Prince Nana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prince Nana |
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Nana at a Ring of Honor show in 2011
|
|
| Birth name | Nana Osei Bandoh |
| Born | August 1, 1979 Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Nana Prince Nana |
| Billed height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Billed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Billed from | "Ghana, West Africa" |
| Trained by | Angel Medina Vito LoGrasso D-Von Dudley Johnny Rodz Mr. Fabian Street |
| Debut | 1996 |
| Retired | 2019 |
Nana Osei Bandoh (born August 1, 1979), known as Prince Nana, is an American professional wrestling manager. He used to be a professional wrestler himself. He has family roots in Ghana. Currently, he works for All Elite Wrestling (AEW). There, he manages a top wrestler named Swerve Strickland.
Prince Nana's Early Life
Prince Nana was born in the United States. He says his family comes from the Ashanti tribe in Ghana. He claims to be an heir to a royal throne there. When he was three, his family lived in Ghana for five years. They returned to America so he could go to school.
Becoming a Wrestler
In 1992, when Nana was twelve, he watched WrestleMania VIII. He was very inspired by a match between "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Ric Flair. This made him want to become a wrestler. A year later, he wrote to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He asked them for advice on where to train.
The WWF suggested a school in New Jersey. But Nana felt it was too far away. Instead, he became a photographer for Johnny Rodz. Rodz ran a gym in New York. Nana worked for Rodz until he turned eighteen. Then, Rodz began training him to wrestle.
Prince Nana's Wrestling Career
Starting His Career (1996–2002)
Prince Nana started wrestling in 1996. His first match was in a church in Spanish Harlem. He wrestled regularly for promotions like the East Coast Wrestling Association. He also appeared with the WWF and in Japan.
Ring of Honor (2002–present)
In 2002, Nana joined Ring of Honor, a new wrestling company. In 2004, he formed a group called The Embassy. This group was a "heel" stable. A "heel" is a bad guy in wrestling. A "stable" is a group of wrestlers who work together.
The Embassy's Early Days
In the story, Nana used his wealth from Ghana to hire wrestlers. These wrestlers would fight his opponents. Under his management, John Walters won the ROH Pure Championship. Also, Jimmy Rave, Alex Shelley, and Abyss won the Trios Tournament in 2006. Nana left Ring of Honor in September 2006.
Returning to Ring of Honor
Prince Nana made a surprise return to Ring of Honor in 2008. He said he had lost his money and just wanted a job. Security often removed him from shows. In March 2009, Nana announced he had regained his wealth. He reformed The Embassy with new members.
The Embassy's New Members
The new Embassy included wrestlers like Bison Smith and Jimmy Rave. Other members joined over time, such as Claudio Castagnoli and Joey Ryan. By 2010, most members had left the group. In 2011, Nana introduced a new version of The Embassy. This group included Tommaso Ciampa, who became Nana's top wrestler.
The Embassy Disbands and Reforms
In 2012, The Embassy broke up. Ciampa turned against Nana. In 2013, Nana tried out for WWE. He also became a "Talent Scout" for Ring of Honor. This meant he helped find new wrestlers. In late 2014, he formed another version of The Embassy.
The Embassy's Latest Success
On July 23, 2022, Prince Nana returned to Ring of Honor. He announced he had bought another wrestling group. He reformed The Embassy again with Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun, and Toa Liona. This trio won the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship in December 2022. This was the first time Nana had managed his group to win a championship in Ring of Honor.
All Elite Wrestling (2023–present)
.jpg)
In April 2023, Prince Nana began managing Swerve Strickland in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). They formed a new group called "Mogul Embassy." This group was a mix of Swerve's old stable and Nana's Embassy.
Managing a World Champion
On April 21, 2024, Swerve Strickland defeated Samoa Joe to win the AEW World Championship. This was a huge moment for Prince Nana. It was the first time he had managed a wrestler to win a major singles championship.
In May 2024, the Mogul Embassy group broke up. Some members attacked Swerve Strickland. But Prince Nana stayed loyal and continued to manage Swerve. Nana managed Swerve for successful title defenses against Christian Cage and Will Ospreay.
Recent Events
In August 2024, Swerve Strickland lost the AEW World Championship to Bryan Danielson. Later, another wrestler named MVP tried to become Swerve's manager. MVP blamed Nana for Swerve's losses. However, Swerve Strickland chose to stay with Prince Nana. He showed his loyalty in October 2024.
Championships and Accomplishments
Prince Nana has helped wrestlers win titles. He also won some championships himself as a wrestler:
- CyberSpace Wrestling Federation
- CSWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Sonjay Dutt
- East Coast Wrestling Association
- ECWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- ECWA Mid Atlantic Championship (2 times)
- New York Wrestling Connection
- NYWC Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with MEGA
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him #311 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2010
- USA Pro Wrestling
- USA Pro New York State Championship (2 times)
- WreslePurists
- Best Non-Wrestler Award 2023.
