KC Navarro talks about his relationship with Shad Gaspard.
The tragic passing of Shad Gaspard was felt throughout every corner of the wrestling industry. Many of Shad’s friends in the industry lobbied for Shad to be honored with the Warrior Award by the WWE Hall of Fame. Shad Gaspard received this honor during the 2022 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony.
However, Shad’s passing was not only felt in the WWE Universe. KC Navarro considered Shad to be one of his mentors and in a new interview with PWMania, Navarro talks about how Gaspard’s passing affected him, saying that if it was not for Shad, KC believes he would have given up on his career.
“Around the time I started hanging out with nZo, one of my mentors passed away, Shad Gaspard. It hurt and I wasn’t okay because everything I did in my career was for Shad,” states Navarro. “I wasn’t able to call him when I got signed to MLW. It hurt.”
“I remember first meeting Shad, I had a shoulder injury in 2016, it was a month before I wrestled Lio Rush. I cut a promo and he was there. I remember him coming to the back after that promo and telling me I was going to make it,” he added. “He would make sure I stood focused and would keep my head on straight. A lot of guys didn’t want to see my win. At 16 for Shad to say I was going to make it, after being kicked out of wrestling school one year prior for not being humble enough, he was probably the best person I’ve met in my entire life.
“Shad cared about his fans, family, and friends. He passed saving his son. For him to give up time to make sure I was motivated to get to the next level, I owe it all to him,” he continued. “Sometimes it hurts when I have a big moment and the first thing I want to do is call him, but I can’t. I always make sure to put it out on social media and say that it was for him. Without him, I don’t think I’d be where I’m at today. I was at a point where I just wanted to quit.”
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