WWE Star Details Decision To Join Company After ‘Heartbreaking’ Experience

Published: Sep 26, 2025 by Connel Rumsey | Last Updated: Sep 26, 2025 by Connel Rumsey

Connel has over five years of wrestling journalism experience writing about some of the biggest stories from across the wrestling world. Being a fan for 20 years, Connel has an expansive knowledge from a wide range of various wrestling promotions, including WWE, AEW, NJPW, TNA and Joshi.

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WWE

A WWE star has opened up on their decision to join the company after a ‘heartbreaking’ experience in their life.

At tomorrow night’s WWE No Mercy event, NXT North American Champion Ethan Page is set to defend the championship against Tavion Heights.

Heights has steadily been finding himself as a singles star on NXT television in recent weeks after he defeated Charlie Dempsey to earn his leave from the No Quarter Catch Crew.

Taking to Instagram ahead of the show, Tavion opened up on his decision to sign with WWE, citing a ‘heartbreaking’ experience at the 2021 Olympic Games prior to joining the company.

He said:

“I remember vividly, training day in and day out, tirelessly like a dog, to make an Olympic team. And I remember sacrificing so much time with friends. I traveled nine months of the year out of the whole year. It was hard to say the least.

“And I can remember when I made the Olympic team and just how ecstatic I was, how happy I was, and how I was ready to change my life. And just like many other Olympians and athletes, I can remember the feeling I had going out into the arena – which typically was filled with roaring fans screaming, shouting, all of this, and you felt that wind, that energy when you came out into the stadium.

“But at the Olympic Games, because of 2021 and Covid, there was no fans, no spectators allowed at the Games, so the arenas were empty. I remember when I came out into to stadium, and I looked out, in my peripherals, I didn’t see anybody. I didn’t feel that wind. I just felt dead air. And at the time, you’re taught, you’re trained to not let any outside forces mess with you and penetrate you. And it didn’t.

“But now looking back, oh it definitely messed with me. Definitely. After the Olympic Games, I was kind of heartbroken, depressed, as are many Olympians who don’t get the gold medal.

“And I realized that, dude, I live for those matches that are tied 1-1 in the last 30 seconds, and you’ve got Iran blowing their horns, you’ve got the Russians screaming, you’ve got the Azerbaijanis going crazy. That, I live for. Because if you win that match, you pull back in their guy, but if you lose that match, the other guy goes on to… it’s just… something about it, dog.

“And I remember after the Games, I was like, ‘Where do I fit the best? Where do I experience that always?’ And well, there’s one simple answer – that was the WWE. Every match is like that. And I reached out immediately.”

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Former No Quarter Catch Crew leader Charlie Dempsey recently announced that he would be going away for a month to tour with Pro Wrestling NOAH alongside Harlem Lewis.