter
MVP engaged in a number of famous feuds when he was employed by WWE. His victories over Matt Hardy, though, were without a doubt his finest successes. The plot was intriguing, and compelling, and had its dramatic flair all the way to the finish. He won the WWE United States Championship by defeating Chris Benoit, and he successfully defended Matt Hardy at the Great American Bash in 2007.
As the plot developed, MVP was knocked out by former boxing champion Evander Holyfield, and Hardy defeated him in an arm wrestling match.
The Tag Team Championship was won by MVP and Hardy in August 2007, but during their reign, MVP played the heel, asserting that he was so good that he could have won the title with any member of the roster. On November 13, 2007, The Miz and John Morrison would eventually defeat them. The conflict persisted for another five months before coming to an end at the 2008 Backlash. After holding the title for 343 days, MVP lost the United States to Hardy.
Recognition & Achievements
MVP has won the WWE United States Championship twice. On May 20, 2007, and again on March 17, 2009, he won it for the first time.
Additionally, he was once the WWE Tag Team Champion. On August 28, 2007, he and his partner Matt Hardy won the championship.
He won the IWGP Intercontinental Championship for NJPW for the first time on May 15, 2011.
He was named the Most Improved Wrestler in 2007 and the Most Underrated Wrestler in 2008 by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Individual Life of Montel Vontavious Porter
Assad has a child with a woman he was previously romantically involved with.
When he underwent the routine examination required by WWE’s Talent Wellness Policy in August 2007, the physicians informed him that he had Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a rare ailment that causes a patient’s heart to beat more quickly than usual.
Estimated net worth
Various sources estimate that Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) is valued between $1 million and $5 million. The majority of the WWE star’s wealth has come from his nearly two decades of involvement in the wrestling business.
Trivia
As MVP and Antonio Banks, Assad has employed a variety of finishing techniques over the years. He currently employs Drive-By-Kick or Playmaker, a kind of Overdrive (a variation of Big Boot or Yakuza Kick).
Although Assad converted to Islam, he still regards himself as an atheist.