David Otunga facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Otunga
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Otunga in 2014
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| Born | April 7, 1980 Elgin, Illinois, U.S.
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| Years active | 2005–2007 (law) 2007–present (acting) 2009–2015 (wrestling) |
| Partner(s) | Jennifer Hudson (2007–2017) |
| Children | 1 |
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Professional wrestling career
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| Ring name(s) | David Otunga Dawson Alexander |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Billed weight | 229 lb (104 kg) |
| Billed from | Hollywood, California |
| Trained by | Tom Prichard Norman Smiley |
| Debut | May 29, 2009 |
| Retired | February 2, 2015 |
David Daniel Otunga (born April 7, 1980) is an American actor, lawyer, and former professional wrestler. He is most famous for his time wrestling in WWE from 2009 to 2015.
Otunga first got noticed as the runner-up on the first season of WWE NXT. He was one of the original members of the famous wrestling group The Nexus. He was the only wrestler to be part of every version of the group. During his time in WWE, he became a two-time WWE Tag Team Champion.
Contents
Early Life and Education
David Daniel Otunga was born in Elgin, Illinois, on April 7, 1980. His parents, Billie and Moses Otunga, were both teachers. He grew up with two older siblings.
After graduating from Larkin High School, he went to the University of Illinois and earned a degree in psychology. He then moved to New York City and worked as a lab manager at Columbia University.
Otunga later decided to study law and graduated from the famous Harvard Law School in 2006. He passed the bar exam in Illinois and worked for a large law firm called Sidley Austin from 2005 to 2007.
Acting and Television Career
In 2007, Otunga appeared on the reality TV show I Love New York 2 after his niece sent in his audition tape. He was given the nickname "Punk" and made it to the final three contestants.
Since then, Otunga has acted in movies and on TV. He had a role in the 2013 movie The Call. He also made guest appearances on shows like General Hospital and Criminal Minds.
Professional Wrestling Career in WWE
In November 2008, Otunga signed a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He started in their training program, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). He first wrestled under the name Dawson Alexander.
Becoming a WWE Superstar on NXT
In 2010, Otunga joined the first season of WWE NXT, a show where new wrestlers competed to become WWE's next big star. His mentor on the show was the wrestler R-Truth. Otunga did very well and finished as the runner-up, with Wade Barrett winning the competition.
Joining The Nexus
A week after the NXT finale, Otunga and the other rookies from the show made a shocking debut on Raw. They interrupted a match between John Cena and CM Punk, attacking everyone and destroying the ringside area. This new group called themselves The Nexus.
The Nexus had a long rivalry with John Cena and other WWE stars. At the Bragging Rights event in October 2010, Otunga and John Cena teamed up to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. However, they lost the titles the very next night to their fellow Nexus members, Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater.
Otunga began to question the leadership of Wade Barrett. After CM Punk became the new leader of the group, it was renamed The New Nexus. On May 23, 2011, Otunga and fellow Nexus member Michael McGillicutty won the WWE Tag Team Championship again. They held the titles for three months before the group eventually broke up.
The Lawyer Persona
After The Nexus ended, Otunga started a new character that used his real-life background as a lawyer. He often appeared in a suit, carrying a coffee thermos, and acted as a legal advisor for other wrestlers. He became the legal counsel for the authority figure John Laurinaitis.
At WrestleMania XXVIII, Otunga was the captain of Team Johnny, which defeated Team Teddy in a 12-man tag team match. He took some time away from WWE in 2012 to support his family during a difficult time. He continued to wrestle occasionally and appeared in the 2013 Royal Rumble match. His last match was in 2015.
Commentator and Analyst
After stepping back from wrestling, Otunga took on new roles in WWE. In 2015, he became a panelist on the Raw Pre-Show.
In 2016, he became a commentator for shows like Superstars and Main Event. He was later a full-time commentator for SmackDown and then moved to the Raw commentary team. He often appeared as a panelist on pay-per-view pre-shows until 2019.
Personal Life
Otunga was in a long-term relationship with singer and actress Jennifer Hudson. Their son, David Daniel Otunga Jr., was born on August 10, 2009. The couple separated in November 2017.
Credits
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Call | Officer Jake Devans | |
| 2016 | What Happen Last Night | Tiny | |
| 2017 | Days Like This | Lance | |
| Live To Tell | Lt. Michael 'Lou' Ortega | ||
| Sandy Wexler | Reporter at Hollywood Sign | ||
| 2019 | A Madea Family Funeral | Will |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | I Love New York 2 | Punk | |
| 2012 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | Himself | |
| 2012–2013 | The Wendy Williams Show | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2013–2016 | Steve Harvey Show | Himself | Panelist |
| 2013 | The Haves and the Have Nots | Officer Mason | |
| 2014 | Celebrity Ghost Stories | Himself | |
| 2014 | General Hospital | Himself | |
| 2017 | Criminal Minds | Dwayne Jerrard | Episode: "A Good Husband" |
| 2018 | Family Time | Alvin | Episode: "Work, Wife, Unhappy Life" |
| 2022 | She-Hulk: Attorney at Law | Derek | 2 episodes |
| 2023 | Power Book IV: Force | Gang Chief | Episode: "Chicago Is Heating Up" |
Championships and Awards
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated (a wrestling magazine)
- Feud of the Year (2010) - The Nexus vs. WWE
- Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2010) - As part of The Nexus
- Rookie of the Year (2010)
- Ranked No. 84 of the top 500 wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2012
- WWE
- WWE Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with John Cena (1) and Michael McGillicutty (1)
- Slammy Award (2 times)
- Shocker of the Year (2010) - For the debut of The Nexus
- Pee-wee Herman Bowtie Award (2011)
Images for kids
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Otunga in 2014
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Otunga (right) with John Layfield at WrestleMania 34
See also
In Spanish: David Otunga para niños
